Your actual top 3/5/10/25/50/100 games franchises - have you ever?

Hi all,

Over the last few years we have, for various votes, worked out our e.g. top 10 Wii U games, 3DS games, Mario games and so on.  This sort of thing had led Jimbob to have a serious think about his favourite games of all time, across the gaming spectrum.  So I've stolen his intro and thought about applying it to games franchises, or series or whatever you'd like to call them.

Has anyone else even been as sad as I have(n't yet) and worked out their all-time favourite list?  If so, is there a number you can comfortably get to?  Did you set yourself any arbitrary rules?  etc. etc. etc. etc.

Oh, and I don't suggest we start a top 10 franchises poll; too wide-spread and hectic, and people hate votes anyway these days.


Apologies to Mr. Bob for lifting his post wholesale and adapting.  Imitation sincerest form of flattery and that?

This is sort of how I do my top ten games, forcing myself to only include one game from a series.

Is it crazy I find naming my top three franchises way easier than naming a top ten video games list?  My criteria is simple yet complex, the franchises that have captured my imagination and engaged me to the point that months can pass and I still frequently reflect on them, positive memories of them, and feel a tug to either replay them or check the latest news on them.  

Without further ado, the franchises, a list that shall have all decrying "Weeeeeeeeb!"

3: Pokemon

No surprises there, if anything the only surprise I can see people having is that this didn't top the list.  The reason is simple, Pokemon is more a gaming equivalent of comfort food, I'm an avid competitive battler (despite my absurd averageness at it), and while I don't get "hyped" for new instalments it's one of the few franchises where, if a new instalment is set to be released, I'm assured to have it in my hands either on release or as soon as the mail gets it to my hands.  

1: Persona (later instalments specifically)

What do you get when you take monster taming/fusing, a silent protagonist to role play as, turn based battles, slick as all hell music and art style, and a surprisingly deep main cast?  You get Persona 3 and 4.  These games, 3 especially, are embodiments of what I crave from the JRPG genre, simple yet addictive gameplay, and a story that feels like a great long journey with a group of fleshed out characters (some friendly, some not so much).  

1: Danganronpa

Like Persona the presentation of these games is slick as heck, however that and its anime appearance is where the similarities end.  A brilliant adventure game series that takes outrageous anime character archetypes and romps up the dial so far the dial breaks, all while setting them in a murder-mystery that will leave you guessing and theorising until the very end.  The series easily makes the Vita worth owning purely on their own, and thanks to the upcoming reboot of V3 it officially graduates to franchise status as a result.



Keep in mind I'm omitting a couple of other series such as Fire Emblem due to my lack of exposure when compared to their length.  While these aren't the only franchises I favour they're the ones I've either played all or most of.

Jak and Daxter

Perfect 3D platformers in Precursor Legacy and Daxter, perfect platform action-adventure in Jak II and Jak 3, and a perfect kart racer in Jak X. Jak and Daxter has everything, all packaged up in a world and universe I adore.

The Legend of Zelda

Obviously

Monster Hunter

No franchise is as good a timesink as MH.

Drunkalilly wrote:

This is sort of how I do my top ten games, forcing myself to only include one game from a series.

For me, there's a very distinct difference.  Paper Mario is probably the best example: TTYD is my second favourite game ever, yet the rest of the series is far below.  I'm no longer likely to get hyped for a new Paper Mario game, despite TTYD existing.  

And that's what I'm thinking of in these cases: how likely, if a new game in the series is announced and I know next to nothing about it, how excited am I likely to get?  


5. Mario Kart
Until Bravely Third or XC3 come along, I don't consider them 'franchises' yet.  Mario Kart it is, then.  While they're too similar to each other to get my heart truly pounding, I know I'll have each game on day 1, ready to be scooped out and played whenever friends come around.

4. Pokémon
There are very few series where I try to, and practically succeed in, hiding the details of new games from myself in order to keep the magic.  Part of this is because the Pokémon Company insists on vomiting every last detail up yonks before release, but part of it's because I like discovering the new monsters for myself.

3. Smash Bros.
A series that drums up hype from the very first trailer, never lets it go, and then hits me with an inevitably great game.  The most consistently enjoyable of my list, but almost every time, the previous game is rendered redundant by the next one.

2. Ace Attorney
I get very very excited for Phoenix Wright games, and the recent top performance of SoJ is unlikely to decrease this.  This is as true whether or not you include the Edgeworth spin-offs, with 2 compensating for 1.

1. Zelda
Agreed with OR: obviously.  Not a perfect series for me, yet even a below-par Zelda game is going to be an above-par game.  A new Zelda, on home consoles, can inspire hype from a very long way off.  Breath of the Wild remains my most anticipated game, with almost half a year still to go until release and no concrete date.

Haven't read anyone else's yet.

I wasn't really sure what the criteria were for my list until I started writing it, then figured it out along the way, and wrapped it all up in the conclusions for my top three. Fuck me, I'm a good writer

10: Starfox

Even though they've all had their problems since Lylat Wars, I love the dogfighting action of Fox and pals. The prospect of a new entry being as good as the N64 entry always gets me excited, and every other entry has managed to give me some amount of that enjoyment, even if they haven't ever completely matched it.

9: Monster Hunter

I'm absolutely loving Monster Hunter Generations right now. I've dabbled in 3 and 4, but sitting down and having regular sessions with the boys has elevated this one. I like the gameplay, the community and I'm so enamoured with the monsters and their designs that we've started recording a podcast about them. I think the series might climb up this list pretty quickly, but it is early days for me being fully invested.

8: Wario Ware

I just love the Wario Ware games and the multiplayer antics they represent. Each new one that gets unveiled is an immediate want for me, and normally leads to a great deal of fun.

7: Halo

This is a weird one. I thoroughly enjoy the gameplay in each entry, and eagerly awaited 5, and will no doubt be super excited for 6. The big difference here is that I'm super into the world they've built outside the games - the novels, the little films, the universe. I love the franchise as a sci-fi thing almost more than as a games series, hence it isn't closer to the top of my list.

6: Mass Effect

I really like all three Mass Effect games, and I'm excited for Andromeda. For me, though, the appeal was the smaller, character-driven story. I have been reading some of the comics and novels, but the overall universe is such a hodge-podge of other scifi, it's hard to care about it too much. The trilogy itself delivered those ideas with so much character and pathos, they worked, so I'm hesitant how much I'll enjoy future installments that are removed from that.

5: Pikmin

Pikmin makes the list because I've loved all three games, like the characters and music, and look forward to more. It doesn't make the top of my list though because I don't think the first game has been surpassed.

4: Pokémon

I love Pokémon. I don't doubt for a second that rose-tinted goggles and nostalgia play a part in this, but the idea of a new, proper generation of main series Pokémon games coming along and adding more 'mon into that world is a big deal for me and probably always will be. That feeling of the first few little pictures creeping out, the speculation, the reveal . . . amazing stuff.

3: Dark Souls

To the surprise of nobody, this one comes near the top. Like Pikmin, I do feel the first game is still the best but there's no denying I love the feel of playing these games. Also, like Monster Hunter or Halo, I love the fiction and the world, and diving into discussion and speculation and exploration of the story and lore fascinates me. Oddly, though, the "franchise" isn't really a franchise. I look forward to From's upcoming spiritual successors and sci-fi game despite the fact they won't be part of that series. It's just their meticulous, excellent approach to design that I love.

2: Mario

Here's the thing, there's a lot of Mario. I enjoy most of it. But I'm talking about Mario. SMB, SMB3, SMW, SM64, SMS, SMG. I've loved a lot of other games around the edges, Galaxy 2 or 3Ds World and Land were brilliant, but I'm waiting for the next real Mario. That might sound arbitrary, but you know what I mean, and you know that shit is untouchable.

1: Zelda

Because I'm so original.
Any of the reasons I've given for previous games can apply here. I have the nostalgia of Pokémon, the faith in developer of FROM and the undeniable legacy of excellence of Mario. I still don't think the perfect Zelda has been made. I've said before, somewhere between TP and SS is my favourite game, and with each new one I'm hopeful it'll deliver. BotW looks bloody amazing and I can't wait.
On top of all that, I just love Zelda. The music, the design, the beauty of it. It really is bloody amazing. It couldn't really be anywhere other than my top spot: I have it tattooed on my back.

Good idea Balla and you are right about some games in a series letting the rest down, I'm not sure of what my top 10 whatever is but these really stand out to me.

Halo:
Bad the mobile games
Not Great 4&5
Great 3 & ODST
Excellent 1, 2, Reach, Wars

Metal Gear:
Bad likely Survive
Less then Good AC!D etc
Not Sure if they hold up the MSX games
Excellent MGS 1-5 and Peace Walker

Resident Evil:
Bad 6, Operation Raccoon City
Better if it didn't have the RE name RE5
Okay weird fun Dead Aim
Brilliant REmake, RE2, RE3
Hoping RE7 is in the last one

Zelda
2D I'm not really a fan but I do like Minish Cap
3D all great part from MM for me
Spin-offs all seem rather good to be honest

Others like Final Fantasy has so many games I've not played that I'm not sure if it would be in my top whatever but I do get excited about a new game in the series, Mass Effect there is only a few games but I just don't see it as a series but I see it as one game, Gears of War is good, Pokemon but only mainline, Uncharted but will we get another and I doubt I'll go back in till the story DLC anytime soon, Silent Hill but its dead series, Sonic but 75% of the games are bad,

Drunkalilly wrote:

8: Wario Ware

I just love the Wario Ware games and the multiplayer antics they represent. Each new one that gets unveiled is an immediate want for me, and normally leads to a great deal of fun.

I had a real struggle as to whether to shove this down at five... but I can't quite separate Game & Wario from the franchise, even if it's the crazy uncle of the family. Drags them all down, it does, especially as the only one on Wii U (a console that really needed a proper 'Ware game).


Although I prefer SMG2 to several games on that Mario list, I do know what you mean. You mean the golden revolutionary Marios, all-new, all-beautiful, on the best tech. available to Nintendo at the time. And even though SMG disappointed me a little bit (I can take yer booings), I'd lose my head if they announced another proper magic Mario game - and so would all of you.

HOT TAKE: I really liked Game and Wario. The Wario Ware-esque mode where you hide from your mum was genius, and Art and Islands are two of the best party multiplayer offerings around - I genuinely still play them very regularly when I have people round.

@Mas: Metal Gear didn't even occur to me, weirdly, despite my really loving several of them and the franchise as a whole. I think the things is, I see it as done and dusted now, and when I think of my favourite franchises I think of ongoing ones I anticipate sequels to. MG is a series of games in the past to me now.

Yeah and that was my reasoning for no Silent Hill not being a big one for me now, hmm maybe you're right about Metal Gear as well.

Dunno what you gents are talking about, Survive's on its way!

That’s a difficult question for me. I rarely stick with a franchise outside of something like Mario Kart. My favourite games tend to be titles that are short-lived, or ones that do receive sequels but quickly became left behind last gen. Resident Evil 4 is arguably my favourite game of all time (Super Mario Galaxy may just have edged it recently) but I couldn’t care less for any of the other Resi games (outside of 5 which I did enjoy). Stuff like Jet Set Radio, Outrun 2, Crazy Taxi, Burnout 3, Ninja Gaiden, NBA Street and even Shenmue were all around for one or two generations and fell by the wayside.

I’ve never been a big franchise player. Final Fantasy, Sonic, Halo, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid – all big franchises, but none have had that one game that clicked with me.

I’ll do a top 5 (based off of my love for three games in each franchise):

5. Mario Golf

The N64 and Cube games are two of my favourite sports games, full stop. I was heavily addicted to the GBA entry too, with fond memories of playing it whilst waiting for my wife to go in to labour back in 2012. The irony of trying to get something in a hole while the doctor’s trying to [CENSORED]

4. Mario Kart

Mario Kart 64, Double Dash and Mario Kart 8. Three legit classics. I didn’t like the Wii version outside of some interesting course designs. The bikes can all wheelie off a cliff for all I care. It’s also a series I have enjoyed on handheld, especially Super Circuit. I feel that game doesn’t get the credit it fully deserves.

3. Super Mario (3D series)

Loved Super Mario 64, was less keen on Sunshine but still had fun with it. Galaxy though, orgasm on a disc or what? And 3D Land is probably my favourite 3DS game.


2. Splinter Cell

Again, Double Agent was decent but not as addicting as Chaos Theory, Conviction and Blacklist. I’m not man enough to say Splinter Cell is my favourite franchise because that would be quite a boring choice.

1. PES

I’ve stuck with PES since PES2, although did enjoy the ISS games on the N64. They are very different beasts however. It feels a bit cheat-y to include a football game, as it improves each year without any major changes in gameplay (save for the problems PES had moving from PS2 to Xbox 360/PS3).

gjones wrote:

5. Mario Golf

The N64 and Cube games are two of my favourite sports games, full stop. I was heavily addicted to the GBA entry too, with fond memories of playing it whilst waiting for my wife to go in to labour back in 2012. The irony of trying to get something in a hole while the doctor’s trying to [CENSORED]

The GC game was legitimately great, the GBA game was pretty good... but World Tour ruined the series for me.  Do yourself a favour, Mr. Jones, and give it a wide berth.

Super Circuit would have been great without the 'finite number of coins' thing.  Having to pick up enough of them, when you could get unavoidably -ed/shelled at any moment, to unlock stuff made me want to throw the cart into the path of an oncoming train.

Ah, good call. When I did my big-o-list, I missed out games that are totally superseded by another game (i.e. you don't need to play Fifa 04 if you have Fifa 16), but I never thought about franchises like that. Looks like I'll be adding another column to my spreadsheet (I am a fucking loser).
Unnecessary question: I take a franchise can consist of only one game, right?

Drunkalilly wrote:

Art and Islands are two of the best party multiplayer offerings around

Yes. When my sister's round, we do the co-op Art challenge.

*pause* I really did write a VBA macro to work this out.
10: Portal - Both games were dead clever like, and I'd be up for a third - maybe not this rumoured film.
9: Banjo Kazooie - Two goodn's on the N64 + the GBA game; I love collecting things. Yooka Laylee will count as part of the franchise, right?
8: Goldeneye / Perfect Dark - They both have the facility in; therefore canon . I know shooters have got better in 16 years, but I have too much nostalgia.
7: Dark Souls - if I'd played the third game, or Bloodborne, I'd probably say that there were 4 great games - I loved them, but worry about putting myself through another one just yet.
6: Pikmin - I've enjoyed all of them so far, but forget this fact when not actually playing them.
5: The Elder Scrolls - How many hours did I clock up on two games? I want a new proper one before a new Fallout... but the old games are impenetrable.
4: Donkey Kong - i.e. the Countries etc. - the internet seems to have decided the SNES games were crap; I disagree (but they soon became less "special". Tropical Freeze is aces though.
3: Mario Kart - Mario Kart! You know.
Super joint first between Marios and Zeldas: There are more Mario games in my "good" list, but more Zelda games are special once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Jimbob wrote:

Unnecessary question: I take a franchise can consist of only one game, right?

I specifically didn't say either way so that people can make their own calls. For me they need to have at least three games in them - if one game is spectacular enough for you to say it's a franchise, fair enough.

Not sure how I forgot MGS. Somehow please forgive me and obviously list it as one of (if not the) best gaming franchise of all time!

I've never thought about this. I think I just enjoy and look forward to individual games, the franchises they're a part of don't matter to me that much. I suppose a good example of this is Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice and Sonic Mania - the former just came out a few days ago but I couldn't have given less of a toss, whereas Sonic Mania is just going to be a much better game that the rest of the shite that's coming out in 2017 for just so many reasons.

The Legend of Zelda is another one. I was well excited for the Ocarina of Time remake on the 3DS, but I've had next to no interest at all in any of the Zelda games that have come out since, despite OoT's obvious quality.

5: Mario Vs Donkey Kong, my puzzle series of choice
4: GTA, the series is my go to when I just want to shoot someone in the face
3: Super Mario series - would say the 3D games but Super Mario World is one of my favourite of all time games.
2: Legend of Zelda series
1: Pokemon, may not have started at gen 1 but been going ever since

So, my ranking is informed by priority when I play them: if new releases in each franchise came out at the same time, which one would I play first, then second, etc. So, I have a super-awkward Top 6.

6. Dragon Quest Ever since Dragon Quest IX made me laugh very early on with its joy at me acquiring manure, I've been hooked on the series. I've only played five of the games (and beaten four) but there's something about the structure, the puns, the accents-in-text and the general weirdness that has me coming back and excited for any new (you know what I mean) entries.

5. Ace Attorney One of two games on this list that changed my ideas of what games could be, Phoenix Wright and pals hooked me from the first few hours of the first game and have not let me go since. And I like it.

4. Professor Layton I'm having this because Lady Layton is on the horizon. PLayton is a franchise that's almost made for me: essentially a sumptuously presented puzzle book with a well-produced-yet-twisty-and-often-really-quite-dark story attached to it. The character that's invested in even the most insignificant-seeming NPC, to say nothing of the main cast, is awesome. I can't wait for its gender-flipped return.

3. 2D Zelda If this receives a BAN THIS SICK FILTH or THERE'S THE DOOR graphic, so be it. 3D Zeldas have yet to truly win me over in the same way that 2D Zeldas do and always will. Links To The Past and Between Worlds are very fine adventures with lots going for them and they would be enough on their own. But that would be without mentioning the Oracles, Link's Awakening, Phantom Hourglass or Tri Force Heroes.

2. Pokémon A new entry in the series of main games - or a remake; hello Alpha Sapphire - is a must-play. In fact, there's only one game series that would stop me from tucking in like a starved hyena finding a steak restaurant...

1. Mario A proper Mario platformer, of two or three dimensions, will always win out. The absolute joy of the playgrounds that Nintendo create for their fans in Mario games is so addictive, it's a pain to drag myself away and do anything else.

Well since you asked so nicely:



Although ALBW is a blinder, you're not wrong there.  (PH can continue to naff off.)

Some curious (to me) choices up there in my last two posts: I've never been able to stomach much of the Mario vs. DK series, and neither DQIX nor VII has been the great JRPG I hoped for.  Meanwhile, much as I'll buy each new one, PLayton's plots have let me down too often, as well as dragging my hero Wright down with them.  Curiously (curiouser and curiouser!), it was the characters that really bugged me in that crossover: Layton's standard characterisation forced onto the world of Wright in the trials, and I did not like it.

Phantom Hourglass is a great game you are correct

I'm starting to think that Rhythm Paradise might be worming its way into my top five soon.  After the tremendous fun of BtB, the continued strength of Megamix, and playing Tengoku in an arcade, I'd be day-one-level psyched for a new game in the franchise.  

The only thing is, it doesn't provide quite as much of a spectacle, a memorable experience, as some of the other franchises I've mentioned.  I'm hoping that Rhythm Paradise: Switch it Up will expand on Megamix's story mode, and feature an epic tale of music, karate, and robots playing table tennis on top of a cake.

Balladeer wrote:

I'm starting to think that Rhythm Paradise might be worming its way into my top five soon.  After the tremendous fun of BtB, the continued strength of Megamix, and playing Tengoku in an arcade, I'd be day-one-level psyched for a new game in the franchise.  

The only thing is, it doesn't provide quite as much of a spectacle, a memorable experience, as some of the other franchises I've mentioned.  I'm hoping that Rhythm Paradise: Switch it Up will expand on Megamix's story mode, and feature an epic tale of music, karate, and robots playing table tennis on top of a cake.

This one in the arcade Balla

Blimey, we last updated this in 2016! Yikes. I could swear it'd been more recently than this. Anyway, I thought I'd give this a BUMP, because I reckon my favourite franchises/series have changed quite a bit from when I was considering (checks notes) Rhythm Paradise for a top series. Please note: these all make the large assumption that Nintendo will either sort out the NoA sex assault problem, or it'll matter less to me with time.


5. Pokémon
Pokémon displaces Smash Bros. because (a) I don't know if we'll even get another Smash in the same form, (b) Pokémon hasn't disappeared far enough down the DLC rabbit hole to make me lose almost all interest, and (c) Legends has made every Pokémon game after it that much more exciting a prospect.

4. Mario (the core platformers)
One I didn't even register last time, when I was no doubt on a low from years of New Super Mario Bros. and Mario 3D Expanse games. Still, I kept my head enough to say, 'I'd lose my head if they announced another proper magic Mario game - and so would all of you.' Then Odyssey came along, and of course I duly lost it again. That's enough to propel the plumber back up into my top five.

3. Ace Attorney
Since last time, we've had The Great AA Chronicles, and while that wasn't quite at the shining level as SoJ it's more than enough for AA to keep its place.

2. Xenoblade
The big jump here, last time with only two games released (and one of those being the merely-good X) it didn't even qualify. Now it has two of my very favourite games, and not a single game worse than 'good'. Is this the most consistently good series with more than three games in it? I think it might be, you know.

1. Zelda
No changes here, still the best series ever. Last time BotW hadn't even been released. (Mind you, neither had Link's Awakening Switch...)


Has anybody else had a change of heart regarding the gaming series they're most excited for? We've had two Metroid games since the last post, for example...