8 Dead Video Game Franchises That Should Be Revived The Direct

If the past couple of years have taught gamers anything, it’s that a franchise is never truly dead. Here in the year 2021, it seems anything is possible on the revived IP front. In just the past half-decade, the gaming industry has seen

Crash Bandicoot

Fable

, and

Perfect Dark

either have new releases or announcements for new releases in their respective franchises.

On the other hand, it seems nothing is ever completely dead and gone in the gaming sphere. There seems to always be a bit more water to draw from the proverbial well, it just takes a developer ready to innovate and a publisher looking to cash in on a known commodity.

With so many of these once thought-to-be-dead IP’s being given a jolt of new life, there has been no better time to dream and put together a collection of gaming franchises that should receive the revival treatment.

Now before diving into the list, a definition of what a “dead” franchise is must be laid out. For the sake of this article “dead” will be defined as:

“Not having a new game in the franchise/series in at least five years. This does not include remasters, remakes, or spin-offs that would be considered a massive departure from the series’ mainline titles.”

Now with all that out of the way, it is time to go present The Direct’s “8 Dead Video Game Franchises That Should Be Revived”.

SSX

Last Release:

SSX

(February 2012)

Starting things off is a little franchise called SSX. This extreme snowboarding series was a staple on the Xbox and PlayStation 2, producing classics like

SSX 3

and

SSX Tricky

. EA attempted to revive the franchise back in 2012 to lukewarm results, but now is the time to bring it back once again!

After years of fans clamoring for more in the extreme sports genre, now seems to be the time to cash in. Last year gamers got to put on their cargo shorts and jam to Goldfinger’s “Superman” for the first time in years with

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2

. And EA themselves announced that they are bringing back

Skate

in the coming years.

So EA let the powder junkies shred again. Something like

Steep

tried to scratch that itch, but came off a little too simmy for most. That SSX arcade-down-the-mountain magic could be captured again, and now looks to be the perfect time to do it.

Turok

TUROK

Last Release:

Turok

(February 2008)

For a lot of modern gamers, Turok does not mean a lot. The dino-shooter franchise only saw six mainline games, and the last was on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2008. It has never blown critics away, and its games do not provide the deepest of stories, but it could be something truly special.

In a world saturated with wave-based zombie killing games, it is baffling that someone has not taken the same tact but with dinosaurs. A 2021 Turok effort would ditch the bonkers story and just provide wave by wave dinosaur-killing action. Does that not sound incredibly fun? Think

Left 4 Dead

but with velociraptors.

Turok coming back from the dead is one of the most pie-in-the-sky ideas on this list, but it could be something incredibly fun, and it’s a name that would at least peak the tiniest bit of interest in a contingent of gamers of a certain age.

Modnation Racers

MODNATION RACERS

Last Release:

ModNation Racers: Road Trip

(February 2012)

ModNation Racers is the best idea that never was. Initially a PS3 exclusive released in early 2012,

ModNation Racers

brought the

“Play, Create, Share”

mantra of other PlayStation hit

Little Big Planet

to the kart racing genre. Players could put together their own characters, karts, and tracks, and then share them on a digital hub for others to enjoy.

After the series’ first installment on PlayStation 3, a spin-off on PSP, and a single-player only PS Vita entry, the franchise was gone. While

Little Big Planet

went on to only get bigger and bigger, PlayStation’s kart racer counterpart was left in the rearview.

But now is the time to bring it back. This game series never even got the chance to succeed. That first PlayStation 3 game was an excellent entry into the genre, but was plagued by close to three-minute load times every time players wanted to do nearly anything. Well with modern hardware, loading doesn’t seem to be the problem that it once was. If Sony were to revisit

ModNation Racers

on the PS5, it’s hard to imagine that it would be anything but a hit.

For years, Mario Kart has pretty well held the kart racing crown with no attempt to be usurped, and taking down this monolith would be no easy task. But

ModNation

could at least provide PlayStation fans with a similar experience, one that innovates on the concept that Nintendo has perfected.

Banjo-Kazooie

BANJO-KAZOOIE

Last Release:

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

(November 2008)

When forming a list of gaming franchises that need to see the light of day again, Banjo-Kazooie will be one of the first to come up. The bird and the bear hold a very special place in a lot of gamer’s hearts. The two Rare-developed Nintendo 64 platformers are considered classics by many, but ever since Rare was acquired by Microsoft in 2002, not a ton has come from the franchise.

After the critically panned

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

came out on Xbox 360 in 2008, nothing has really been heard of the adorable pair other than an appearance in

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

. So, Microsoft, it is time to bring back the two kings of the 3D platformer genre.

In recent years, retro 3D platforming fans have been treated to a revival of the genre.

Crash Bandicoot

came out of hibernation,

Spyro

reignited his flame, and new names like

Astro Bot

have come for the crown, so a Banjo game could work in this market.

The ball is in Microsoft’s court here, and the tech giant knows that the Banjo name has significant cache attached to it. Honestly, it would not be all that surprising if fans were to hear details on a

Banjo-Kazooie

reboot in the not-to-distant future.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell

TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL

Last Release:

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist

(August 2013)

To start this one off, a definitive statement needs to be made. There are not enough secret agent games in the gaming world today. Plain and simple, it’s a fact. It’s a premise that just seems like it would work perfectly in an interactive medium, but is one that is rarely tapped into. So Ubisoft, bring back Splinter Cell.

The once-great franchise has been lacking in titles for most of the past decade, and while the series’ protagonist Sam Fischer has appeared in nearly every other recent Ubisoft title, he deserves another crack at the bat in a game of his own.

The stealth action series is adored by many, and the pop of audiences seeing those iconic night vision goggles light up in a reveal trailer would rival that of any major gaming announcement of the last 20 years. People want to get back into the world of

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell

, and there seems to be no good reason why a revival has not happened yet.

Rumors have been swirling for about two years of a rebooted Splinter Cell title, so confirm it already, Ubisoft! It’s time!

Super Mario Strikers

SUPER MARIO STRIKERS

Last Release:

Mario Strikers Charged

(September 2007)

The only Nintendo property making the list is

Super Mario Strikers

. The edgy soccer game featuring Mario & friends originally released in North America on the GameCube back in 2005 and was followed up by a sequel on the Wii two years later, then after that…nothing.

The series took the game of soccer (football internationally) and gave it an edge, creating this arcade footy experience with super-moves, body checking, and an angry Mushroom Kingdom roster. It was spectacular.

Now, Nintendo has revisited most of its Mario sports spin-offs, like Tennis and Golf, but they seem to have forgotten the Next Level Games-developed soccer franchise, which is a travesty. A new

Super Strikers

would be an instant pick-up for many on the Nintendo Switch. Add in the online play that nearly every game warrants here in 2021, and it sounds like a winning recipe.

The sad part about this series is it is unlikely to ever happen, or at least in the angsty aggressive nature that it did fifteen years ago. Nintendo is very particular about how their characters are portrayed. So putting metal-plated armor on a pissed-off Mario before he takes to the pitch seems a little out of the picture for a modern-day Nintendo.

While the Big N may have let it fly in 2005, that almost certainly would not be the case today.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC

Last Release:

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords

(December 2004)

A new Knights of the Old Republic just seems like an easy call at this point. The two games in the Star Wars RPG franchise are considered by many as some of the best Star Wars stories told in the video game medium.

After the release of

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords

in 2004, the series took a turn into the MMO landscape, releasing

The Old Republic

MMORPG that is still alive and thriving today. But so many are clamoring for more of that single-player Star Wars experience.

While a

KOTOR 3

does seem a little out of the question as

Disney launches its new

High Republic

initiative

, exploring stories from the era long before the movies across TV, books, and film. But why not a “Knights of the High Republic”?

With the launch of Lucasfilm Games earlier this year

, anything feels possible on the Star Wars video game front right now, and a new KOTOR does not feel like it would be too much of a risk for Disney and co.

If anyone from the House of Mouse is listening, please just let gamers take the destiny of a new Jedi or Sith into their hands, exploring the galaxy, taking on various quests, and coloring in the details of their very own Star Wars story as they go.

Castlevania

CASTLEVANIA

Last Release:

Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2

(February 2014)

And lastly, a list such as this would not be complete without mentioning Castlevania. The gothic action RPG/platformer is one of the all-time video game greats. While the most recent titles in this franchise have not reached the heights that classics like

Symphony of the Night

once did, there is no saying that a new Castlevania could not work in 2021.

Fans of Metroidvanias have not been starving for content in recent years; if anything they have been treated to some of the best to come out of the genre. Games like

Hollow Knight

Axiom Verge

, and

Ori and the Blind Forest

have satiated that hunger for gamers. But now is the time for Castlevania to come and reclaim the throne that was once unquestionably theirs.

A return to form 2D Castlevania reboot in the style of

Symphony of the Night

would have the industry ablaze in excitement. Though Konami seems to be on the verge of leaving the gaming space as a whole, why not let some talented developers have a crack at the IP and see what they can do. Give the

Hollow Knight

team a shot at Castlevania and it would be almost guaranteed magic.

Castlevania at one point was one of gaming’s biggest names, and now it’s only associated with a decent Netflix anime and some pachinko machines in Japanese arcades. The franchise deserves so much better and if a revival were to happen, now would be the perfect time.

Crash Bandicoot

Fable

, and

Perfect Dark

either have new releases or announcements for new releases in their respective franchises.

Now before diving into the list, a definition of what a “dead” franchise is must be laid out. For the sake of this article “dead” will be defined as:

Now with all that out of the way, it is time to go present The Direct’s “8 Dead Video Game Franchises That Should Be Revived”.

SSX

Last Release:

SSX

(February 2012)

Starting things off is a little franchise called SSX. This extreme snowboarding series was a staple on the Xbox and PlayStation 2, producing classics like

SSX 3

and

SSX Tricky

. EA attempted to revive the franchise back in 2012 to lukewarm results, but now is the time to bring it back once again!

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2

. And EA themselves announced that they are bringing back

Skate

in the coming years.

So EA let the powder junkies shred again. Something like

Steep

tried to scratch that itch, but came off a little too simmy for most. That SSX arcade-down-the-mountain magic could be captured again, and now looks to be the perfect time to do it.

TUROK

Last Release:

Turok

(February 2008)

Left 4 Dead

but with velociraptors.

MODNATION RACERS

Last Release:

ModNation Racers: Road Trip

(February 2012)

ModNation Racers is the best idea that never was. Initially a PS3 exclusive released in early 2012,

ModNation Racers

brought the

“Play, Create, Share”

mantra of other PlayStation hit

Little Big Planet

to the kart racing genre. Players could put together their own characters, karts, and tracks, and then share them on a digital hub for others to enjoy.

After the series’ first installment on PlayStation 3, a spin-off on PSP, and a single-player only PS Vita entry, the franchise was gone. While

Little Big Planet

went on to only get bigger and bigger, PlayStation’s kart racer counterpart was left in the rearview.

ModNation Racers

on the PS5, it’s hard to imagine that it would be anything but a hit.

For years, Mario Kart has pretty well held the kart racing crown with no attempt to be usurped, and taking down this monolith would be no easy task. But

ModNation

could at least provide PlayStation fans with a similar experience, one that innovates on the concept that Nintendo has perfected.

BANJO-KAZOOIE

Last Release:

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

(November 2008)

After the critically panned

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

came out on Xbox 360 in 2008, nothing has really been heard of the adorable pair other than an appearance in

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

. So, Microsoft, it is time to bring back the two kings of the 3D platformer genre.

In recent years, retro 3D platforming fans have been treated to a revival of the genre.

Crash Bandicoot

came out of hibernation,

Spyro

reignited his flame, and new names like

Astro Bot

have come for the crown, so a Banjo game could work in this market.

Banjo-Kazooie

reboot in the not-to-distant future.

TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL

Last Release:

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist

(August 2013)

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell

, and there seems to be no good reason why a revival has not happened yet.

Rumors have been swirling for about two years of a rebooted Splinter Cell title, so confirm it already, Ubisoft! It’s time!

SUPER MARIO STRIKERS

Last Release:

Mario Strikers Charged

(September 2007)

The only Nintendo property making the list is

Super Mario Strikers

Now, Nintendo has revisited most of its Mario sports spin-offs, like Tennis and Golf, but they seem to have forgotten the Next Level Games-developed soccer franchise, which is a travesty. A new

Super Strikers

would be an instant pick-up for many on the Nintendo Switch. Add in the online play that nearly every game warrants here in 2021, and it sounds like a winning recipe.

While the Big N may have let it fly in 2005, that almost certainly would not be the case today.

KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC

Last Release:

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords

(December 2004)

After the release of

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords

in 2004, the series took a turn into the MMO landscape, releasing

The Old Republic

MMORPG that is still alive and thriving today. But so many are clamoring for more of that single-player Star Wars experience.

While a

KOTOR 3

does seem a little out of the question as

Disney launches its new

High Republic

initiative

, exploring stories from the era long before the movies across TV, books, and film. But why not a “Knights of the High Republic”?

With the launch of Lucasfilm Games earlier this year

, anything feels possible on the Star Wars video game front right now, and a new KOTOR does not feel like it would be too much of a risk for Disney and co.

CASTLEVANIA

Last Release:

Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2

(February 2014)

Symphony of the Night

once did, there is no saying that a new Castlevania could not work in 2021.

Fans of Metroidvanias have not been starving for content in recent years; if anything they have been treated to some of the best to come out of the genre. Games like

Hollow Knight

Axiom Verge

, and

Ori and the Blind Forest

have satiated that hunger for gamers. But now is the time for Castlevania to come and reclaim the throne that was once unquestionably theirs.

A return to form 2D Castlevania reboot in the style of

Symphony of the Night

Hollow Knight

team a shot at Castlevania and it would be almost guaranteed magic.