All Time Favorite Video Game Franchise

[ABMorales787]

What is your favorite video game franchise?

For me it would have to be Megaman. To this day I still don't get tired of play Megaman Anniversary Collection in order. I grew up with the Blue Bomber, he may not be as popular today as he was in the 90's but I always look forward to any game featuring him. So... what is your fave franchise...?

 

[Lee]

I think everyone expects me to say The Legend of Zelda, but frankly it's not. Whilst absolutely amazing there are some games in the series that are just annoying.

FOr me though it would be Mario. The main series is brilliant 1,2,3, world, 64, Sunshine and galaxy, all great games. Add to that Land 1 and 2 and open to Mario Kart, golf, tennis, football and all that jazz it is a very versatile series that mixes the casual with the hardcore.

 

[Paradox]

While there are probably a lot of better franchises. I have to go with Halo, because I can constantly go back and play each game over and over again, and not get bored. Also It was the first really series of games that got me looking forward to a game. And got me into gaming...

The second would have to be splinter cell.... Great franchise right there.

 

[The Rob]

The only gaming series I have honestly say I have always loved is Resident Evil. Whilst the originals on the PS1 were flawed, their flaws almost added to the rich atmosphere. Resident Evil 4 came along and completely changed the series. It still kept the same atmosphere that made the original Resident Evil games so great, but it became a truly epic third person shooter to play. RE4 is actually in my Top 3 games of all time. Resident Evil 5 was great but (if we're honest) it wasen't gunna beat Resident Evil 4.

 

[Leafy]

Easily Mario, every sport, way to platform, and type of game imaginable has had the main character replaced with Mario. He has put out some some classics and heck, he made my most hated sport, tennis, one of my favorite games or all time.

How does he do this? Because he's fucking Mario. No matter how many times you beat the original game you go back to play it again. He's been in over 200 games. Let your mind get around that number, 200. How can you not get over-saturated with Mario? Because he shoots out the classics.

 

[Brilliant Human Being]

While I may get laughed at for this, in all honesty, my favourite video game franchise has to be the FIFA series.

Why FIFA? Well it's given me the most enjoyment of any game franchise I've ever played. Seriously, its by far the most fun I've ever had on a game, and the joy it brings when you score a 35-yarder, or pick a perfect through-ball, is unbelievable.

So yeah, FIFA.

 

[TLC]

I gotta agree Paradox, Halo is probably my favourite gaming series, the campaign may not be amazing but the multiplayer is fantastic and I can never get bored, must off spent hundreds of hours on it, whether its betraying my team or being amazing its just so much fun. Halo FTW

 

[The Todd]

Football Manager (or the Sports Interactive created Championship Manager). I have bought damn near everyone of these since 1997. It is the only game I have ever bought on the release date and it is the only game that has ever took over my life. From taking Middlesbrough to the League title on CM 00/01 to avoiding relegation with Norwich from the Premiership in FM 07, I have lived every minute of a game.

Other series I have quickly gotten tired of. The replay value of most games is not that high. Football Manager lasts forever. One guy on my course claims to have gone up to the 2032 season (he really doesn't have a life, yet I still feel pissed off the most I've managed is only four seasons).

You can start the game over again infinite amount of times and and each run through is completely different. There isn't really any need to buy any new versions of the game, yet they make them sound so good, and they deliver eveyr year, you can't help yourself.

Football Manager, by a LONG way.

 

[Platypus Palsy]

As far as series go, it would have to be Grand Theft Auto. I love Mario on the NES, SNES, and N64 but the new ones I don't like as much which takes this off of 1. I never got into Zelda. I don't have Live for my 360 so Halo isn't very playable for me. GTA has had an amazing single player experience in every game until this newest 1. It's still good but not as good.

 

[MoxViolence]

now i would probably get my ass kicked by my bro in law for not saying final fantasy or the street fighter games. but i really only like final fantasy 7 and when i comes to street fighter i only really like third strike and 4. but my ALL TIME favorite franchise hands down is super mario. every mario was classic. and that lead to 2 of my favorite games of all time also. and that is super mario world for snes and mario 64 for n64. absolutely friggin classic games. bowser's muahahahaha in mario 64 still lingers in my head.

 

[Mat FTW]

Splinter Cell. Unlike alot of games, Splinter Cell makes you go without a gun half the time. That makes the game extremely hard. You also have to stay in the dark, go through air vents, hack doors and computers, and last but not least...
SEARCH BUILDINGS

 

[Dave]

Football Manager (or the Sports Interactive created Championship Manager). I have bought damn near everyone of these since 1997. It is the only game I have ever bought on the release date and it is the only game that has ever took over my life. From taking Middlesbrough to the League title on CM 00/01 to avoiding relegation with Norwich from the Premiership in FM 07, I have lived every minute of a game.

Other series I have quickly gotten tired of. The replay value of most games is not that high. Football Manager lasts forever. One guy on my course claims to have gone up to the 2032 season (he really doesn't have a life, yet I still feel pissed off the most I've managed is only four seasons).

You can start the game over again infinite amount of times and and each run through is completely different. There isn't really any need to buy any new versions of the game, yet they make them sound so good, and they deliver eveyr year, you can't help yourself.

Football Manager, by a LONG way.

I have to agree with this. I am the exact same when it comes to Football Manager. Over the last 5 or 6 years, I have bought every single one on the released date. It is such an addictive game that you cannot help but be taken over by it as you search for supremacy in your chosen league and then in the Continental competition. It is a great game and doens't deserve some of the flak it gets from some aspects of the games review media. I think it is a great series of games and one of the most fun things I have ever done.

There is no feeling that can be expressed by taking Hereford from the conference South to winners of the Champions League 4 years in a row in under 15 years. That was my greatest achievement and something that I still talk about to my friends. A greatly addictive game that can consume everything in your life and you just don't care.

I have still to pick up the latest one but it is not for a lack of trying. I just cannot find it in games stores.

 

[Dave]

Obviously, the one I've been a fan of is WWF/E Video Games. I love wrestling.

Another franchise game that I play every single year is the DBZ games. When they went from Gameboy Advance to main consoles, I was so happy. No more did I have to use such a small screen. And now, I buy DBZ game religiously... getting the newest one this weekend.

The DBZ games have never held any appeal to me whatsoever. I'm not trying to sully your choice but I never thought of them as really good games. I mean, myself and a few of my friends played it one night when one of my friends got it. He likes DragonBall Z and picked up the Budokai 3 (I think). We played it all night and had a really good laugh with it. However, when we went back to play it on another occasion, we were just bored with it and found it tedious.

I think if it isn't your thing, you are not going to like it very much for a prolonged period of time. Add that to the fact that there is plenty of other fighting games that have done the genre a lot better than DBZ and you really don't have a great thing to hang your hat on.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I am very surprised, shocked in fact, that no one before me has mentioned Pokemon. These games have been around for years and are still excellent and addictive.

Whether it be Battle Revolution for Wii, Colosseum and XD for GameCube, Diamond/Pearl/Platinum for DS, Rangers 1 & 2 for DS, several others for DS which I've not played, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen, Ruby and Sapphire for GBA, not to mention the earlier games before these, and the ways these games all tie in together, makes for a successful and popular gaming series. With HeartGold and SoulSilver on the horizon, plus I'm sure it won't be long before there's a new Wii game or more remakes of older classics.

Definitely honourable mention to Mario, as several of you have already said, as well as Donkey Kong.

 

[X]

Without a doubt it has to be the Grand Theft Auto franchise. No franchise has ever taken up more of my free time than GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas in specific did. A close runner up would be the Halo franchise in terms of sheer hours spent playing, especially the original, but even that still doesn't compare. When GTA 3 came out it was like a global revolution in gaming; everyone was playing it, literally every person you could imagine with a slight interest in video gaming was playing that game, and for good reason. No other franchise has given you that feeling of living in your own distinct and different universe like GTA does.

I could go on and on about my love for the franchise but I've done that many times, without a doubt thought GTA gets the nod here from me.

 

[Tastycles]

There have been a few. GTA has certainly been a love of mine, as have the Donkey Kong platformers, but I'd say it probably has to be Mario. I haven't played all the spin off games, but amongst the priniciple ones, there simply isn't any weaknesses. What makes it good is the diversity between games. They have improved on the formula for every edition and made it better. It's one good game after another, and the spin offs are some of the most immensly playable games ever.

 

[Dagger Dias]

My favorite video game franchise is the Final Fantasy series. I have strong emotional ties to every single entry in the series, except for 12 since I never finished it. The best oldschool one is Final Fantasy 4 (which was released on the SNES as FF2 because of translation issues), it was my first true experience with an RPG and playing that game way back in 1991 is a big part of why I turned out the way I am today. RPG's were instantly the coolest thing ever to me, and for the most part that has remained unchanged 18 years later. Then came Final Fantasy 7, it is the most popular RPG ever and probably my pick for 2nd best RPG behind Tales of Symphonia. I have such strong nostalgic memories for this series. While I don't care for the newer ones, the old ones (1 through 10) will always have a special place in my memories until the day I die.

 

[The Doctor]

I'd say it's a tie between Mega Man and Mario. The Mario series is iconic and always fun, but that's been covered before, so...

Mega Man
Mega Man was my first obsession. The Mega Man Battle Network series enthralled me to the point that I joined a forum for the sole purpose of discussing these games, which is something I had never done before. The series has so many memories for me, and believe me, I was obsessed.
What I love about it is the fact that Capcom isn't averse to trying new things, and they always make it work. Well, except Mega Man Soccer, but we don't talk about that. Whether it be the Legends series (A shining example of how to port a 2D game to 3D), the Battle Network series (A fantastic RPG/Action hybrid with a great battle system), or even the originals (which still feel fresh today), the series is long, and full of innovation.
Truly a shining gem of a series.