If you're a gamer, you've more than likely experienced the joys of these all time great video game series. They are ingrained in our cultures. Many of them originally released when we were kids and we're still enjoying them along side younger generations to this day. Here are 10 of the biggest gaming series of all time and 10 series that got sidelined for releasing poorly received, unfinished products.
1. Super Mario Bros.
The Super Mario Brothers, Mario and Luigi, are the most recognizable characters in gaming and the backbone of Nintendo’s success throughout the years. Beginning in 1983 as a side scroll platforming game, the brand has expanded into every style there is. 2D and 3D platformers, RPGs, racing games, puzzle games, party games, and many more. They now have a total of over 200 games and a recent movie.
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2. Pokémon
Since Pokemon’s release in 1996, it has become one of the most recognizable brands in all of gaming. With its core idea of catching, training, and battling Pokemon, players have found endless enjoyment. The games have now expanded to over 800 unique creatures across 90+ games and TV shows.
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3. Grand Theft Auto
Released in 1997, The Grand Theft Auto series by Rockstar Games has been a dominant force in the gaming industry since the beginning. Their open-world gameplay mixed with a satirical view of America, make it unique. They are the peak of their game genre as shown through consistent record breaking at each new release.
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4. Call Of Duty
Call of Duty is a first-person shooter series released by Activision in 2003. Well known for their intense single-player campaigns, the multiplayer mode is what has kept the series popular for so long. The online teamwork and communication nature of the game has created high level tournament competition. With its annual releases, Call of Duty continues to attract a large following of competitive shooter fans.
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5. The Legend of Zelda
Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series is a fantasy adventure game that has been captivating players since 1986. Known for its puzzles, exciting bosses, and rich storytelling, the iconic hero Link and his queen Zelda are known worldwide. Overtime, the games have evolved from 2D to 3D and linear all the way to the now open world sandbox style. With over 19 games, they continue to be a mainstay in the adventure gaming world.
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6. FIFA
FIFA by EA Sports is the most popular sports game series in the world. A soccer game known for its competitive game-play. Fans of the sport are able to play as their favorite players and teams with updated rosters and game-play features released every year.
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7. Minecraft
Minecraft is an open world sandbox game developed in 2009 by Mojang. The game is designed around virtual blocks that create endless building options for players. The creative freedom and multiplayer coordination has allowed Minecraft to explode in popularity over time.
8. Halo
Halo is a futuristic first person shooter series by Bungie that changed the gaming fight experience. Famous for Master Chief, the games are known for their future warfare campaigns and intense multiplayer. Halo's innovative features make it a completely unique shooting game experience, and why it has continued to be so popular.
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9. Final Fantasy
Since its release in 1987, Final Fantasy games by Square Enix have been synonymous with RPG gaming. Through consistently improving battling structures and deep storylines, each game holds its own unique adventure. The franchise is still going strong with 16 games released to date.
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10. Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed is a series by Ubisoft built around stealthy action game-play. The game, full of historical fiction and complex characters, has captivated players with an immersive ‘on your toes’ experience. Now with over 12 games, the series has solidified itself as one of the most popular franchises in recent years.
1. Star Wars
After massive success from the various movies, TV shows, and early video games, Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) couldn’t have been a bigger flop. Despite being such a beloved franchise, the game was met with harsh criticism for its pay-to-win micro-transactions. Corporate greed sent the brand backwards and the video games have never recovered.
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2. Sonic
While many Sonic games are loved around the world, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was a major failure. The game had numerous technical issues, awkward controlling, and almost no story to speak of. The game had a sharp decline in sales and slowed down the brand for years. Fortunately, the brand’s damaged reputation has since been rebuilt.
3. No Man’s Sky
No Man's Sky released in 2016 was an ambitious open-world exploring game. The series faced major backlash for over-promising features, resulting in an incredibly underwhelming game-play experience. Players quickly complained about the repetitive tasks and technical issues, causing the game's hype and sales to quickly disintegrate.
4. Tony Hawk Pro Skater
After great success from the early games, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 (2015) was a straight dud. The game was heavily criticized for having poor graphics, almost no new features, and unplayable bugs. Luckily, it was the only flop in a series of hits.
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5. Fallout
After many beloved iterations, the high anticipation for Fallout 76 (2018) quickly fell by the waste side. Upon changing the structure of the game from its tried and true single player to a now online focus, fans were quick to criticize. The numerous bugs and glitches didn't help either and resulted in lackluster sales for such a big gaming series.
6. Mass Effect
After major success from its earlier installment, Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017) was a letdown. The game was riddled with technical issues, an underwhelming story, and the characters were hard to root for. Unfortunately, the game franchise has never returned to the heights they once achieved before this poor release.
Alex from Calgary, Canada on Wikimedia
7. Sims
While fans loved the creative building world of previous games, SimCity (2013) was overwhelmed with server issues. At one point, most players were unable to even access the game they’d paid for. It was an overall disappointing stain on an otherwise great series.
8. Batman
After a string of multiple movies, TV shows, and video game successes, Batman: Arkham Origins (2013) was a major step backwards from its predecessors. The game faced harsh criticism for its uninspired story and lack of innovation. The video game side of the Batman franchise has yet to recover.
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9. Resident Evil
The sixth installment of the series, Resident Evil 6 (2012) was a clear departure from the game's roots. Originally a survival horror series, this game was more focused on action-packed gameplay. This angered long time fans who killed sales for this amazingly average game.
10. E.T.
Famously known as one of the biggest flops in gaming, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) was terrible! The game was rushed to market to build the E.T. brand. It was plagued by numerous technical issues and confusing game-play. The game's overall poor sales ultimately resulted in millions of unsold cartridges being buried in a landfill.
