Top-down perspective

Top down games were very popular in the 80s and the 90s, when graphic cards were not capable of supporting 3D, and even when 3D started to become popular, 2D games continued to be easier to develop, at least in the infancy of 3D gaming. 2D game offered the player a viewpoint that helped keeping things easily under control (think about top down party-based RPGs or hex-based strategy games).

Most popular top down games

Dune 2000

strategyWindows XP/98/95

PC-Man

actionDOS

Ultima 7 Part 1: The Black Gate

rpgDOS

Top down games

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Mech War

DOS19924/5
Mega lo Mania

DOS19924.2/5 Sensible Software
Megatraveller 1: the Zhodani conspiracy

DOS19903.9/5 Paragon Software
Megatraveller 2: Quest for the ancients

DOS19913.7/5 Paragon Software
Merchant Colony

DOS19914.2/5 Impressions Games
Merchant Prince

DOS19934.1/5 Holistic Design
Meteors

DOS19893.6/5 Apogee Software
Micro Machines

DOS19944.3/5 Codemasters

Micro Machines is an abandoned racing game developed and released by Codemasters in 1994 based on the Micro Machines toy line. Micro Machines was published for DOS, but also for Amiga, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, NES, SEGA Master System and SNES. Codemasters released a sequel called Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament.
Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament

DOS19954.1/5 Supersonic Software
MicroProse Soccer

DOS1988protected4.3/5 Sensible Software

MicroProse Soccer is an abandoned action-oriented soccer game, developed by Sensible Software and released by MicroProse Software in 1988. The appeal of MicroProse Soccer was its simplicity and the smooth controls. In the United States it was known as Keith Van Eron's Pro Soccer.
Mine Shaft

DOS19834.1/5 Sierra On-Line
Mines of Titan

DOS19893.3/5 Westwood Studios

Mines of Titan (also known as Mars Saga for other platforms) is an abandoned single-player RPG with a sci-fi setting (you're going to Mars!). Mines of Titan was developed by Westwood Studios and released by Infocom in 1989 for DOS, Apple II and Commodore 64.
Minesweeper

Windows 3.x19924.2/5 Microsoft
Mini Putt

DOS19883.8/5 Artech Studios
Mirror Magic

Windows XP/98/95Linux1995freeware3.8/5
Mission: Mainframe

DOS19873.8/5
Moebius

DOS19873.4/5 Origin Systems
Monday Night Football

DOS19893.9/5 Park Place Productions
Monopoly

DOS19854/5
Monopoly

DOS19854.1/5
Monopoly (Adam Stevens)

DOS19983.9/5
Monopoly Deluxe

DOSWindows 3.x19924/5 Parker Brothers

Monopoly Deluxe is an abandoned turn-based top-down Monopoly adaptation of the classic board game, developed by Parker Brothers and released by Virgin Interactive in 1992. Monopoly Deluxe was published for DOS, Windows 3.1, and Macintosh.
Moraff's Revenge

DOS19883.8/5 Moraffware
Moraff's World

DOS19913.5/5 Moraffware
Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol

Windows 3.x1995protected4/5

Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol is fantasy RPG game released in 1995 for Windows 3.x, but it runs flawlessy even Windows XP (see this faq if you want to play Mordor in a virtual machine). Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol is a mix of first-person and top-down perspective dungeon crawler; the game shows the dungeon in by both perspectives at onc...
Moria

DOS1992freeware3.9/5
Motor City

DOS19944/5 Max Design
Ms Pac PC

DOS1995remake4.2/5 Magicom Multimedia
Ms. Pac-Man

DOS19833.8/5 Midway Manufacturing Company
Murder on the Zinderneuf

DOS19843.3/5 Free Fall Associates