Ranking by year
The best games of 1987.
27 games compete in this selection. Contra tops it with 1,692 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.
- 1 Contra 1987 · Platformer 1,692 +138
- 2 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 1987 · Metroidvania 1,678 +161
- 3 Metroid 1987 · Metroidvania 1,640 −99
- 4 Mega Man 1987 · Platformer 1,611 −39
- 5 Final Fantasy 1987 · JRPG 1,605 +281
- 6 Castlevania II: Simon's Quest 1987 · Metroidvania 1,544 +727
- 7 Street Fighter 1987 · Fighting 1,526 +465
- 8 Test Drive 1987 · Racing 1,513 −96
- 9 Double Dragon 1987 · Beat 'em up 1,509 −507
- 10 Blades of Steel 1987 · Sports 1,501 +432
- 11 Metal Gear 1987 · Action-adventure 1,496 −289
- 12 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! 1987 · Fighting 1,491 −890
- 13 Maniac Mansion 1987 · Point-and-click 1,487 −651
- 14 Phantasy Star 1987 · JRPG 1,487 +250
- 15 California Games 1987 · Sports 1,466 +330
- 16 1943: The Battle of Midway 1987 · Shoot 'em up 1,466 −298
- 17 Super Hang-On 1987 · Racing 1,455 +897
- 18 Top Gun 1987 · Simulation 1,448 +16
- 19 Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 1987 · Platformer 1,433 −1,229
- 20 R-Type 1987 · Shoot 'em up 1,421 −647
- 21 Shinobi 1987 · Beat 'em up 1,411 −61
- 22 Sid Meier's Pirates! 1987 · Action RPG 1,406 +806
- 23 Shadowgate 1987 · Point-and-click 1,395 −291
- 24 International Karate + 1987 · Fighting 1,393 −934
- 25 The Great Giana Sisters 1987 · Platformer 1,372 +149
- 26 Operation Wolf 1987 · Arcade 1,355 −90
- 27 Faxanadu 1987 · Metroidvania 1,341 −104
Other rankings
In detail
The best games of 1987, what this ranking says
Contra leads this selection with 1,692 ELO points, ahead of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and Metroid. The 27 games competing in it have played 3,055 duels.
| Games competing in this selection | 27 |
|---|---|
| Duels played by those games | 3,055 |
| Game in the lead | Contra (1987) |
| Score of the leading game, in ELO points | 1,692 |
| Point gap between 1st and 10th | 191 |
| Last reading | September 18, 2026 |
What moved this week
The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 27 games in this selection moved.
| Game | Points gained in 7 days | ELO score |
|---|---|---|
| Sid Meier's Pirates! | +62 | 1,406 |
| Castlevania II: Simon's Quest | +52 | 1,544 |
| Zelda II: The Adventure of Link | +43 | 1,678 |
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.
FAQ
What players ask
What is the best game of 1987?
According to community votes, the best game of 1987 is Contra, with 1,692 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and Metroid, and its place is replayed with every duel.
How many games of 1987 are ranked?
27 games of this selection take part in the duels, and they have played 3,055 of them so far. The full site catalogue is much wider: only games kept for their fame enter the running.
Which game of 1987 is climbing right now?
Sid Meier's Pirates! is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 62 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 27 games in the selection moved.