Remaining relevant in an industry that is forever changing is perhaps the ultimate challenge for a video game franchise. Not only must designers adapt to the advancements in hardware, they must also contend with the everchanging demands of gamers. Many series come and go with the seasons, but a select few have evolved to meet this challenge.
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With a combined shelf-life of 384 years and around 500 titles between them, these ten video game series are great examples of what’s required to create a video game legacy. Any aspiring designers would do well to take notice and learn from these groundbreaking franchises.
10Bomberman (35 Years, 69 Games)
The firstBombermangame was released on the PC-88 back in July 1983. Since then there have been 69 titles released in the series, with the latest coming in the form of the 2018 spin-off,Bombergirl.
Although the series is nowhere near as popular today as it was in the 90’s and early 00’s,Bombermanremains one of gaming’s most iconic characters. He has featured in all manner of games, and is a great shout for a futureSmashDLC fighter.
9Donkey Kong (36 Years, 37 Games)
AlthoughDonkey Kongfirst hit arcades back in 1981, a lack of recent releases means that the series has been active for 36 years.Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Starswas the 37th Donkey Kong title released by Nintendo, meaning that the series has released a game at a rate of around one per year.
Although not as large as some of Nintendo’s other IPs, many consider theDonkey Kong Countrytrilogy to besome of the best games on the SNES. TheDonkey Kongseries has awide cast of charactersand DK remains a firm fan favorite. He was even given his own 40 episode television series back in the late 90’s.
8Mario (37 Years, 34/172 Games)
Although the Italian plumber first made his debut in 1981’sDonkey Kong, it would be another two years before Mario got his own title. This came in the form of theMario’s Cement Factory Game & Watchand released in April 1983. From there, Mario would go on to feature in countless titles.
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There are 34 main series Mario titles on console, but whenall of his spin-offsare taken into account, that number rises to a whopping 172. These titles have cultivated sales of more than $30 billion, although this still falls some way short of the $90 billion amassed by thePokémonfranchise in a much shorter timespan.
7Microsoft Flight Simulator (37 Years, 14 Games)
Although work on the firstFlight Simulatortitle began in 1977, it would not be ready for release until 1981. The series holds the honor of beingMicrosoft’s longest-running software product, predatingWindowsby nearly four years.
The latest release ofMicrosoft Flight Simulatorwas the 14th entry in the series. As one might expect, it’sthe most realistic entry to dateand has both sold and reviewed incredibly well. It currently holds a 92 rating on Metacritic, which also makes it the highest-rated entry in the series.
6Wolfenstein (37 Years, 13 Games)
WhenCastle Wolfensteinfirst released back in 1981, the team at Muse Software could have never predicted how successful the series would go on to be. 37 years later, there are a total of 13Wolfensteingames which have accumulated millions of sales.
Interestingly, there have been no fewer than nine different developers attached to the series at different points in time.The latest titleswere developed by French studio Arkane Lyon, although both failed to make much of an impact with fans or critics.
5Space Invaders (38 Years, 21 Games)
Most gamers weren’t alive whenSpace Invadersfirst hit arcades back in 1978. Even so, it’s one of the most recognizable series in gaming. There have only been 21 different releases, although the title has been ported to just about every system imaginable.
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The latest release in the series wasArkanoid vs. Space Invaders, which was a crossover with another classic arcade series. Despite the huge developments in gaming though, the mechanics really haven’t changed that much since its first outing. As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
4Galaxian (39 Years, 23 Games)
Like many long running series,Galaxianstarted life in the arcades of Japan. It first released in 1979 and has seen a plethora of ports and sequels leading up to 2019’sGalaga Revenge. In total, there are 23 different titles in the series although the basic formula remains virtually unchanged.
Galaxianholds the honor of having one of the most hotly contested high scores in gaming history. Gamers have been competing for the title of bestGalaxianplayer for more than four decades now. The current record stands at 1,653,270 points and is held by Dutch gamer Aart van Vliet.
3Pac-Man (39 Years, 38 Games)
Toru Iwatani reportedly came up with the idea forPac-Manwhile eating pizza at a Tokyo restaurant. This idea would go on to give birth to one of the longest-running and most successful video game franchises of all time. Despite its simplicity, it’s a game withmany interesting factsbehind it.
Pac-Man serves as the official mascot for Bandai-Namco and has appeared in 38 different titles as well as a number of compilations. The latest release,Pac-Man Party Royale, released for IOS in November 2019 and currently holds a four-star rating on the app store.
2Game & Watch (40 Years, 48 Games)
WhenNintendo announcedtheSuper Mario Bros. Game & Watchlast month, it revived one of its oldest series. After huge success in the 80’s, the Game & Watch series seemed to have run its course, with only the 2010 reissue ofBallhaving been released this side of the year 2000.
In total, there are 63 differentGame & Watchsystems and 48 distinct games. Due to the series' long hiatus, however, it’s unlikely that many of today’s gamers will have ever played any of them. Thankfully, the inclusion of Mr. Game & Watch inSmashhas helped to keep the series' legacy alive.
1The Oregon Trail (46 Years, 19 Games)
The Oregon Trailbegan life as a teaching aid and aimed to educate 8th-graders about the harsh reality of pioneer life in the 19th century. It first released in November 1971 and has gone on to spawn a further 19 titles. The latest game in the series isHandheld Oregon Trail, which released in 2018.
Although a hugely successful series in its own right, it’s perhaps best known for its meme-worthy content. Most notably, it features an infamous death-screen which informs the player that a character has died from dysentery. This is often altered to reflect topical or comical causes of death.
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