Best games
Best Action games on Arcade
The 38 best Action games on Arcade, ranked from 8,944 critic and player ratings.
The best Action game on Arcade right now is Street Fighter IV, with a critic score of 91/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 1970 to 2026.
- 38 games are listed on this page, carrying 8,944 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 38
01
Street Fighter IV
Street Fighter IV brings the legendary fighting series back to its roots by taking the beloved fighting moves and techniques of the original Street Fighter II, and infusing them with Capcom’s latest advancements in next generation technology to create a truly extraordinary experience that will re-introduce the world to the time-honored art of virtual martial arts. Newcomers: - Abel - C.Viper - Rufus - El Fuerte - Gouken
91
/100
02
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3, the third entry in the Super Mario Bros. series and Super Mario franchise, sees Mario or Luigi navigate a nonlinear world map containing platforming levels and optional minigames and challenges. The game features more diverse movement options and new items alongside more complex level designs and boss battles.
89
/100
03
Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR
Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator is a Japanese fighting game and the updated version of Guilty Gear Xrd: Sign. The updated version adds new characters Jack-O, Johnny, and Jam Kuradoberi, as well as updated mechanics, balancing, systems, M.O.M. Mode, and more.
86
/100
Street Fighter IV
Street Fighter IV brings the legendary fighting series back to its roots by taking the beloved fighting moves and techniques of the original Street Fighter II, and infusing them with Capcom’s latest advancements in next generation technology to create a truly extraordinary experience that will re-introduce the world to the time-honored art of virtual martial arts. Newcomers: - Abel - C.Viper - Rufus - El Fuerte - Gouken
91
/100
02
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3, the third entry in the Super Mario Bros. series and Super Mario franchise, sees Mario or Luigi navigate a nonlinear world map containing platforming levels and optional minigames and challenges. The game features more diverse movement options and new items alongside more complex level designs and boss battles.
89
/100
03
Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR
Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator is a Japanese fighting game and the updated version of Guilty Gear Xrd: Sign. The updated version adds new characters Jack-O, Johnny, and Jam Kuradoberi, as well as updated mechanics, balancing, systems, M.O.M. Mode, and more.
86
/100
04
Guilty Gear -Strive
Discover the Smell of the Game with Guilty Gear: Strive! Immerse yourself in new gameplay mechanics designed to be simple and welcoming for fighting game newcomers, yet deep and creative for veterans. Ride the Fire into a heavy metal inspired alternate future full of over-the-top action, style and fun!
85
/100
05
Ikaruga
In this vertical scrolling spaceship shooter, you control a ship that can change its polarity at will. As blue/white, the ship can easily destroy red/black enemies, and vice versa. Bullets of your polarity can be collected to fuel your energy gauge, but those opposite will kill you. Destroying an enemy ship causes them to fire revenge bullets which can be absorbed and fired back by the player. Different difficulties exist to change exactly how you interact with polarized points, or how they appear. It is the spiritual successor to Radiant Silvergun, featuring similar level and boss design, as well as it's buddhism inspired themes and aesthetics. Both are directed by Hiroshi Iuchi, who also composed Ikaruga's soundtrack.
84
/100
06
Super Mario Bros.
A side scrolling 2D platformer and first entry in the Super Mario franchise, Super Mario Bros. follows Italian plumber Mario as he treks across many levels of platforming challenges featuring hostile enemies to rescue Princess Peach from the evil king Bowser.
84
/100
07
Metal Slug 3
“METAL SLUG 3”, the masterpiece in SNK’s emblematic 2D run & gun action shooting game series, still continues to fascinate millions of fans worldwide to this day for its intricate dot-pixel graphics, and simple and intuitive game controls!
82
/100
08
Crazy Taxi (1999)
Hey hey, come on over and have some fun with Crrrrrazy Taxi! Barrel through traffic packed streets, hurdle off parking garages, and Crazy Combo your way to Crazy Money in a wild frantic race to scare up the most fares. In Crazy Taxi, time is money, and only the Craziest Cabbies come out victorious.
82
/100
09
METAL SLUG 2
“METAL SLUG 2”, the 2nd entry in SNK’s emblematic 2D run & gun action shooting game returns to the battlefield on the Steam gaming platform!
82
/100
10
Arkanoid
Arkanoid is an arcade game developed by Taito in 1986. It expanded upon Atari's Breakout games of the 1970s by adding power-ups, different types of bricks, and a variety of level layouts. The title refers to a doomed "mothership" from which the player's ship, the Vaus, escapes.
81
/100
11
Streets of Rage 2
80
/100
12
Metal Slug X
80
/100
13
Nidhogg 2
80
/100
14
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
80
/100
15
Ultra Street Fighter IV
79
/100
16
The King of Fighters XIII
79
/100
17
Sunset Riders
79
/100
18
Castlevania
79
/100
19
Ninja Gaiden
79
/100
20
Mega Man 3 (1990)
79
/100
21
Battle City
78
/100
22
Golden Axe II (1991)
77
/100
23
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
77
/100
24
Super Mario Bros. 2
77
/100
25
Streets of Rage
76
/100
26
F
Mario Bros. (1983)
70
/100
27
Galaga
70
/100
28
Circus Charlie
70
/100
29
THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2002
67
/100
30
Golden Axe
65
/100
31
Super Contra (1988)
61
/100
32
Metroid
60
/100
33
SoulCalibur
60
/100
34
Contra
50
/100
35
Altered Beast
45
/100
36
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
45
/100
37
Double Dragon
39
/100
38
Wild Gunman (1984)
29
/100
Guilty Gear -Strive
Discover the Smell of the Game with Guilty Gear: Strive! Immerse yourself in new gameplay mechanics designed to be simple and welcoming for fighting game newcomers, yet deep and creative for veterans. Ride the Fire into a heavy metal inspired alternate future full of over-the-top action, style and fun!
85
/100
05
Ikaruga
In this vertical scrolling spaceship shooter, you control a ship that can change its polarity at will. As blue/white, the ship can easily destroy red/black enemies, and vice versa. Bullets of your polarity can be collected to fuel your energy gauge, but those opposite will kill you. Destroying an enemy ship causes them to fire revenge bullets which can be absorbed and fired back by the player. Different difficulties exist to change exactly how you interact with polarized points, or how they appear. It is the spiritual successor to Radiant Silvergun, featuring similar level and boss design, as well as it's buddhism inspired themes and aesthetics. Both are directed by Hiroshi Iuchi, who also composed Ikaruga's soundtrack.
84
/100
06
Super Mario Bros.
A side scrolling 2D platformer and first entry in the Super Mario franchise, Super Mario Bros. follows Italian plumber Mario as he treks across many levels of platforming challenges featuring hostile enemies to rescue Princess Peach from the evil king Bowser.
84
/100
07
Metal Slug 3
“METAL SLUG 3”, the masterpiece in SNK’s emblematic 2D run & gun action shooting game series, still continues to fascinate millions of fans worldwide to this day for its intricate dot-pixel graphics, and simple and intuitive game controls!
82
/100
08
Crazy Taxi (1999)
Hey hey, come on over and have some fun with Crrrrrazy Taxi! Barrel through traffic packed streets, hurdle off parking garages, and Crazy Combo your way to Crazy Money in a wild frantic race to scare up the most fares. In Crazy Taxi, time is money, and only the Craziest Cabbies come out victorious.
82
/100
09
METAL SLUG 2
“METAL SLUG 2”, the 2nd entry in SNK’s emblematic 2D run & gun action shooting game returns to the battlefield on the Steam gaming platform!
82
/100
10
Arkanoid
Arkanoid is an arcade game developed by Taito in 1986. It expanded upon Atari's Breakout games of the 1970s by adding power-ups, different types of bricks, and a variety of level layouts. The title refers to a doomed "mothership" from which the player's ship, the Vaus, escapes.
81
/100
11
Streets of Rage 2
80
/100
12
Metal Slug X
80
/100
13
Nidhogg 2
80
/100
14
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
80
/100
15
Ultra Street Fighter IV
79
/100
16
The King of Fighters XIII
79
/100
17
Sunset Riders
79
/100
18
Castlevania
79
/100
19
Ninja Gaiden
79
/100
20
Mega Man 3 (1990)
79
/100
21
Battle City
78
/100
22
Golden Axe II (1991)
77
/100
23
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
77
/100
24
Super Mario Bros. 2
77
/100
25
Streets of Rage
76
/100
26
F
Mario Bros. (1983)
70
/100
27
Galaga
70
/100
28
Circus Charlie
70
/100
29
THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2002
67
/100
30
Golden Axe
65
/100
31
Super Contra (1988)
61
/100
32
Metroid
60
/100
33
SoulCalibur
60
/100
34
Contra
50
/100
35
Altered Beast
45
/100
36
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
45
/100
37
Double Dragon
39
/100
38
Wild Gunman (1984)
29
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Action game on Arcade?
Street Fighter IV currently tops the ranking with a score of 91/100 across 213 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.