Ranking by year

The best games of 1996.

56 games compete in this selection. Pokémon Blue Version tops it with 1,867 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.

  1. 1 Pokémon Blue Version 1996 · JRPG 1,867
  2. 2 Pokémon Red Version 1996 · JRPG 1,862
  3. 3 Tomb Raider 1996 · Platformer 1,832
  4. 4 Super Mario 64 1996 · Action-adventure 1,782
  5. 5 Mario Kart 64 1996 · Racing 1,766
  6. 6 Diablo 1996 · Action RPG 1,751
  7. 7 Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars 1996 · JRPG 1,721
  8. 8 Resident Evil 1996 · Horror 1,718
  9. 9 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 1996 · Strategy 1,697
  10. 10 Quake 1996 · FPS 1,687
  11. 11 Crash Bandicoot 1996 · Platformer 1,673
  12. 12 Duke Nukem 3D 1996 · FPS 1,643
  13. 13 Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! 1996 · Platformer 1,611
  14. 14 Sid Meier's Civilization II 1996 · Strategy 1,583
  15. 15 Mega Man 8 1996 · Platformer 1,573
  16. 16 Mortal Kombat Trilogy 1996 · Fighting 1,569
  17. 17 Circle of Blood 1996 · Point-and-click 1,568
  18. 18 Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire 1996 · TPS 1,564
  19. 19 Metal Slug 1996 · Platformer 1,550
  20. 20 Street Fighter Alpha 2 1996 · Fighting 1,541
  21. 21 PaRappa the Rapper 1996 · Rhythm 1,530
  22. 22 Sonic 3D Blast 1996 · Platformer 1,499
  23. 23 Pilotwings 64 1996 · Racing 1,497
  24. 24 Wave Race 64 1996 · Racing 1,495
  25. 25 Destruction Derby 2 1996 · Racing 1,490
  26. 26 The Neverhood 1996 · Point-and-click 1,485
  27. 27 Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain 1996 · Action-adventure 1,485
  28. 28 Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars 1996 · Strategy 1,484
  29. 29 Harvester 1996 · Point-and-click 1,478
  30. 30 The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall 1996 · Action RPG 1,476
  31. 31 Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo 1996 · Puzzle 1,465
  32. 32 Death Rally 1996 · Racing 1,463
  33. 33 Dead or Alive 1996 · Fighting 1,460
  34. 34 Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu 1996 · JRPG 1,458
  35. 35 Killer Instinct Gold 1996 · Fighting 1,455
  36. 36 Z 1996 · Strategy 1,450
  37. 37 Twisted Metal 2 1996 · Racing 1,447
  38. 38 Soul Edge 1996 · Fighting 1,435
  39. 39 Wild Arms 1996 · JRPG 1,430
  40. 40 Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh 1996 · Point-and-click 1,430
  41. 41 Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares 1996 · Strategy 1,429
  42. 42 The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici 1996 · Strategy 1,428
  43. 43 Harvest Moon 1996 · Simulation 1,422
  44. 44 Tekken 2 1996 · Fighting 1,419
  45. 45 Pandemonium! 1996 · Platformer 1,413
  46. 46 The King of Fighters '96 1996 · Fighting 1,401
  47. 47 X-Men vs. Street Fighter 1996 · Fighting 1,393
  48. 48 Nights Into Dreams... 1996 · Platformer 1,393
  49. 49 Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara 1996 · Beat 'em up 1,382
  50. 50 Toonstruck 1996 · Point-and-click 1,382
  51. 51 Wipeout XL 1996 · Racing 1,379
  52. 52 Alien Trilogy 1996 · FPS 1,368
  53. 53 Discworld II: Mortality Bytes! 1996 · Point-and-click 1,366
  54. 54 Dragon Ball Z: The Legend 1996 · Fighting 1,355
  55. 55 Pajama Sam In: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside 1996 · Point-and-click 1,317
  56. 56 The House of the Dead 1996 · FPS 1,290

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

Other rankings

Best games of 1990 Top games of 1991 Ranking of 1992 games The best games of 1993 Ranking of 1994 games Top games of 1995 The best games of 1997 The best games of 1998 The best games of 1999

In detail

The best games of 1996, what this ranking says

Pokémon Blue Version leads this selection with 1,867 ELO points, ahead of Pokémon Red Version and Tomb Raider. The 56 games competing in it have played 9,458 duels.

This selection in figures
Games competing in this selection 56
Duels played by those games 9,458
Game in the lead Pokémon Blue Version (1996)
Score of the leading game, in ELO points 1,867
Point gap between 1st and 10th 180
Best represented genre Fighting
Last reading September 18, 2026

The best game of every genre in 1996

A selection is not read in one block: here is what leads each of its brackets.

The best game of every genre in 1996
Genre Games competing In the lead ELO score Duels played
JRPG 5 Pokémon Blue Version 1,867 328
Platformer 8 Tomb Raider 1,832 343
Racing 7 Mario Kart 64 1,766 360
Strategy 6 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 1,697 178
Fighting 9 Mortal Kombat Trilogy 1,569 106
Point-and-click 7 Circle of Blood 1,568 146

What moved this week

The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 56 games in this selection moved.

What moved this week
Game Points gained in 7 days ELO score
Street Fighter Alpha 2 +68 1,541
Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu +65 1,458
Pilotwings 64 +50 1,497

The most contested match-ups

These pairs of games have faced each other more than any others in this selection.

The most contested match-ups
Wins Against Duels played Win rate
Tomb Raider Super Mario 64 3 67%

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 of 1996?

According to community votes, the best game of 1996 is Pokémon Blue Version, with 1,867 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of Pokémon Red Version and Tomb Raider, and its place is replayed with every duel.

How many games of 1996 are ranked?

56 games of this selection take part in the duels, and they have played 9,458 of them so far. The full site catalogue is much wider: only games kept for their fame enter the running.

Which game of 1996 is climbing right now?

Street Fighter Alpha 2 is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 68 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 56 games in the selection moved.

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