Ranking by platform

The best games on Atari 8-bit.

15 games compete in this selection. Karateka tops it with 1,571 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.

  1. 1 Karateka 1984 · Fighting 1,571
  2. 2 Ms. Pac-Man 1982 · Arcade 1,479
  3. 3 Spy Hunter 1983 · Racing 1,472
  4. 4 Ultima 1981 · RPG 1,450
  5. 5 Pole Position 1982 · Racing 1,448
  6. 6 Pitfall! 1982 · Platformer 1,443
  7. 7 Spy vs Spy 1984 · Strategy 1,430
  8. 8 Ghostbusters 1984 · Arcade 1,426
  9. 9 River Raid 1982 · Shoot 'em up 1,411
  10. 10 Lode Runner 1983 · Platformer 1,411
  11. 11 H.E.R.O. 1984 · Platformer 1,406
  12. 12 Gauntlet 1985 · Beat 'em up 1,401
  13. 13 Archon 1983 · Strategy 1,371
  14. 14 Boulder Dash 1984 · Puzzle 1,349
  15. 15 Millipede 1982 · Shoot 'em up 1,346

Filter, combine and travel back in time in the full ranking

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In detail

The best games on Atari 8-bit, what this ranking says

Karateka leads this selection with 1,571 ELO points, ahead of Ms. Pac-Man and Spy Hunter. The 15 games competing in it have played 846 duels.

This selection in figures
Games competing in this selection 15
Duels played by those games 846
Game in the lead Karateka (1984)
Score of the leading game, in ELO points 1,571
Point gap between 1st and 10th 160
Last reading September 18, 2026

What moved this week

The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 15 games in this selection moved.

What moved this week
Game Points gained in 7 days ELO score
River Raid +50 1,411
Karateka +35 1,571
Archon +33 1,371

How this ranking is established

No jury, no press score, no sales figures: two games face off, players vote, and every vote updates an ELO score. This page is a view of the world ranking, never a standing kept apart.

Understand the method in detail →

FAQ

What players ask

What is the best game on Atari 8-bit?

According to community votes, the best game on Atari 8-bit is Karateka, with 1,571 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of Ms. Pac-Man and Spy Hunter, and its place is replayed with every duel.

How many games on Atari 8-bit are ranked?

15 games of this selection take part in the duels, and they have played 846 of them so far. The full site catalogue is much wider: only games kept for their fame enter the running.

Which game on Atari 8-bit is climbing right now?

River Raid is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 50 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 15 games in the selection moved.

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