GamerSushi Asks: Franchises that Tanked?

Sonic the Hedgehog

Is there no greater pain than watching a franchise fall from grace and into the gutters where only the video game slime lives? I’d submit that for a series’ greatest fans, there probably isn’t.

On the subject of great franchises that have sadly lost their way, GamePro has put together a list of The Greatest Franchise Nosedives in the industry. It’s a funny yet sad look on the titans of old that, for one reason or another, tumbled down to earth after seeing great success. While there are a few on there that are givens (Sonic, anyone?), there are also some that I hadn’t considered in a while simply because of how irrelevant they’ve become in recent years.

In terms of other franchises that I’d like to see find their way back to prominence, I would have to say that I think Starfox is due for a comeback sometime in the near future. And while I don’t think Final Fantasy is in the hole as of yet (XIII was a good time, if flawed), I do want to see them find the same sweet spot they used to last decade.

What do you guys think? What franchises have really tanked in your opinion, and which do you hope can make a comeback? Go!

Source – GamePro

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I write about samurai girls and space marines. Writer for Smooth Few Films. Rooster Teeth Freelancer. Author of Red vs. Blue, The Ultimate Fan Guide, out NOW!

12 thoughts on “GamerSushi Asks: Franchises that Tanked?”

  1. I think they got the castlevania one wrong, while the latest game on the consoles was just a god of war clone. But like one of the comments said, they missed all the great handheld versions that retained all the 2d goodness and gameplay. So it is not a comeplete failure, just a style of game that does not really fit 3D I think.

  2. Many things by Rare unfortunately. After the first 2 steller games Banjo-Kazooie disappeared after Nuts & Bolts tanked, Perfect Dark got canned after Zero, Conker’s Bad Fur Day never even got a sequel.

    Poor Rare, what happened to you…

  3. 2007’s Sonic the Hedgehog was made worse for me because Play Magazine gave it a near perfect review and labelled it Game of the Year (or maybe Action Game of the Year). I was psyched to play it, but horrified by how bad it was. So bad, that this is when I stopped reading Play (an old favorite of mine) altogether.

    And while it didn’t exactly “tank”, the Oddworld series is an unfortunate story. Two fun platforming games (Abe’s Odyssey and Exxodus), a decent 3D platforming game (Munch’s Odyssey) and the transcendent Stranger’s Wrath, notable not just for its gameplay but incredible story. Then, just when they were hitting their stride, they ran out of money and had to disband. RIP

  4. Besides Sonic (who has had the saddest decline into mediocrity in video game history) I wouldn’t say that the other series tanked so much as they just faded away (except for Castlevania. I still need to play the most recent game).

    I mean, they were cutesy platformer/adventure games that were popular back during the PS1 era. I guess that the studios behind them either wanted to move on and mature, like Naughty Dog, or just closed up.

    We totally need a new Starfox game, though. Also, after Other M, is it fair to say that the Metroid series has sunk?

  5. Don’t say that Mitch! I’m still holding out for Retro Studios to save that series! More Prime esque games are needed! I would even take one like Corruption (by far the weakest of the 3 Primes) if it saved the series.
    Good article. It’s very disheartening to see games I loved and games others loved go such ways.

  6. Metroid has gone downhill for sure.

    The latest Castlevania was quite good and far from a simple God of War clone. In some ways, it bettered that franchise.

  7. Nice (but very unfortunate) to see that Bomberman isn’t TOTALLY forgotten. Super Bomberman 1 & 2 are still the most played SNES game in my househould, and the multi-tap makes it even more awesome. Can’t fix what ain’t broke, but sometimes the same old gets boring. I’d actually argue that the Super Mario Bros. series has gone haywire, but that’s just because I love it in 2D, and haven’t really enjoyed a 3D version of it since 64. The wii release was a nice return to the classic platforming, but some of the heart was still missing I felt…

  8. Yeah, we need a new Star Fox game, not counting the remake of 64 on the 3DS.

    I honestly can’t remember the last time I played a good Star Wars game. Maybe it was Battlefront or Lego Star Wars II, but both of those were like 2005 I think. I wasnt a fan of Force Unleashed and the more I hear about SWTOR the more uneasy I feel about it. Sigh.

    Duke Nukem completely tanked, but I don’t really care, so…

    One series that tanked IMO was the Rayman series. I want to see a new Rayman game that’s like the first one, which was a totally kick ass 2D platformer

  11. What did happen to 007? Speaking of, I watched “Die Another Day” the other day and it was horrid. I would figure our generation doesn’t dig the cheesy spy stuff anymore. Batman is way cooler to people now adays than what 007 is. I think it would need a revamp to be more like what spys would be in todays world. Cold war is over and the game has changed (no pun intended). Thats a good list. Its sad to see so many that have failed too.

  12. Man, I would love a legit Bomberman return, and not like that crappy remake on XBLA.

    Also, it’s weird that people keep in the game industry keep acting like it’s the 007 brand that was strong, but really it was more about the gameplay and the experience of Goldeneye on the N64. I don’t think the franchise mattered at all.

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