Top 10 Most Iconic Video Games of All Time

Released by Nintendo in 1985; sold 40.24 million copies on NES alone; defined the side-scrolling platformer genre and launched one of the most valuable franchises in entertainment history worth $30+ billion.

Released 1998 for Nintendo 64; received perfect 10/10 scores from Famitsu, IGN and Edge simultaneously - the only game ever to achieve this; introduced Z-targeting combat used by virtually every 3D action game since.

Created by Markus Persson, released 2011; sold 238+ million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time; played by over 140 million monthly active users as of 2023.

Released 2013 by Rockstar Games; generated $800 million in first 24 hours; has sold over 200 million copies; GTA Online remains one of the most profitable live service games 11 years after launch.

Released by Namco in 1980; first video game character to become a cultural icon; generated over $2.5 billion in quarters in arcades by 1990; inspired a Saturday morning cartoon, merchandise empire, and Google Doodles.

Released by Taito in 1978; caused a nationwide shortage of 100-yen coins in Japan; credited with saving the video game industry after the 1977 Atari 2600 sales slump.

Released by Naughty Dog in 2013; won over 200 Game of the Year awards; its HBO adaptation (2023) became the most-watched HBO series premiere since 2010 with 10.2 million viewers on launch day.

Released by Blizzard in 2004; peaked at 12 million subscribers in 2010; created the modern subscription MMO market and generated over $9.23 billion in revenue - the most for any MMO in history.

Released by Game Freak in 1996; launched the Pokemon franchise which has become the highest-grossing media franchise of all time at $150+ billion; the games sold 31.38 million copies combined.