There was once a time when the gaming industry was flooded with mascot titles. When characters like Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog became pop-culture icons, they inspired a multitude of copycats who all tried and failed to match their success. Properties like Crash Bandicoot and Ratchet & Clank persisted by wisely doing their own thing and providing some solid gameplay to back their characters up.

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However, some mascots had all the makings for greatness, but faded into obscurity; whether due to poor game sales, a forgettable game, or something else altogether. While there are plenty of gaming mascots who failed to catch on because they were annoying or their respective titles were shoddily made, others are well worth a look despite being relatively obscure.

10 Pocky & Rocky Has Been Resurrected

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In 1986, Taito released an arcade shoot 'em up known as Kiki Kaikai. Although the game never left Japanese arcades, a follow-up developed by Natsume did manage to make it stateside for the Super Nintendo. Renamed Pocky & Rocky in the West, it gave the shrine maiden from the first title a Tanuki companion while retaining its scrolling shooting gameplay.

After a sequel on the same console and a Spin-off on the Game Boy Advance, the series was seemingly laid to rest before being resurrected with Reshrined for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

9 Klaymen From The Neverhood

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Doug TenNepel had previously made a name for himself during his time at Shiny with the first two Earthworm Jim titles and Steven Spielberg was eager to poach talent for his budding game studio - Dreamworks Interactive. The resulting title, The Neverhood, was a graphic adventure that mixed elements of LucasArts' classics with games like Myst.

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The game was reviewed very well, but sold poorly. The sequel, Skullmonkeys, shifted the genre to a 2D action platformer where its lively presentation did little to save its ho-hum mechanics. Klaymen would make a cameo in the poorly received Boombots and a Japanese gun hockey spinoff before fading into the mists of time.

8 Bonk The Caveboy Has Been Put On Ice For Too Long

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Nintendo had Mario, Sega had Sonic, and Hudson had Bonk. The prehistoric hero made his debut in the TruboGrafix-16 platformer Bonk's Adventure in which he used his trademark attack to save Princess Za from the clutches of a giant dinosaur named King Drool. Some follow-ups were released on the TurboGrafix to a mostly positive reception.

After the console was discontinued, a couple of titles found their way to the Super Nintendo - only one of which was released stateside. Sadly, after a mobile phone entry and a canceled reboot, the caveboy was put on ice while Hudson became purchased by Konami.

7 "Klonoa" Fans' Dreams Will Come True On Modern Platforms

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While many platformers were attempting to leap head-first into 3D, Namco tried to find a sweet spot between the two dimensions in the PlayStation classic Klonoa The Door to Phantomile. Characters controlled the title character and utilized his unique ability to capture enemies and toss them to solve puzzles or dispatch other hostiles. The game shined with clever level design, a whimsical presentation, and hidden secrets.

A sequel followed on the PlayStation 2 followed by some spin-offs on handhelds such as the Gameboy Advance and the lesser-known WonderSwan. Thankfully, an HD remaster of the two mainline entries will be released on modern platforms dubbed Phantasy Reverie Series.

6 Sir Daniel Fortesque From MediEvil Rose From His Grave On PlayStation 4

Sir Daniel's face from MediEvil.

Sir Daniel Fortescue was the protagonist of Sony's MediEvil series. Before the events of the first game, he was once a cowardly knight who fell at the first slings of arrows during a great battle. Despite his ignoble end, he was falsely hailed as a hero who sacrificed his life to slay the evil Zarok.

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However, the sorcerer returns to the kingdom of Gallowmere years later and resurrects the dead to amass an unholy army. It is then that Sir Dan awakens from his slumber and is urged by the gargoyles of the crypt to redeem himself and earn his place among the Hall of Heroes.

5 Shantae Fans' Wish For Sequels Was Granted

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Wayforward's 2D Metroidvania Shantae series put players in control of the eponymous half-human half-genie hybrid. Working as a camp counselor, Erin Bozon conceived of a mystical character who could attack with her hair and named her after one of the campers. Her husband, Matt, proceeded to incorporate elements of anime into her design while studying at Cal-Arts.

During the development of the original title, the company managed to negotiate a publishing deal with Capcom. While netting some good reviews, the title flopped financially. However, that wasn't the end of Shantae, as a series of sequels managed to find success through digital distribution.

4 Ristar Burned Twice As Bright And Half As Long

Ristar explores the jungle in the Sega Genesis game, Ristar

Created and conceived by members of Sega who would later join Sonic Team, Ristar was a 2D platformer based around stretching the eponymous character's arms to traverse through the worlds and defeat enemies. The levels and bosses were cleverly designed around this mechanic, tasking players to launch themselves from poles in one section and tricking an ice monster into eating hot soup the next.

While Ristar was well-received, the game had the misfortune of being released during the dying days of the Genesis alongside other games such as Comix Zone and The Ooze. Fortunately, he's made a few cameos in the Sonic All-Stars games.

3 Tomba Was A Wild Boy On The PlayStation

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Tomba was Directed by Tokuro Fujiwara - a former Capcom employee who produced many classics such as Bionic Commando and Resident Evil. The two criminally underrated PlayStation titles were a mix of Metroidvania and graphic adventure where the perspective changed from 2.5D in the main game to an overhead view when entering villages.

The first game put players in control of the eponymous pink-haired child who searches for his grandfather's bracelet after it's stolen by hostile pigs. One creative section tasked players with learning the language of the gnomes by biting several of them on the way to town.

2 Viewtiful Joe's Comeback Is Long Overdue

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Much like Okami and several other Clover titles, Viewtiful Joe is a series that desperately needs to come back. This stylish cel-shaded hybrid of platformer and beat 'em up was directed by Hideki Kamiya of Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry fame. The series saw two mainline entries, a DS side-story, and a fighting game spin-off before the series faded like many other Capcom franchises.

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Hideki Kamiya co-founded PlatinumGames which went on to make its own legendary franchises. Maybe someday, Joe and his friends will "henshin" themselves a new installment.

1 Sparkster The Rocket Knight Deserves To Ride Again

Sparkster

With a string of solid titles, a unique design, and endearing animations, Sparkster had every right to be as big a name as Sonic, Crash, or Mario. The first title to star the gallant opossum was the Genesis exclusive Rocket Knight Adventures which was well-received by the gaming press for its visuals, music, and distinct jetpack gameplay mechanic.

A direct sequel was released on the same system accompanied by a spin-off for the Super Nintendo. Unfortunately, since Konami has all but abandoned the gaming scene to prioritize gambling, it seems unlikely that this knight will ever ride again.