Top Ten Video Game Franchises
 

I'm kind of surprised there wasn't a topic like this already made, lol.

What are your Top 10 Video Game Franchises? In no particular order, mine would be...

Mega Man: Mega Man has always been my #1 favorite video game series. I've always loved Mega Man games because of the freedom of being able to choose any stage you want. That alone adds a lot of replay value because it always makes the game a different experience, unless you choose to make it the same experience by always taking the same route. I always liked the idea of gaining your opponents weapon as a victory prize and figuring out who is weak to it and how useful it can be in stages. The Mega Man Series has always had great music. Even if your playing the game with the worst soundtrack you are still hearing awesome tunes. I only really play the Classic & X Series myself, when I play Mega Man I want to be the Blue Robot that chooses 1 of 8 stages, kills the robot boss, takes their weapon, and kills whoever is weak to it.

Super Smash Bros.: When I was a kid I always dreamed of a game where all my favorite video game characters would fight each other, I eventually got my dream game via Super Smash Bros. I first played it on the N64 & I have been hooked since, each new installment continues to make me happy and bring me and my friends many hours of killing each other. I love the Smash Bros. Games because of how much fun it is to get four people together and just go wild. The series has always had wonderful remixes of various songs from all the different series soundtracks. The series has also been a good way for people to learn about other video game franchises they never heard of before. You guys think we will ever get a rep from Smash Bros. in one of the future Smash Bros. Games?

Legend of Zelda: I first played LoZ on NES in 1997. I went to my neighbors house because I wanted to hang out with my brother and his friend, they had me try out LoZ so they could ditch me...it was one of my greatest video game moments. I loved the vast open world and being able to explore pretty much anywhere. I found the first dungeon pretty easily, after that I kept finding the dungeons in the wrong order. Going from dungeon to dungeon and getting new treasures was always fun because it made you a more powerful force to be messed with. A couple of weeks later I wound up buying "A Link to the Past" for my SNES and that became the first Zelda I ever owned and beat. I'm actually currently playing Skyward Sword and enjoying the heck out of it.

Mario: Mario played a big role in making me the gamer I am today. The first game I ever owned was Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet on NES. I have always loved the Mario games for the various power ups you can get for Mario. My Favorite Mario is probably Super Mario Bros. 3, I love all the suits in that game. I also love the Super Mario Galaxy Games and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Mario has always worked well in both 2D and 3D, in my opinion. He has also starred in pretty much every kind of game out there. From Sports Games to Shooters to Puzzles, to Learning and more! Having Yoshi along for the ride in his games is never a bad idea either.

Gradius: I first played Gradius III at a friends house back in 1998. I kept dieing, but I found the game to be really addicting so I kept playing until I got better. I love shooting down aliens and core ships. Being able to customize your ship or pick different ship types also adds replay value to the games. I always thought the Gradius Games had great music. The Gradius Series doesn't seem to have the biggest fan base, which makes me sad because I love these games. Some of the games have Co-Op and you can fly through levels at the same time and gun down enemies, which is always fun.

Final Fantasy: I first played the Final Fantasy 1 back when I was 4 Years Old...I had no idea what I was doing, but i just knew it was fun to go around as these really cool looking warriors killing animals and monsters. As time passed I explored a little more each time I played and slowly I learned where to go and I eventaully beat FF1. One thing I really love about the Final Fantasy Series is the Job System. It's because of this that Final Fantasy V is my favorite of the series. I don't play Final Fantasy Games past FFVI because they seemed to move away from the Job System quite a bit and the games felt too long. I know it's important for an RPG to have a good story and all, but still. I own FFVII, but wasn't all that wow'd by it. I'm not saying that it's a bad game, because I am definitely going to keep it since many consider it the best in the FF Series, it's just that I felt like it was a tad too long.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: I know, this could be argued as not being a video game series since it originated as a comic, but I think it should still partly count since they have had tons of games. When I think of Beat 'Em Up's, the first thing that comes to mind is the various Old School TMNT Games. I only really play the ones based on the Late 80s/Early 90s Cartoon, like Manhatten Project, Turtles in Time, Hyperstone Heist, etc. The gameplay is a lot of fun and the music is great in all the games. I'm really surprised that the devices that let you plug in and use more controllers on the NES & SNES weren't compatiable with the TMNT Games. They would have been perfect for those. 4 Players, 4 Turtles, 4 Times the Win.

Castlevania: I first played Castlevania II: Simon's Quest back in 1995 or 1996. I thought it was a really fun game, just going around whipping zombies, skeletons, wolves, etc. I had to clue where to go or what I was doing, but it was still fun. I didn't beat Castlevania II until I read the Worlds of Power Book based on the game and read the hints in the book. It wasn't until much later that I played Castlevania 1 and really got the feel of what the series was supposed to be like. After that I got Castlevania III, IV, Rondo of Blood, SoTn, and more. I enjoy Castlevania games for their difficulty and just whipping the crap out of stuff is fun. I like having a Sub Weapon in back up as well for whatever I may end up needing them for. Having more characters to use in the later Castlevania Games was always fun too.

Metroid: I first played Metroid on NES back in 1997...I had absolutely no clue where I was going and I got lost easily because of how similar a lot of the areas looked. Yet...for some reason I kept playing it. 2 or 3 years later I played Super Metroid on the SNES, now THAT'S what got me into the series. I love being able to explore like in Zelda, gun things down like Mega Man, and have fun platforming action like Mario. I feel like the first two games in the series suffer from not having a map, and I still have yet to complete the Prime games. But I do love Super Metroid, Zero Mission, and Fusion a lot. I haven't played Other M yet either. I have seen tons of really low reviews for it, which is making me wonder if it will really be worth $50 or not.

I don't have a #10 picked yet, but when I do I will post it.

There has been a thread like this, numerous times in fact, but not for awhile. I haven't really thought about this type of thing for a long time, so I'll probably need to think on it for a bit.

Nice choice with Mega Man. I would definitely agree, but may not have considered it if you had not posted. Perhaps because it's been so long since I've played a great modern Mega Man game.

Mine would be,

Pokemon: Loved it ever since I first played it on Christmas of 1998. Been a fan ever since. Though, I'll admit, I'm having a hard time getting into the 5th generation. When Black and White came out, I was still playing my copies of HeartGold and SoulSilver. But still, love it and most likely I always will.

Donkey Kong: I remember I never had any Nintendo consoles before I got my Gameboy for X-mas. When everyone was playing Snes, I was playing a Genesis. When my buddy got a 64, I had a Playstation. But I remember the days of going over to my friends house and playing Donkey Kong Country. I just loved everything about it. From the music to the art style. Needless to say I'm a Nintendo kinda guy nowadays.

Kirby: My first Kirby game was Squeak Squad. I know, t'was recent, but I fell in love with the character and I thought Epic Yarn and Return to Dream Land was amazing.

God Of War: I first played this game when my girlfriend let me borrow the first one. I have always been into Greek Mythology and this series hit the spot for me. From the gameplay to the story, it's one of my favorite game series of all time.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time is one of my favorite games of all time. Nuff said.

Megaman: What can I say about it, just one of the best. And one of the best video games for music of all time, IMO.

Gears of War: This was the first game I had on my 360 and my frst shooter. I have alot of good memories of staying up all night and playing with my friends. Back before I had a job!

Sonic the Hedgehog: The first video game I ever got serious about and beat was Sonic 2. I will always have a special place for Sonic. And Generations is just amazing. I am enjoying it alot.

Zelda: There isn't a Zelda game I haven't liked. No lie. Guess I'm too much of a Nintendo fanboy, haha.

Mario: How can I love Nintendo that much and not put Mario down!? I loved Sunshine on my Gamecube. I just love the plot and the enviorments in that game. But, I love the classics as well. Super Mario Bros. 3 has gotta be one of the most fun games I have ever played. I just smile non-stop when playing that.

No particular order these r jst my top ten best franchises imo
-Gears of War
-Halo
-Pokemon
-Mario
-Sonic
-Need For Speed
-Assassin's Creed
-Super Smash Bros
-Crash Badicoot
Wait for 10 to come to mind these r jst off the top of my head. I love the TMNT games, but the new one r sub par compared to their competition.

Thought about it a bit, think I've gotten it down pretty well. In no order, of course...

Mario - Mario has somehow successfully reinvented himself to keep in the game far longer than any other franchise has, or probably ever will. Even other top tier Nintendo franchises like Zelda can't claim to have been kept fresh through so many iterations.

The Elder Scrolls - Morrowind has straddled the top of my favourite games of all-time list for about a decade now and subsequent releases for TES has kept that love flowing through me. Sure, Oblivion and Skyrim aren't entirely the sequels I would have wished for and a lot of things I loved about previous installments have been swept under the rug, but they're still some of my absolute favourite titles.

Shin Megami Tensei Persona - Persona 4 is another game that battles for supremacy in my heart with the likes of Morrowind and SMB3. While the original Persona game and to certain extent both Persona 2 games are less compelling to me because of their poorly-aged dungeon perspectives, P3 and P4 are my benchmark where JRPG's and character-heavy storytelling in games are concerned. I have no qualms with calling P4 the greatest JRPG of all-time.

Animal Crossing - This one may come as a surprise to a lot of people who don't know me personally, but DAMN I love me some Animal Crossing. I remember using super primitive translation websites to read Japanese blogs dedicated to talking about the game when it was released for the N64 in Japan. Unbeknownst to much of the Drome, I still play City Folk for at least 5 minutes almost every day and I'm already hyped for the 3DS version.

Viva Pinata - Another one that may surprise people, but I can't overstate how much I f*cking LOVE Viva Pinata. I've got the full 1,000 GS in Party Animals if that helps at all. I own not 1, or 2, but 4 copies of the first game. Special Horstachio Edition, two regular copies and one copy on PC. I even have the sh*tty DS version. It totally bums me out that the series is probably buried, but Trouble in Paradise was a great send-off if that's the case.

Mortal Kombat - Love me some MK! The only fighting game I feel like I'm at least average in, although that edge has dulled over the years. Again, several copies of each game for various systems. Even bought the SE of MK9 after already owning a normal version just so I could get the Scorpion/Sub-Zero bookends.

Castlevania - This series f*cked me up as a kid and the hate I had for it festered for years. By the time I was a teenager the very thought of Castlevania made me sick. This had both positive and negative repercussions, positive being I missed the sh*t 64 games, negative being I missed SotN. When I finally did play SotN, all was forgiven. I went back and played the older games after that and found most of them to be pretty f*cking great.

Katamari Damacy - Some people think Katamari is done. I say f*ck those people. Roll sh*t forever! When I was about 19 and constantly failing at life, I spent the last bit of money I had on a copy of Katamari Damacy. I don't even know why. I had heard little of it and the case explained absolutely nothing, but I bought it and it was just what I needed at that point in my life. I don't want to credit Katamari for pulling me out of a super weird depression....but I will.

Legend of Zelda - I was truthfully hesitant to put Zelda on this list, because I loathe a lot of Zelda games. I can't stand any of the 2D games with exceptions for Minish Cap and Link's Awakening, the DS games belong in a toilet and I had a ton of problems with Twilight Princess. However, OoT was an eye-opening experience for me and tWW is an absolute masterpiece.

Banjo-Kazooie - I miss old Rare and thinking about what they've become continues to bum me out. Banjo-Kazooie is one of a handful of games that just makes me happy. Even the over-blown sequel I absolutely adore. My love for BK even extended into Nuts & Bolts and was a driving reason for my purchase of Sonic & Sega All-Stars racing. Yet another Rare series I doubt I'll see again, but that doesn't make me love it any less.

Whew! A lot harder than I thought. Lots of series just outside for various reasons. I would have liked to put either Mass Effect or Dragon Age in there, but the fact that Mass Effect has become a shooter with bolted on RPG-lite elements and DA2 was stitched together and left to congeal in a gutter didn't help their case. Stuff like Monkey Island and Pokemon just missed the cut.

- Toe Jam and Earl
- Earthbound
- Kingdom Hearts
- Dead Rising
- TMNT
- Smash Brothers
- Lego
- Mega Man
- River City Ransom/Super Dodgeball
- Marvel vs. Capcom 2

God of War: Kratos is the Man of the Year, every year.

Legacy of Kain: dat sexy voice acting

Demon's/Dark Souls: dat atmosphere

Final Fantasy: because

The Legend of Zelda: every game better than the others

Silent Hill: dat mind****

Metal Gear (Solid): best movies i've ever seen

Mortal Kombat: dat gore

Resident Evil: introduction to horror games for me

DOOM: 1 & 2 are the only good FPS games in the world



want to mention Gabriel Knight also, they really should make a fourth game!!

My personal list would probably be:

Crash Bandicoot
Jak and Daxter
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Super Mario Brothers
Half-life
Golden Sun
Sonic The Hedgehog
TMNT
MVP Baseball
The Legend of Zelda

Honorable mentions: Madden, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Pac-Man, Power Stone, Pokemon

Here are some of my personal favorite franchises, both recent and classic. No particular order.

-Street Fighter
-Mortal Kombat
-Marvel vs. Capcom (and all of the Capcom versus games, actually)
-Sonic the Hedgehog
-Mario
-Professor Layton
-Ace Attorney series
-Streets of Rage
-Twisted Metal
-Tony Hawk Pro Skater

Honorable Mentions (since I already listed 10):
-Myst
-Tekken
-Soul Calibur
-King of Fighters
-Puzzle Bobble/Bust-a-move

I don't have them in order of favorites and I only have eight franchises listed because that's just how cool I am.:tcool:

Sonic The Hedgehog- This is my all time favorite series of all time! Sonic is what made me a gamer! This hedgehog helped shape me into who I am today. I love both the classic and modern games.

Mario- Who doesn't love the mustachioed plumber? Mario is just awesome no other reason needed!

The Legend of Zelda- This series is just a lot of fun.

Kingdom Hearts- I like the meshing together of Final Fantasy and Disney. It makes an epic game!

Super Smash Bros- There is just something cool about seeing your favorite characters duke it out!

Jak and Daxter-The series is hilarious and fun to play.

Final Fantasy- I like RPGs.

Pokemon- Because I gotta try to catch em all...even though I know I never will :P

I'm really picky when it comes to gaming, so I only have six...

6. Pokemon
5. Kingdom Hearts
4. Mario
3. Super Smash Bros
2. Final Fantasy
1. Legend of Zelda

It's hard to make a list because most franchises with too many iterations have lost sight of what's important to their own series. Metroid is a wonderful example of that.

My top ten, in no particular order:

Mega Man: My first game was Mega Man 2. Thanks to the Anniversary Collection, I was able to play all the others that I had missed out on. Good stuff. Since I've missed out on so much though, I only really bother with just Mega Man and Mega Man X. I have the Mega Man X Collection too, and that just covers the first six games.

Mario: Super Mario Bros. was the game that made me want to own an NES. Once I did, it was the first game I ever finished. Super Mario Bros. 3 just might be my all-time favorite game in the franchise. However, for some reason, my interest in Mario had sort of dwindled after Super Mario 64. Even so, I did get New Super Mario Bros. two years after it had come out, only to sell it some time after finishing it.

Legend of Zelda: My first game that I owned and played in the series was Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It gets a lot of crap, but I still had fun playing it. My best memories of the whole series lie with Link's Awakening and Ocarina of Time. The former really kept me busy. I just wish the series had a simple timeline. The true timeline was actually published a few days ago.

Star Fox: My favorite games from the series are Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Adventures. Star Fox Command and Assault are okay, but the controls can be a little funky at times. Especially in Command, where there are some things that are just a pain to accomplish. My first game was the one for the SNES, and that was good for its time. It looks rather dated now, but it can still be fun to play.

Metroid: I started out with Super Metroid and then got Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime. After watching a DVD with the history of Metroid, I also knew I had to get Metroid and Metroid II: Return of Samus. Now I have every game.

Carmen Sandiego: It was the PBS game show that got me interested in the games, and I've owned every one of them. I just like seeing what strange names the characters will have, since they tend to have those punny names like "Armand Geddon" and "Hugo Yurway".

Street Fighter: My interest in the series is actually limited to all the variations of part 2. I just liked the variety of fighters and the fact that they all had a different nationality made them unique to me. Though after all these versions of part 2 instead of just doing a part 3, that's when I started to lose interest.

Mortal Kombat: My best memories really lie with Mortal Kombat II, since that was the first game I ever owned. Having just the SNES and not the Genesis, I didn't bother to get part 1 when it came out. Though once I got part II for the SNES, I had quite a lot of fun with it.

Sonic the Hedgehog: There have been many versions of the game that I've missed out on, so I just keep it limited to the first three as well as Sonic & Knuckles. I didn't have a Genesis back then, so I got into the series when I got the Mega Collection for GameCube.

Donkey Kong Country: I enjoyed playing the first game, but enjoyed the second one a lot better. The rest of the games were good too, but Donkey Kong 64 was a bit tedious and Donkey Kong Country Returns can be a bit of a pain.

- Metal Gear Solid

- Mario

- Ninja Gaiden

- Devil May Cry

- Halo

- Half-life

- Bioshock

- Dark/Demon's Souls

- Mega Man

- Mass Effect

I'm clearly a fan of action games. Quick fingers and a great soundtrack make gaming bliss for me. Still I'm a huge fan of games that really try and go the distance to be unique. Portal 2 and Shadow of the Colossus are also favorites!