The most popular top down games

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).

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Defender of the Crown

DOS1991protected Cinemaware

Defender of the crown is a strategy game set in the middle ages, in England. You control a Saxon and must fight Normans to control the country. The player can conquest territories, lay siege to castles, join tournaments, rescue damsels.

Disciples of Steel

DOS1994

Bandit Kings of Ancient China

DOS1989 KOEI

Super Stardust

DOS1996 Housemarque

Alien Olympics

DOS1994 Dark Technologies

Sargon V: World Class Chess

DOS1991 Activision

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

DOS1990 New World Computing

Blues Brothers RPG

Windows XP/98/952004freeware

CHAMP Ms. Pac-man

DOS1994remake ChamProgramming corp.

Windwalker (Moebius 2)

DOS1989 Origin Systems

Decisive Battles of the American Civil War: Vol. 3

DOS1992 SSG Strategic Studies Group

Demon's Winter

DOS1989protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

Merchant Colony

DOS1991 Impressions Games

Hannibal

DOS1993 Starbyte Software

Action Fighter

DOS1989 Sega

Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye

Windows 3.xMac OS1990 Activision

Dark Reign 2

Windows XP/98/952000protected Pandemic Studios

Gremlins

DOS1984 Atari

Hill Street Blues

DOS1991 Krisalis

Hill Street Blues is an old DOS "driving" game developed by Krisalis in 1991. The gameplay it's similar to a Grand Theft Auto clone (we're talking about GTA 1 or 2) in which you are the police and you have to apprehend criminals. Hill Street Blues is a rare example of game based on a TV series.