Games you love that shouldn't come back

[dropsmegamega]

Probably Pandemonium!

Thanks for your service, you were awesome and sparked my imagination like no other when I was a kid... But your gameplay is sheer torture and I wouldn't want to see you brutalized by modern gamers unable to understand you.

I first played these series around 2020 and found then pretty good, principally the first game. Huge 2.5D levels with lots of verticality, multiple paths to the point you get lost and levels that aren't afraid to get WEIRD! I really wish we got more 2.5D like this and Klonoa, that actually use full 3D environments and paths that follow different angles.

 

[Tonberry]

Earthworm Jim

Neither of the original games were actually particularly stellar apart from the sheer wackiness (which still makes them worth checking out nowadays), and Doug is too far gone to be able to make something without turning it into religious allegory, but at the same time I don’t think anyone else should, or could, lead an Earthworm Jim game (especially since Interplay owns the game rights afaik) because it’s his brainchild, so it’s probably a cursed IP at this point.

 

[Graves Ruinwalker]

I have several .

-Dead or Alive / Ninja Gaiden
Even when Ninja Gaiden 4 is in developement and it could be the best game ever , DOA and Ninja Gaiden really bloomed with Tomunobu Itagaki and he knew what he wanted to make with these two franchises and how to design it . Even collections and remakes wouldnt do justice with those franchises.

-Dino Crisis
Capcom had so much time to reboot/remake this franchise but nowadays i prefer that DC stay dead because how the RE games and their remakes became a whole different thing than it actually was . Capcoms missed opportunity besides a Darkstalkers revival and making an actual good Dragons Dogma 2 .

-Jazz Jackrabbit
No . They shouldnt . Its like gex but more subtle and an attitude that could be more than just 2 games but its better to stay that franchise dead .

-Castlevania
What Konami did to Silent Hill lately is rather dissapointing totally off from its design how the franchise is. Lords of Shadows was a nice try to reboot/remake the franchise but still failed as a Castlevania game and its a great example that making new franchises would be the better option than taking existing IP that didnt get much action lately and change it into something that is kinda like it but is bound to be changed into something totally different . The Netflix-castlevania was another evidence how it mutated itsself into something completly different that didnt depicted what its actually supposed to be . Give me spiritual successors instead .

 

[Tonberry]

-Jazz Jackrabbit
No . They shouldnt . Its like gex but more subtle and an attitude that could be more than just 2 games but its better to stay that franchise dead .

I doubt they'd ever actually bring it back at this point, but I think they could still make it work. It's not dated in the same way Gex is, but I'm not sure how I'd do it myself.
Love Jazz 2 though, I play through it almost annually.

Actually, the more I think about it, a run-and-gun game with a heavy focus on movement sounds like it would be really popular in this day and age, since cool movement seems to be what attracts people to 2D platformers the most nowadays, and Jazz 2 had a huge focus on movement back then so it'd probably be easy to not make it feel out-of-place.

 

[TruxtonTatsujin TruxtonTatsujin]

Earthworm Jim

Neither of the original games were actually particularly stellar apart from the sheer wackiness (which still makes them worth checking out nowadays), and Doug is too far gone to be able to make something without turning it into religious allegory, but at the same time I don’t think anyone else should, or could, lead an Earthworm Jim game (especially since Interplay owns the game rights afaik) because it’s his brainchild, so it’s probably a cursed IP at this point.

There was a new show planned but apart from this teaser nothing has come of it. I guess it was cancelled.

Then there was that fake teaser for a new game., but that was wrapped up in Tommy Tallarico's Amico scam so no surprise that nothing came of that.

I agree that we don't need another Earthworm Jim game, it's one of those series that's great because of how 90's it is. If they made one now they would do the whole "ironically 90's" thing which is hella lame. I hate when things try and parody themselves.

 

[Graves Ruinwalker]

I doubt they'd ever actually bring it back at this point, but I think they could still make it work. It's not dated in the same way Gex is, but I'm not sure how I'd do it myself.
Love Jazz 2 though, I play through it almost annually.

I agree . It is possible but Cliffy B. was the brain for the series and even he is rather out of the gaming industry lately .
Jazz 2 was the peak 2D-platformer on pc with no doubt .

I would have an idea how to make a great sequel to it (except making it 3D) . Same gameplay as Jazz 2 with some new cool ideas and just beefing up the level-count but giving different goals for entering different levels . Good Replayability , still fun and a bit more to chew on .

But thats my two cents about it.

 

[Scum Of Orion]

Fable
1 was a classic, 2 was an improvement in most ways, and 3 was an unsuccesful attempt to streamline too far.
Its humor feels like a part of the older gen of gaming they came from, and the idea of not having an underachieving over promiser trying to jam as much as he can into a mediocre RPG to make something unique just doesn't sit right. Peter Molyneux in a weird way had a magic touch at just making it its own thing.
Fable the Journey left things confused, and the lack of info on 4 despite that now, 2 years?, old trailer means something isn't going right.

Also Escape from Monkey Island, and any of the Sierra Quest games.
So hard to recapture that magic for most studios, even the original creators struggle. maybe a case of art through adversity from technical limitations that mostly doesn't exist except for people making art from limitation purposefully, which most old devs don't want to do.

 

[88cmflak]

I have several .

What Konami did to Silent Hill lately is rather dissapointing totally off from its design how the franchise is.

This. I'm genuinely scared of Konami trying to remake or make sequel of their IPs. On the other hand It's not like Resident Evil series has always been good and consistent. So there might still be a chance for the series heading toward the right direction.

 

[Nickakyoin]

I think they should have stopped after 4. I think 4 perfected the series but 5 made it more accessible losing a lot of the original appeal in the proses.

Unfortunately I'm in the case of starting to appreciate the MegaTen series mainly thanks to vanilla Persona 5. I did had Persona 3 FES and P4 Golden (which ofc I finished after), but P5 had that stimulating factor that made me loving it and make me discover the universe, unlike way too many people that just wanted to replay the same game over and over.
I actually wish I could have got my hands on SMT IV (and also Apocalypse, sure, I heard good things of that one as well) instead, in many aspects. That game/duology is so good and addictive as well.

 

[BigTony]

Earthworm Jim

Neither of the original games were actually particularly stellar apart from the sheer wackiness (which still makes them worth checking out nowadays), and Doug is too far gone to be able to make something without turning it into religious allegory, but at the same time I don’t think anyone else should, or could, lead an Earthworm Jim game (especially since Interplay owns the game rights afaik) because it’s his brainchild, so it’s probably a cursed IP at this point.

I love Doug and would love to see him work on another game but I understand why people find him offputting. I heard the Earth Worm Jim comic he did a few years ago and was pretty good but I haven't gotten a chance to read yet myself.

Post automatically merged: Oct 18, 2025

Unfortunately I'm in the case of starting to appreciate the MegaTen series mainly thanks to vanilla Persona 5. I did had Persona 3 FES and P4 Golden (which ofc I finished after), but P5 had that stimulating factor that made me loving it and make me discover the universe, unlike way too many people that just wanted to replay the same game over and over.
I actually wish I could have got my hands on SMT IV (and also Apocalypse, sure, I heard good things of that one as well) instead, in many aspects. That game/duology is so good and addictive as well.

Mechanically and graphically it's great I understand why it resonated with so many people. My main problem with it was the writing. I'm not gonna call anyone that loves 5 a fake fan of anything because admittedly I only like 3 and 4 so I wouldn't even call myself an SMT or Persona fan