Skip to Content
Tier
Tier Your gaming journal
Get
Best games

Best Arcade games of 1998

The 9 best Arcade games released in 1998, ranked from 1,008 critic and player ratings.

The best Arcade game of 1998 is SoulCalibur, with a critic score of 98/100 — updated November 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 30 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: 1998.
  • 9 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,008 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 9

Played them? Give your tier with the + next to each game. No account needed to try — create one to keep your tiers.

01 SoulCalibur SoulCalibur 1998 · 131 ratings SoulCalibur is a weapon-based 3D fighting game developed by Project Soul and produced by Namco. It is the second game in the Soul series, preceded by Soul Edge (1996). Originally released in arcades in 1998, it ran on the Namco System 12 hardware. In 1999 it was ported to the Dreamcast with improved graphics and new features. The North American version was released in September 1999 as a launch title for the Dreamcast and was part of the successful launch of the new console. It became available as a downloadable title on Xbox 360's Xbox Live Marketplace in 2008. The title brought many innovations to the fighting game genre that include a heavy emphasis on weapons and a unique eight-way movement system. Soulcalibur is widely regarded as one of the best Dreamcast titles and is one of the most critically acclaimed fighting games of all time. 98 /100
02 Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit 1998 · 282 ratings Drive some of the most exotic cars in illegal street race on many different tracks, while trying not to be caught by police! 88 /100
03 F-Zero X F-Zero X 1998 · 117 ratings It's you against 29 other machines competing for the title of F-Zero X Champion. You're racing at speeds of over 1,000 km/h high above the atmosphere. Your competition comes from every corner of the galaxy and won't shed a tear at the thought of smashing you off the track. With four-player simultaneous gameplay and the Rumble Pak accessory, you have the fastest racing game on the N64 system! 85 /100
04 Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes 1998 · 121 ratings Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes is the fifth Marvel Comics-licensed fighting game by Capcom and the third game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. In contrast to X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, the game features characters from numerous Capcom franchises such as Mega Man and Strider, rather than just Street Fighter characters. The game takes place within the Marvel comic continuity, as Professor Charles Xavier calls out for heroes to stop him before he merges with the consciousness of Magneto and becomes the being known as Onslaught, the final boss. 90 /100
05 Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998) Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998) 1998 · 82 ratings Street Fighter Alpha 3 is the third game in the Street Fighter Alpha series. It features a complete gameplay overhaul with the addition of three selectable fighting styles, new stages, over seven new and returning characters and an exclusive soundtrack. The game's illustrations, select screens, soundtrack and sound effects all have a similar style to the Final Fight series, unlike the previous games. 80 /100
06 The House of the Dead 2 The House of the Dead 2 1998 · 74 ratings The House of the Dead 2 is a first-person light gun shooter arcade game with a horror theme and the second game in The House of the Dead series of video games. The direct sequel to The House of the Dead, it was developed by Sega for arcades on the Sega NAOMI board in November 1998 then later ported to the Dreamcast in 1999 and Microsoft Windows in 2001, and is also found on the Xbox as an unlockable bonus in The House of the Dead III. The game appears in the compilation The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return for Wii. The Dreamcast version became a Sega All Stars title. 67 /100
07 Bloody Roar 2 Bloody Roar 2 1998 · 40 ratings Bloody Roar 2, is a brawler arcade game developed by Eighting/Raizing in 1999. (Also known as Bloody Roar 2: Bringer of the New Age in Japan/Europe and Bloody Roar II: The New Breed in the United States.) Bloody Roar series differs from other fighting games as every character has a beast mode that can be used to use new attacks, recover some of lost health and generally to be faster and/or more powerful with their attacks. 61 /100
08 THE KING OF FIGHTERS '98 THE KING OF FIGHTERS '98 1998 · 77 ratings The All-Star dream battle is here at last: It's King of Fighters '98! Here come 38 of your favorite characters from the King of Fighters series. Your favorite characters and teams are back! Filled with new surprises like the Roulette Team Edit and Advantage System, King '98 will pop your cork with unrelenting excitement! The King of Fighters '98 is the fifth game in The King of Fighters series by SNK. 60 /100
09 Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness 1998 · 84 ratings Heart of Darkness places players in the role of a child named Andy as he attempts to rescue his dog who has been kidnapped by creatures known as The Dark Souls. The game has about half an hour of storytelling cinematic sequences, thousands of 2D animated frames, and uses pre-rendered background scenery. The game was supervised by game developer Éric Chahi, known for Another World, this time with a team of artists and developers. The game also features an original score by film and television composer Bruce Broughton. A Game Boy Advance port was announced in 2001 but it was never released. 50 /100
Browse all Arcade games

Other years

Best Arcade games of 2022Best Arcade games of 2020Best Arcade games of 2019Best Arcade games of 2018Best Arcade games of 2017Best Arcade games of 2016Best Arcade games of 2015Best Arcade games of 2014Best Arcade games of 2013Best Arcade games of 2012Best Arcade games of 2011Best Arcade games of 2010

Same year, other platforms

Best PC games of 1998Best PlayStation 1 games of 1998Best Nintendo 64 games of 1998

Nearby rankings

Best Arcade games of 1996Best Arcade games of 1999

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Arcade game of 1998?

SoulCalibur currently tops the ranking with a score of 98/100 across 131 ratings. Ranking updated November 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.