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Abandoned Franchises: 14 MORE Game Series that Need to Make a Comeback

• By McKinley Noble
• January 22, 2009 13:01 PM PST
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Marvel vs. Capcom, Earthworm Jim, Space Harrier and so on... what happened to all of these awesome franchises? We're going back again to better days and counting off 14 more video game series that have little to no hope of getting another crack at a new title. What treasured franchises got left by the wayside that you're still carrying a torch for?

Hey! Miss the first part of our Abandoned Franchises feature? Hit the image below to see Part 1!

#14: Space Harrier

Last Seen: Planet Harriers (2001)
Even after all these years, Space Harrier is still one of the smoothest looking rail shooters you'll ever play. This fast-paced Fantasy Zone adventure was ported to tons of Sega systems, and while the game's sequel didn't surpass its predecessor, Space Harrier made an awesome cameo on the Dreamcast as a Shenmue mini-game. If you have a Sega Saturn, you probably have this game.

Where'd It Go: Original developer Sega-AM2 was eventually folded back in the gaping maw of Sega, but continued work behind the scenes on Virtua Fighter 5.

#13: Otogi

Last Seen: Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors (2004)
If you think that Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden set the standard for awesome 3D action combat, Otogi challenged both games to step up and defend the realm. A mix of Onimusha, God of War, and Ninja Gaiden, this game put you in the armor of immortal assassin Raikoh as you slew demon in Feudal Japan. Some of the most awesome things about this title were the huge enemies and TONS of destructive 3D set pieces -- a big feat for an early Xbox series.

Where'd It Go: Moving on to other things, developer From Software is putting their efforts towards their money-making Tenchu and Armored Core series.

#12: Vectorman

Last Seen: Vectorman 2 (1996)
One of the Genesis's best looking games, Vectorman was Sega's answer to the Super Nintendo's Mega Man X and Contra III. Pre-rendered 3D models gave Vectorman a slick look that other games couldn't replicate, and it was challenging enough that the Genesis crowd would be hungry for Vectorman 2. The run-n-gun titular character obviously had some great design, too -- Master Chief looks like his lost cousin.

Where'd It Go: Vectorman was supposed to hit the PS2 for a sequel, but fans decried now-defunct developer Blue Sky's decision to turn the game into a third-person shooter.

#11: Fear Effect

Last Seen: Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix (2001)
It's really too bad that Fear Effect will always be remembered as "that PlayStation series with the lesbians in it," because the actual series had some damn good gameplay. As a survival horror mixed with cel-shading and full motion video, Fear Effect also innovated with the "Fear Meter," making it one of the more unique games in the PlayStation Era. Still, it was mostly the second game's main characters, Hana and Rain, which pushed the series from niche success to full-blown cover features.

Where'd It Go: Eidos's money woes killed Fear Effect Inferno before it could hit shelves, and even worse, some idiot's given the game's film rights to Uwe Boll.

#10: Streets of Rage

Last Seen: Streets of Rage 3 (1994)
When you talk about the history of beat 'em up games, Streets of Rage on the Genesis should always factor into the conversation. It was faster than Final Fight, harder than River City Ransom, and more fun than the Double Dragon game. However, with the inclusion of street-fighting kangaroos, team attacks, and wickedly smart enemy A.I., Streets of Rage 3 was easily the best of the bunch.

Where'd It Go: Streets of Rage is constantly being repackaged and re-released in various game collections, and while we wouldn't want Sega to do what they did to Golden Axe with Beast Rider, we'd step over our own mothers to get another retro-style Streets of Rage sequel.

#9: Jungle/Desert/Urban/Soviet/Nuclear Strike

Last Seen: Nuclear Strike (1997 PSX, 1999 N64)
What the heck are you doing, Electronic Arts? Remember the good times we had with Desert Strike? No? How about Desert Strike, Urban Strike, or Soviet Strike? Strangely enough, one of the strongest series from the 1990s has gone the way of the Dinosaurs -- extinct, only living on in the memories of our childhood. We'd think that EA would want to use the power of next-generation consoles for another helicopter destruction derby, but it looks like we thought wrong.

Where'd It Go: It looks like Nuclear Strike was as far as EA could take the series, especially since Future Strike was never released (but somehow turned into a series-killer called Future Cop: LAPD).

#8: Earthworm Jim

Last Seen: Earthworm Jim 3D (1999)
It's been almost 10 years since a new Earthworm Jim title, and the titular character's Nintendo 64 debut was actually pretty groovy. EJ had that rare mix of wacky character design, hilarious writing, and classically difficult gameplay that kept the series in high demand throughout the Super Nintendo/Genesis Wars. Heck, even the short-lived TV show was kind of funny.

Where'd It Go: Earthworm Jim's creator, Doug TenNapel, has been busy making graphic novels and kid cartoons, but recently promised a sequel to the EJ series. Here's hoping!

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