Tecmo was established in 1967 while Koei started in 1978. They first merged in 2009 as Tecmo Koei, but have now been established as Koei Tecmo. Even though their name might not always appear in each entry of this list, some of their partner companies like Omega Force or Team Ninja will be counted as well. We have some other notes for this article as well.

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We listed these games as they appear on Metacritic from the bottom to the top. It's worth noting, however, that even though the publishing rights to some of these games may belong to other companies elsewhere in the world, a game will be considered if it was at least published by Koei Tecmo in North America. Time to see what this research uncovered.

Updated March 27, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: Koei Tecmo has published some truly stellar games that players simply can't get enough of. Their games have encompassed everything from the fighting genre to some hardcore strategy titles as well. Regardless of what a player might be interested in, it's highly probable that Koei Tecmo has them covered on most, if not all, fronts. The best Koei Tecmo titles are mentioned below, where they have been ranked by their Metacritic ratings.

15 Hyrule Warriors (76)

Hyrule Warriors

Created for the Wii U, Hyrule Warriors was co-developed by Omega Force and Team Ninja and published by Nintendo outside of Japan. It is an offshoot of the Dynasty Warriors franchise, taking that style of hack and slash gameplay and mixing it in with The Legend of Zelda.

It works incredibly well. Sure, like all of these games, Hyrule Warriors can get repetitive, but the true fun lies in co-op and extreme fan service.

14 Dead or Alive 6 (76)

Dead or Alive 6 was developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The name doesn’t hold as much clout as it used to when the franchise was first starting out.

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With this release and the several recent proceedings, it’s become more about the jiggle physics on the women and less about the combat, at least when it comes to the public discourse surrounding Dead or Alive. It is good for what it is and has a dedicated following, but it’s no Street Fighter.

13 Toukiden 2 (77)

Toukiden 2 was developed by Omega Force and published by Koei Tecmo for the PC, PS3, PS4, and PS Vita. One could call this a Monster Hunter clone because that is easily what this game is.

Instead of fighting giant prehistoric-looking monsters, one slays demons. It’s less robust than Capcom's game, but for those that can’t get enough of that gameplay loop, this is a pretty solid copycat.

12 Attack on Titan (77)

Attack on Titan was developed by Omega Force and published by Koei Tecmo for the PC, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, and Xbox One. It is one of the best, if not THE best anime adaptations in video games.

The exhilaration and thrill of sweeping through cities and valleys like a more deadly Spider-Man who happens to be trapped in Shadow of the Colossus is unlike anything else out there. Taking down Titans never ceased to be amazing.

11 Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity (78)

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After the surprising success of the first Hyrule Warriors title, Nintendo decided to release another game in this spin-off series that focused on the world and art style from Breath of the Wild. The end result is a great title that does a brilliant job of fleshing out the amazing lore of the latest chapter in The Legend of Zelda series.

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Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is pretty rough around the edges, running at a pretty shoddy frame rate on the Nintendo Switch at times. However, there's no denying the fact that the game is quite fun when it runs smoothly, with the novelty of controlling multiple characters and exploring the lore of the world being a major plus point.

10 Attack On Titan 2 (78)

Mikasa and Reiner from the Attack on Titan 2 Video Game

The first Attack on Titan game was pretty decent in its own right, although there was no denying that it was a bit rough around the edges. Thankfully, a lot of the problems from the first game were corrected in the sequel.

Players who have yet to try these Attack on Titan games should just opt for the second one instead, since it starts from the story's beginning but with an entirely fresh viewpoint. It's a great way to re-experience the story of this amazing series, which has taken some really wild turns with the latest season.

9 Metroid: Other M (79)

Metroid Other M

Metroid: Other M was co-developed by Team Ninja and Nintendo and published by them as well for the Wii. In retrospect, we think the 79 is a bit too high for this Metroid spinoff.

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Because of the lukewarm reception, this pretty much killed the franchise all the way up until Metroid Prime: Federation Force, which was also nothing to write home about. The core gameplay is mostly solid. However, the motion controls and the awful story are what really hold this game back.

8 Pokemon Conquest (80)

Pokemon Conquest was developed by Tecmo Koei and published by Nintendo for the DS. This is a combination of the real-time strategy simulation franchise, Nobunaga’s Ambition, and well, Pokemon of course.

It is a tactical RPG and one we think has been dying for a sequel for over a decade now. It may seem weird to battle Pokemon in feudal Japan, but trust us, this game is pure gold.

7 Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence (80)

Speaking of Nobunaga’s Ambition, this version was developed and published by Koei Tecmo for PC, PS3, and PS4. As we just said in Pokémon Conquest, this is a real-time strategy simulation game. It is similar to something like Civilization, but one based on Japanese history.

Nobunaga’s Ambition is not for the faint of heart, which is to say it is difficult to learn. There are a lot of mechanics. While that may bar entry for a lot of gamers, simulation enthusiasts should be enthralled.

6 Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout (83)

Atelier Ryza was developed by Gust and published by Koei Tecmo for the PC and PS4. This, and its predecessors, are prime examples of B-tier RPGs. They are beloved by a niche audience and don’t strive for anything more than what the fans enjoy.

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They aren’t about saving the world but more about becoming an amazing alchemist to best serve the town they are based in. With this latest entry, there has never been a better time to hop in and bask in the anime-inspired beauty.

5 Persona 5 Strikers (83)

Joker, Ryuji, and Ann facing off against a horde of Shadows in Alice's Jail from Persona 5 Strikers

Persona 5 is one of the greatest JRPGs of all time. Given the massive popularity of this series, it should come as little surprise that Atlus has opted to cash in on the popularity of the critically acclaimed game multiple times.

Along with an updated release and a dancing game, Atlus teamed up with Koei Tecmo to release Persona 5 Strikers. A crossover of the Persona and Dynasty Warriors series, Persona 5 Strikers struck a great balance between the two and is arguably the best Musou game to date... at least, if Metacritic ratings are to be believed, anyway.

4 Nioh 2: The Complete Edition (86)

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Player with sohaya armor in nioh 2

It's genuinely surprising to see that Nioh 2 ranks lower than its predecessor. After all, this sequel improves upon the original in many ways and is considered by many to be the superior product.

The hard-as-nails gameplay and amazing levels make for a great time indeed. It might not be the most accessible game around, but Nioh 2 is the perfect title for players who are seeking out a samural Soulslike to while away their days.

3 Nioh (88)

Nioh was developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo on PC worldwide while Sony handled the worldwide console distribution outside of Japan. The game borrows the gameplay style of Dark Souls and throws in The Witcher as if he were a Samurai.

Seriously, the protagonist, William, looks like Geralt. Anyway since Capcom is keen on not properly reviving their Onimusha franchise, this is the closest thing we are going to get for a while and that is not a bad thing.

2 Fire Emblem: Three Houses (89)

Yes, believe it or not, Koei Tecmo had a hand in making the best game on Switch in 2019. Fire Emblem: Three Houses was co-developed by Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo and published by Nintendo for the Switch.

This makes sense on two levels. One, they are used to big battles like in Dynasty Warriors. Two, they are also versed in strategy RPGs. Put that together with Intelligent Systems, and we have one heck of a Fire Emblem game. Now, if only we could get Pokémon Conquest 2 on this scale.

1 Ninja Gaiden Black (94)

Ninja Gaiden Black

The Ninja Gaiden trilogy are some of the hardest hack-and-slash games ever made. Players need a supreme amount of skill and tenacity to understand the patterns of tough enemies and imposing bosses found throughout the games.

At the time of its release, Ninja Gaiden Black was a critically lauded re-release of all three games which featured new content, as well as additional difficulty modes. It was a massive upgrade that received a ton of love and is currently Koei Tecmo's highest-rated game to date.

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