What are your top 10 favorite video game franchises?

For me:

1. Super Smash Bros.- it really appeals to my inner video game nerd more than any other game franchise

2. Sonic the Hedgehog- Great gameplay overall, and I generally like how it doesn't use the damsel-in-distress trope

3. Starfox- The first gaming franchise with a complex plotline that I got into

4. Mega Man - I really like the nonlinearity of the games. And the fact that you copy a boss's powers helps.

5. Super Mario- An overall fun franchise. Always a great multiplayer experience with frienda (New series, Party, Kart, and Sports)

6. F-Zero- A fun racing series. I LOVE the sense of speed the games have

7. Metroid- I love the sense of exploration, one of the few game franchises to feature a female protagonist.

8. The Legend of Zelda- Again, love the sense of exploration

9. Castlevania- Hard, but fun

10. Donkey Kong- I love the gameplay and controls of the SNES Trilogy. I really want more DKC games that have the switching feature of the SNES trilogy

edited 23rd Apr '14 4:34:11 PM by powerpuffbats

Unless you're going to explain what you like about them, what makes them your favorite games of all, this is just a list thread. We discourage those. We want conversations here, not just hit-and-run posting.

I'm not locking this yet, but I will if it stays 'just lists'.

• Kirby: The pink puff is pretty darned charming. The platformers are solid, and this seems to be the franchise that gets the most experimental games, which is cool.
• TimeSplitters: It's highly customizable and pretty funny. The series hit its stride with Future Perfect. Shame no games have been released since.
• Sly Cooper: I love the heist setups of the second game onwards, and the cartoony feel of it.
• Batman: Arkham: Slowly incapacitating crooks one by one, and listening those who remain slowly become more freaked out hasn't gotten old yet.
• Metroid Prime: Exploration in first-person totally works, and is super-immersive.
• Persona: The story, characters and persona customization are big draws for me.
• Rock Band: One of the best co-op games I've played. I love how much the games make you feel like a rock star.
• Uncharted: It's the situations and settings the series puts me in that I enjoy.
• Ratchet & Clank: Crazy weapons and great humor are what make this series.
• Burnout: No other racing game series packs as much high-speed excitement as this one for me. Takedown is still my top favorite to this day.

Can't list all 10 tho due to that either I only like only a few games in a series (only 1 or 2), or it's a single game with expansions (which doesn't exactly count as proper series)

• Homeworld: One of the best RTS series ever. First use of full 3d, including movement. Awesome setting, story, music, art design!
• STALKER: Because artifacts hunting, fighting mutants, bandits, military, mercs, Monolith troops is awesome. IMO probably the best open-world FPS.
• Metro: Post-apocalypse Russia is a damn good setting. Sure it's linear story romp, but its low key story and worldbuilding pulls me in a LOT.
• X (ones by Egosoft, not Monolith): Slow-paced yes, but all things considered I don't think there's really any space sim that also let you start business empire (other than Evochron). IMO the setting's story and such is also extremely interesting...shame that Rebirth is shit tho.
• Divinity: Crazy and good humor, being able to manipulate objects in RPG world WAY more than what any other game is possible (yes including things like Elder Scrolls), and it's always good to see less serious RPG.
• Dept Heaven: The only Japanese series I actually like. Each game has unique gameplay, the art is cute (got introduced to Satoko Kiyuzuki after playing Riviera, is now her fan), the setting is pretty cool...other than the thing about racism, especially in Gungnir where it's as subtle as anvil to the face.

Also OP seems to like a lot of Ninty games...

edited 24th Apr '14 8:50:35 AM by onyhow

I love Nintendo more than any other gaming company. I grew up playing Gamecube and GBA long before I got the OG Xbox, PS 2, and Dreamcast. IN fact, I had a Wii, N64, and SNES before I got those consoles as well.