Top-down perspective

Top down games were very popular in the 80s and the 90s, when graphic cards were not capable of supporting 3D, and even when 3D started to become popular, 2D games continued to be easier to develop, at least in the infancy of 3D gaming. 2D game offered the player a viewpoint that helped keeping things easily under control (think about top down party-based RPGs or hex-based strategy games).

Most popular top down games

Command & Conquer: Red Alert

strategyDOS

Grand Theft Auto

action-adventureDOS, Windows XP/98/95

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007: License to Kill

DOS1989 Quixel

101: The Airborne Invasion of Normandy

Windows XP/98/951998 Empire Interactive

18th Airborne

DOS1993

240 Racing

DOS1998

2400 A.D.

DOS1988 Origin Systems

4Play

Windows XP/98/95Windows 3.x1995NSFW

4Play was a risqué trivia and multi-player board-style game released in the mid-1990s. Designed as a party game, it combined trivia questions, mini-games, and challenges that often leaned toward suggestive or adult themes. It was intended to be played in social settings, often among friends or couples, with the goal of breaking the...

5th Fleet

DOS1994

7 colors

DOS1991 Gamos

8088 Othello

DOS1985

A Line in the Sand

DOS1992protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

A Nightmare on Elm street

DOS1989 Westwood Studios

A-Maze

DOS1989 New Era Software

Acquire

DOS1989 IBM

Action Fighter

DOS1989 Sega

Action in the North Atlantic

DOS1989 General Quarters Software

Advanced Civilization

DOS1995 Avalon Hill

Adventure Construction Set

DOS1987 Electronic Arts

Adventure Construction Set is an abandoned application developed by Stuart Smith and published for DOS, Amiga, Apple II and Commodore 64 by Electronic Arts in 1987. As the name suggests, ACS is a game-building system (we're talking about adventure RPGs) that lets you edit maps, items, creatures, etc. Included with ACS is a complete game called...

Air Traffic Controller

DOS1985 Cascoly Software

Airborne Ranger

DOS1988 MicroProse Software

Ajax

DOS1989 Konami

Akalabeth: World of Doom

DOS1981freeware California Pacific Computer

Akalabeth is a RPG game allegedly developed in just one summer by the Ultima franchise creator Richard Garriott. It's a dungeon crawler with wire-frame black and white graphics. Akalabeth is played in both first person 3d and top down view points.

Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse

DOS1994protected Cyberlore studios

Albion

DOSWindows XP/98/951995 Blue Byte Software

Albion is a science fiction role-playing game (RPG) developed and published by German studio Blue Byte Software. It was released in 1995 for MS-DOS and later for Amiga. Albion is notable for its blend of traditional RPG elements with a unique setting and storyline.The game takes place on the planet Albion, a world with a rich history and diver...