Best games
Best Platformer games of 1990
The 8 best Platformer games released in 1990, ranked from 2,580 critic and player ratings.
The best Platformer game of 1990 is Super Mario World, with a critic score of 100/100 — 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 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: 1990.
- 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 2,580 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 8
01
Super Mario World
A 2D platformer and first entry on the SNES in the Super Mario franchise, Super Mario World follows Mario as he attempts to defeat Bowser's underlings and rescue Princess Peach from his clutches. The game features a save system, a less linear world map, an expanded movement arsenal and numerous new items for Mario, alongside new approaches to level design and art direction.
100
/100
02
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
This version includes two new levels (the first part of Scene 3 and all of Scene 6), which feature new enemy characters, including two new bosses: Tora (a dog-like "blizzard beast") and Shogun (a robotic samurai), both characters created for the game. Most of the original stages from the arcade version were extended as well and the second half of Scene 3, the parking garage stage, replaces the arcade version's end battle with Bebop and Rocksteady with a battle against the mutated fly form of Baxter Stockman.
80
/100
03
Prince of Persia
The DOS port of Prince of Persia. Prince of Persia is a cinematic platform game originally developed and published by Broderbund for the Apple II in 1989. Taking place in medieval Persia, players control an unnamed protagonist who must venture through a series of dungeons to defeat the evil Grand Vizier Jaffar and save an imprisoned princess. Ported to a wide range of platforms after the original Apple II release, it is believed to have been the first cinematic platformer, inspiring many games in this subgenre.
82
/100
Super Mario World
A 2D platformer and first entry on the SNES in the Super Mario franchise, Super Mario World follows Mario as he attempts to defeat Bowser's underlings and rescue Princess Peach from his clutches. The game features a save system, a less linear world map, an expanded movement arsenal and numerous new items for Mario, alongside new approaches to level design and art direction.
100
/100
02
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
This version includes two new levels (the first part of Scene 3 and all of Scene 6), which feature new enemy characters, including two new bosses: Tora (a dog-like "blizzard beast") and Shogun (a robotic samurai), both characters created for the game. Most of the original stages from the arcade version were extended as well and the second half of Scene 3, the parking garage stage, replaces the arcade version's end battle with Bebop and Rocksteady with a battle against the mutated fly form of Baxter Stockman.
80
/100
03
Prince of Persia
The DOS port of Prince of Persia. Prince of Persia is a cinematic platform game originally developed and published by Broderbund for the Apple II in 1989. Taking place in medieval Persia, players control an unnamed protagonist who must venture through a series of dungeons to defeat the evil Grand Vizier Jaffar and save an imprisoned princess. Ported to a wide range of platforms after the original Apple II release, it is believed to have been the first cinematic platformer, inspiring many games in this subgenre.
82
/100
04
ActRaiser
ActRaiser is a 1990 platform and city-building simulation game for the Super Nintendo, combining traditional side-scrolling platforming with urban planning god game sections. In 2007, ActRaiser became available on the Wii's Virtual Console download service. A version of the game was also released for European mobile phones in 2004.
79
/100
05
Mega Man 3 (1990)
It's robot rebellion, and nobody's safe! Least of all, Mega Man! This time the superpowerful cyborg takes on a horde of metal maniacs who've had it with being obedient! And they use every android-annihilator ever invented to make you believe it! Mega Man goes berserk, blasting through a galaxy of mining stations in search of energy crystals. But it takes more than guts to battle the phenomenal robot masters who control these worlds. It's a wrenching job, the worst - and the best - that Mega Man's faced so far!
79
/100
06
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers is a platformer video game developed and published by Capcom based on the Disney animated series of the same name. Originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan and North America in 1990, it came to Europe the next year, and was ported to the Nintendo PlayChoice-10 arcade system. It sold approximately 1.2 million copies worldwide.
79
/100
07
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
Several video games based on the 1988 Michael Jackson film Moonwalker. U.S. Gold published various games for home computers, released in 1989, whilst Sega developed two similarly themed beat 'em up video games in 1990; one released for arcades and another released for the Mega Drive/Genesis and Master System.
66
/100
08
Batman: The Video Game
Batman is a video game developed by Sunsoft and released for the Sega Genesis in 1990. It was inspired by the 1989 Tim Burton-directed Batman film. The game is more faithful to the film's plot than the NES game of the game name and includes levels in which the player controls Batman's vehicles.
66
/100
ActRaiser
ActRaiser is a 1990 platform and city-building simulation game for the Super Nintendo, combining traditional side-scrolling platforming with urban planning god game sections. In 2007, ActRaiser became available on the Wii's Virtual Console download service. A version of the game was also released for European mobile phones in 2004.
79
/100
05
Mega Man 3 (1990)
It's robot rebellion, and nobody's safe! Least of all, Mega Man! This time the superpowerful cyborg takes on a horde of metal maniacs who've had it with being obedient! And they use every android-annihilator ever invented to make you believe it! Mega Man goes berserk, blasting through a galaxy of mining stations in search of energy crystals. But it takes more than guts to battle the phenomenal robot masters who control these worlds. It's a wrenching job, the worst - and the best - that Mega Man's faced so far!
79
/100
06
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers is a platformer video game developed and published by Capcom based on the Disney animated series of the same name. Originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan and North America in 1990, it came to Europe the next year, and was ported to the Nintendo PlayChoice-10 arcade system. It sold approximately 1.2 million copies worldwide.
79
/100
07
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
Several video games based on the 1988 Michael Jackson film Moonwalker. U.S. Gold published various games for home computers, released in 1989, whilst Sega developed two similarly themed beat 'em up video games in 1990; one released for arcades and another released for the Mega Drive/Genesis and Master System.
66
/100
08
Batman: The Video Game
Batman is a video game developed by Sunsoft and released for the Sega Genesis in 1990. It was inspired by the 1989 Tim Burton-directed Batman film. The game is more faithful to the film's plot than the NES game of the game name and includes levels in which the player controls Batman's vehicles.
66
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Platformer game of 1990?
Super Mario World currently tops the ranking with a score of 100/100 across 1,964 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.