Recently, I started to think about old games, specifically how some of them will get another shot at life after a few years away and it made me think about all those series that have not had that.

To be clear when I say another shot at life, I don’t mean via a remaster or a remake, but I mean a from the ground up, original entry in that series. A prime example is F-Zero, that series saw a number of games released over the first 14 years of its life, with F-Zero: GP Legend being the last one to release in the West. But then it went 19 years before it got a new game, or really any game.

So with that in mind, I wanted to have a look through the big publishers to see what series they are leaving behind. There are a few conditions for this list:

There must be at least 2 games in the series, so one off titles are not included.
There must be at least 2 console generations between the last game and now, so if a game was released on PlayStation 4, but there is no entry on PlayStation 5, that does not count.
We are not including Game of the Year, Deluxe, Complete or any other word used to describe a re-issue of the game with DLC or other extra content.
Finally, remakes and remasters do not count, they must be original.

So let us take a look at Bandai Namco, which was a combination of Namco and Bandai.

Ridge Racer

First Release: April 1994 | Last Release: December 2013 | Total Number of Games Released: 16

It's Riiiidge Racer! Those words tell you all you need to know about this series, but what you might not know is that the series was originally going to be a sequel to Pole Position. What you might have guessed though, is that the series began as an arcade release. The first few years of the series life, the games hit PlayStation pretty frequently, and the success was there for each of them.

What is unique about the series is that two Nintendo games were not made by Namco but rather Nintendo, with the Nintendo DS release being a remake of the Nintendo 64 release. Every release up until the 2011 PlayStation Vita release was the same basic gameplay is the same. The basic gameplay of the Ridge Racer series has remained relatively consistent throughout each installment. The objective is to race against computer-controlled opponents to finish each track in first place — the player begins the game in last place, and have a limited number of laps around the track to complete where they can overtake opponents. The last game was such a departure it basically killed the series.

Dead to Rights

First Release: June 2002 | Last Release: April 2010 | Total Number of Games Released: 4

When Dead to Rights launched, it was a very unique game and while it was Xbox exclusive for the release, other platforms got it a year later. The big deal is that while it is a third person shooter, you are not alone as you have a canine companion with you.

It wouldn’t be until the final game that players could actively control Shadow, your canine companion as in the earlier games you could only issue commands to him. Most of the gameplay is the same across the games, with the exclusion of the GameBoy Advance release, which was a top-down adventure, based off the original game. In what has to be a weird trend, the third game released on PlayStation Portable is a prequel to the second game released, which itself was a prequel to the original game. The final game, Retribution, was a reboot of the series, so with all that confusion, it is no wonder why the series didn’t sell that way by the end.

Time Crisis

First Release: December 1995 | Last Release: March 2015 | Total Number of Games Released: 10

Another series that began life in the arcades, but then got another boost with the home console release, Time Crisis was a light-gun series that required players to take down baddies, across various stages. While the first game was basic, as the series went on the base gameplay expanded, adding in two player modes, multiple weapons types and the ability to duck.

There are five main entries in the series, the last one being an arcade exclusive in 2015, but the series saw three spin-offs and two mobile games, the latter of the them being a little different in terms of gameplay. The base gameplay though was the same in each, your character would progress on a rail, stopping at various points while enemies would rush in. No matter if it was arcade or home console, each game would have you shoot at the enemies on the screen, then reload while shooting away from the screen. Most games would tell a tale of your team saving a nation, but there were some that had a global threat and while most featured the same agency, the spin-offs would often use new teams.

Katamari

First Release: September 2004 | Last Release: December 2017 | Total Number of Games Released: 13

The PlayStation 2 era of games saw a number of series get their debut, but perhaps there was none quite as unique as the Katamari series, where players were tasked with rolling around a ball, that would stick to everything it touched, in order to make it as big as they could.

While the series was primarily known for its rolling gameplay, there were other entries that did not do that. Some like Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy for Nintendo DSWare, was a puzzle game and was a weird version of Pac-Attack, it also had Hatsune Miku sing the ending theme. The series has also seen a number of mobile games, some of which were original and some of which were all new entries and of course over the past few years a few remakes of the earlier games were released. Sadly the last two original games released were a pointless tap game and an endless runner, with fans hoping that the ball will get rolling on a new entry soon.

Point Blank

First Release: October 1994 | Last Release: December 2016 | Total Number of Games Released: 7

Basically take what I said above about Time Crisis and apply it here, except drop the serious themes and instead embrace a Looney Tunes type of wacky, that is how you get Point Blank.

The series has had four mainline releases over the years, with the last one being an arcade exclusive, but it has also had a few other versions. Point Blank DS and Point Blank Adventures for Nintendo DS and mobile respectively are the two unique releases, as both games use touch to replicate the shooting found in the main games. The gameplay in most games consists of non-violent shooting contests where players are tasked with challenges such as shooting player-coloured bulls-eyes, cardboard criminals, and other inanimate objects, not shooting bombs and cardboard cutouts of civilians.

Star Luster

First Release: December 1985 | Last Release: April 2000 | Total Number of Games Released: 2

We have said a few times in this series that flight games were quite common in the 1980s, but most were top down and usually told a story on earth. Star Luster did not do that as it was a first person space flight game and let player soar among the stars.

While the game was not that well received, it did get a sequel, though that came out 15 years late for the PlayStation. Much like the arcade original, here gameplay revolves around clearing missions to progress further, such as destroying a certain fleet of enemies or protecting a space station from enemy fire. Unlike the arcade game, Ixiom had multiple ships to choose from, giving players more of a chance to experiment in their encounters. Both games are part of the fictional United Galaxy Space Force universe, which combines many earlier Namco games, like Bosconian, into a flowing timeline.

Dig Dug

First Release: April 1982 | Last Release: May 2008 | Total Number of Games Released: 6

Perhaps one of the most spaced out series to exist, Dig Dug was a simple premise, you have to dig around the stage to eliminate the enemies that are buried under the dirt. Like most Namco games, it began as an arcade title, before finding success on home consoles.

The series saw a few ports of the original game, along with a sequel for it, but there were a few spin-offs as well. The Nintendo DS game is unique, as it not only combined parts of the first two games, it also had a narrative element within, that connected it to the Mr Driller series, more on that below. The last original game created in the series was a MMO game that lasted a year before being shut down. You can however find the original games in a host of Namco collections, of which there are quite a few.

.hack

First Release: March 2004 | Last Release: November 2005 | Total Number of Games Released: 5

Taking place after the events of the anime .hack//Sign, the .hack series of games was a four part series that let players experience the MMO game The World, but told as single player RPGs. That means people who like the idea of a MMO, but not the idea of playing with other people were getting the best of both worlds here.

Within the fictional game, players explore monster-infested fields and dungeons, and "Root Towns" that are free of combat. They can also log off from The World and return to a computer desktop interface which includes in-game e-mail, news, message boards, and desktop and background music customisation options. When playing the game, players were given a more action orientated RPG experience, with spells and items being selected from a menu. While the series did have four games, by the time the last one rolled around, many were not enthusiastic about it, given how little changed between each release. All four games did get a remaster treatment a few years back in one bundle, so you can enjoy them today.

Klonoa

First Release: June 1998 | Last Release: December 2002 | Total Number of Games Released: 7

There are only two main titles within the Klonoa series, the first of which was remade for Wii and both were remade for modern platforms a few years ago, but the series has a lot more adventures on handheld platforms, including the WonderSwan from Bandai.

Set across various realms, notably Phantomile and Lunatea, the games chronicle the journey of Klonoa, the Dream Traveler, as he endeavours to protect these worlds from impending dangers. Throughout his adventures, Klonoa forges alliances and rivalries, with some characters becoming staples in the series. These games stand out as pioneering examples of side-scrolling 3D gameplay, blending adventure with puzzles. A distinctive feature is Klonoa's magical ring, which fires Wind Bullet" to inflate foes, enabling him to toss them or use them to propel himself higher, achieving a double jump.

Mr Driller

First Release: November 1999 | Last Release: May 2015 | Total Number of Games Released: 13

The Mr. Driller series of games had players digging down to the bottom of a well, the challenge was that you needed to replenish your air as you did go down and the blocks you left above you, could fall and crush you, if you were not paying attention.

When the original released in 1999, the game was meant to be considered as the third entry in the Dig Dug series, see above, but it eventually became its own thing. While there have been a number of games over the years, the vast majority of them keep the same basic gameplay in tact, but each added a little more. The GameBoy Advance game added RPG elements, where as the GameCube release added more modes for players to enjoy. Many of the later entries started to use mechanics from earlier games, just in different ways. Sadly the last original release was a mobile game that was exclusive for South Korea and as you might expect is bloated with free-to-pay elements.

We Ski

First Release: June 2008 | Last Release: November 2011 | Total Number of Games Released: 3

The Wii sorry We Ski series was the first third party made game to take advantage of the Wii Balance Board and let players stand on it and ‘ski’ down the in-game slopes, the ski poles would then be replicated using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck controller.

The sequel, which released all of 9 months later added in Snowboards as an option, but mostly the gameplay was the same. Both those games let players race, entry slalom challenges and just free ski as well. The good part was that if you didn’t have a balance board or didn’t want to use one, you didn’t have to. A few years after the slopes were exhausted, the series got a spin-off game in Go Vaction, which dropped the snow for mini-games and while it did well enough, people had issues. It was given the remaster treatment for the Switch in 2018, which did address some of those complaints.

Splatterhouse

First Release: March 1989 | Last Release: July 1992 | Total Number of Games Released: 3

While beat ‘em ups are a dime a dozen, most of them either take place on the streets or in the sewers, Splatterhouse threw that out the window and put players in a house filled with monsters. The twist was that players were actually killed and then revived, with the goal of saving your girlfriend from a similar fate.

Similar to many sidescrolling beat 'em up games, Rick can only move in a two-dimensional environment. He has the ability to jump and can punch and kick. Rick also has a Special Attack, where he will perform a dropkick that sends him skidding along the ground, damaging any enemies he hits. Rick can also perform a low kick, low punch, and jumping attacks, as well as pick up and use various weapons placed in the levels. The gameplay in all three games is the same, but the story is different, they are however continuations so there is a proper narrative to follow. There was a remake of the original in 2010, but it was not that well, changing things from a brawler to a hybrid God of War/Batman Arkham game.

Valkyrie no Bōken

First Release: August 1986 | Last Release: April 1996 | Total Number of Games Released: 3

The weirdness of the Valkyrie series can not be understated, the original game played very much like Dragon Quest, with a top down view, RPG combat and more, but the third game was a prequel to that original and was a side scrolling game where you were some sort of frog thing.

The third game was actually a visual novel game and it got an audio drama version a year later, with the only true sequel being Valkyrie no Densetsu. That however was an arcade game that let there be two players, which was very different to the first game. A remake of the original was made for mobile phones, but only in Japan and as it was released in 2007, it has long since been removed from sale. Due to the weird number of genres that the series was using, there is no way that a new entry will be released, which is a shame as it does use a good amount of Norse mythology as its core.

Baten Kaitos

First Release: April 2005 | Last Release: September 2006 | Total Number of Games Released: 2

Created by the now Nintendo owned Monolith Soft, the Baten Kaitos series was created as a way to fill the void that existed on the GameCube for JRPGs, while it was a good game, it had low sales but it did well enough to get a sequel.

While you have control over the games protagonist, the game did it by you being a guardian spirit and you gave guidance to the main character. This also let the character ask you question, ala Deadpool with the fourth wall break and if you answered them properly, the character could grow as a result. The other hook for the games were that cards were a big deal, as they let you absorb objects around the world and then use them in battle. While the first game had over 1000 Magnus cards, the sequel game (which as we know by now was actually a prequel) only had around 650 cards. The second game was never released in Europe and Australia, making the recent collection on Switch the first time PAL players could enjoy the adventure.

Dragon Buster

First Release: May 1985 | Last Release: October 2000 | Total Number of Games Released: 3

The only game in the series to release outside of Japan was Dragon Valor, before various collections were released, but Valor was the third game in the Dragon Buster series. It was also a remake of the original, but also a sequel to the story the original told, which makes it quite a unique release.

The original games from the 1980s were side-scrollers, but the PlayStation game was more platformer/hack and slash, which is vastly different. While the gameplay is different all the games have a round type approach to them, the first games let players choose the paths they would take up the mountain. The PlayStation game did things a little differently, as your character would marry someone and depending on who, the next round would be a different character. The Dragon Buster game was one of the first games to include a visual health meter and a double jump mechanic, making it very special in the histories of gaming.

Mappy

First Release: April 1983 | Last Release: September 2011 | Total Number of Games Released: 6

The Mappy games had players taking on the role of Mappy, a mouse who was also a police officer, who would venture through various stages to recover items stolen by a bunch of cats, which would make them cat burglars I guess.

While the stories and settings for each of the games vary, the gameplay is the same, players enter a stage and attempt to reclaim whatever it is they are seeking. While the original game was more about stolen objects, the third game just has Mappy locating various items as requests for folks. The last original game that was released was for mobile and kept the gameplay the same, just on a much smaller screen. A few years after that game, Bandai Namco commissioned a pair of animators to make a 13 episode web series.

Xevious

First Release: February 1983 | Last Release: April 2010 | Total Number of Games Released: 11

The original game in the series released in 1983 and got a host of sequels, spin-offs and remakes and for good reason, it is beloved and many believe that the series inspired a lot of games that came after it.

Gameplay in the series consists of controlling a spaceship named the Solvalou throughout a series of levels, shooting at enemies and avoiding their projectiles. The Solvalou has two weapons, an air zapper that destroys air-based enemies and a blaster bomb that destroys ground-based enemies. Later games introduce mechanics such as additional playable ships, power-ups, protective shields, and two-player co-operative play.

Summon Night

First Release: January 2000 | Last Release: March 2016 | Total Number of Games Released: 14

Part visual novel and part dating sim, the mainline Summon Night series had a number of games that never released outside of Japan and haven’t since, in fact only two games in the mainline series was released in the West.

The spin-offs though, the West got most of them, but they were not visual novels but rather were action-rpgs or turn based strategy games. Most of the games in the spin-offs told continuing stories, but they did tend to jump across all platforms, which made things harder for fans to stay up to date with. The reception to most of the games was good, with people loving the steampunk setting. There has been no word on if the series will ever summon up a new release though.

So there we go, the Forgotten Franchises for Bandai Namco. What is interesting is that most of the games are from Namco, before they merged with Bandai to make the group we know now. What series in this list do you know and what ones might you want to see brought back?