Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (2024)

There has been a lot of chatter about Konami of late. Many a PlayStation fan wants Sony to buy up the company as some sort of retaliation for Microsoft buying Bethesda. And, you know what? That isn't such a bad idea.

Founded just before the 70s, the company built up a huge following thanks to early hits Frogger and Super Cobra. But it wasn't until the mid 80s, with the launch of the NES that the company came into its own.

After that the franchises started and there were a lot: Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, Contra, Pro Evolution Soccer... it's an impressive list.

But what games from Konami's illustrious history are the GOAT? Well, here's our list of the best Konami games - and, man, we want to play every single one of them right now.

  • The best retro games revealed

1. Frogger (1981)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (1)

In short: You're a frog. In a game that plays out like a chicken joke, you need to cross a road and river in order to reach the safety of your pond, dodging variably speedy traffic to get there. It was, and still is, a classic.

Best fact: There have been 29 official sequels to Frogger, making it one of the longest-running franchises ever. It's also one of the most "copied" games in history - Sega even had a go, releasing Ribbit.

2. Track & Field (1983)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (2)

In short: Six track and field athletics events, each designed to break your fingers and thumbs as you push yourself and your little pixelated character to the limit in search of the ultimate highs score. A truly majestic accomplishment of simple design and addictive point hunting.

Best fact: Think you've got a high Track & Field score? Think again. The current record of 95,350 was set by Hector Rodriguez of California in 2008, with some describing it as "unbeatable". Challenge accepted.

3. Castlevania (1986)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (3)

In short: Once every century, Dracula's castle appears. You, Simon Belmont, must battle your way through its haunted halls and stick the pointy end of a stake through the old vamp's heart.

Best fact: It would usually take an entire day to complete the original Castlevania - unless you happened to have the Japanese Famicom Disk System, which allowed you to save your progress. Japan got the best of everything when it comes to retro gaming.

4. Blades of Steel (1987)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (4)

In short: With its fast-paced action, simple controls and player-on-player fights, Blades of Steel was one of the most enjoyable sports titles of the decade when it slid onto arcades in 1987 (it was hugely popular for consoles when it received a port a year later).

Best fact: The fights were one of the game's most entertaining elements, with players able to 'Block', 'Head Punch' or 'Body Punch' their opponent. The loser would be sent off for around 20 seconds.

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game (1989)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (5)

In short: You take control of the band of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in a title that defies the usual rule that "films/TV shows don't make good games". It was like Streets of Rage, in a half shell.

Best fact: The four player co-op was a hugely impressive inclusion, with the title collecting the "Best Theme, Fun" and "Best Game Overall" in the 1989 Nintendo Power Awards.

6. Gradius (1985)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (6)

In short: A mammoth side-scrolling arcade shooter, it was impossible not to mimic the "pew-pew" sound effects after 10 minutes of play time. Playing as Vic Viper, you had to defeat wave-after-wave of alien scum, collecting increasingly bad-ass weaponry as you progressed through space.

Best fact: The NES version of Gradius was the first to introduce the Konami Code to the Nintendo console, upping your ship to its "ximum" level.

7. Contra (1987)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (7)

In short: Standard sci-fi stuff - the year is 2633 and the evil Red Falcon Organisation has set a base on the Galuga archipelago near New Zealand in a plot to conquer the world. Bill Rizer and Lance Bean of the Contra unit (an elite group of soldiers specializing in guerrilla warfare), are sent to the island to basically kill the alien scum.

Best fact: The game took a great deal of inspiration from James Cameron's Aliens flick - in addition to the visuals, the characters' names were a combination of the cast, with Bill Paxton and Paul Reiser combining for Bill Rizer and Lance Henriksen with Michael Biehn mixing for Lance Bean.

8. Rocket Knight Adventures (1993)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (8)

In short: A platforming hero who never got the same level of fame as Mario or Sonic, Sparkster was a rocketeering opossum (it's a marsupial, look it up), who must destroy a powerful ship know as the Pig Star, and its evil emperor intent on destroying the kingdom. Sort of like Star Wars, but with animals.

Best fact: Despite Rocket Knight Adventures gaining high praise from critics - with many drawing comparisons to Sega's famed hedgehog - the game and its two sequels never found mainstream success. If you're a keen retro gamer with an interest in platformers, we urge you to dig up this lost gem.

9. Suikoden (1995)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (9)

In short: While Final Fantasy was introducing thousands of gamers to the joys of the RPG genre, Konami was fashioning out a gem of its own. Suikoden featured over 100 characters, all potential allies and villains in a story that saw you fight against the corrupt emperor of the Scarlet Moon Empire. Unite the rebels, engage in massive battles, cancel on seeing your friends for the next month.

Best fact: The game's choice system had a massive impact on designer Warren Spector, who credits the game on having a huge influence on his (much more successful) title Deus Ex.

10. Metal Gear Solid (1998)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (10)

In Short: Hideo Kojima introduces players to the new vision of his original Metal Gear title of 1987 - a near future world in which players guide Solid Snake through a series of stealthy missions to stop a nuclear attack. You know, standard sci-fi espionage stuff. And yes, Metal Gear Solid is still the best title in the Metal Gear series.

Best fact: One of the most bizarre extras of this fantastic title was the 'ghost' camera. If you find the camera (it's in a room next to where you fight Revolver Ocelot), you can replay the game with the ability to take photos. Why? Because taking photos in the right locations can reveal the 42 ghostly faces of the game's original creators. Which is weird.

11. Silent Hill 2 (2001)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (11)

In short: Drawing on the atmosphere and events of the brilliantly creepy Silent Hill of 1999, this sequel took the fear factor up to a new trouser-ruining level. You play James Sunderland, who turns up in the foggy town after receiving a letter from his wife Mary. Except Mary died three years ago. There follows creepy exploration, a girl who isn't who she says she is and a series of monsters that still haunt our dreams.

Best fact: The game had six alternative endings, including two "joke" sequences: one revealed that a dog was controlling things all along, while the other had James abducted by aliens.

12. Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (2006)

Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (12)

In short: For years, Pro Evo matched FIFA stride-for-stride and kick-for-kick, but the general perception is that FIFA has come to dominate in recent years. Rumours of PES 2015 suggest that they could be about to seriously compete again but, for now, we'll go with the last of the glory years - Pro Evo 6, which pitched halfway between the frantic speed of Sensi and the detailed realism of FIFA.

Best fact: There were some notable differences between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 version of the game, with the Xbox boasting a fully analogue Manual Pass mode and advanced ball physics.

  • The best retro games consoles revealed
Best Konami games of all time: Konami classics revealed (2024)

FAQs

What is Konami's biggest game? ›

Franchises
RankTitleSales
1Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) / Winning Eleven113,973,356
2Metal Gear / Metal Gear Solid (MGS)61,500,000
3Mario Party (Hudson Soft)34,461,569
4Frogger33,079,119
11 more rows

What game did Konami make? ›

Major titles by Konami include the action Castlevania series, the survival horror Silent Hill series, the action shooter Contra series, the platform adventure Ganbare Goemon series, the stealth action Metal Gear series, the role-playing Suikoden series, the Bemani rhythm game series (which includes Dance Dance ...

How many copies did Silent Hill 2 sell? ›

Silent Hill 2 sold 1 million copies worldwide after just one month of release. Silent Hill 3 sold 300K copies in 5 months... The new creative ideas in Silent Hill 4 didn't appeal as much to audiences, as it didn't take place in Silent Hill town.

What does Konami gaming do? ›

From this facility, Konami Gaming, Inc. designs, produces and sells imaginative gaming entertainment, as well as its award-winning SYNKROS® casino management system. Was established in 1996 to serve the Asia-Pacific marketplace.

What are the 3 biggest games in the world? ›

List
TitleSalesDeveloper(s)
Minecraft300,000,000Mojang Studios
Grand Theft Auto V200,000,000Rockstar North
Tetris (EA)100,000,000EA Mobile
Wii Sports82,900,000Nintendo EAD
46 more rows

What game is the king of all games? ›

The game of chess is a game of kings and also the king of games.

Does Konami still own Yugioh? ›

Konami is now the manufacturer and distributor of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. It runs regional and national tournaments and continues to release new Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG card products.

What game had the Konami code? ›

The Konami Code was created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto, who was developing the home port of the 1985 arcade game Gradius, a horizontal scrolling shooter released on the NES in 1986.

Did Konami make Tekken? ›

Tekken (Japanese: 鉄拳 てつけん , meaning "Iron Fist") is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco).

Is Silent Hill 2 the scariest game ever? ›

Two Decades Later, Silent Hill 2 Is Still The Scariest Game Of All Time - Game Informer.

What the heck is Silent Hill about? ›

Summaries. Rose Da Silva takes her adopted daughter, Sharon, to the town of Silent Hill in an attempt to cure her of her ailment. After a violent car crash, Sharon disappears and Rose begins a horrific journey to get her back.

What is the highest selling resident evil game? ›

As of December 2023, Resident Evil 2 was the best-selling entry in Capcom's Resident Evil series. The 2017 survival horror game sold over 13.6 million units worldwide. The first game of the series, Resident Evil, was released in 1996 for PlayStation 1 and the franchise is one of Capcom's all-time best-sellers.

Who is the CEO of Konami gaming? ›

Steve Sutherland oversees all facets of Konami Gaming, Inc. and its divisions to establish long-term strategic goals and policies to achieve organizational results.

Is Konami still profitable? ›

For the nine months ending December 31, 2023, the Japanese publisher reported business profit up ¥62.8 billion ($427 million, up 53% year-on-year) and operating profit of ($405.2 million, up 59%).

What is synkros? ›

Konami's SYNKROS casino management system empowers operators to capture and compile data through all connected areas of the property—gaming and non-gaming—in order to generate a 360-degree patron view.

Which game is biggest in size? ›

These are my list of games with the biggest install size.
  • Red Dead Redemption 2 - 150GB's.
  • Destiny 2 Shadowkeep - 165GB's.
  • Gears Of War 4 - 112.3 GB's.
  • Ark: Survival Evolved - 70 GB's.
  • Grand Theft Auto V - 70 GB's (This is without any mods)
  • Middle Earth: Shadow of War - 95 GB's if you also install the high-res texture pack.
Apr 12, 2024

What is the biggest game lore? ›

The video game franchises with the best lore
  • 'The Legend of Zelda' (1986- ) When you think of iconic video game characters, the cast of the "Legend of Zelda" franchise is up there with some of the most beloved. ...
  • 'Destiny' (2014- ) ...
  • 'The Elder Scrolls' (1994- ) ...
  • 'Fallout' (1997-2015) ...
  • 'Diablo' (1997- )
Sep 11, 2023

What is the biggest game right now? ›

Looking purely at the number of active players worldwide, PUBG is comfortably at the top of the most popular games pile right now, with over 100 million gamers enjoying this Battle Royale classic.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Arline Emard IV

Last Updated:

Views: 5613

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (72 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arline Emard IV

Birthday: 1996-07-10

Address: 8912 Hintz Shore, West Louie, AZ 69363-0747

Phone: +13454700762376

Job: Administration Technician

Hobby: Paintball, Horseback riding, Cycling, Running, Macrame, Playing musical instruments, Soapmaking

Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.