1980s Action games

32 Action classics first released 1980 to 1989, in release order, and 71 games looking back to them.

Games looking back to them

• Gaurodan: Free arcade game about a giant bird attacking cities, in early-1980s style.
• 3D Ant Attack: 3D remake of Sandy White's isometric Spectrum classic.
• Lurruna: The Island of Towering Automatons: Mega Drive platformer billed as a gravity-bound bomber game.
• Elevator Action 500: Amiga port of the arcade Elevator Action.
• Highway Pursuit: Spy Hunter remake.
• Super Bruce: Remake of the Datasoft martial arts platformer.
• Ultimate Bruce Lee: Enhanced remake of Bruce Lee by Retro Remakes regulars.
• Ghostbusters (Smila and Scottige remake): Remake of David Crane's Activision Ghostbusters.
• H.E.R.O. (Smila remake): Remake of Activision's helicopter-pack cave game.
• Alien 8 Remake: Updated-graphics remake of the Ultimate isometric game.
• Knight Lore (Retrospec remake): Remake of Ultimate's isometric Knight Lore.
• Klass of 99: Skool Daze remake.
• Battle Axe: Top-down arcade hack-and-slash in 16-bit style.
• Gauntlet Revisited: Gauntlet fan remake.
• Mercenary (community remake): Remake of Paul Woakes' wireframe Mercenary.
• Alwa's Awakening: The 8-Bit Edition: NES port of the NES-style metroidvania Alwa's Awakening.
• An Untitled Story: Freeware Metroidvania about a bird egg.
• Axiom Verge: Solo-made Metroid-style game cited as its spiritual successor.
• Axiom Verge 2: Follow-up to Axiom Verge with 16-bit visuals.
• Cave Story: Five-year solo freeware platformer posted on the author's own site; the paid Cave Story+ came later.
• Eternal Daughter: Freeware Metroidvania from the team's own site.
• Gato Roboto: Monochrome Metroid-style game about a cat in a mech suit.
• Hero Core: Free two-color exploration shooter from the author's homepage.
• Hollow Knight: Kickstarted hand-drawn Metroidvania.
• Hollow Knight: Silksong: Sequel to Hollow Knight, also a Kickstarter stretch goal.
• Hyper Metroid (Super Metroid ROM hack): Super Metroid hack with a new map, item layout and palettes.
• Hyper Metroid SUPER (Super Metroid ROM hack): A total conversion follow-up to Hyper Metroid.
• Iji: Free side-scrolling action RPG offered only from the author's homepage.
• Knight 'n' Grail: Metroidvania-style adventure for the Commodore 64.
• Knytt: Free tiny exploration platformer from Nifflas' site.
• Knytt Stories: Free exploration platformer with a level editor, shared from Nifflas' site.
• Lizard: NES exploration platformer about a lizard costume, sold as ROM and cartridge.
• Metroid Prime 2D: 2D demake of Metroid Prime mentioned in fan communities.
• Metroid Redemption: Super Metroid fan game.
• Metroid: Rogue Dawn (Metroid ROM hack): A NES prequel to Metroid with a new story, new areas and new graphics, playing as Samus's precursor.
• SM Redesign: Axeil Edition (Super Metroid ROM hack): A reworked version of Redesign; won Most Creative Gameplay and Best Challenge in 2015.
• Steel Ranger: Metroid-style exploration shooter for the Commodore 64.
• Super Bat Puncher: NES and Famicom platformer; a demo is available.
• Super Metroid Impossible (Super Metroid ROM hack): One of the earliest famous Super Metroid hacks, a brutally hard remodel of Zebes.
• Super Metroid Redesign (Super Metroid ROM hack): Huge, hard Super Metroid ROM hack with a rebuilt world; Axeil Edition later.
• Super Metroid Redux (Super Metroid ROM hack): Builds on Project Base 0.7.3 with its features and further changes.
• Super Metroid: Ascent (Super Metroid ROM hack): A new world with fresh graphics; won Best Aesthetics, Creative Gameplay, Exploration and Overall in 2019.
• Super Metroid: Project Base (Super Metroid ROM hack): An improvement hack that rebalances and expands Super Metroid with new rooms and abilities.
• Super Metroid: Subversion (Super Metroid ROM hack): A huge new adventure with new items, areas and story, widely called the best Super Metroid hack.
• Super Metroid: X-Fusion (Super Metroid ROM hack): A Super Metroid hack styled after Metroid Fusion.
• Treasure Adventure Game: Free open-world 8-bit-style adventure, later remade as Treasure Adventure World.
• Maldita Castilla: Free arcade action game in the Ghosts 'n Goblins mold; the paid EX version came later.
• Maldita Castilla EX: Expanded commercial release of Maldita Castilla on stores and consoles.
• The Curse of Issyos: Free MSX-styled action game based on Greek myth.
• Double Dragon Forever: Fan remake of the Technos beat-em-up.
• Double Dragon II: Path of Shadows (Double Dragon II ROM hack): A new two-player beat 'em up starring a kunai-throwing ninja who fights his way to the Shadow Warriors' leader.
• Double Dragon: Fists of Rage: Double Dragon fan beat-em-up.
• Hard Streets: Double Dragon-style street brawler.
• Head Over Heels (Retrospec remake): Freeware PC remake of the Spectrum isometric classic; later ported to Switch.
• Melkhior's Mansion: Isometric tribute to 80s Spectrum adventures set in a castle.
• Return to Blacktooth: Head over Heels-style isometric adventure for the Amiga.
• Hayato's Journey: Action game for Mega Drive and Genesis.
• Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider: 16-bit ninja android action game in the Shinobi and Strider mold.
• Avernum: Escape from the Pit: Second remake of the first Exile game.
• The Nameless: Remake inspired by the BBC Micro physics adventure Exile.
• Fight'N Rage: Deep arcade beat-em-up made by a single Uruguayan developer.
• Final Fight 30th Anniversary Edition (Final Fight ROM hack): Adds a third player, unlockable characters and tougher three-player enemies to the arcade Final Fight, running on real CPS1 boards.
• Final Fight Apocalypse: Final Fight fan beat-em-up.
• Final Vendetta: Side-scrolling beat-em-up in the Final Fight and Streets of Rage mold.
• Hyper Final Fight: Final Fight fan remix.
• Streets of Rage 2: Final Fight (Streets of Rage 2 ROM hack): Haggar, Cody, Guy and Chun-Li take on Mr. X in Streets of Rage 2, with Akuma guarding the final boss.
• Golden Axe Coda: Golden Axe fan sequel.
• Golden Axe Plus (Golden Axe ROM hack): Brings arcade content to the Genesis Golden Axe with new graphics and sound, a new magic mode and more options.
• Golden Axe Remake (OpenBOR game): OpenBOR-era remake of the Sega beat-em-up.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Re-Revenge (Streets of Rage 2 ROM hack): Replaces every hero, enemy and boss of Streets of Rage 2 with the Turtles, their allies and the Foot Clan, with a new plot, juggling and six-button support.
• TMNT of Rage: The Final Shell Shock (Streets of Rage 2 ROM hack): Turns Streets of Rage 2 into a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brawler against Mr. X's Syndicate, with Rocksteady and Bebop, a new ending from TMNT art and an optional MD+ soundtrack.

The classics

• 3D Monster Maze (1981)
• Choplifter (1982)
• Ant Attack (1983)
• Bomberman (1983)
• Dragon's Lair (1983)
• Elevator Action (1983)
• Spy Hunter (1983)
• Bruce Lee (1984)
• Ghostbusters (1984) (1984)
• H.E.R.O. (1984)
• Kung-Fu Master (1984)
• Sabreman (1984)
• Skool Daze (1984)
• Spy vs. Spy (1984)
• The Tower of Druaga (1984)
• Gauntlet (1985)
• Mercenary (1985)
• Kunio-kun (1986)
• Metroid (1986)
• Rampage (1986)
• Rygar (1986)
• Double Dragon (1987)
• Head over Heels (1987)
• Metal Gear (1987)
• Shinobi (1987)
• The Last Ninja (1987)
• Altered Beast (1988)
• Blaster Master (1988)
• Exile (1988)
• Final Fight (1989)
• Golden Axe (1989)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989)