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There is no definitive, all-platform ranking of 1985’s games. A useful shortlist instead recognizes landmark releases, covers more than one kind of gaming, and distinguishes regional release histories. By those measures, Super Mario Bros. is the year’s defining home-console pick, while Gauntlet shows why 1985’s story also belongs to arcades.
What were the best games released in 1985?
This is a curated selection, not a scored ranking: the available historical sources establish notable releases and context, but do not supply comparable reviews or a cross-platform method for declaring one game objectively best. The selections below prioritize historical influence, platform and genre variety, and continued cultural recognition.
| Game | Platform | Why it belongs | Release context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. | Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) | A defining home-console release in Nintendo’s history and one of the NES’s best-known games. | Nintendo’s developer interview dates the Famicom and NES release to September 1985; it does not establish every region’s release date. |
| Gauntlet | Arcade | A notable arcade release that broadens a year too often told only through home consoles. | The National Science and Media Museum’s timeline lists it in its 1985 section; the timeline is not a complete release database. |
Why Super Mario Bros. stands out
Super Mario Bros. is the clearest choice for a shortlist of 1985’s most important games because its place in the Famicom and NES story is well established. Nintendo’s developer interview dates the game’s release for Famicom and NES to September 1985. That is a month and year, not a universal date for every market.
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s NES collection record says the system launched in the United States in 1985 and identifies Super Mario Bros. among its best-known games. Nintendo’s own history of the Famicom and NES likewise describes the game as a hit. That is useful institutional context, not an independent comparison against every game released that year.
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Why include an arcade game?
A list limited to consoles would leave out part of the year’s gaming landscape. The National Science and Media Museum’s videogame history timeline includes Atari’s Gauntlet in its 1985 section. That makes it a grounded arcade inclusion, though the timeline should be read as a broad historical overview rather than an exhaustive catalog or ranking.
How to read 1985’s release dates
“Released in 1985” does not mean a game or console arrived everywhere at once. The clearest example here is the NES: the Smithsonian records its US launch in 1985, while Nintendo’s history page says the NES launched in Europe in 1986. Nintendo states: “The Nintendo Entertainment System was launched in Europe in 1986 and instantly became a major hit and a must-have in homes across the continent.” The statement is Nintendo’s institutional account, not a quotation from a named individual.
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For Super Mario Bros., Nintendo’s interview gives September 1985 for the Famicom and NES, but the sources cited here do not document every territory’s release date. Regional and platform details matter when comparing games from an era in which launches did not necessarily coincide across markets.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this selection can—and cannot—claim
These sources support a historically grounded shortlist, not a definitive top ranking. They do not provide consistent review scores, comparable sales figures, or a complete release database for all platforms. Super Mario Bros. and Gauntlet are included for their distinct console and arcade contexts; the evidence here does not establish that they were the only notable games of 1985 or prove a universal order of quality.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
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