Most Popular Retro Games by Era — Arcade, 8/16-bit, 3D Revolution, Sixth Gen

Arcade Golden Age (1978–1984)

• Space Invaders (1978)
• Pac-Man (1980)
• Donkey Kong (1981)
• Galaga (1981)
• Frogger (1981)
• Tetris (1984)

8-bit / 16-bit Console Era (1985–1995)

• Super Mario Bros. (1985, NES)
• The Legend of Zelda (1986, NES)
• Sonic the Hedgehog (1991, Genesis)
• Street Fighter II (1991, Arcade/SNES/Genesis)
• Super Metroid (1994, SNES)
• Chrono Trigger (1995, SNES)

3D Revolution / PC (1996–2000)

• Super Mario 64 (1996, N64)
• Final Fantasy VII (1997, PS1)
• Half-Life (1998, PC)
• Ocarina of Time (1998, N64)
• Pokémon Red/Blue (1998, GB)
• Counter-Strike (1999, PC)

Sixth Gen / Early 2000s (2000–2005)

• Grand Theft Auto III (2001, PS2)
• Halo: Combat Evolved (2001, Xbox)
• World of Warcraft (2004, PC)
• Shadow of the Colossus (2005, PS2)
• Resident Evil 4 (2005, GC/PS2)

Popularity varies by region and personal nostalgia.