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Best Arcade games of 1999

The 10 best Arcade games released in 1999, ranked from 1,491 critic and player ratings.

The best Arcade game of 1999 is Super Smash Bros., with a critic score of 88/100 — 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: 1999.
  • 10 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,491 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 10

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

01 Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. 1999 · 476 ratings Super Smash Bros. is a crossover fighting video game between several different Nintendo franchises, and the first installment in the Super Smash Bros. series. Players must defeat their opponents multiple times in a fighting frenzy of items and power-ups. Super Smash Bros. is a departure from the general genre of fighting games: instead of depleting an opponent's life bar, the players seek to knock opposing characters off a stage. Each player has a damage total, represented by a percentage, which rises as the damage is taken. 88 /100
02 Need for Speed: High Stakes Need for Speed: High Stakes 1999 · 96 ratings Just like its predecessors Need for Speed: High Stakes is an action racing game with a wide selection of exotic sports cars and many different types of tracks. The trademark Hot Pursuit mode game mode from the first game in the series is still present, where players race opponents on tracks filled with regular traffic and police cars that chase the racers. The classic pursuit mode is extended with two additional modes: Getaway and Time Trap. In Getaway the player needs to shake off the police in a set amount of time, or playing as the police trap a speeder before time runs out. In Time Trap an entire race needs to be completed before time runs out, or as the police all speeders need to be arrested. There are minor differences between the two platforms for this game mode, regarding spike strips, road blocks, and back-up. The latter for instance is unique to the PlayStation version. The Pursuit mode is available in multiplayer as well and players can take different sides or race together. It is the first game in the series to introduce a Career mode with a set of challenges. Beating these is rewarded with trophies for unlocks, and money to spend on new cars, repairs and upgrades. In the PlayStation version the Career mode is split up into two different sets of challenges: Tournament (required races) and Special Event (optional races). High Stakes in the title refers to races where players bet their cars. In the PC version these are a part of the Career mode when the player owns more than two cars. In the PlayStation version two players can insert their memory cards and race against each other. The winner immediately receives the opponent's car and it is deleted from the loser's memory card right away. In addition to the new game modes it is also the first game in the series to have a detailed physics models. Damage now affects both the appearance and the performance of the car for the first time. 86 /100
03 Crazy Taxi (1999) Crazy Taxi (1999) 1999 · 244 ratings · finished by 12% 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
04 Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike 1999 · 110 ratings Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is the second follow-up to Street Fighter III. The game increased the character roster by adding five new characters and also added further refinements to the previous game's play mechanics and rules. All the returning characters from the previous Street Fighter III games were given new stages, endings, and voice actors for certain characters, continuing the overall storyline from where the first two games left off. 90 /100
05 Metal Slug X Metal Slug X 1999 · 141 ratings · finished by 17% Metal Slug X is upgraded version of Metal Slug 2 (Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/I), which was released in March 1999 for the Neo Geo MVS. It fixed slowdown problems from the original game, and increased the difficulty. Metal Slug X also introduced some new elements to the game system. 80 /100
06 Dead or Alive 2 Dead or Alive 2 1999 · 73 ratings Dead or Alive 2 is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series. The gameplay of DOA2, and all subsequent Dead or Alive games, borrows heavily from the Virtua Fighter series, but makes some key changes that drastically changes the way Dead or Alive is played in comparison to Virtua Fighter. In DOA2, the basis of the entire fighting system is the circular relationship between three types of moves: blows, throws, and holds.The other defining feature of DOA2, aside from blows/throws/holds, is its stun system. In DOA2 many attacks upon hitting will inflict a stun on the opponent. While stunned, the opponent cannot attack, and cannot guard, but they can hold. If the attacker lands a non-knockdown, non-launching attack while the opponent is stunned, the opponent will be re-stunned in a new way, depending on what attack was landed. A major difference between DOA2 and other fighters was in the safety and non-punishability of attacks, both upon hitting and upon being blocked. Most blows in DOA2 can be punished on hit and block by each character's faster throws, making blow-based offense very risky. In addition to the normal rules of juggling, each character also fits into a specific weight category, which affects how the character responds to being launched and being juggled. In DOA2, fights can occur on either water or ice; when a character is on such a surface, all non-knockdown, non-launching attacks will induce a stun on any successful hit. Walls and falls in the middle of stages are everywhere in the game. Many stages are also multi-tiered: to get to other areas of the stage, one character must be knocked off a ledge and fall into the next area. These falls deal usually fairly high damage, but cannot knock the opponent out. Other notable features included introducing CG cutscenes in line with the plot, replacing the original "Danger Zone" areas in stages with fully interactive ones, allowing players to juggle each other into walls, propelling characters from landmarks for more damage. 80 /100
07 Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves 1999 · 67 ratings If you thought you'd seen the last of the incredible Garou: Mark of The Wolves series, you were sorely mistaken. Join classic brawlers and fresh finds (there are 11 new additions in all) for the fighting experience of the decade. The game's three unique modes of play include Offensive, Defensive, and Tactical, and there are plenty of Super Moves and Hidden Abilities to unlock. The realm of 2D fighting has rarely been this exciting, and it gets even more addicting when you play against a friend. 80 /100
08 Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko (1999) Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko (1999) 1999 · 30 ratings When Gex is watching TV one day, he discovers that Rez has kidnapped Agent Xtra (the agent from Gex: Enter the Gecko's backstory), head of the TV Terrorist Defense Unit, to get to him. He teleports to the batcave-like lair he has in the Media Dimension, and begins another adventure. Each level parodies a certain aspect of television culture (here the levels exist as stand-alone channels). Gex enters each level through a television set. He must collect remote controls to advance to the next level in order to complete his mission and rescue Xtra. 67 /100
09 STAR WARS: Episode I Racer STAR WARS: Episode I Racer 1999 · 209 ratings Star Wars: Episode 1 - Racer lets you participate in the famous pod race sequence that was the critical highlight of the film Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace back in 1999. Take the controls as Jedi-to-be Anakin Skywalker or any one of over 20 pod racers. These lightning-quick vehicles are capable of reaching simulated speeds of up to 600 miles per hour while skimming a mere 4 feet above the ground. Feel the full-force blast while avoiding hazards such as methane lakes, meteor showers, and the notorious Tusken Raiders. You can race alone or against a friend in split-screen mode on more than 21 courses that span over 8 different worlds. This level of customization adds excellent replay value. 66 /100
10 Croc 2 Croc 2 1999 · 45 ratings Croc 2 is a platformer that follows the cute crocodile protagonist, Croc, in his adventure to free his furry friends the gobbos from the forces of evil. On his way Croc collects gems in order to buy items that will assist his quest. 60 /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 1999Best PlayStation 1 games of 1999Best Dreamcast games of 1999Best Nintendo 64 games of 1999Best Mac games of 1999Best Linux games of 1999

Nearby rankings

Best Arcade games of 1998Best Arcade games of 2000Best Action games of 1999

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Arcade game of 1999?

Super Smash Bros. currently tops the ranking with a score of 88/100 across 476 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.