Image via Complex Original
What a world it would be if we could play some of these franchises again, in glorious HD. If we'd have known they'd go extinct we would've cherished our time together even more. With the Wii U out (though you wouldn't know it by sales figures) while the Xbox One and PS4 wait just beyond the horizon, we're yearning for a return to some of our favorite childhood classics.
We've been waiting and waiting, and the only time we ever hear a word is with a deep cutting April Fools prank. If Donkey Kong Country Returns taught us anything, it's that dreams can come true. Some of these titles were cult classics. Their spot in the marketplace was filled by another generic shooter or a stupid licensed tie-in (go down the Nintendo aisle sometime if you need evidence). The reason for ending those series' is understandable. After all a company isn't going to put out something that won't make a profit.
In other cases the developer may've felt the franchise grew stale. It's a very thin line between a Tony Hawk title every year and a decades old AAA franchise that's still fun even with repetition. We don't give a shit if Zelda follows the same Hyrule overworld, dungeon, new item, boss, formula for the next 1000 years we would buy every single one. Probably, within the first week of release. If you, like us, pine for any of these games or remember playing them as a youngster than it sucks that you fell for a series that walked out on you in the middle of the night. There's always hope. At least that's what they tell us. These are the 21 Franchises We Want Revived For the Next Gen.
Road Rash
Years Active: 1991-1999
Notable Past Titles: Road Rash 1-3, Road Rash 64, Road Rash: Jailbreak
Probability Of Return: Possible (The creator has stated a desire for the franchise to return).
A motorcycle racer where smacking a dude going 90 with a chain results in no penalties. Just like the Tony Hawk series, Road Rash seemed to be a casualty of too many releases in too little time. But that was literally last century and fourteen years can re-hunger a formerly full stomach. We need more racers in this millennium with some substance and their own distinct personality. This series is a great substitution for those who think kart racers are just for kids and Gran Turismo (and it's competitors) are too boring. A bike racer with weapons, fights with cops, livestock interference, and crashes as exciting as the race itself could definitely work. After all, it was popular in the nineties for a reason.
Perfect Dark
Years Active: 2000-2005
Notable Past Titles: Perfect Dark, Perfect Dark Zero
Probability Of Return: Very Possible (Would be "with controller and Kinect") ()
Let's face it, Call of Duty dominates the FPS market. Sure you get an occassional Bioshock, but most shooters are online oriented military "simulations." So in an era with an abundance of shooters why are we yearning for another? Because we're some of the last people on earth who still have faith in Rare.
Excitebike
Years Active: 1985-2000
Notable Past Titles: Excitebike, Excitebike 64
Probability Of Return: Possible
Wait a minute, didn't we just talk about a biking game? Yes, but this is Nintendo's take.
Let's be clear you can buy Excitebike: World Rally on WiiWare and get a fairly nostalic throwback to the days of yore (assuming you're around thirty years old). Like a lot of WiiWare/PSN/Xbox Arcade games it's competent but doesn't feel like a full fledged game. We want classic Excitebike.
Well before its time, Excitebike was letting us create levels via a course editor with a system less sophisticated than your cell phone from five years ago. Like all of these entries that's the point. These games dominated in eras with far less technology. We'd love to see what could be done with reboots. Some could flop like Sonic and others could soar like Batman. Give us an Excitebike with the graphics of Motorstorm and let the geniuses at Nintendo (who rarely screw-up) work their magic. Also prove that it's possible to make a decent racing game for the Wii.
Battletoads
Years Active: 1991-1994
Notable Past Titles: Battletoads, Battletoads & Double Dragon, Battletoads in Battlemaniacs
Probability Of Return: Very Low
Today's games want you to beat them. That's why it's so rare to see an actual 'Game Over.' Battletoads was a throwback to an era where you had to play the first couple levels 100 times before you even neared the end. If you beat it, it was an accomplishment worthy of your resume. Today's gamers are coddled, let's wake them up. That turbo bike level (level three) was the most infuriating experience a young gamer could ever ask for; giving you the blood pressure of an obese, middle-aged, air traffic controller. If O.J. explained himself by leaning into the mic and said "I was playing the third level of Battletoads" gamers across America would've understood and forgiven him. Give us that challenge now that we're old enough and undo two decades of game developers holding our hands.
Jet Grind Radio
Years Active: 2000-2002
Notable Past Titles: Jet Grind Radio, Jet Set Radio Future
Probability Of Return: Low
To hell with anyone who didn't embrace the quirky, out-there software that Sega gave us on their final console. Jet Grind Radio was an innovator. A concept of laying graffiti on cel-shaded roller blades is likely DOA in an era where developers can't afford to miss. But all you see nowadays is generic shooters, racing and action games. Creativity is missed and we'd love to see Sega throwback. And we can say that because we're not ponying up the millions to put it on shelves.
Ape Escape
Years Active: 1999-2005
Notable Past Titles: Ape Escape 1-3
Probability Of Return: Sigh, low. No wait, scratch that. It's actually pretty good.
Let's be clear we're not jonesing for offshoots. We don't mean some stupid gimmick, or odd cameo in Metal Gear Solid 3 (though it would've been amazing if you could eat them). Give us the days of cracking a chimp skull and then bagging him in a net. If you yearn for the series (and judging by American sales figures you don't) then you're in luck. Ape Escape 4 is currently in development with no release date yet determined. That would sound like a slam dunk except for the sordid history of game development. Whether it's games that die in committee or a Duke Nukem-like decade long process, games get lost all the time. For the dozen or so remaining (American) fans of this novel franchise let's hope it hits our shores.
Crazy Taxi
Years Active: 2000-2003 (Console Versions)
Notable Past Titles: Crazy Taxi, Crazy Taxi 2, Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller
Probability Of Return: Very Low
Games where you can pick up and play for 30 minutes have disappeared like the arcade. Now every game is laced with an intricate story, and cut scenes long enough to make you miss the bus. If you ditch the controller for a week you may forget why you care about saving the dipshitted damsel in distress in the first place. Crazy Taxi was amongst the last of a brand of games that you could play while you waited for a real cab (and don't get us started on the loss of games with "high scores"). It's also unfortunate that with today's sandox genre, that this entire game has been condensed to something you can do on the side in GTA. Still this game had charm allowing you to drive on the ocean floor, and listen to the same three Offspring songs until your head exploded.
Power Stone
Years Active: 1999-2000
Notable Past Titles: Power Stone, Power Stone 2
Probability Of Return: Very Low
Smash Bros. needs a non-mediocre competitor, and you know what? I don't give a shit, Power Stone was better than Smash Bros. There somebody said it. Clearly the success of each series backs me up on that.* Power Stone had an insane scale of mayhem on a system that's as primitive today as a sundial or toilet paper. Think of the mass of carnage that could be portrayed on a console with some teeth.
*Excuse me, does not.
Double Dragon/River City Ransom/Final Fight
Years Active: Double Dragon: 1988-1995, River City Ransom: 1989, Final Fight: 1989-2006
Notable Past Titles: Double Dragon 1-3, Super Double Dragon, River City Ransom, Final Fight 1-3, Final Fight: Streetwise
Probability Of Return: Low/Possible/PSN Title
Beat 'em ups have been cast out on our current gens as well. What the heck was the last great one? The Warriors!? That was eight freakin' years ago. Gone are the days when you and a friend (or two, or three) could team up to pummel your way through an endless horde with fists that just couldn't/wouldn't break. Give us any of these bashers and we'll be content. There is a gray area for gamers looking for a bone, as Xbox Live Arcade released a 3D-version of Double Dragon II. Take what you can get.
But, for those looking at the big picture it's time to face it, today's gamers like shooting people first person, not wrecking ass up close and personal. A sequel for River City Ransom has long been teased to us stateside, but like John Travolta it's never coming out. There was one released in Japan last year but odds look bleak for it's conversion to the west. We mean it was originally released in 1989! You realize how many people from that year are long dead?
Final Fight: Streetwise was released in 2006, but we'd be damned if that game didn't define the word "disappointment." We'd ask for a Ninja Turtles reboot on top of all these other oldies, but today's kids can't wrap their heads around turtles that walk on two legs, have six-packs and take orders from a gigantic rat that speaks with a Japanese accent for some reason.
Mario Tennis
Years Active: 2000-2004 (Console Versions)
Notable Past Titles: Mario Tennis, Mario Power Tennis
Probability Of Return: Possible
It seemed prime for the Wii (and no the Wii Power Tennis port with wonky controls doesn't count). It's very possible that they could never get a better tennis simulation for the Wii's limited hardware than Wii Sports, so they decided not to build a full game of a bonified franchise that couldn't top a tech demo (that was my theory anyway). Just like the space race we need Nintendo to do this "not because it's easy, but because it's hard." Now Wii U seems like an appropriate platform to re-launch the profitable series. Will Nintendo get creative and bring Mario and Co. back to the clay? Or will Nintendo do what Nintendo does? A few obligatory releases and onto the next console. It sucks to hear but go with history on this subject. Social media outrage, this is what you were created for.
Crash Bandicoot
Years Active: 1996-2008
Notable Past Titles: Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot: Cortex Strikes Back, Crash Bandicoot: Warped
Probability Of Return: Low
Platformers are being phased out. We live in an industry dominated by gritty action pieces, FPS's and a choiceless sports market. Crash is a throwback to an era where non-Italian plumbers could double-jump and kill with a simple leap that snapped the neck. When somebody touched you, you died. It all made perfect sense. A boatload of those quick twitch cellphone games that are addictive as hell (and played on public transportation worldwide) are poor man's versions of this crack-like genre. Still this was the series that put Naughty Dog on the map and made Jak, Uncharted and The Last of Us possible. Let today's chillens know why.
Jak and Daxter
Years Active: 2001-2004
Notable Past Titles: Jak and Daxter, Jak II, Jak III
Probability Of Return: Possible someday (Jak and Daxter 4 was replaced by The Last of Us).
We're not talking spinoffs, we're not talking racing, we're not talking lazy editions on a last-gen console from a different developer. Naughty Dog is busy with PS3 mainstay Uncharted and a series with limitless potential in The Last of Us. Those are precisely the reasons we want a new Jak. Uncharted 2 and The Last of Us are two of the highest rated games of all-time. Think of what Naughty Dog could do with their greatest platforming franchise (sorry, Crash) if they lived up to that potential. We put that a return is possible, because Naughty Dog stated Jak 4 was on the slate until they scrapped it for The Last of Us. Still it's hard to think they'll go back to this series after the combo of critical acclaim and financial success that resulted from TLoU.
MVP Baseball
Years Active: 2003-2005
Notable Past Titles: MVP Baseball 2003-05, MVP NCAA Baseball 06-07
Probability Of Return: Almost Zero ""[There are] no conversations, really, today. But [baseball is] certainly always in our mind as a sport we love and a sport that people would love us to build [a game for]."
Anyone who is sick of the lack of diversity year after year has to be onboard for a revival of this great(est) simulation of America's past time (Okay, The Show passes it in some areas). Variety in sports titles. This is one of the few perks us older gamers had over kids today. Some people still love this series enough to mod the hell out of it, or simply create their own updated rosters. Normally we'd mock these desperate folks while telling them to "get with the times." But when your other options are either terrible or the same every year with a new number on the cover then you understand where these diehards are coming from.
F-Zero
Years Active: 1990-2003
Notable Past Titles: F-Zero, F-Zero X, F-Zero GX
Probability Of Return: Not likely (Nintendo "has no plans for [it]."
Nintendo has recently stated a desire to revive some of their classic franchises. Like a virgin's ding dong F-Zero has remained dormant for far too long. We've now gone a decade without an updated, nigh speed-of-light racer. You know how Captain Falcon's in every Smash Bros.? Todays kids don't know who the fuck that is.
That's all moot because, though Nintendo wants to bring some oldies back (before people forget what they are) F-Zero was specifically named as one they aren't planning on. It wasn't clear if they are branching out to focus elsewhere or if it doesn't suit their bottom line (or, again, if even they can't do racing games on the Wii/Wii U). If you miss it blame yourself. And if you bought it blame yourself for not buying, like, nine more copies.
Banjo-Kazooie
Years Active: 1998-2008
Notable Past Titles: Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Probability Of Return: Possible
Many debate which N64 platformer was better, this or Super Mario 64. To anyone who's played Super Mario 64 but not Banjo, that should tell you what you missed. Meanwhile we keep getting new 3D Marios as Banjo (alright, and fucking Kazooie) have gone gimmick.
Rare put out two AAA Banjo Kazooie titles between 1998-2000 and then remained inactive until 2008 when it gave us a Red Bull Flugtag building simulation. Nuts and Bolts wasn't awful, it just wasn't quite as charming and, like a Red Bull Flugtag, our hard work crashed within ten seconds wayyyy too often. Remember when Microsoft secured Rare as a third party developer and everyone thought it was a major shot fired in the console wars? Well it wasn't. Microsoft desperately needs some killer third party apps to justify why you'd buy a console that's off to a terrible start before it's even released. And Rare desperately needs a win. Seems like a no-brainer.
Half-Life
Years Active: 1998-2007
Notable Past Titles: Half-Life, Half-Life 2 (including Episodes One and Two)
Probability Of Return: You never know (They're very good at keeping it a secret).
Every fanboy waits and waits and Valve just holds out. It's like they're afraid of making too much money. Oh, what's that you say? "But needledick you told us there are too many first person shooters already." True, I did. But, Half-Life is no ordinary FPS. Everything was already spot on in the days of the Xbox. The physics were tight. The soundtrack was amazing. The AI is still amongst the best ever. Maybe Valve thinks they struck gold once and can't replicate it? Here's hoping that that passive aggressive challenge strikes a nerve and gets us the long-awaited sequel.
Earthbound
Years Active: 1989-1995
Notable Past Titles: Mother, Earthbound, Mother 3
Probability Of Return: Less Than Almost Zero (and we don't mean for that to sound cute).
11 years was a long time to wait for a third entry to come out on the Game Boy Advance. Now diehards are eighteen years older, and still holding out hope that Nintendo will answer their prayers. Face it, the last chance for Earthbound to hit a console came towards the end of the N64's life. Nintendo opted to release Mother 3 on their aforementioned handheld instead. You want a game that's different, with charm, and great music? Learn to love Animal Crossing. We know it's not the same, but at least Nintendo will release a new one in your lifetime.
Starfox
Years Active: 1993-2005
Notable Past Titles: Star Fox, Star Fox 64, Star Fox Adventures
Probability Of Return: Likely
There's really no point in buying a Nintendo console except for their first-party titles. After all, when was the last time there was a midnight release for Tournament of Legends? So for those of us who supported Nintendo through their third straight console, we were disappointed by the lack of a game starring a certain Fox who could fly a sophisticated intergalactic spaceship. (If this theme song doesn't gear you up, than you've officially kicked the habit). With a rabbit, falcon and a toad watching your six there was nothing more intense than battling in dogfights as a rabid K9 Arwing pilot. Though maybe in a future iteration it would be nice if Slippy could, like, shut the hell up for five minutes.
NFL 2K Series
Years Active: 1999-2004
Notable Past Titles: NFL 2K-2K3, ESPN NFL Football, ESPN NFL 2K5
Probability Of Return: Almost Zero
Ah, the days when we had choices. Not only do a large minority of us prefer 2K's brand of virtual football, but, competition breeds ingenuity. And lack of competition breeds stupid crap like CCM. NFL 2K has become like a backup quarterback, it's more popular than Madden because we haven't seen it turn old and stale. That being said it's a backup like Colin Kaepernick was a backup. Good as shit. The 2K series was constantly pushing the starter to get better but with this once pesky upstart is buried in a gaming cemetary. Cause of death? The NFL. Now you're doomed to either embrace Madden (for the foreseeable future) or get a life. Both are terrible choices.
Timesplitters
Years Active: 2000-2005
Notable Past Titles: Timesplitters, Timesplitters 2, Timesplitters: Future Perfect
Probability Of Return: Well Below Average (Currently on hold).
The Timesplitters series was the goof off substitute for the more serious Halo. The story concept gave the developers an excuse to have a whole range of levels: from haunted houses, to alien planets, to WW2 throwbacks, and even an underground city. The levels even varied and changed depending on what difficulty you were on.
That's all well and good, but multiplayer was the reason to buy. We don't mean it in a cliched way, but the volume of options kept the game from going stale. The mulitplayer levels were all amazing (especially in TS2) and you could move around without the frustration of getting sniped by someone who played it eighteen hours a day. If you didn't have internet and everybody hated you, you even had the opportunity to work the asses of virutal players represented as 'bots.' It's exactly what you'd have expected from the guys who brought you Goldeneye and they didn't disappoint. At least not us, but maybe their publisher's bottom line.
Shenmue
Years Active: 2000-2002
Notable Past Titles: Shenmue, Shenmue 2
Probability Of Return: Less Than Almost Zero. Constantly "pending." Let's face it, we might as well hope for an update to the Chrono series.
You either loved it or you hated it. But this writer was sucked into the inexplicable allure of mundane conversations and a forklift operating simulator. But, let's be honest, the series never had any chance of ending. Creator Yu Suzuki has stated that Shenmue was to be made up of anywhere from 11 to 16 chapters. Like Lost, Ryo's saga was doomed to be hopelessly drawn out. That means for you to play the whole saga you're going to have to live about 250 years. The odds of that happening are better than getting Shenmue 3 before you become a grandparent.
Shenmue was an everyday simulator a year before GTA3 was released. It's detail and influence actually caused Rockstar to make a few changes to their title, which (as we all know) would usher in a new era of gaming. Let that be Shenmue's lasting legacy. Websites like Kickstarter have given us a slight reason to always hold out hope, but with games like GTA V and Red Dead Redemption you sometimes have to wonder if the Shenmue series is even necessary anymore. The answer…yes (or, no). Yu Suzki get off your keister!
