Top-down perspective sorted by release date

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

Civilization 2

strategyWindows XP/98/95

Grand Theft Auto 2

action-adventureWindows XP/98/95

Top down games

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Skullduggery: Adventures in Horror

DOS19863.1/5
Starflight

DOS19864.2/5 Binary Systems
The Chessmaster 2000

DOS19864.1/5 Software Toolworks
Yacht Racing Simulator

DOS19863.4/5
Adventure Construction Set

DOS19873.9/5 Electronic Arts

Adventure Construction Set is an abandoned application developed by Stuart Smith and published for DOS, Amiga, Apple II and Commodore 64 by Electronic Arts in 1987. As the name suggests, ACS is a game-building system (we're talking about adventure RPGs) that lets you edit maps, items, creatures, etc. Included with ACS is a complete game called...
ALF: The First Adventure

DOS19873/5 Box Office
B-24 Combat Simulator

DOS1987protected3.5/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Guerrilla War

DOS19873.6/5 SNK Corporation
Infiltrator

DOS19874.2/5 Chris Gray Enterprises
Into the Eagle's Nest

DOS19873.8/5 Pandora
Kampfgruppe

DOS1987protected3.6/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Lawn Mower

DOS19874/5
Lords of Conquest

DOS19873.6/5 Eon Software
Mah Jongg Solitaire

DOS19874.3/5 Arcanum Computing
Mech Brigade

DOS1987protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Mission: Mainframe

DOS19873.8/5
Moebius

DOS19873.4/5 Origin Systems
Patton vs. Rommel

DOS19874/5 Electronic Arts
Phantasie 1

DOS1987protected3.9/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Phantasie 3: The Wrath of Nikademus

DOS19874.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Poko Memorial: 18 Hole Miniature Golf

DOS19872.3/5 Gold Hill Software
Roadwar 2000

DOS1987protected3.9/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Roadwar Europa

DOS1987protected3.9/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Robot Rascals

DOS19873.8/5 Ozark Softscape
Rockford: The Arcade Game

DOS1987protected4.1/5 Arcadia Systems
Shard of Spring

DOS1987protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Sid Meier's Pirates!

DOS1987protected4.1/5 MicroProse Software
Sorcerer Lord

DOS19874/5 Personal Software Services
Storm

DOS19872.5/5 Mastertronic
Super Pinball by Russco

DOS19874.4/5 Russco