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Best Arcade games of 1998

The 8 best Arcade games released in 1998, ranked from 734 critic and player ratings.

The best Arcade game of 1998 is Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, with a critic score of 90/100 — updated October 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.
  • 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 734 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 11 October 2026.

Top 8

01 Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes 1998 · 119 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
02 METAL SLUG 2 METAL SLUG 2 1998 · 179 ratings “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
03 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
04 SiN SiN 1998 · 33 ratings When the CEO of SinTEK Industries begins injecting the streets with a DNA-altering drug, it's time to reassess the laws of morality. When the same twisted biochemist plans to conquer the world with her army of mutated abominations, it's time to rewrite the golden rule. You are Colonel John Blade, head of the most prominent private protection agency in Freeport. Elexis Sinclaire is waging her holy war against the security industry...and you along with it. You've made a religion out of fighting crime. Now you're going to make Elexis pay for her sins. 80 /100
05 The House of the Dead 2 The House of the Dead 2 1998 · 73 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
06 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
07 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. 60 /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
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Other years

Best Arcade games of 1999Best Arcade games of 1997Best Arcade games of 1996Best Arcade games of 1995Best Arcade games of 1994Best Arcade games of 1993Best Arcade games of 1991Best Arcade games of 1990Best Arcade games of 1988Best Arcade games of 1987Best Arcade games of 1986Best Arcade games of 1985

Same year, other platforms

Best PC games of 1998Best PlayStation 1 games of 1998Best Dreamcast games of 1998Best Nintendo 64 games of 1998Best Mac games of 1998Best Game Boy games of 1998

Nearby rankings

Best Arcade games of 1997Best Arcade games of 1999

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Arcade game of 1998?

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes currently tops the ranking with a score of 90/100 across 119 ratings. Ranking updated October 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.