1987 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Dragon Quest II, Final Lap, and Zelda II, along with new titles such as After Burner, Contra, Double Dragon, Final Fantasy, Mega Man, Metal Gear, Operation Wolf, Phantasy Star, Shinobi, Street Fighter and The Last Ninja. The Legend of Zelda was also introduced outside of Japan.
The year's highest-grossing arcade game worldwide was Sega's Out Run. The year's bestselling home system was the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom) for the fourth year in a row. The best-selling 1987 home video game release in Japan was Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami, while the year's best-selling home video games in Western markets were The Legend of Zelda in the United States and Out Run in the United Kingdom.
Financial performance
Highest-grossing arcade games The year's highest-grossing arcade game worldwide was Sega's Out Run.
Japan The following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1987 in Japan, according to the annual Gamest and Game Machine charts.
Rank Gamest alternate url Game Machine Title Cabinet Points Title Cabinet Points 1 Out Run Large 33 Out Run Deluxe 3734 2 R-Type Table 26 Arkanoid Table 3118 3 After Burner Large 20 Hi Sho Zame (Flying Shark) Table 2434 4 1943: The Battle of Midway Table 12 Major League Table 2285 5 Double Dragon Table 10 World Cup (Tehkan World Cup) Table 2210 6 Darius Large 8 Bubble Bobble Table 2041 7 Dragon Spirit Table 7 Super Hang-On Ride-on 1901 8 Hi Sho Zame (Flying Shark) Yokai Dochuki Table 5 Double Dragon Table 1890 9 Table 5 1943: The Battle of Midway Table 1778 10 Super Hang-On Large 4 Side Pocket Table 1744
United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, Out Run was the most successful arcade game of the year. The following titles were the top-grossing games on the monthly arcade charts in 1987.
Month Title Manufacturer Genre February Out Run Sega Racing March April Bubble Bobble Taito Platformer May June July Double Dragon Taito Beat 'em up August September After Burner Sega Combat flight sim October Operation Wolf Taito Light gun shooter November 1942 Capcom Scrolling shooter December Operation Wolf Taito Light gun shooter 1987 Out Run Sega Racing
United States In the United States, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade video games of 1987.
Rank Play Meter AMOA Dedicated cabinet Conversion kit 1 Out Run Out Run Arkanoid 2 rowspan="3" Contra, Double Dragon, Rolling Thunder Ikari Warriors, Rastan, Top Gunner, World Series 3 4 5
The following titles were the top-grossing games on the monthly RePlay arcade charts in 1987.
Month Upright cabinet Software kit January Out Run Gauntlet II February Championship Sprint
Best-selling home systems RankSystem(s)ManufacturerTypeGenerationSalesJapanUSAEUWorldwide1Nintendo Entertainment System / FamicomNintendoConsole8-bit1,780,0003,000,000300,0005,080,000+2Commodore 64 (C64)CommodoreComputer8-bit 1,500,0003Sega Mark III / Master SystemSegaConsole8-bit280,000500,000155,000935,0004IBM PS/2 (Model 30 / 50)IBMComputer16-bit 5PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16)NECConsole16-bit600,000 600,0006MacApple Inc.Computer16-bit 550,0007NEC PC-88 / PC-98NECComputer8-bit / 16-bit,000 540,000+8Apple IIApple Inc.Computer8-bit 500,0009Atari STAtari Corp.Computer16-bit 400,00010MSXASCII.Computer8-bit,000 340,000+
Best-selling home video games
Japan In Japan, according to Famicom Tsūshin (Famitsu) magazine, the following titles were the top ten best-selling 1987 releases, including later sales up until mid-1989.
Rank Title Developer Publisher Genre Platform Sales 1 Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami Chunsoft Enix RPG Famicom 2,400,000 2 Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium '87 Namco Namco Sports Famicom < 1,300,000 3 Moero!! Pro Yakyū (Bases Loaded) TOSE Jaleco Sports Famicom < 1,000,000 4 Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (The Adventure of Link) Nintendo R&D4 Nintendo Action RPG Famicom Disk System 5 Family Computer Golf: Japan Course Nintendo R&D2 Nintendo Sports Famicom < 740,000 6 Saint Seiya: Ōgon Densetsu Bandai Bandai Action RPG Famicom rowspan="5" 7 Momotarō Densetsu (Momotarō Legend) Hudson Soft Hudson Soft RPG 8 Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School Squaresoft Nintendo Dating sim Famicom Disk System 9 Sanma no Meitantei (Great Detective Sanma) Namco Namco Adventure Famicom 10 Famicom Mukashibanashi: Shin Onigashima Nintendo R&D4 Nintendo Adventure Famicom Disk System
The following titles were the best-selling home video games on the Japan game charts published by Famicom Tsūshin (Famitsu) and Family Computer Magazine (Famimaga) in 1987.
Chart Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium (Famicom) Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (Famicom Disk System) Dragon Quest II (Famicom) Family Computer Golf: Japan Course (FC) Sanma no Meitantei (Famicom) Argus no Senshi (Famicom) Family Jockey (Famicom) Kinnikuman 2 (FDS) Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium (Famicom) Yūshi no Monshō (FDS) Bug-tte Honey (Famicom) Family Boxing (Famicom) Saint Seiya: Ōgon Densetsu (Famicom) Dracula II: Noroi no Fūin (FC) Shin Onigashima (Famicom Disk System) Side Pocket (Famicom) Momotaro Densetsu (FC) Famicom Grand Prix: F-1 Race (FDS) Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium '87 (Famicom) Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School (Famicom Disk System)
United Kingdom and United States In the United States, The Legend of Zelda was the best-selling home video game of 1987, becoming the first third-generation video game (non-bundled) to cross a million US sales that year, followed by Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! In the United Kingdom, Out Run was the best-selling home video game of 1987, with its 8-bit home computer ports becoming the fastest-selling games in the UK up until then.
The following titles were the top-selling home video games on the monthly charts in the United Kingdom and United States during 1987.
+ Month United Kingdom United States All formats ZX Spectrum Sales Title Platform Sales Gauntlet Olli & Lissa rowspan="6" rowspan="6" rowspan="6" rowspan="6" Leader Board rowspan="2" Feud BMX Simulator Milk Race Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior The Legend of ZeldaNES Exolon Renegade Renegade Game Set and Match Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! NES Out Run 250,000+ 1987 Out Run 350,000 The Legend of Zelda NES 1,000,000+
Top-rated games Major awards Award Gamest Awards (Japan, December 1987) alternate url 2nd Famitsu Best Hit Game Awards (Japan, February 1988) 2nd Famimaga Game Awards (Japan, February 1988) 5th Golden Joystick Awards (United Kingdom, March 1988)ArcadeConsoleFamicomComputer Game of the Year DariusDragon Quest II (Famicom) Out Run Critics' Choice Awards Tsuppari Ōzumō (Famicom) Zombie Hunter (Famicom) Shin Onigashima (Famicom Disk System) Family Computer Golf (Famicom Disk System) Bubble Bobble (Famicom) Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei (Famicom) Best Game Design Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School (FDS) Best Playability Dragon Quest II Best Story Dragon Quest II (Yuji Horii) Best Graphics After Burner Faxanadu (Famicom) Best 3D Game Highway Star (Rad Racer) Best Speech Synthesis Genpei Tōma Den Best Music / Sound Darius Momotaro Densetsu / Exciting BilliardsDragon Quest II Best Character / Character Design Athena Asamiya (Psycho Soldier) Momotaro Densetsu (Famicom)Dragon Quest II Best Developer / Software House Sega U.S. Gold Best Programmer Jon Ritman Best Ports Wizardry / Salamander Best Original Game / Originality Dragon Quest II Nebulus Most Popular Game / Long Seller Out Run Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium (R.B.I. Baseball) Arcade Game of the Year Out Run Best Action Game Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (Famicom)Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (FDS) Best Shooter Fantasy Zone (Famicom)Salamander Best Adventure Game Hokkaidō Rensa Satsujin: Okhotsk ni Kiyu (FC)Shin Onigashima (FDS) The Guild of Thieves Best RPG Dragon Quest II (Famicom)Dragon Quest II Best Action RPG Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (FDS) Best Sports Game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out! (Famicom) Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium Best Puzzle Game Shanghai Best Simulation / Strategy Game SD Gundam World Gachapon Senshi (Famicom) Vulcan Best Leisure / Casual Games Mezase Pachi Pro: Pachio-kun / Side Pocket Best Board Game Tetsudou Ou (Famicom) Best Mahjong Game Professional Mahjong Gokū
Famitsu Platinum Hall of Fame The following 1987 video game releases entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.
Title Platform Score (out of 40) Developer Publisher Genre Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami (Dragon Warrior II) Family Computer (Famicom) 38 Chunsoft Enix RPG Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link) Famicom Disk System 36 Nintendo EAD Nintendo Action RPG
Business New companies: Acclaim, Apogee, The Bitmap Brothers, Empire Interactive, GameTek, Maxis, Natsume Co., Ltd. Defunct: Electric Transit, English Software, Muse Electronic Arts acquires Batteries Included. Atari Games establishes the Tengen division for porting their games to home systems. Nintendo of America, Inc. v. Blockbuster Entertainment lawsuit: Nintendo sues Blockbuster for photocopying complete NES manuals for its rental games. Nintendo wins the suit, and Blockbuster includes original manuals with its rentals. SSI President Joel Billings acquires the license to the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game, setting the stage for the Gold Box line of D&D games.
Notable releases Arcade February 20 – Konami releases Contra July 1 – Irem releases scrolling shooter R-Type. July – Technōs Japan releases Double Dragon to arcades, distributed internationally by Taito. August 30 – Capcom releases Street Fighter, the first game of the series. Taito releases Rastan and Operation Wolf. Namco releases Wonder Momo, which is their last 8-bit game, Yokai Dochuki, which is their first 16-bit game, Dragon Spirit, Blazer, Quester, Pac-Mania, Galaga '88 and Final Lap. Atari Games releases RoadBlasters, Xybots, and APB.
Home January 14 – Nintendo releases Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for the Famicom Disk System in Japan only. The game would go unreleased in America for nearly two years afterwards. February 12 – Infocom releases Bureaucracy from author Douglas Adams. May 1 – Konami releases Castlevania in North America. June 21 – Nihon Falcom releases Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished for the PC-8801 in Japan only. The game's director is Masaya Hashimoto, and it is the first game in the long running Ys series. June – Codemasters release Dizzy – The Ultimate Cartoon Adventure July 1 – Nintendo releases Kid Icarus in North America. July 5 – the Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards adventure is released by Sierra Entertainment. July 13 – Konami releases Metal Gear for MSX2 in Japan and Europe. August 15 – Nintendo releases Metroid in North America. August 22 – Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda in America and Europe, a year after being available in Japan. August 28 – Konami releases Castlevania II: Simon's Quest in Japan, the second Castlevania title released for the NES/Famicom. October – Nintendo releases Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! for NES/Famicom. October – LucasArts releases Maniac Mansion, the first game to use the SCUMM engine, innovating the point-and-click interface for the adventure game genre. November 14 – Sierra On-Line releases Space Quest II: Vohaul's Revenge, the second game in the Space Quest series. December 17 – Capcom releases the first Mega Man game in the long-standing series for the NES/Famicom. December 18 – Square's Hironobu Sakaguchi releases Final Fantasy for the Famicom in Japan. Originally intended to be the company's last release, the game's success resulted in a prolific series. It was released in the US 3 years later. December 20 – Sega releases Phantasy Star on the Master System, featuring a female protagonist. FTL Games releases Dungeon Master for the Atari ST. Sierra On-Line releases Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel, the first game in the Police Quest series.