There’s been exponential growth in the video game industry and it’s quite impressive just how much progress is accomplished from one generation of gaming to the next. The video game industry continues to introduce new and exciting intellectual properties that are able to spawn into larger series, but some of the most popular games belong to established gaming franchises that players have followed for years.

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The video game industry has no shortage of surprises and franchises that were considered to be dead can return in unexpected ways, but the reverse is also true and successful franchises can suddenly get forgotten and undeservedly fade into obscurity.

10 Breath Of Fire Was A Unique Take On Fantasy RPGs & Hero Archetypes

Game Breath Of Fire 3

The 1990s were a golden period for cutting edge RPG series. Capcom's Breath of Fire games for the Super Nintendo weren’t as popular as Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, but they led to a satisfying series with a dedicated audience that was able to crossover to the PlayStation.

The Breath of Fire games pull from many standard fantasy RPG conventions, but are a breath of fresh air due to their transformation mechanics and perspective on a post-apocalyptic world. Breath of Fire V was back in 2003 and although a sixth entry happened in 2016, it was a mobile endeavor that never left Japan.

9 Dino Crisis Is A Survival Horror Series That Still Leaves Fans Hungry For More

Game dino crisis (1)

It seems as if each major video game developer and publisher has tried their hand at the survival horror craze with hopes of coming up with the next Resident Evil. There’s been a little less pressure on Capcom’s part since they have Resident Evil to fall back on, but the same brilliant minds were responsible for the Dino Crisis survival horror series.

With the slew of Resident Evil remakes that have happened, fans have been vocal over the same treatment for Dino Crisis. With the success of the Jurassic World movies, there’s never been a better time for dinosaur-based horror.

8 Viewtiful Joe Is Chaotic Beat-’Em-Up Action With A Self-Aware Sense Of Humor

Joe punching an enemy in Viewtiful Joe 2 game

The beat-’em-up genre of video games harkens back to arcade classics and the era of 16-bit gaming consoles, but there have still been franchises that find ways to make this genre work in a modern context.

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The Viewtiful Joe games were a welcome change of pace on Nintendo’s GameCube and the series received a lot of attention through two core games and multi-platform fighting spin-off, only for the wacky absurdity of Viewtiful Joe to go silent. Beat-’em-up titles remain a polarizing genre, but it’s the characters and sense of humor that make Viewtiful Joe stand out.

7 Power Stone Is The Boost Of Life The Fighting Genre Needs

Video Games Dreamcast Power Stone 2 Fight

One of the most oversaturated genres of video games are fighting titles, many of which have reached the point where it’s just foundational series that continue to churn out new releases. The Power Stone games were some of the most satisfying Dreamcast releases and it’s a true shame that the wacky franchise that didn’t take itself too seriously seems to be as dead as the Dreamcast.

Creative environments, weapons, and characters, with four-player action, made Power Stone stand out from the crowd. Its energy lives on in the Super Smash Bros. games, but it’s hardly the same.

6 F-Zero Is Nintendo’s Fast-Paced Futuristic Racing Series With An Indefinitely Stalled Engine

A race gets started in the Super Nintendo's F-Zero

The F-Zero games have been an important part of Nintendo’s history and they’ve had representation across the Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, GameCube, as well as many of Nintendo’s handheld systems and even the arcade. The F-Zero games represent a more hardcore style of racing games than what’s provided in the Mario Kart series, but those titles have proven to be more accessible and evidently left F-Zero without a place to belong.

Curiously, the F-Zero games have received a larger following due to Captain Falcon’s presence in the Super Smash Bros. games, but he deserves to return to his racing roots.

5 Clock Tower’s Gothic, Tense Horror Is More Appropriate Than Ever

Game clock tower 3

There are many iconic survival horror series and now that it seems like fans may finally be getting a new Silent Hill game (fingers crossed), it’s time for Clock Tower to receive the same treatment. Clock Tower produced four strong games, but has remained absent from modern survival horror conversations even though the series debuted on the Super Nintendo and predates Resident Evil.

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The Clock Tower games are grim, psychologically taxing, and draw inspiration from Dario Argento films. They also showcase an intimidating serial killer known as Scissorman who chases the player at every turn.

4 Onimusha’s Superlative Samurai Antics Deserve A Comeback

Game onimusha 2

Onimusha is a defining title for the PlayStation 2 and the console’s first game to sell over a million copies. It can be difficult to properly capture the sword-slashing samurai aesthetic, but the Onimusha titles excel in this regard.

Onimusha was conceived as a trilogy, but a fourth mainline title, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, was released in 2006— in addition to various spin-offs— since the franchise was just that popular. There's since been a more recent browser title and remastered version of the original game in the series, but for a franchise that was one of the PlayStation 2's most successful efforts, it's surprising that there's been such restraint towards the property since then.

3 The Earthbound/Mother Series Contains Some Of The Most Heart & Soul Of Any Nintendo Property

Ness visiting the Market in Twoson in Earthbound.

There’s of course something to be said for a series that ends on a high note and doesn’t needlessly dilute itself through endless sequels. The Mother RPG series, more commonly known as Earthbound outside of Japan, represent three of Nintendo’s most creative RPG experiences.

The games reflect a more modern and urban aesthetic, but also a staggering level of layered storytelling that spans through a large cast of characters and time periods. Fans haven’t even been able to get an official localized version of Mother 3, so it’s unlikely that a Mother 4 would ever materialize. However, a localized version of the original Mother game did finally come to the North American Wii U's eShop 26 years after the original's release, so never say never.

2 The World Is Ready For More Traditional Banjo-Kazooie Platforming Chaos

Game Banjo-Kazooie Platforming

Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel were two of Rare’s more celebrated titles on the Nintendo 64 and many consider them the apex of 3D platforming before they verged into the territory of monotonous “collect-athons.” There have been a few efforts to revive Banjo-Kazooie, but all in non-traditional ways that get away from the platformer structure that helped the original games succeed.

The titular character’s celebrated appearance in Super Smash Bros. is proof that there’s still a large audience for more Banjo-Kazooie content. The games create such a rich world that it’d be a shame to not return to it all.

1 Earthworm Jim Was Ahead Of Its Time & Still Holds Tons Of Potential

SNES game earthworm jim fridge and cow Platformer

Earthworm Jim made major waves during the 16-bit platformer era with its challenging action-platformer formula, but also a universe that genuinely felt unique, unpredictable, and avant garde. Earthworm Jim made some unsuccessful attempts to return in a 3D context, but the series still spawned an animated series and has a very vocal crowd.

Enough time has passed that a traditional 2D Earthworm Jim side-scroller could perform incredibly well. The rest of the gaming industry has finally caught up with the series’ rampant weirdness. There are now more directions than ever to take the odd series. There is supposedly an Earthworm Jim 4 in the original 2D style in development exclusively for the upcoming Intellivision Amico console, but given the platform's troubled history, it'll be hard to get too excited about it until it actually comes out.

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