Total Nerd The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time  

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This is a list of the best side-scrolling games of all time for any console or system, including cover art pictures when available. These highly rated side-scrolling games are ordered by popularity, so only the greatest side-scrolling games are at the top of the list. Spanning the entire history of the genre, these side-scrolling games are considered the best in the genre. This list includes all challenging side-scrolling games that have ever hit the shelves, so it doesn't necessarily have all the more obscure or new side-scrolling games.

List is made up of games like Double Dragon and Donkey Kong Country.

This list answers the questions, "What are the best side-scrolling games?" and "What is the greatest side-scrolling game of all time?"
list ordered by

1
64 19
Castlevania: Symphony of the N... is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
FranklinAntonioObispo added Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

2
60 18
Super Mario Bros. 3 is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Super Mario Bros. 3 1988

3
40 13
Super Mario Bros. is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Super Mario Bros. 1985

4
35 12
Donkey Kong Country is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Donkey Kong Country 1994

5
31 9
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's I... is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
KelseyMartin added Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island 1995

6
24 9
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: ... is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time 1991

7
19 6
Super Castlevania IV is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
KelseyMartin added Super Castlevania IV 1991

8
26 14
Golden Axe is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Golden Axe 1989

9
23 12
Double Dragon is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Double Dragon 1987

10
32 24
The Lost Vikings is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
The Lost Vikings 1994

11
17 10
Shadow Complex is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Shadow Complex 2009

12
27 20
Terraria is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Terraria 2011

13
14 10
Chuck Rock is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Chuck Rock 1991

14
8 4
Kirby Mass Attack is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Kirby Mass Attack 2011

The Best Horizontal & Side Scrolling Shooter Games Ever

15
13 10
Commander Keen is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Commander Keen

16
13 10
Robotech: The Macross Saga is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Robotech: The Macross Saga 2002

17
11 8
Final Fight is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Final Fight 1989

18
7 4
Double Dragon II: The Revenge is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Double Dragon II: The Revenge 1988

19
17 15
Die Hard is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Die Hard 1990

20
17 15
Jazz Jackrabbit is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Jazz Jackrabbit 1994

21
16 14
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2... is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus 2004

The Best Las Vegas Casinos

22
15 13
Altered Beast is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Altered Beast 1988

23
9 7
Duke Nukem: Critical Mass is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Duke Nukem: Critical Mass

24
6 4
ActRaiser is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
KelseyMartin added ActRaiser 1990

25
20 19
Ecco the Dolphin is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Ecco the Dolphin 1993

26
15 14
RoboCop is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
RoboCop 1988

27
9 8
Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck 1993

28
5 4
Shadow Dancer is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Shadow Dancer 1989

The 25 Most Sexually Frustrated Pokemon

29
14 14
Risky Woods is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Risky Woods 1992

30
13 13
Commander Keen: Keen Dreams is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Commander Keen: Keen Dreams 1992

31
13 13
Sea Dragon is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Sea Dragon Jan 01 1982

32
4 4
Shank is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Shank 2010

33
13 14
Retaliot is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Retaliot 2009

34
13 14
Crime Fighters is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Crime Fighters Apr 01 1989

35
3 3
Elevator Action is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Elevator Action 1983

The 100+ Best Video Games of All Time, Ranked by Fans

36
10 11
The Terminator is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
The Terminator Apr 01 1993

37
8 9
Moon Buggy is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Moon Buggy Jan 01 2004

38
7 8
Castle of Deceit is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Castle of Deceit 1990

39
7 8
Hunter Hunted is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Hunter Hunted Oct 31 1996

40
6 7
Crystal Caves is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Crystal Caves Oct 23 1991

41
5 6
Predator 2 is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Predator 2 1990

42
5 6
Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure Mar 01 1992

The 10 Cruelest Video Game Pranks of All Time

43
5 6
Gargoyle's Quest is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Gargoyle's Quest 1990

44
4 5
Ninja Cop is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Ninja Cop 2003

45
11 13
Super Smash Flash 2 is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Super Smash Flash 2 2011

46
3 4
Kenseiden is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Kenseiden Jan 01 1988

47
3 4
Vigilante is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Vigilante 1988

48
3 4
Gish is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Gish 2004

49
3 4
The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowou... is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout 1990

50
3 4
Ninja Combat is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list The Best Side-Scrolling Games of All Time
Ninja Combat 1990