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Best Platformer games of 1983

The 8 best Platformer games released in 1983, ranked from 463 critic and player ratings.

The best Platformer game of 1983 is Lode Runner (1983), with a critic score of 80/100 — 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.
  • Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
  • 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: 1983.
  • 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 463 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 12 October 2026.

Top 8

01 Lode Runner (1983) Lode Runner (1983) 1983 · 58 ratings Lode Runner is a 1983 puzzle video game, first published by Brøderbund. It is one of the first games to include a level editor, a feature that allows players to create their own levels for the game. This feature bolstered the game's popularity, as magazines such as Computer Gaming World held contests to see who could build the best level. 80 /100
02 Elevator Action (1983) Elevator Action (1983) 1983 · 49 ratings Elevator Action is a 1983 arcade game by Taito. It debuted during the "Golden Age of Arcade Games". Innovative in gameplay, the game was very popular for many years. In the game, the player assumes the role of a spy who infiltrates a building filled with elevators. He must collect secret documents from the building and traverse the 30 floors of the building using an increasingly complex series of elevators. The player is pursued by enemy agents who appear from behind closed doors. These agents must be dealt with via force or evasion. Successful completion of a level involves collecting all the secret documents and traversing the building from top to bottom. In the lower floors of the building, the elevator systems are so complex that some puzzle-solving skills are needed. The game was available as a standard upright cabinet The controls consist of a 4-way joystick and two buttons, one for "shoot" and the other for jumping and kicking. The maximum number of players is two, alternating turns. The graphics are extremely simple, 2D color graphics and in-game music was composed by musician Yoshio Imamura. The game was followed by a sequel, Elevator Action II (also known as Elevator Action Returns). 80 /100
03 Mario Bros. (1983) F Mario Bros. (1983) 1983 · 115 ratings · 1 Tier vote Mario Bros. is an arcade game published by Nintendo and developed by Shigeru Miyamoto. The platform puzzle which first introduced Luigi to the world has both single and multiplayer action with two differing game types, but with the same objective. Crabs, turtles and fighter flies must be cleared out by jumping underneath the platform they sit on, then kicking them away. Each level is cleared when a set number of coins is collected. For the two player mode, the first to collect the set amount of coins wins. 70 /100
04 MAPPY MAPPY 1983 · 41 ratings The player guides Mappy the police mouse through the mansion of the cats called Mewkies (Meowky in the U.S. version) to retrieve stolen goods. The player uses a left-right joystick to move Mappy and a single button to operate doors. The mansion has six floors of hallways in which the stolen items are stashed. 67 /100
05 Donkey Kong Donkey Kong 1983 · 78 ratings Donkey Kong has kidnapped Pauline, and it is up to Mario, the fearless carpenter, to come to her rescue. Throwing fate to the wind, Mario tries desperately to climb the labyrinth of structural beams from the top of which Donkey Kong taunts him. Help our hero ascend the metal structure by dodging an assortment of fireballs, steel beams, and exploding barrels the angry ape hurls at him. Prepare yourself for a never-ending adventure as Donkey Kong takes Pauline away to the next level every time Mario gets to the top. Based on the arcade game of the same name, this classic will keep hardcore and casual gamers entertained for hours. This Donkey Kong port differs from the arcade game, having only three stages instead of four. 66 /100
06 Donkey Kong Jr. Donkey Kong Jr. 1983 · 37 ratings Donkey Kong Jr. for the Nintendo Entertainment System is one of the most recognizable ports of the original arcade game, being re-released and ported many times. 65 /100
07 Donkey Kong 3 Donkey Kong 3 1983 · 37 ratings Stanley is a bugman. Donkey Kong has taken refuge in his greenhouse and it is now up to Stanley to stop the ape from stirring up any more insects that will soon destroy his flowers. Stanley saves the flowers by spraying bug spray on Donkey Kong. 60 /100
08 Mario Bros. Mario Bros. 1983 · 48 ratings The first port of Mario Bros. was developed by Nintendo for the Famicom and later released in American under the Arcade Classics series. It follows most of the features of the arcade game, and adds a difficulty setting. This version would be the most re-released version in future consoles. 54 /100
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Other years

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Same year, other platforms

Best NES games of 1983Best Arcade games of 1983

Nearby rankings

Best Platformer games of 1987

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Platformer game of 1983?

Lode Runner (1983) currently tops the ranking with a score of 80/100 across 58 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.