The video game industry is continually evolving and looking forward, but there’s something to be said for the titles that have turned into franchises and become vital parts of the major video game companies, like Sony’s PlayStation. Sony entered the hardware industry with their PlayStation later in the game than Nintendo or Sega, but they’ve built a strong legacy over the past few decades and established their own franchises that are just as celebrated as Sonic or Mario.
The PlayStation’s future is full of new intellectual properties as well as returns to acclaimed series, but there are still certain franchises that have fallen through the cracks with Sony and left fans wondering if they’ll ever return.
10 Ape Escape Represents An Important Piece Of The PlayStation’s Early Development
Ape Escape is a playful and colorful series from PlayStation's original generation that gave Sony's console a decent competitor against Mario. The Ape Escape series fulfills an important role in PlayStation's legacy since the games heavily implemented the PlayStation's analog sticks and helped make them the norm. There's surprisingly deep gameplay hidden away in the Ape Escape series, but the final title in the core series was back on the PlayStation 2 and since Ape Escape has devolved more into minigame collection celebrations, but even then the most recent entry, PlayStation Move Ape Escape is over a decade old.
9 Tomba! And Its Sequel Are Challenging And Colorful 2D Sidescrollers
The PlayStation’s release saw games heading more in a 3D direction with older and traditional 2D sidescrollers considered as relics of the past. This means that satisfying and well-designed series like Tomba! got left in the dust while Sony pursued PlayStation titles that demonstrated more of the hardware's power. Tomba! and its sequel, Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return, are strong platformers with a unique voice and quirky sense of humor, but it's now been well over two decades since any Tomba! content. The franchise deserves a return, especially with how old-fashioned sidescrollers have regained popularity in recent years.
8 Parasite Eve Could Have Been Square’s Answer To Resident Evil
Square has built a legendary reputation as RPG developers, but the PlayStation's Parasite Eve merges this style of gameplay with the survival horror genre. Aya Brea is a fantastic protagonist and the title's bleak storyline, cinematic scope, and Final Fantasy-level bosses make the Parasite Eve series immediately stand out.
The release of The 3rd Birthday in 2010 over a decade after Parasite Eve II caught many people by surprise, but the PSP-exclusive offering wasn't enough to revive the ambitious property and the Parasite Eve world has been quiet since its release.
7 PaRappa The Rapper Helped Introduce Many Gamers Into The Rhythm Genre
Music and rhythm-based video games are now one of the more popular and entertaining genres. PaRappa the Rapper made waves due to its unique art style and musical presentation and its sequel helped kick off the PlayStation 2's release. PaRappa the Rapper has such a legacy that the series has kicked off a spin-off as well as an anime adaptation, but strangely PlayStation hasn't done anything with the PaRappa property for decades. PaRappa would have been the perfect franchise to return to for the PlayStation 5's launch and it's unclear if fans will ever get more of this musical bliss.
6 Klonoa Is A Unique Platformer Protagonist That Never Caught On
The 1990s were full of attempts to develop new platformer mascots and Klonoa is one of the better examples that initially hit the PlayStation in 1997. The Klonoa titles are 2.5D puzzle platformers that feature gorgeous environments and cute characters. Klonoa has struggled to find an audience outside of Japan and it had a major following on the WonderSwan handheld. There was a remake for the Wii over a decade ago and even a bizarre beach volleyball spin-off outing. Despite the character's appeal and the many opportunities he's been given, it looks like Klonoa's best days are past him.
5 Jet Moto Is A Fast-Paced Alternative Racer That’s A Signature PlayStation Series
The racing genre of video games is still very popular, but titles have increasingly embraced a realistic approach to street racing and there are fewer unconventional racers on the market.
Initially developed by the team behind the early Twisted Metal titles, Jet Moto is a hoverbike racing game that helped define the original PlayStation with three impressive titles. There were efforts to keep the Jet Moto series going on the PlayStation 2, but after they were cancelled that's been the end of future Jet Moto discussion. The market now has more room for a racer like this than ever before.
4 Twisted Metal’s Edgy Style Became An Early PlayStation Trademark And Then Vanished
Twisted Metal was groundbreaking for its time and it defied typical racing genre expectations with a demolition aspect to its gameplay. Twisted Metal was such a popular PlayStation staple that there are four games on the original console before Twisted Metal: Black became the first PlayStation 2 entry in the series. Afterward, demand for the Twisted Metal series considerably died down with PlayStation Portable spin-offs and a sole PlayStation 3 reboot all the way back in 2012. However, there's an upcoming Twisted Metal Netflix series on the way, which is the perfect opportunity to revive this destructive and exaggerated franchise.
3 MediEvil’s Ambitious Look And Style Haven’t Helped It Stay Alive
Strong gameplay and storytelling are crucial for any video game, but a unique and memorable art design can sometimes be just as important. MediEvil's claymation-esque look and its creative and dark world instantly make it feel different from other action-adventure titles. A direct sequel followed quickly in the wake of the original and the PlayStation Portable attempted a reboot to little fanfare. Admittedly, there’s a 2019 PlayStation 4 MediEvil remake, but it functions like the series' swan song rather than a title that moves the forgotten franchise into gaming's next generation.
2 Bushido Blade Turns Action And Fighting Games Into A Complex Experience
Action and fighting franchises represent some of the most evergreen video game series. Bushido Blade was meant to be a game-changing fighter series for the PlayStation due to its intricate gameplay. Bushido Blade implements a complex damage system, a wealth of usable weapons, and tons of characters. Bushido Blade 2 ups the quality and carnage in every regard, but that's the end of the series other than a spiritual successor for the PlayStation 2. Modern gamers are quite intelligent and sophisticated and they'd easily be able to handle the more demanding gameplay that the Bushido Blade series makes its norm.
1 The PlayStation Makes Dino Crisis Extinct In Favor Of Zombies
The survival horror genre has never been more popular and it has a lot to do with the enduring popularity of Capcom’s Resident Evil. The series’ initial mastermind, Shinji Mikami, also developed another PlayStation survival horror series, Dino Crisis. Dino Crisis is even more frightening than Resident Evil in some ways, but the franchise never caught on and steadily adopted more of an action slant, with the most recent title shifting fully into a shooter. Resident Evil remakes are becoming incredible in vogue and there are just as many fans that want to see Dino Crisis receive the same treatment.
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