| 1 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1548268303063934600 |
| 2 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 3 | %% |
| 4 | [[quoteright:349:[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mario_long_runner.png]]]] |
| 5 | [[caption-width-right:349:As the decades go on, Mario still stands strong.]] |
| 6 | |
| 7 | Video games as a medium are significantly younger than [[LongRunners TV]] or {{print|LongRunners}}, but that doesn't mean that there aren't a few classics of the genre. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | Some games are memorable for their [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic soundtracks]], using the limited soundchips and internal speakers of their time to make a work of sonic art that is instantly recognized years later. Sometimes the story paints an epic that draws in the player until they suddenly come up for air at 3:00 AM wondering what happened to the day, or it just has that JustOneMoreLevel effect that causes the same. Some games have a character that is like the imaginary friend that grows up with you, and is always ready to welcome you back for a visit. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | And then there's those that have the total package. The winners of the test of time and [[TechnologyMarchesOn advancing technology]]. Here we honor the Video Game Long Runners. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | To be added, a franchise should have at least six games (barring e.g. mobile spin-offs) and span at least ten years. Alternatively, franchises based around a single or couple of games running on a continuous update model (e.g. live-service games, {{M|assivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame}}MOs, {{M|ultiplayerOnlineBattleArena}}OBAs) should have had significant content updates between those games during at least ten different years. Sports games based on real-world leagues are generally disqualified, since they get an update every year. %%at this point I honestly don’t think that sports games should be disqualified, but one change to the rules to reflect the changing nature of popular, long-lasting games franchises at a time. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | '''A Administrivia/{{No Recent Examples|Please}} rule applies to this trope''' and examples shouldn't be added until '''10 years''' after the game franchise or system debuted. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | The presence of CapcomSequelStagnation is of course, up for debate. |
| 18 | ---- |
| 19 | !!Examples: |
| 20 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 21 | [[index]] |
| 22 | [[folder:Video Game Examples]] |
| 23 | * ''Franchise/AceAttorney'': Originally released for the Platform/GameBoyAdvance in Japan in 2001, although not seen in the U.S. until the Platform/NintendoDS port in 2005. Features eleven releases, including two ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'' games, one crossover and two prequels. |
| 24 | * ''VideoGame/AceCombat'': Starting with the two arcade games in 1992 and 1995, includes 8 major console releases alongside five games for the Platform/GameBoyAdvance, iPhone, Platform/PlayStationPortable, and Platform/Nintendo3DS. |
| 25 | * ''VideoGame/AdventureIsland'': Originally an adaptation of ''VideoGame/WonderBoy'' before growing into its own series. From 1986 to 2009, 9 games were released. |
| 26 | * ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'': Originally released in 1997, now up to five mainline entries, many {{Expansion Pack}}s and re-releases, and several games in the series remain actively updated. The most recent game, ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIV'', was released in 2021. |
| 27 | ** ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' holds a special distinction for how long it has remained actively supported. Originally released in 1999 with an ExpansionPack, ''The Conquerers'', in 2000. Received a ''HD Edition'' in 2013 and a ''Definitive Edition'' in 2019, both of which have received several expansion packs of their own with the latest, ''The Mountain Royals'', releasing in 2023. |
| 28 | ** ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'' also has a respectable run of its own: The original game came out in 2005, with two expansion packs in 2006 and 2008. Got a ''Definitive Edition'' re-release in 2020, which in-turn received two expansion packs of its own with the most recent, ''Knights of the Mediterranean'', also releasing in 2022. |
| 29 | * ''Franchise/AnimalCrossing'': Started in 2001 with a release for the Platform/Nintendo64. The game saw an [[PolishedPort Enhanced Port]] to the Platform/GameCube two years later, plus a Japan-only second UpdatedReRelease to the [=GameCube=] version. A true sequel came along in 2006 with ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingWildWorld'' for the Platform/NintendoDS, which was followed up by a sequel for the Platform/NintendoWii as ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingCityFolk'' just two years later. The franchise would then go silent until 2013 where finally a fourth sequel would be released under the title ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf'' for the Platform/Nintendo3DS. The series would again only see side title releases like ''Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival'', a party game for the Wii U, ''Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer'' for the Nintendo 3DS and ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingPocketCamp'' for smart phones, as well as a UpdatedReRelease of ''New Leaf'' (now subtitled ''Welcome Amiibo'') before finally seeing a true fifth sequel, ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons'', released for the Platform/NintendoSwitch, in early 2020. Five main games, two [[UpdatedRerelease updated re-releases]] (three in the Japanese region) and three ''[[GaidenGame Gaiden Games]]'' in all, spanning 19 years. |
| 30 | * ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore'' - 15 games (five main installments and about ten [[MissionPackSequel mission pack sequels]] and spin-offs), along with some mobile phone and Platform/{{P|layStationPortable}}SP ports, were all released from 1997-2013. Followed by a [[SequelGap sixth main entry]] (sixteenth overall) in 2023. |
| 31 | * ''VideoGame/{{Asphalt}}'': First released in 2004 with ''Asphalt Urban GT'' for the Platform/NGage and mobile phones and as a launch title for the Platform/NintendoDS, the series has had nine main entries, plus ports for portable consoles and personal computers, along with spinoff games and a [[ProductPlacement promotional tie-in]] with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY4MQ_os4dc Audi]] where a limited version of ''Asphalt 6: Adrenaline'' was made as part of a contest, the main prize being an Audi [=RS3=]. |
| 32 | * ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'': Released in 2007 with thirteen main games and various spinoff games. Plus some comic books, regular books, and movies to boot. |
| 33 | * ''VideoGame/AtelierSeries'': The first title, ''[[VideoGame/AtelierMarieTheAlchemistOfSalburg Atelier Marier: The Alchemist of Salburg]]'', came out in Japan in 1997. Since then, it's gotten at least one new instalment per year, other than a break between the second and third titles (''Atelier Elie'' came out in 1998, ''Atelier Lilie'' in 2001). |
| 34 | * ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}'': Twelve games, twelve expansion packs, and a ton of DLC. The series began in 2002 with ''VideoGame/Battlefield1942'' and has had five following main entries[[note]]''Battlefield 2'', ''3'', ''4'', ''1'', and ''V''[[/note]] since its release, plus sci-fi spin-offs ''Battlefield 2142'' and ''Battlefield 2042'', ''Battlefield Vietnam'', the two ''Bad Company'' games, and ''Battlefield Hardline''. |
| 35 | * ''VideoGame/BackyardSports'': The series started in 1997 and put out installments every year through 2010. |
| 36 | * VideoGame/{{Bemani}} games in general: |
| 37 | ** ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'': Launched in 1998. As of this writing, there have been 18 main series arcade installments released, plus countless console versions. Currently the oldest active Bemani series that didn't start out as a spin-off. |
| 38 | ** ''VideoGame/PopNMusic'': Launched in 1998, currently at 27 installments. |
| 39 | ** ''VideoGame/GuitarFreaks'' was first released in February 1999, and its sister game ''VideoGame/DrumMania'' came along in July that year alongside ''[=GuitarFreaks=] 2nd Mix''. They're now up to 30 and 29 installments respectively and still counting. |
| 40 | ** ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}} IIDX'': Launched in 1999 as a SpinOff of the original ''beatmania'' (which started in 1997). The current version is ''beatmania IIDX 31 EPOLIS''[[note]]However, ''beatmania IIDX substream'' falls outside of the usual numbering conventions, so this is actually the ''32nd'' arcade game in the series.[[/note]]. |
| 41 | ** ''VideoGame/{{Jubeat}}'': Debuting in July 2008, it currently spans 10 titles. |
| 42 | * ''VideoGame/BishiBashi'': The MinigameGame series with numerous arcade, Platform/PlayStation, and mobile titles since 1996. |
| 43 | * ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster'': ActionAdventure series by Creator/{{Sunsoft}}. After a run of 5 games from 1988 to 2010, a reboot trilogy beginning with ''VideoGame/BlasterMasterZero'' brings the franchise to a total of 8 releases. There is also the matter of ''VideoGame/RoboWarrior'': a game that predates ''Blaster Master'' but had a sequel retooled into a game for the series. That would make it 9 games for the franchise. |
| 44 | * ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'': Creator/ArcSystemWorks' SpiritualSuccessor to their ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' franchise has become a long-runner on its own. From 2008 to 2018, there have been four main games, four [[UpdatedRerelease Updated Re-releases]] and five elligible spin-offs. |
| 45 | * ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'': This little guy's branched out a lot. See Website/ThatOtherWiki's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bomberman_(series) entry]] for details. |
| 46 | * ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'': six games and roughly three expansion packs worth of DLC[[note]]some 15 episodic [=DLCs=] averaging 5 to 8 hours a piece, with each adding new weapons, enemies, and areas.[[/note]] have been released since 2009, plus some mobile and browser spin-offs, novels, comics, and board games. |
| 47 | * ''VideoGame/BubbleBobble'': Nine games in the main series since 1986, six more games in the ''Rainbow Islands'' spinoff series, and another dozen [[VideoGame/BubbleBobble Puzzle Bobble]]/Bust-a-Move PuzzleGame spinoffs. The spinoffs themselves are long runners in their own right, with ''Rainbow Islands'' starting in 1987 and ''Puzzle Bobble'' starting in 1994. |
| 48 | * ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'': The first game was released in 2003, and as of 2024 there has been a total of 21 games in the main series (and a three-company development cycle that ensures one game per year), with dozens more spin-off games, [=DLCs=], and media. |
| 49 | * ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'': A franchise that started on the NES in 1986, and has been going ever since. The series has dozens of titles across myriad systems, and helped define numerous game and horror tropes. |
| 50 | * The ''Chessmaster'' series of computer games is on its eleventh installment, and dates back to 1986. |
| 51 | * The ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' series has seen six distinct versions starting from 1991, beefed-up re-issues of ''II'' and ''IV'', eleven expansion packs (two each for ''II'', ''III'', ''IV'', and ''V'', and three for ''VI''), and [[SpiritualSuccessor spiritual successors]] ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'' and ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth.'' Also including {{Spin Off}}s like VideoGame/CallToPower or VideoGame/FreeCiv. Its latest content, ''The New Frontier'' expansion for ''VI'', released in 2021. |
| 52 | * ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'': As a franchise, it ran from 1995 to 2010 (with mobile and browser games coming out infrequently afterwards) for a grand total of nine games (five ''Tiberian'', three ''Red Alert'', one ''Generals'') and eight expansion packs (three ''Tiberian'', four ''Red Alert'', one ''Generals''). |
| 53 | * Konami's ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' series dates back to the coin-operated original in 1987. Although, the new games are not produced at the same rate as other Konami franchises, it has still managed to accumulate 18 original installments on consoles and portables throghout the years, the latest ones being ''VideoGame/HardCorpsUprising'' in 2011. |
| 54 | * ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'': Five versions and several spinoffs since 2000. |
| 55 | * ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'': Eighteen games, including the eight core platformers, eight spin-offs, and two remakes. 1996-present. |
| 56 | * The ''VideoGame/{{Darius}}'' series by Taito. Nine unique games since 1986, as well as multiple ports and remakes. |
| 57 | * ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' - Six main titles, two compilations, several {{Updated Rerelease}}s, and four volleyball spin-offs. Running since 1996, though it did have a four-year hiatus between 2005 and 2010, after creator Tomonobu Itagaki left Tecmo. |
| 58 | * ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'': Started life as a recycled concept of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' in 2001, it was well-received as the defining game of Stylish Hack and Slash Action genre with nods and references to ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' . Five main games, with the latest being ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' released in 2019, along with an AlternateContinuity spin-off, some re-releases called ''Special Editions'', remasters, and pachinko derivatives. Like ''Grand Theft Auto'' below, [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening the third game]] easily overshadows the first two with more defined features and story, and helped rising [[Creator/ReubenLangdon Reuben Langdon's]] career to stardom. |
| 59 | * ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'': For a long time the most prominent competition against ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' in the {{Mons}} genre. Just like its rival series, it has spawned several games: over 25 titles since 1998, across multiple systems. |
| 60 | * ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'': Since 2003 with seven games in its main series (numbered games up to 6, and ''VideoGame/DisgaeaD2'' which is a direct sequel to the storyline of the first game) and spinoffs. Some say it is part of the ''Marl Kingdom'' series, which has been around slightly longer (since 1998), but the ''Disgaea'' series is a long runner in its own right. |
| 61 | * The ''Divinity'' series began inconscpicuously in 2002 with ''VideoGame/DivineDivinity'' and officially moved into the long-runner territory in [[VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSin 2014]] or [[VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII 2017]], depending on whether you count ''VideoGame/DivinityIITheDragonKnightSaga'' as [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo one game or two]]. Counting ''II'' as one game, it currently has six games with a seventh planned but on hold indefinitely. It is still going strong, thanks to its major crowd-funding successes. |
| 62 | * ''{{VideoGame/Dokapon}}'': Since 1993 on the Platform/SuperFamicom with entries on several console and handheld platforms, including a now-defunct online version. However, other than the [=PS2=]/Wii ''VideoGame/DokaponKingdom'' and DS ''Dokapon Journey'', none of those games were released in the US. |
| 63 | * ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong''[=/=]''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry''. Two series, but possibly the oldest franchise in much of video games. First arcade game released in 1981, which was also [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]]'s gaming debut, with ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' released in 1994 and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' released in February 2014. |
| 64 | * The ''VideoGame/DonPachi'' series by Creator/{{Cave}}: 6 games in the main arcade series since 1995, plus a bunch of spin-offs and ports. |
| 65 | * ''Franchise/{{Doom}}'': The TropeCodifier of the FirstPersonShooter genre, to the point before "FPS games" even had their name, they were called "''Doom'' clones". Starting with 1993's ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', the series has had six main entries,[[note]]''Doom'', ''Doom II'', ''Doom 64'', ''Doom 3'', ''DOOM'' (2016), and ''DOOM Eternal''.[[/note]] almost a dozen spin-offs and official {{Expansion Pack}}s,[[note]]''Ultimate Doom'', ''Final Doom'', two ''Doom RPG'' entries, "The Master Levels" and "No Rest For The Living" for ''Doom II'', "Resurrection of Evil" and "The Lost Mission" for ''Doom III'', "The Ancient Gods, Part One" and "The Ancient Gods, Part Two" for ''DOOM Eternal''.[[/note]] two films, a comic, a tabletop game, multiple novels, and hundreds of {{Game Mod}}s that continue to this day. |
| 66 | * ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients'' (also known as ''DOTA''): Released in 2003, it's one of two major [[TropeCodifier codifiers]] of the MultiplayerOnlineBattleArena genre, alongside fellow long-runner ''League of Legends'' (which came out six years later). While it started as a Warcraft 3 mod, it has since developed into an entirely separate, continuously updated game in the form of ''VideoGame/Dota2'' which has been getting regular updates since its closed beta started in 2010. It has also received a (now defunct) card game spinoff in the form of ''VideoGame/{{Artifact}}'' and an auto-battler spinoff, ''VideoGame/DotaUnderlords''. |
| 67 | * ''VideoGame/DoubleDragon'': BeatEmUp series by Technos. One of the most popular and enduring examples in the genre, spawning 9 main games since 1987, along with reworked ports of the second and third titles and a crossover with ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}''. |
| 68 | * ''Franchise/DragonQuest'' (Dragon Warrior) - 11 mainline titles as of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'' (excluding ports and expansions), plus spinoffs such as ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonsters'' (itself a long runner, going since 1999 with 10+ titles). Celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2016. |
| 69 | * ''VideoGame/DukeNukem'': Starting in 1991 with a side-scrolling platformer, the franchise has become known for its successful GenreShift into a FirstPersonShooter. Up until 2011 there have been 11 games: 4 main titles and 7 spin-offs. |
| 70 | * ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' and by extension, the whole ''Warriors''/''Musou'' franchise either started in 1997 with ''Dynasty Warriors''[[note]]''Sangoku Musou''[[/note]], a fighting game for the Platform/PlayStation, or in 2000 with ''Dynasty Warriors 2''[[note]]''Shin Sangoku Musou''[[/note]], a very early Platform/PlayStation2 hack and slash game which is the codifier of all other games in the franchise which spans over a dozen games. Creator/{{Koei|Tecmo}} officially uses the latter game for counting {{Milestone Celebration}}s in Japan. |
| 71 | ** The Japan-set ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' is currently on its fifth main installment since it launched in 2004. |
| 72 | ** The ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi'' crossover series was first launched in 2007, and has been going strong since. WordOfGod is that they wanted to end the series on the third installment (released in 2011), but it became such a hit in Japan to justify continuing the series. |
| 73 | * ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' is the oldest continuous WesternRPG series that began with ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsArena Arena]]'' in 1994 and survived the mid-90s genre crash/crisis that killed off its major competition (''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Wizardry}}'', ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic'', the VideoGame/GoldBox, etc...), and is still going strong. Even the companies making those competing games also ended up going out of business (3DO) or dissolved by parent companies (Origin Systems). Meanwhile {{Creator/Bethesda}} ended up growing into a ''larger'' company ([=ZeniMax=] Media, which was later purchased by Creator/XboxGameStudios) while maintaining their independence. It includes five games in the main series with seven expansion packs,[[note]]Depending on how you choose to count things, you can argue there are only three. The third, fourth, and fifth games each have about the same amount of add-on content, expanding base content by about a third, but III and IV divided it into two downloads while V divided into three. All were later bundled together.[[/note]] plus an MMO with four expansion packs of its own. |
| 74 | * ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy'' series: 5 mainline games, 3 spinoffs (BulletHell games ''VideoGame/BulletHeaven'' and ''VideoGame/BulletHeaven2'' and platformer ''VideoGame/AdventureStory''), and one CompilationRerelease (the ''Epic Battle Fantasy Collection'') starting in 2009. |
| 75 | * ''VideoGame/EuroTruckSimulator 2'': Released in 2012, still actively updated with map expansions and new patches over a decade and counting. |
| 76 | * ''VideoGame/EveOnline'' stands as one of the few long runners of the MMORPG genre, a year older than even ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''. First released in May of 2003, the game is still actively updated with new patches and free expansions. |
| 77 | * The ''Falcon'' hardcore F-16 flight sim series is a long runner in a different way. The first game was released in 1984, and the latest game, Falcon 4.0, came out way back in 1998. However, a dedicated community has maintained this up to the present day, with mod package BMS 4.33 coming out on October 30, 2015. |
| 78 | * ''Franchise/{{Fallout}}'' has five main installments with the first being released in 1997 (the four numbered games plus ''Videogame/FalloutNewVegas'') and the spinoffs ''Videogame/FalloutTactics'', ''Videogame/FalloutBrotherhoodOfSteel'', and ''VideoGame/Fallout76''. ''3'', ''4'', ''New Vegas'', and ''76'' also each have 20-40 hours of DLC stories (released between installments), each game's collective DLC having enough content for a good-sized expansion pack complete with new stories, locations, enemies, weapons, items, and characters. Other franchise content includes a mobile game (''Fallout: Survivor''), four tabletop games, a short graphic novel (''All Roads''), [[Series/Fallout2024 a television series]], and a series bible. |
| 79 | * ''Franchise/FarCry'' has become an FPS staple since its first release in 2004. Since then, there have been seven main games (''Far Cry 1/Instincts/Vengeance'',[[note]]The game was simply called ''Far Cry'' on the PC; the Xbox port with changed story and gameplay was called ''Instincts''. The even more modified port for the Wii was called ''Vengeance''.[[/note]] ''Far Cry 2'', ''Far Cry 3'', ''Far Cry 4'', ''Far Cry Primal'', ''Far Cry 5'' and ''Far Cry 6'') and three [[MissionPackSequel standalone]] [[ExpansionPack expansion packs]] (''Far Cry Instincts: Evolution'', ''Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon'', and ''Far Cry 5: New Dawn''), plus a few DLC episodes for ''4'' and ''5''. |
| 80 | * ''VideoGame/FatalFury'': Creator/{{SNK}}'s first FightingGame franchise. Once their flagship series before it got outshined by ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', though it still spanned a total of 13 games between 1991 and 2007. |
| 81 | * ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'': Not even remotely "final" at ''all''. Industry legend has it that it was named such because it was the last gasp of a struggling Square Soft. It was a hit, and the rest is history. The series celebrated its 30-year anniversary on December 18, 2017. |
| 82 | ** ''Franchise/CompilationOfFinalFantasyVII'', spawned from the franchise's [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII most iconic installment]], was active between 1997 and 2014, put into a hiatus for some years (although its characters continued to appear in other Square Enix games), before returning in a big way with [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake the 2020 remake]][[spoiler:, which isn't actually a remake, but a SoftReboot that sets up a new series]]. |
| 83 | ** The online ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' itself has been going on since 2002, with five expansions and other add-ons. It was supported for consoles through the end of ''March 2016'', and ''still is'' supported for PC. |
| 84 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', another online game, was released in 2010, shut down in 2012, and re-launched in 2013. The game would go on to receive four major expansions, with fifth scheduled for summer 2024. |
| 85 | * ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' has been considered a mainstay of the SRPG genre since its debut in 1990, though the series didn't leave Japan until the ''seventh'' game was released in North America in ''2003''. There are 17 main games (including three remakes), with a 17th coming in 2023, several spin-offs, anime and manga adaptations. |
| 86 | * ''VideoGame/FireProWrestling'' has a huge library of games, [[NoExportForYou though most people outside Japan don't know about most of them]]. |
| 87 | * ''VideoGame/FortuneStreet'' has been around since 1991 with over 10 games released, not that most people outside Japan would know it since it was never officially released outside Japan until the Wii version in 2011. |
| 88 | * ''{{VideoGame/Frogger}}'' is mainly known for its arcade title, but that didn't stop it from spawning several sequels during the early 2000s. Examples include ''Frogger II'', ''Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge'', ''Frogger: The Great Quest'', ''Frogger's Adventures: Temple of the Frog'', and ''Frogger Beyond'', to name a few. |
| 89 | * The original ''VideoGame/GameAndWatch'' line lasted for eleven years, from Ball in 1980 to Mario the Juggler in 1991. This is not counting the UpdatedRerelease ''Gallery'' series, which ran from 1997 to 2002. |
| 90 | * Creator/FromSoftware's "Souls-like" SubGenre[=/=]series has had seven games and five {{D|ownloadableContent}}LC {{Expansion Pack}}s spanning 15 years so far.[[note]]''Elden Ring'', ''Bloodborne'', and ''Dark Souls'' got one major DLC each. ''Dark Souls 2'' and ''Dark Souls 3'' got three and two episodic [=DLCs=] respectively, that were linked to each other (the former under the name ''The Lost Crowns'') and each collectively equaled about an expansion pack's worth of content.[[/note]] Starting from a low-budget project that was set to be killed before changing directions and pulling together at the last second, the first installment was surprisingly successful (especially overseas) which led to the greenlighting of the ''Dark Souls'' trilogy and its successors. All installments have been critically acclaimed and the series has collectively over 80 million copies as of 2024 ([[https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/07/01/dark-souls-franchise-sales-pass-8-million-mark a few]] [[https://gamingbolt.com/demons-souls-remake-has-shipped-over-2-million-units-returnal-at-1-million million]] for ''Demon's Souls'' and its remake, [[https://gameworldobserver.com/2023/12/20/playstation-game-sales-bloodborne-days-gone-7-million 8 million for Bloodborne]], [[https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/files/ir/integrated/pdf/2023EN_fact.pdf 35 million for Dark Souls]], [[https://www.ign.com/articles/fromsoftwares-sekiro-shadows-die-twice-sells-10-million-copies 10 million for Sekiro]], and [[https://www.statista.com/statistics/1300663/elden-ring-sales-worldwide/ 23+ million Elden Ring]]), on top of creating an entire subgenre for other studios to chase. The first game was ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' in February 2009, and the latest is ''VideoGame/EldenRing'', in February 2022 (with the expansion ''Shadow of the Erdtree'' following in June 2024). There were also remasters of ''Dark Souls'' and ''Demon's Souls''. |
| 91 | * ''VideoGame/FrontMission'': Creator/SquareEnix's HumongousMecha RPG franchise has accumulated 5 main games and 7 elligible spin-off titles since 1995. |
| 92 | * ''VideoGame/GanbareGoemon'': Creator/{{Konami}} franchise known for its cartoony graphics and take on Japanese mythology and humor. Since its original arcade release in 1986, it saw about 25 games released up until 2009. |
| 93 | * ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'': seven games (plus a remaster and a smattering of DLC) since 2006, including five numbered installments, one prequel, and one turn-based tactics spin-off. |
| 94 | * Since the first title in the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series on the Platform/PlayStation2, Kratos' story has been chronicled in eight canonical games (six on the various iterations of [=PlayStation=] and two on the Platform/PlayStationPortable), as well as a non-canonical mobile game for phones. ''3'' also got a remake and ''Ragnarok'' got an expansion. |
| 95 | * ''VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins'': NintendoHard platform series by Creator/{{Capcom}}. Running since 1985 with its 6th main game released in 2021. There are also two {{Updated Rerelease}}s; a lesser known puzzle spin-off for the Platform/SegaSaturn; the ''VideoGame/GargoylesQuest'' trilogy and the SpiritualSuccessor ''Maximo'' duology (''VideoGame/MaximoGhostsToGlory'' and ''VideoGame/MaximoVsArmyOfZin''). 12 elligible games in total. |
| 96 | * ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' made his debut in 1983 on the Platform/Commodore64 and since then, he has starred in over ''40'' video games. |
| 97 | * ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe'': BeatEmUp series by Creator/{{Sega}}, known for its SwordAndSorcery setting. It started in 1989 for the arcades and its last game so far was its 8th installment, 2008's ''Golden Axe: Beast Rider''. |
| 98 | * The ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'' series has five mainline games (with various console ports for at least the first two) and numerous spin-offs such (such as ''Salamander'', the MSX ''Nemesis'' trilogy, ''Gradius Gaiden'', ''Gradius Advance'' and ''Gradius [=ReBirth=]'') since 1985. |
| 99 | * ''Videogame/GrandTheftAuto''. Five main games, ten spinoffs. Operating since 1997. [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII The third main game]] [[SequelDisplacement overshadowing the ones that came before.]] |
| 100 | * ''VideoGame/GranTurismo'': Sony-exclusive racing franchise, known for its multitude of available car brands, as well as its high-production values. Running strong since 1997 with 11 games released. |
| 101 | * ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'': Creator/ArcSystemWorks flagship PowerOfRock fighting game series that started with 1998's ''Guilty Gear: The Missing Link'' and has since grown to encompass 20+ releases across arcade, console and handheld systems. |
| 102 | * ''VideoGame/{{Habbo}}'': A game and a social network that was first released in Finland in 2000, with the first "hotel" for English speakers in the UK in 2001. Gradually more hotels had been added. |
| 103 | * ''VideoGame/HalfLife'': five games and six expansion packs,[[note]]All but one of which can be played standalone.[[/note]] 1998 to 2020. The original ''Half-Life'' received four expansions (''Opposing Force'', ''Counter-Strike'',[[note]]Yes, the first ''Counter-Strike'' was a ''Half-Life'' game, being officially titled ''Half-Life: Counter-Strike''. It even got the lambda logo on its box art. As a result, it and its remaster were usually bundled with their respective ''Half-Life'' games.[[/note]] ''Blue Shift'', and ''Decay'') while ''Half-Life 2'' received two (''Episode One'' and ''Episode Two'') plus a remaster of one of the first game's (''Counter-Strike: Source'').[[note]]Bundled with all retail copies of ''Half-Life 2''.[[/note]] The GaidenGame ''Portal'' came out after ''Half-Life 2'', followed by its own sequel ''Portal 2''. The franchise seemed dead for a while, but 2020 brought it back with the full-length VR game ''Half-Life: Alyx''. The series' longevity is helped by the literal hundreds of {{Game Mod}}s created by fans with the [=GoldSrc=] and Source engines, many of which received [[ApprovalOfGod official recognition]] and were bundled with official products.[[note]]For example, when ''Half-Life: Counter-Strike'' was first released commercially, it was bundled with the ''Team Fortress Classic'', ''Wanted!'', ''Half-Life: Absolute Redemption'', and ''Firearms'' mods.[[/note]] The most notable of these are probably ''VideoGame/BlackMesa'' and ''VideoGame/GarrysMod''. |
| 104 | * ''Franchise/{{Halo}}''. Starting with the release of ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'' in 2001, the series consists of ten games: seven main ones (the numbered installments plus ''Reach'' and ''Infinite''), a standalone expansion pack (''Halo 3: ODST''), two RTS spin-offs (''Wars'' and ''Wars 2''), and {{Video Game Remake}}s of the first two games. Its ExpandedUniverse also includes dozens of pieces of media, including four straight-to-web/video films (''Nightfall'', ''The Fall of Reach'', ''Forward Unto Dawn'', and ''Legends''), over thirty novels (some of which have multiple editions and re-releases), tabletop games, an additional DLC campaign for ''Halo 4'', many comics, and various miscellanious bits such as in-universe encyclopedias, cinematic trailers, and short films. 2021 saw the franchise celebrate its 20th anniversary and release its tenth game (''Infinite'') followed by the announcement that 10 more years of ''Halo'' are planned and budgeted for. Whether that takes the form of more games or simply a steady stream of expansions for ''Infinite'', it looks like ''Halo'' will remain a long runner for a long time. |
| 105 | * ''VideoGame/{{Harpoon}}'' has existed in some form since 1989. |
| 106 | * ''Harvest Moon'' (Bokujō Monogatari in Japan, or "Ranch Story") has been ongoing since 1997 (1996 in Japan) with the release of ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon1''. It changed names in the west to ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons'', but is still known as Bokujō Monogatari in Japan). |
| 107 | * ''VideoGame/{{Hitman}}'' has released eight games from 2000 to 2021, plus a turn-based puzzle game and two mobile games, two films, novels, comics etc. |
| 108 | * ''Franchise/TheIdolmaster'' began as an arcade game in 2005. Since then not only has it had a continued presence on consoles, but it has also spawned several subseries of mobile titles. |
| 109 | * ''VideoGame/JustDance'': Been going since 2009 with at least ten main entries and loads of spinoffs. It lasted just shy of a decade on the Wii alone, with ''Just Dance 2020'' being the very last Wii game released in North America. They only had to stop because Nintendo of America ''ran out of the equipment needed to make more Wii discs''. |
| 110 | * ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': Thirteen titles, two [[VideoGameRemake remakes]], four {{updated rerelease}}s, and a downloadable ExpansionPack for [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII one of the titles]] since 2002. |
| 111 | * ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', [[DuelingWorks a rival series]] to FightingGame [[TropeCodifier giant]] ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' created by Creator/{{SNK}} in 1994 [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover by pooling together several of their series]], all of which it outlasted. Up until the tenth installment (''KOF 2003''), ''there was a new game every year''. As of the summer of 2016, there are fourteen iterations, with ''XV'''s announcement coming in August 2019. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_King_of_Fighters_video_games This doesn't include]] {{Compilation Rerelease}}s; {{Updated Rerelease}}s (such as ''[='99=]: Evolution'', ''[='98=]: Ultimate Match'', and ''2002: Unlimited Match''); non-canon SpinOff ''Neowave'' (essentially a reworked port of ''[[DreamMatchGame 2002]]''); ''two'' AlternateContinuity series (''EX'' and ''Maximum Impact''; the former with two titles, the latter with three); a semi-canon [[RolePlayingGame RPG]] [[{{Interquel}} set in-between]] ''[='96=]'' and ''[='97=]'' starring the series' protagonist (''The King of Fighters: KYO''); several handheld ports; a quiz game (''Quiz King of Fighters''); a board game (''The King of Fighters: Battle de Paradise''); a BulletHell ShootEmUp (''KOF Sky Stage''); a short-lived [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame MMORPG]] (''The King of Fighters Online''); two [[DenserAndWackier comedic]], female-centric spin-off fighters (''VideoGame/SNKGalsFighters'' and ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy''); and several niche titles such as pachinko games and mobile titles [[{{Fanservice}} focusing on the female competitors]]... [[MaleGaze in bikinis]]... [[VideoGame/DeadOrAlive playing volleyball]]. |
| 112 | * ''VideoGame/KingsBounty'': Even discounting the original 1990 game, the Russian revival series numbers five games and a standalone expansion pack released between 2008 and 2021. |
| 113 | * ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'': Eight canonical games from 1984-1998 (the last one is a ContestedSequel), and FanSequel games continuing to the present day. It came back officially in 2015. |
| 114 | * ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' turned 30 in 2022. Pretty unbelievable considering it started out as just a game about a blob that ate and spit out things. With a new game almost every year since his debut, the pink puffball has close to 30 titles under his belt. |
| 115 | * ''VideoGame/KunioKun'': BeatEmUp series by Technos. Corp., known for being the earliest examples in the genre and its SuperDeformed graphics. Since 1986 around ''35'' games have been released, with 15 of them being beat'em ups and the others being mostly sports tournament spin-offs. |
| 116 | * ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' has received continuous updates since 2009, growing from 40 to over 150 different champions in that timeframe (while reworking many more), acting as a second [[TropeCodifier codifier]] of the MOBA genre after fellow long-runner DOTA, and developing one of the largest E-Sports scenes in the world over that time period. It has since received a card game spinoff in the form of ''VideoGame/LegendsOfRuneterra'', an auto-battler spinoff mode in the form of ''VideoGame/TeamfightTactics'', a mobile/console reimagining in the form of ''Wild Rift'', and at least two games developed for League’s IP via their Riot Forge publishing system: ''Ruined King'', a tactical RPG, and ''Hextech Mayhem'', a rhythm game. |
| 117 | * Since 2005, a ''VideoGame/LEGOAdaptationGame'' has been released just about every year. Often two or three at a time. |
| 118 | * ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series: Started back in 1986 on the NES, and has had entries on nearly every Nintendo system in existence since. It has 20 entries in the main series (from the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI original]] to ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom Tears of the Kingdom]]'' in 2023) with more planned, plus 9 remakes and over a dozen mostly minor spin-offs. |
| 119 | * Ten ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry'' titles have been released since 1987, with six being made in the series first 10 years and the next four released sporadically. |
| 120 | * ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'' - Formerly known as ''Yakuza'' outside of Japan, the series began in 2005 and was heavily acclaimed as one of the first games to explore the culture of Japan's criminal underworld in depth. A CultClassic in other regions, it has since become one of Sega's most popular franchises in Japan, with seven entries in the main series, five spin-offs along with a couple of remakes, nearly all of which have been best sellers in the country. |
| 121 | * Creator/{{Konami}}'s ''Mahjong Fight Club'' and ''Creator/{{Sega}} Network Taisen Mahjong'' form the oligopoly of arcade mahjong games in Japan. Both have been going since 2002 with numerous entries in either series. While the latter is only on its 5th numbered entry, there have been numerous version refreshes in the more recent numbered versions, as well as ports for consumer systems.[[index]] |
| 122 | * ''VideoGame/ManaSeries'' began as a spin-off of ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' in 1991, and had four main games, one complete remake, and three major spin-offs released until 2007. The series then lie dormant for almost a decade, until a series of successful 3D remakes revived it, leading to a new main installment announced for 2024. |
| 123 | * ''VideoGame/MassEffect'': Starting in 2007, the series consists of five main games, a dozen episodic {{expansion pack}}s with their own stories totaling around 26 hours,[[note]]So maybe two expansion packs worth of content, the most extensive being the SP DLC for ''3'', which had four single-player stories released after the game launched (''From Ashes'', ''Leviathan'', ''Omega'', and ''Citadel'', plus the ''Firepower'' and ''Extended Cut'' packs). These included 13 hours of gameplay, dozens of new weapons and powers, a new full party member, several new {{Guest Star Party Member}}s, and two new sets of enemies and bosses (nine types in total, plus 'possessed' variants for the Collectors). Second to that is the DLC for ''2'', which added 11 hours of single-player gameplay in six episodic packs, 2 full party members, 2 guest party members, a new vehicle with unique levels and mechanics, about a dozen new weapons and powers, 4 bosses, and new variants for most existing enemies. ''3'''s multiplayer component also received at least an expansion pack's worth of DLC, more than doubling the amount of playable classes and adding many new weapons, maps, and enemy types.[[/note]] and a remaster of the first game (packaged with minor graphical updates to the second and third). Other content includes 7 novels, 2 GaidenGame IOS titles (''Infiltrator'' and ''Galaxy''), 8 comic book miniseries (rather short ones though), and a straight-to-DVD animated film (''Paragon Lost''). |
| 124 | * ''Videogame/MechWarrior'', the RealRobotGenre MechaGame simulator adapted from ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'' had its first game, ''[=MechWarrior=]'' released in 1989 [[note]] 1988 if one were to include the ''Battletech: The Crescent Hawks Inception'' turn-based game[[/note]]. Eight games over 25 years, though with a large hiatus from 2002 to 2009. The series had two spinoffs (which were less successful, though both received a sequel) - ''Videogame/MechCommander'' and ''Videogame/MechAssault'' |
| 125 | * ''Videogame/{{Medabots}}'': Another big name in the {{Mons}} genre in the late 90's and early 2000's. Since 1997 there have been numbered main installments from ''1'' to ''9'' in a total of eleven. The first four main games were also released with add-ons known as the ''Parts Collection'' titles. The franchise contains also eleven noteworthy spin-offs: five games that are remakes or rereleases, five action games and one card battle title. |
| 126 | * The ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' series first came out in 1999, and includes 16 games spanning the past 3 console generations and a variety of handhelds and other ports. |
| 127 | * ''Franchise/MegaMan'': The blue robotic LegacyCharacter with the ArmCannon. He's ''so'' prolific, one of the SequelSeries qualifies as a {{Long Runner|s}} itself. The series begun in 1987 with the release of [[VideoGame/MegaMan1 the first game]], lasting over 30 years, and the overall latest game being the offline version of ''VideoGame/MegaManXDive'', released in 2023. |
| 128 | ** ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' run uninterrupted from 1987 to 1998, numbering nine mainline games (counting ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'') and numerous spinoffs during this time. Newer games were released more sporadically, with latest mainline game, ''VideoGame/MegaMan11'', being released in 2018, for the franchise's 30th anniversary. |
| 129 | ** ''VideoGame/MegaManX'', the SequelSeries to the original, began in 1993, and got eight main games, three spin-offs and a remake, with the last original game releasing in 2005. |
| 130 | * ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' started back in 1987 on the [=MSX2=], but it was ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' on the Platform/PlayStation in 1998 that made it a mainstay franchise. As of 2018 it has twelve full games (the first two ''Metal Gear'' entries and the five numbered ''Metal Gear Solid'' entries plus ''Portable Ops'', ''Peacewalker'', ''Revengeance'', ''Ground Zeroes'', and ''Survive'') plus a plethora of mobile spinoffs (like ''Ghost Babel'', ''Solid Mobile'', and ''Acid'') and remastered/special editions of the aforementioned games, putting its run at over thirty years - potentially to increase. |
| 131 | * ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'': RunAndGun series by Creator/{{SNK}}. Known for cartoony, yet highly detailed and expressive sprites, along with [[NintendoHard unflinching difficulty]]. Since 1996, there have been 7 main games, two [[UpdatedRerelease Updated Rereleases]] (''X'' and ''XX''), 2 collections and 7 spin-offs. |
| 132 | * ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'': The TropeMaker for the {{Metroidvania}} genre of action-adventure games, spanning fourteen games (and a CompilationRerelease) across both its mainline 2D/TwoAndAHalfD titles and 3D ''Prime'' sub-series since beginning in 1986, as well as boasting a number of comics and manga. |
| 133 | * ''VideoGame/MicrosoftFlightSimulator'' - The first ''Flight Simulator'' was released in 1979, and the first ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'' came in 1982. The most recent game in the series was released in 2020, and remains actively updated. |
| 134 | * ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic''. The main series consists of nine RPG games, with the first one being released in 1986, nearly OlderThanTheNES, and the last in 2001. It was then followed by tenth numbered game in 2014, although no sequels followed. Combined with its spinoffs, the series has more than 35 games in total. |
| 135 | ** ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic'' is the series' MorePopularSpinoff, which begun in 1995. Since then, seven main games were released, each but the first followed by an expansion pack or two. The seventh game was released in 2015, and got its last DLC the following year. |
| 136 | ** ''VideoGame/HornOfTheAbyss'' is a GameMod for ''[=HoMMIII=]'', developed by a dedicated team. Since its first release on New Year's Eve 2011, the mod introduced two completely new factions, with the latest being added on New Year's Eve 2023, and made numerous tweaks to the game balance. Prolonged support of the game from the past century, acknowledged and supported by some of the original developers, makes it a fan-made equivalent to the similar support of ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII''. |
| 137 | * ''{{VideoGame/Minecraft}}'': An incredibly popular sandbox game set in a world made of blocks you can rearrange to your liking, first released in 2009 and updated ever since. It has since received spin-offs in the form of ''VideoGame/MinecraftStoryMode'' and ''VideoGame/MinecraftDungeons''. |
| 138 | * ''VideoGame/MomotaroDentetsu'': Launched in 1988 as a board game style spinoff of the role-playing game ''VideoGame/MomotaroDensetsu'', it proceeded to eclipse the series from which it originated. As of the release of the Nintendo Switch game in 2020 it now has 23 main games not including mobile spinoffs. |
| 139 | * ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'': Creator/{{Capcom}}'s ActionRPG franchise has accumulated almost 20 games since 2004, counting main installments, rereleases and spin-offs. |
| 140 | * ''VideoGame/MonsterRancher'': Another noteworthy {{Mons}} franchise created in the wake of the success of ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', though it incorporates strong SimulationGame elements in its formula. From 1997 to 2008 a total of 13 elligible games have been released, counting both main installments and spin-offs. |
| 141 | * ''Franchise/MortalKombat'': The series that spawned the MediaNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingBoard. Best known for sheer, balls-to-the-wall bloody freakiness. Defining gore since 1992 and across 11 main games, 3 ActionAdventure spin-offs and a handful of rereleases and compilations. |
| 142 | * ''VideoGame/NancyDrew'': Since 1998, 33 mainline games have been released by Her Interactive for the PC, including 2 spin-offs under the Dossier heading and a remaster of the first game. |
| 143 | * ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed''. Starts from 1994; has twenty main titles and is the oldest non-sports franchise of Creator/ElectronicArts. |
| 144 | * ''VideoGame/{{Neptunia}}'': Creator/CompileHeart and Creator/IdeaFactory[='s=] flagship franchise since 2010; it has 4 mainline games, with said games receiving their own [[UpdatedRerelease remakes]] after their initial release, a truck load of spin-offs [[note]]''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptuniaProducingPerfection'', ''VideoGame/HyperdevotionNoireGoddessBlackHeart'', ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptuniaUActionUnleashed'', ''[[VideoGame/MegatagmensionBlancPlusNeptuneVsZombies MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies]]'', ''VideoGame/SuperdimensionNeptuneVsSegaHardGirls'', ''VideoGame/CyberdimensionNeptunia4GoddessesOnline'', ''VideoGame/SuperNeptuniaRPG'', ''Neptunia Shooter'', ''VideoGame/NeptuniaVirtualStars'', ''Neptunia x [[VideoGame/SenranKagura SENRAN KAGURA]]: Ninja Wars'', ''Dimension Tripper Neptune: TOP NEP'', ''VideoGame/NeptuniaSistersVsSisters'' (which takes place after the events of ''VII'', making this the first spin-off to be canon to the mainline entries), and ''VideoGame/NeptuniaGameMakerREvolution''[[/note]], an [[Anime/HyperdimensionNeptuniaTheAnimation anime adaptation]], a series of mangas (such as ''Megami Tsuushin'') and light novels, an iOS app called ''Neptunia & Friends'' [[note]]which also [[{{Crossover}} features characters]] from other Compile Heart titles like ''VideoGame/FairyFencerF'' (Tiara), ''VideoGame/TrillionGodOfDestruction'' (Faust), ''Moe Chronicle/[[MarketBasedTitle Genkai Tokki Moero Chronicle]]'' (Lilia) and ''Tokyo Clanpool'' (Natsume Kannuki), though [[NoExportForYou only in the Japanese version]][[/note]], two failed free-to-play mobile games [[note]]''[=NepNep=] Connect: Chaos Chanpuru'', released on the Platform/PlaystationVita, and ''[=MegaMiracle=] Force'', which was ment to [[MilestoneCelebration commemorate the 25th anniversary of Idea Factory]][[/note]], and even a ScreenToStageAdaptation that was launched in 2023. |
| 145 | * The ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' series consist of the original arcade game, the NES trilogy, ''Ninja Gaiden Shadow'' for the Platform/GameBoy, the two Xbox games, and ''Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword'' for the DS, as well as a Platform/SegaMasterSystem and PLatform/GameGear game. |
| 146 | * ''VideoGame/NintendoWars'': Another Intelligent Systems title, this series has spanned a total of twelve games since its inception in 1988. |
| 147 | * ''VideoGame/NobunagasAmbition'' started in 1983 and is still producing games to this very day. Includes 14 installments, and that's not counting spinoffs like ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonConquest''. |
| 148 | * ''VideoGame/TheOregonTrail'': First released in 1971 and producing new editions into the present, making the series more than 50 years old. |
| 149 | * ''VideoGame/PacMan'': Numerous spin-offs, sequels, re-imaginings, conversions, rip-offs... and still going since 1980. He's even older than Mario himself. |
| 150 | * ''VideoGame/PhantasyStar'' started as a series of [=JRPGs=], with the first game being released on the Sega Master system in 1987. The series continues on today as [=MMORPGs=], with the first online iteration, ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'', still being played on private servers long after the official servers closed down. |
| 151 | * The ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series has seen nine generations of games. The video game side of the franchise has 38 mainline entries (many being [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo paired games]] or [[VideoGameRemake remakes]]) and nearly 100 spin-offs across countless genres, a few forming sub-series in their own right. And that's without talking about the long-running [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries anime series]], the long-running [[TabletopGame/{{Pokemon}} trading card game]], the long-running [[Manga/PokemonAdventures manga]], and everything else that culminates into one of the biggest {{Cash Cow Franchise}}s on the planet. |
| 152 | * ''Franchise/PrinceOfPersia'': Originally a popularizer of the CinematicPlatformGame before becoming a 3D ActionAdventure series that popularized LeParkour climbing mechanics in gaming. Across 3 continuities, there have been 8 core games and about as many spinoffs since 1989. |
| 153 | * ''VideoGame/PumpItUp'': A dancing game Launched in 1999, including 25 games since December 2012. |
| 154 | * ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest'', a series of adventure games that later transitioned to tactical shooters, being connected by their identities as police simulators (and some shared characters). Nine games and an expansion pack, 1987-2006. |
| 155 | * ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' started in 1991, having 7 main and 7 side games, with a ton of spinoffs in the 90s, and a couple mobile games (with ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyoQuest'' being the only one available to get). There are also light novels, anime short films, audio dramas, and some manga based off the universe. This series is technically a year older if you include its parent series, ''VideoGame/MadouMonogatari'', because ''Puyo'' is a spinoff of that. |
| 156 | * ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'': six games (the numbered installments plus ''Wars'' and ''Champions'') and five expansion packs, 1996-2017. |
| 157 | * ''VideoGame/{{Raiden}}'': VerticalScrollingShooter series. From 1990 to 2016, there have been five main games, the three ''Raiden Fighters'' titles (''1'', ''2'' and ''Jet''), the spin-off ''Viper Phase 1'' and two compilations. Also, there are five {{Updated Rerelease}}s, one of which is considered a standalone game (''Raiden DX''). |
| 158 | * ''VideoGame/RainbowSix'': Eleven games, six expansion packs, and a ton of DLC for ''Siege'', 1998-2015. |
| 159 | * Creator/AliceSoft's ''Rance'' series of eroge [=RPGs=] ran from 1989 until its definitive conclusion with ''Rance X'' in 2018, spanning 16 games across two different timelines. The canon timeline is a long runner in its own right, having begun in 2002. |
| 160 | * ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' with 14 games, 2 mobile games and a movie, since 2002. |
| 161 | * ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'': Creator/{{Ubisoft}}'s platforming limbless protagonist has starred in a dozen games from 1995 to 2023. |
| 162 | ** The ''VideoGame/RavingRabbids'' spin-off series qualifies a long runner on its own, with about another dozen releases since 2006. |
| 163 | * ''VideoGame/{{Repton}}'': Started in 1985, the series suffered a hiatus with the decline of its original home platform, the Platform/BBCMicro, but has more recently been resurrected with remakes for the PC and iPod Touch. There's still a large community of fans who play the original versions via emulator, and a new game, ''Repton: The Lost Realms'' came out in late 2010. This was the eighth Platform/BBCMicro game in the series and the ninth overall, since ''Repton Spectacular'' is PC-only. |
| 164 | * ''Franchise/ResidentEvil''. The main series has numbered installments that goes from ''Zero'' (a {{prequel}}) to ''Village'', as well as ''Code: Veronica''. There's also a few sub-series such as the ''Gun Survivor'' and ''Outbreak'' games, as well as the ''Chronicles'' series for the Wii. Also, there are the remakes of the first three games. 10 mainline games alone since 1996, along with more than a dozen spinoffs. |
| 165 | * ''VideoGame/{{Richman}}'' is a Taiwanese video game which plays like ''TabletopGame/{{Monopoly}}'', but with gods providing buffs or debuffs, a lottery system, stock markets, and many more unique gimmicks. Starting in 1989, the main series has 11 games, with the latest releasing in 2022. |
| 166 | * ''VideoGame/RidgeRacer'': Arcade racing series by Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment, running since 1993. Across arcade, console and handheld titles there have been 16 releases. |
| 167 | * ''VideoGame/RiverKing'': Launched in 1990 on the Famicom, its last game thus far is ''River King: Mystic Valley'' on the Nintendo DS in 2007. It has eleven games (seventeen if spinoffs are counted). |
| 168 | * ''VideoGame/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdomsKoei'': Includes 11 games in the main series and a variety of spinoffs including online games. The series spans 17 different consoles (including mobile phone). This series was also the forerunner of the ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' series which consists of 8 installments (as well as numerous expansions such as ''Xtreme Legends'' and ''Empires'') and has subsequently spun off into ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'', ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi'' and a lot of licensed installments featuring other intellectual properties. |
| 169 | * ''VideoGame/RType'': Influential ShootEmUp series by Irem. Started in 1987, it consists of seven main games, five spin-offs and three compilations. |
| 170 | * ''VideoGame/RuneScape'', a freemium MedievalEuropeanFantasy MMORPG, has been continuously getting new content since ''2001'', in that time having grossed over [[https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-09-07-jagex-profit-and-revenue-spikes-in-another-record-year $1 billion in revenue from its 260 million players.]] The sheer amount of content added over 20 years of updates is really worth emphasizing; per polled players, [[https://howlongtobeat.com/game?id=8024 it takes about 5,000 hours to do a completionist run,]] basically ensuring that you'll never run out of things to do. It has also received a spin-off in the form of ''Old School [=RuneScape=]''. |
| 171 | * ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'': six games (plus a few episodic DLC packs) from 2006 to 2022. |
| 172 | * The ''VideoGame/{{SaGa|RPG}}'' series, though not as legendary as some on this page, still has quite a few games under its belt since the time it evolved off of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII''. Started in 1989 on the Platform/GameBoy with regular releases until ''VideoGame/UnlimitedSaga'' in 2002. There were only remakes for about a decade after, but more recently there have been a couple social games. |
| 173 | * ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'' originally began as [[VideoGame/SakuraWars1996 a video game released in 1996]]. It has since had nearly 20 games (four of which are sequels to the original game), several OVA adaptations, an [[Anime/SakuraWars2000 anime TV series]], an [[Anime/SakuraWarsTheMovie anime film]], as well as several stage musicals. |
| 174 | * ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'': Weapon-based FightingGame series by Creator/{{SNK}}. Known for its slower and more methodical style of combat as well as its feudal and mythological Japan setting. Since 1993 it has spawned 11 main installments and a couple of rereleases and spin-offs, including a JRPG title (''Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushido Retsuden'') |
| 175 | * ''VideoGame/SeriousSam'', which saw its first release in 2001 and its latest in 2020, has so far had six full games (''Serious Sam: The First Encounter'', ''Serious Sam: The Second Encounter'', ''Serious Sam: The Next Encounter'', ''Serious Sam 2'', ''Serious Sam 3: BFE'', and ''Serious Sam 4''). On top of this, there are the remakes of the first two games, a DLC episode for ''BFE'' (''Jewel of the Nile''), a standalone expansion for ''4'' (''Siberian Mayhem''), the TechDemoGame ''Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope'', and a plethora of budget indie games including ''Double D'', ''Serious Sam: Advance'', ''Kamikaze Attack'', and ''The Random Encounter.'' |
| 176 | * The ''VideoGame/ShiningSeries'' which started off in 1991 as a first person dungeon crawler. It evolved into a TurnBasedStrategy with the popular ''VideoGame/ShiningForce''. That didn't stop the series from also releasing some action RPG's. While the series isn't Sega's most loved franchise it's still going strong with over 30 titles released across various platforms. |
| 177 | * ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' predates ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' in the Mons genre (The first ''VideoGame/MegamiTensei'' released in 1987), and has spawned a multitude of games. |
| 178 | ** The "main" (but not the first) subseries, ''Shin Megami Tensei'' itself, has nine major games released between 1992 and 2021, not counting [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiImagine a MMORPG]] (which itself had a nine-year run) and many, many mobile spinoffs and manga adaptations. |
| 179 | ** ''VideoGame/LastBible'' subseries, surprisingly, had eight games released between 1992 and 2010. While the last three of them are mobile games, they were prominent enough to justify a Platform/NintendoSwitch rerelease in 2022. Unfortunately, only the first of them ever left Japan. |
| 180 | ** ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' subseries begun in 1996, but became truly popular only after the release of ''VideoGame/Persona3'' in 2006. Currently, there are six main games (as ''VideoGame/Persona2'' was a dilogy), numerous spinoffs, both major and minor, several anime and manga series, as well as rereleases of main games. ''Persona'' is a poster child for MorePopularSpinoff in an already popular franchise, with new releases coming out almost yearly, so it may be only a matter of time before individual games accumulate enough spinoffs to qualify as long-runners on their own. |
| 181 | * ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'': ActionGame series by Creator/{{Sega}}. From 1987 to 2011 there have been 12 titles in the franchise. Most installments saw multiple ports and re-releases across several systems. |
| 182 | * ''Franchise/SilentHill'': Acclaimed SurvivalHorror series by Creator/{{Konami}} known for its more symbolic, atmospheric and psychological take on the genre. Since 1999, there have been 8 main games and numerous spin-offs. However, the series experienced a hiatus between 2014 and 2023.[[note]]Technically between 2012 and 2023, since ''VideoGame/{{PT}}'' is merely a demo.[[/note]] |
| 183 | * Although many tend to forget, ''VideoGame/SimCity'' is in fact, ''the'' mother of all WideOpenSandbox and Simulation games. With about 7 games on various consoles and the computer, it's become a world-loved game by many different people. It helped launch off the studio of Maxis as well as to create ''VideoGame/TheSims'' and ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}'', and several other ''VideoGame/SimSeries'' titles. |
| 184 | * ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': The ''[[Franchise/MegaMan other]]'' famous little blue guy, who pioneered the MascotWithAttitude. Mario's [[MediaNotes/ConsoleWars former metafictional rival]], has [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_games_featuring_Sonic_the_Hedgehog lots of titles]], and is still going after more than thirty years, since the first game's release in 1991. |
| 185 | * ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' (you might know it as ''Soul Calibur''): Bandai Namco's weapon-based 3D fighting games, running since 1995 and with seven main titles under its belt, along with three noteworthy spin-offs. |
| 186 | * ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'': One of the oldest franchises in video game history, running since 1978. Website/TheOtherWiki needs a ''separate, categorized page'' just to list all of its sequels, related games, and ports. |
| 187 | * ''VideoGame/SplinterCell'': Creator/{{Ubisoft}}'s StealthBasedGame series started in 2002 and managed to consist of seven games until 2013: the six main titles and one spin-off (''Splinter Cell: Essentials''). There are also the portable versions of the first two games, who qualify as distinct titles on their own on account of being 2D. |
| 188 | * The ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'' series has been running longer than the ''Crash Bandicoot'' franchise, which had undergone a rest for nearly '''''eight''' years''. Spyro has been [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro rebooted]] [[VideoGame/{{Skylanders}} twice]], and has a total of ''19'' games. In 2018, the original 3 games were rebooted into the ''VideoGame/SpyroReignitedTrilogy''. |
| 189 | * ''Franchise/{{Starcraft}}'', from its birth in 1998 to its final DLC in 2019, released four standalone titles (''[=StarCraft=]'', ''Wings of Liberty'', ''Heart of the Swarm'', and ''Legacy of the Void''), three expansion packs (''Brood War'', ''Insurrection/Retribution'', and ''Nova Covert Ops''), and another expansion pack's worth of DLC (LOTV's ''Allied Heroes'' mode and its updates), on top of supplying about a third of the content for ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm''. Other content in the franchise includes remasters of the original and ''Brood War'', 15 novels, 2 technical books, and dozens of short stories and comic volumes. |
| 190 | * ''VideoGame/StarOcean'': ActionRPG series by Creator/TriAce known for its space setting and branching paths that lead to MultipleEndings. Since 1996, there have been six main games, with the [[VideoGame/StarOceanTheDivineForce latest]] being released in 2022, two spinoffs, and several rereleases. |
| 191 | * ''VideoGame/SteelPanthers'': The original game came out in 1995, and two of its sequels (published by Shrapnel Games) still receive annual updates. All in all, six Steel Panthers games have been made to date. |
| 192 | * The ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' series: The series had many installments with numerous [[MissionPackSequel expanded versions]] to the point that Capcom considers each ''Street Fighter'' game to be its own sub-series. In 2017, the series completed its 30th anniversary, anticipared with the release of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''. |
| 193 | * ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'': JRPG series by Creator/{{Konami}} known for its war setting and blend of standard turn-based gameplay with SRPG segments and one-on-one duels. Also known for having 108 playable characters per game. From 1995 to 2012 there have been 5 main games, 5 spin-offs and two minor titles. |
| 194 | * ''Videogame/SummonNight'': Quirky StrategyRPG series known for its blend of VisualNovel and DatingSim elements. Since 2000 there have been 6 main games and 7 spin-offs. |
| 195 | * ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': This series has a reputation for being top of the heap in design and innovation. Listing all the games associated with Mario would make for a ridiculously long list. The core series of platformers alone has somewhere around 18 entries to date![[note]]There is no consensus on which games count as part of the main series, with several games being included by some but not by others. [[FlipFlopOfGod Even official sources differ on this]] (e.g. Nintendo of America doesn't count ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels''). With this in mind, it's more accurate to say there are 18 games that the majority of people agree are part of the main Super Mario series. More details [[https://youtu.be/XejJ6PzPtEw here.]][[/note]] |
| 196 | ** Related is the ''VideoGame/MarioParty'' series, the first being released in late 1998 for the Nintendo 64. There are twelve games in the main series (the first ten numbered), with one each for the Game Boy Advance and DS and three for the 3DS, making for 17 games (not counting the Japanese arcade games) total during over two decades. |
| 197 | * ''VideoGame/SuperRealMahjong'': An HGame series where you play ''TabletopGame/{{Mahjong}}'' to disrobe girls. Seven games released over the course of 10 years with a new mainline installment 21 years later, plus plenty of spin-offs and compilations released in-between them. |
| 198 | * ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'': A MassiveMultiplayerCrossover between HumongousMecha from various anime franchises that NEVER get old. Oh, and the OriginalGeneration keeps coming. Its massive lineup of games since the first game from 1991 can be found [[http://www.suparobo.jp/srw_lineup/index.php on its official website]]. |
| 199 | * ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'': Five games and a couple expansion packs worth of DLC, starting with the first release in 1999. Technically there are six games, but ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo [=3DS=]'' is probably more accurately classed as a port of ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' than a separate title. |
| 200 | * ''VideoGame/SwordAndFairy'' is a series of Chinese [=RPGs=], the first of which was released in 1995. The main series has seven games, two major {{Gaiden Game}}s and a number of lesser spin-offs. They also spawned three TV series, better known as ''Series/ChinesePaladin'', several {{Manhua}} adaptations, a number of books and an audio drama. |
| 201 | * ''VideoGame/SwordsAndSandals'': Five mainline titles, four spinoffs (with one upcoming), and one CompilationRerelease (''Swords and Sandals Classic Collection''), starting out in 2006 and with its most recent title currently in Early Access. |
| 202 | * ''VideoGame/TheTaleOfAlltynex'' by Siter Skain started on the FM Towns computer in 1997 and has spanned 3 games and 2 remakes since. |
| 203 | * The ''Videogame/TalesSeries'' started with ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' in 1995 and has since then accumulated 17 main titles, several major spin-offs, and tons of lesser spin-offs, manga and anime adaptations, with the overall latest release happening in 2023. |
| 204 | * ''VideoGame/TestDrive'': This racing game series has spawned 11 main games and an ''Off-Road'' spin-off series of 4 games since 1987. The entire series was [[ContinuityReboot rebooted]] from the ground up with ''VideoGame/TestDriveUnlimited'' series. |
| 205 | * The ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' series: 8 main games and numerous spin-offs since 1994. |
| 206 | * ''VideoGame/{{Tenchu}}'': One of the founding fathers of the 3D StealthBasedGame genre. Known for restoring the image of ninja as stealthy assassins and introducing the Stealth Kill mechanic in gaming. A total of 9 games have been released from 1998 to 2009. |
| 207 | * ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}'': While there are [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tetris_variants a crazy amount]] of versions of this game around, it is best known for having a version of the classic on just about any piece of hardware you can name, including keychains and ''entire office buildings''. Geeks were [[http://everything2.com/title/Tetris+complete doing "Can it run Tetris?"]] before ''Doom'' ever came about. |
| 208 | * ''VideoGame/ThunderForce'': ShootEmUp series created by the now defunct Technosoft. Six games were released from 1983 to 2008, along with a port of the first game and two ports of the third game. |
| 209 | * ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial'': [[FollowTheLeader The founder series]] of the Non-H DatingSim genre spanned over 15 years since the original on PC-Engine in 1994, and is still ongoing. |
| 210 | * ''Franchise/TombRaider'': Easily having one of the most recognizable protagonists, Lara Croft, the ''Tomb Raider'' games have been coming out since 1996, being one of the first 3D ActionAdventure games. With over a dozen games to date, the series definitely has had its highs and lows. However, there's no denying that its first installment was revolutionary, establishing many of the conventions of the ActionAdventure genre. |
| 211 | * ''VideoGame/TotalWar'': A series of epic PC strategy games from British developer Creator/CreativeAssembly (and published by Sega), which has been around since the release of ''Shogun: Total War'' in 2000, and is still ongoing with a total of twelve games and seven expansion packs as of 2019. |
| 212 | * ''Franchise/TouhouProject'': One of the most well-known BulletHell titles, made all the more amazing in that these games are made by a single amateur game designer. ''Touhou'' began in 1996 on the Platform/PC98, then moved to Windows after five games. The main series boasts 19 games, 13 official spin-offs and countless {{Fan Game}}s. |
| 213 | * Falcom's ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'', an [[DoorStopper intricately fleshed out]] EasternRPG franchise that began in 2004 with ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky FC'' and is still ongoing. There are 12 main titles in the series divided into 4 story arcs, with a non-canon mobile spinoff, several manga, light novels, and Drama CD adaptations including supplemental material. |
| 214 | * ''VideoGame/{{Tropico}}'': a city building and construction management sim series focused on building up a fictional Caribbean island country. Started with ''Tropico'' in 2001, and as of 2019 is up to six games with five expansion packs(all of the games got one - or DLC equivalent to one - except for ''2''). |
| 215 | * ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'': VehicularCombat franchise that started in 1995 on Sony consoles. From the original up to the 2012 game on the [=PS3=], there have been 8 titles in the series. |
| 216 | * ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'': The series began with the limited release of ''Akalabeth'' in the June 1979, and although the Avatar's saga concluded over 20 years later in November 1999's ''VideoGame/UltimaIX'' (with ten main games, two ''Runes of Virtue'' spin-offs, a 1997 MMO, and various revamped console versions of said games), the adventuring still went strong into ''VideoGame/UltimaOnline'', which received new content from 2007 to 2010, and a reboot in form of ''Ultima Forever'', another MMO that was up from 2012 to 2014. That's over 30 years of ''Ultima'', folks. |
| 217 | * ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'', whose [[VideoGame/UnrealI first game]] was released in 1998, and had a total of 10 games released between 1998 and 2014 counting the ''Tournament'' and ''Championship'' {{Gaiden Game}}s. For a long time it was Creator/EpicGames's [[CashCowFranchise flagship franchise]] until first ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' and then ''VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}'' took the title. In addition, the series spawned one of the (if not ''the'') most prolific MediaNotes/{{Game Engine}}s of all time, the Unreal Engine, which at one point powered up ''entire generations'' of video games of different genres. |
| 218 | * ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'': This Creator/{{Sega}} series consists of five main games released from 1993 to 2006, all of which saw at least one UpdatedRerelease. Furthermore, it spawned some noteworthy spin-offs: ''VideoGame/FightersMegamix''; a 8-bit game (''Animation''/''Mini''); a fighting installment with {{Chibi}} graphics (''Kids''); an offical demake of the second game (''Virtua Fighter 2 Genesis''); two CGI gallery disc compilations (''CG Portrait Series'' and ''GG Portrait Series'') and an ActionAdventure title (''VideoGame/VirtuaQuest''). |
| 219 | * The ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' series began with ''Warcraft: Orcs and Humans'' in 1994. There have been two RTS sequels, with an expansion pack for each (''The Frozen Throne'' having enough content for a full release in its own right), an aborted adventure game, a physical card game, a separate [[VideoGame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft digital card game]], a remastered edition for the third game, a major [[Film/Warcraft2016 theatrical film]] that grossed nearly half a billion, and of course a particularly huge [[MorePopularSpinoff MMO]]. Speaking of which... |
| 220 | ** ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' itself is a long runner. Originally released in 2004, it has received nine major expansion packs that [[https://i.imgur.com/tpzCYhf.jpg are each easily longer than most full-length games]], making it an effectively nine-game sub-franchise. It is still running with millions of active players, and has grossed [[https://www.gamerevolution.com/features/13510-world-of-warcraft-leads-industry-with-nearly-10-billion-in-revenue nearly $10 billion.]] |
| 221 | * ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'': From the release as closed beta in October 2012 to the 10th anniversary of open beta in March 2023, Creator/DigitalExtremes has released 32 major content updates and countless mainline sub-updates and hotfixes for this multiplayer PlayerVersusEnvironment ThirdPersonShooter. |
| 222 | * ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': While not as prolific as ''40,000'', it still does have enough major video games to qualify even discounting ''[=HeroQuest=]'', ''Blood Bowl'', cheap downloadable games, and direct digital adaptations of the tabletop. Notable installments include ''VideoGame/WarhammerMarkOfChaos'' in 2006 (which got an expansion pack, ''Battle March'', in 2008), ''VideoGame/WarhammerOnline'' in 2008, the ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammer'' trilogy from 2016 to 2021 (each game also having one or two expansion packs worth of DLC),[[note]]The first game for instance received six major updates (''Call of the Beastmen'', ''Grim and the Grave'', ''King and the Warlord'', ''Realm of the Wood Elves'', ''Bretonnia'', and ''Norsca'') that collectively doubled the amount of playable races and added additional units and features to the four base races, as well as two mini-campaigns to complement the Grand Campaign. The sequel received a similar level of DLC.[[/note]] and the ''[[VideoGame/TheEndTimesVermintide Vermintide]]'' [[VideoGame/VermintideII duology]] in 2015 and 2018 respectively (with collectively two or three expansion packs worth of DLC extending into 2022).[[note]]The first game's DLC added 12 missions (to the base game's 13) and 6 weapons. The second game's DLC has so far added 26 missions (to the base game's 13 again), 25 weapons, 5 classes, 6 enemy types, 1 boss fight, and 2 game modes (Weaves and Chaos Wastes) in five major (''Shadows Over Bogenhafen'', ''Back to Ubersreik'', ''Winds of Magic'', ''Curse of Drachenfels'', and ''Chaos Wastes'') and several minor updates.[[/note]] |
| 223 | * ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has had enough video games since the turn-based ''Space Crusade'' in 1993 to qualify, even discounting low-budget mobile and downloadable games. Notable installments include the first-person shooter ''VideoGame/FireWarrior'', the ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' RTS sub-series (three games and five expansion packs), the third-person shooter ''VideoGame/Warhammer40000SpaceMarine'', and the space-focused RTS ''VideoGame/BattlefleetGothicArmada''. |
| 224 | * ''VideoGame/WarioLand'': A spinoff of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'', it was first released on the Platform/GameBoy in 1994, with the last game released in 2008, albeit with only six games in the series. |
| 225 | * ''VideoGame/WildArms'': Since 1996 in Japan and slightly later elsewhere, with the most recent numbered game in the series being ''VideoGame/{{Wild ARMs 5}}'' (2006) and the most recent game overall being the spin-off ''[=Wild ARMs XF=]'' (2007). There also was an EnhancedRemake of the first game, ''Alter Code F''. There are rumors of a 6th numbered game. |
| 226 | * ''VideoGame/WingCommander'': Although it's fallen on hard times since the bottom dropped out of the space sim market in [[TheNineties late nineties]], up to and including the release of ''VideoGame/WingCommander Secret Ops'' there was, on average, no more than a year between new games following the original, including add-ons. |
| 227 | * The ''VideoGame/{{Wolfenstein}}'' series spans eleven releases over 36 years, from ''VideoGame/CastleWolfenstein'' (1981) to ''VideoGame/WolfensteinYoungblood'' (2019); excluding standalone expansions and minor spin-offs, it still hits eight releases. |
| 228 | * ''VideoGame/WonderBoy'': it started in 1986 for the arcades and managed to pump out 7 original games and 3 remakes, along with numerous ports. |
| 229 | * The ''VideoGame/{{X}}-Universe'' has been around since 1999, with four numbered games, a major spinoff, two standalone, and numerous lesser expansion packs. |
| 230 | * ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'' series began in 2010, and now consists of three numbered installments, one LetteredSequel and two major [=DLCs=], with the latest main game being released in 2022. |
| 231 | * ''VideoGame/XuanYuanSword'' franchise is one of the first Chinese role-playing games, with the original game released back in 1990. Since then, the series numbers seven mainline installments, with the last one in 2020, seven major, and several lesser spin-offs. The franchise also has two live-action series and an anime adaptation. |
| 232 | * ''VideoGame/YouDontKnowJack'': Since 1995 with six numbered games, numerous spinoffs on various platforms, a 2011 reboot version, and has been included as a game many times in ''VideoGame/TheJackboxPartyPack'' series, with nine packs released in 2022 and counting. |
| 233 | * ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'' has been around since 1987, with the most recent game (''VideoGame/YsXNordics'') being released in 2023. Thirteen games total, eleven of which are part of official continuity. |
| 234 | * ''VideoGame/{{Zork}}'' (1977-2009) |
| 235 | [[/folder]] |
| 236 | |
| 237 | [[folder:Video Game Systems [=(10=] years or above)]] |
| 238 | * The Platform/{{Amiga}}: 1985-1996. Often considered the first true multimedia computer brand, this line of computers was able to outperform rival machines for more than a decade until Commodore filed for Chapter 11 in 1994. The Amiga operating system still lives on today as an environment for [=PowerPC=] devices and computers shipped with said operating system are still being made today under the Amiga brand. |
| 239 | * The Platform/AppleII family: 1977-1993. The first mass-marketed home computer platform, these machines were ubiquitous in school computer labs in UsefulNotes/TheEighties and UsefulNotes/TheNineties. Apple introduced more powerful machines like the [=IIgs=], but the introduction of lower cost Macs spelled the end of the platform. Along with other major classic computer platforms, the Apple II series still has a devoted following over 30 years after the last Apple [=IIe=], itself the longest-lasting model, rolled off the assembly line. |
| 240 | * The Platform/AppleMacintosh has been going strong since its introduction in 1984. As the first affordable computer with a graphical user interface, it was originally intended as a serious business machine. The Mac's advanced graphics and sound for the time still attracted a number of game developers, even if it was only in black and white at first. Apple downplayed the presence of games on the system, but developers still made both exclusive games as well as ports of titles popular on other platforms. The company suffered a major AudienceAlienatingEra in UsefulNotes/TheNineties, but Creator/SteveJobs made a return toward the end of the decade and revitalized Apple, making it one of the most successful tech companies. In 2001, Apple released Mac OS X, a major overhaul to the aging Mac OS. The new operating system makes it impossible to run older Mac games unless using Classic mode on a [=PowerPC=] processor. The platform is mainly marketed to creative professionals (musicians, graphic artists, video editors) but still has some games available. The introduction of Steam to the Mac (and EA following suit with Origin shortly after) has awakened interest in Mac gaming. However, with the Macintosh switching to Apple's own ARM-based architecture in 2020, it remains to be seen if Mac gaming will remain viable. |
| 241 | * Platform/Atari2600: 1977-1992. The first widely popular console. Sold over 40 million, also holds much of the responsibility for MediaNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983. Has an active indie scene continuing to make games for it since 1995. |
| 242 | * Platform/Commodore64 Computer: 1982-1994. Considered to be the best-selling personal computer model of all time, it even outlasted several of its would-be successors. Commodore discontinued the C-64 in North America in 1990, but it was still being produced and sold in Europe when the company went bankrupt in 1994. However, the platform may be facing resurrection; new games are still being made for the platform despite the shutdown of Commodore Business Machines, and by 2021 apparently the monthly output of new games is great enough to warrant the resurrection of the famous ZZAP! 64 magazine. This along with the fact that a company called Retro Games Ltd started mass producing replica [=c64=] machines that run on an ARM SOC back in late 2019, has resulted in an argument on whether the period between 1994-2019 could be considered an hiatus and whether the [=c64=]'s life can be considered ongoing. |
| 243 | * CP System II:[[/index]] 1993-2004. This arcade hardware was used for many Capcom arcade games in the mid to late 90s, and then eventually by other companies. The last game was ''Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition'', released December 2003 in Japan and updated/internationally released in February 2004. It outlasted the CP System III which only had six games released on it (including the entire ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' trilogy) from 1997-1999.[[index]] |
| 244 | * [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Family Computer]]: 1983-2003. Its counterpart, the [=NES=], was produced from 1985-1994. Final official release was a PAL-exclusive port of ''VideoGame/TheLionKing'' in 1995. Including unlicensed games, the [=NES=] becomes a long runner as well since ''VideoGame/BattleKid2MountainOfTorment'' came out in 2012. In terms of official lifespans, the Famicom's was the longest of any console to date. |
| 245 | * Platform/GameBoy: 1989-2003. While succeeded by the Platform/GameBoyColor in 1998, Nintendo officially counts it as a newer model of the original rather than a full-fledged successor like the later Platform/GameBoyAdvance. This is mainly due to the fact that certain GBC games were cross-compatible with the earlier model. Following that line of thought, the final US (and worldwide) release for this hardware line was ''VideoGame/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'' in 2002. Even after the Game Boy Advance was released in 2001, games were still being made for the 8-bit handheld juggernaut until it was finally retired in 2003. That's a mighty run of ''fourteen years'', a record unmatched by any handheld released since. |
| 246 | * The Platform/IBMPersonalComputer (1981-present and going!) was created before AND has outlasted every other platform ever made to date. The birthplace of ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' and now-and-forever the de facto platform of [[IndieGame independent developers]]. However, its hardware has been constantly updated and altered and new operating systems have been created to the point where [[NoBackwardsCompatibilityInTheFuture it can be a struggle to get some of your old games working on any of the new stuff]]. Like the Macintosh, it wasn't originally a gaming machine, but eventually picked up good graphics and sound. |
| 247 | * The iQue Player, a plug n' play version of the Platform/Nintendo64 released in China to circumvent the home console ban at the time was released in 2003 and was supported until Nintendo shut down its downloadable game service in 2016. The Chinese wouldn't see a "successor" until Nintendo decided to port Platform/GameCube and Wii titles on the Nvidia Shield the following year. |
| 248 | * Platform/NeoGeo AES[[note]]Advanced Entertainment System[[/note]]: 1990-2004. Last official release was ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown V Special''. It managed to outlast its successors, the Neo Geo CD released in 1994[[note]]Which was identical to the AES outside of the storage medium, but allowed games to cost only around $50 rather than the ''$200-350'' price point the cartridges sold for (at the expense of ''looooooooooooong'' load times)[[/note]], and the Hyper Neo Geo 64 released in 1997 (to arcades, a NEO-GEO 64 home console never got past the planning stage), both of which had very short official lifespans. |
| 249 | * Platform/NintendoDS: 2004-2015. Games stopped being released in 2014 or early 2015 depending on the region. The last official physical game released was a ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'' tie-in game, while the last [=DSiWare=] game released was ''Around the World in 80 Days'', both released early 2015 in Europe. The [=DSiWare=] store ran until the end of March 2017. |
| 250 | * Platform/PlayStation: 1994-2005. Fourth best-selling home console ever, behind only the Platform/PlayStation2, the Platform/PlayStation4, and the Platform/NintendoSwitch. Games started to wane after the [=PS2=]'s international release in 2001 - but over ''7000'' titles were released. Last in US: ''VideoGame/{{FIFA|Soccer}} 2005'' (2004). Last in Europe: ''Hugo: Black Diamond Fever'' (2005). |
| 251 | * Platform/PlayStation2: 2000-2013. Production ended in Japan on December 28, 2012 and worldwide on January 4, 2013. Coexisted with its successor, the Platform/PlayStation3, with hardware still being released. Lasted until a month and a half before the announcement of the Platform/PlayStation4. Last release in US: ''FIFA 14'' (2013). Last in Europe: ''FIFA''[='=]s rival ''Pro Evolution Soccer'' 2014 (2013). As an example of the console's longevity, ''FIFA 14'' is both one of the [=PS2=]'s final titles and one of the [=PS4=]'s launch titles (and a regular [=PS3=] release too) in the space of only two months! ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' had updates to its [=PS2=] version going until March 2016. |
| 252 | * Platform/Playstation3: 2006-2017, hit the long-runner mark in November 2016. Sony would discontinue the console the following year, and the final game for the system ended up being (what else) ''FIFA 19'' in the fall of 2018. |
| 253 | * Platform/PlayStationPortable: 2004-2016. Production ended in 2014 worldwide. The last physical release was the limited edition of the American localization of ''VideoGame/SummonNight 5'' and the last digital release was a port of ''VideoGame/RetroCityRampage'', both belated releases in the first half of 2016 (''Summon Night 5'' was initially released in Japan in 2013 and digitally in America in 2015, and the first release of ''Retro City Rampage'' on any hardware was in 2012, or 4 years earlier... that game just likes living up to its name.). |
| 254 | * Platform/SegaGenesis[=/Mega Drive=]: 1988-1998. The final official release was a cheap port of ''VideoGame/{{Frogger}}'' in 1998; by serendipity, this same port was also the final game for the Genesis's rival, the SNES. Has had an interesting afterlife, however: Versions of the console, officially licensed by Sega, are still for sale today, meaning the argument could be made that its lifespan is still ongoing. The system also has games released for it sporadically since its official discontinuation by third party developers up to the present day such as ''VideoGame/PierSolarAndTheGreatArchitects'', and more recently, VideoGame/{{Paprium}}. |
| 255 | * The Platform/SegaDreamcast only lasted 3 years from 1998 to 2001, taking Sega's entire console division with it, but official releases continued to be made for the dead console, with the last one being ''Karous'' in 2007. Even then, the console's status as a CultClassic ensured a thriving homebrew community for years after, with more recent games like 2015's ''VideoGame/VolgarrTheViking'' and ''Videogame/PierSolarAndTheGreatArchitects'' receiving semi-official Dreamcast ports. |
| 256 | * Platform/SegaMasterSystem: Officially 1985-1996, but still active through third party licenses. Despite being unable to dethrone the NES in North America, the system still lives on in UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}, where plug-and-play variations of the console are still being sold to this day by Tectoy, Sega's representative in the region (though Sega themselves no longer officially support the system). As a matter of fact, the Master System is so popular in the country that it even rivaled recent consoles such as the Platform/PlayStation4 in terms of units sold, and that conversions of titles like ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' and games based on local franchises such as ''ComicBook/MonicasGang'' were made to appeal to local tastes. It makes sense considering how it's way less expensive than newer systems, coupled with NostalgiaFilter by Brazilians who grew up playing games on the Master System. |
| 257 | * Sega NAOMI:[[/index]] 1998-2009. Arcade hardware by Sega that is very similar to that of the [[Platform/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] and allowed for easy porting of games to said system. The most recent game was ''Radirgy Noa''.[[index]] |
| 258 | * [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Famicom]]: 1990-2003. The Japanese version of the SNES managed to outlive its western counterpart by a few more years thanks to the Platform/{{Satellaview}} and Nintendo Power downloadable game services in Japan. The last game released for the console was a remake of the late-era Famicom game ''VideoGame/MetalSladerGlory'' in 2000. Hardware was produced in Japan until September 2003. |
| 259 | * {{Creator/Taito}} Type X: 2004-present. PC-based arcade hardware with a refresh in specifications every few years. |
| 260 | * Platform/{{Wii}}: 2006-2020. The console saw its production ended in Japan on October 20, 2013, but it is still produced overseas albeit only in budget models lacking some hardware features. The last series to see regular releases on it was ''VideoGame/JustDance''. ''Just Dance 2019'', like ''FIFA 14'' above, saw release on three different Nintendo generations (one of the Wii's twilight titles, one of the final releases for the Platform/WiiU and a release for the Platform/NintendoSwitch), and the next edition, ''2020'' came out for Wii - its last North American and mass-market release - and Switch but not Wii U. The Wii and Wii U's shared final game was ''Videogame/ShakedownHawaii'', released in in summer 2020 through a limited physical run (North American for Wii U, European for Wii[[note]]As stated in the ''Just Dance'' paragraph up above, Nintendo of America ran out of the equipment needed to make more Wii discs - but developer Vblank noticed that Nintendo of Europe was just beginning to close shop on Wii disc manufacture and hastily took the opportunity.[[/note]]) and worldwide Wii U [=eShop=] release - about a year after both its initial release on the Switch and ''Just Dance 2020''. |
| 261 | * Platform/Xbox360: 2005-2016. The console's discontinuation was announced on April 20, 2016, but online services will still be supported for the foreseeable future thanks to its successor the Platform/XboxOne featuring backwards compatibility with many 360 games. |
| 262 | * The much-loved British home computer the Sinclair Platform/ZXSpectrum. Its commercial life lasted from 1982 until around 1993 when the last games were published and the last Spectrum gaming magazine (''Your Sinclair'') finally folded. It had quite a history - it was originally conceived as a hobbyists' computer (it had no dedicated graphics or sound hardware making its success as a gaming platform highly ironic) with only 16K expandable to 48K. In 1986, a 128K model with a dedicated sound chip (but still the same graphics) was released. It even survived the buying-out of Sinclair computers by rivals Amstrad who rebuilt the 128K Spectrum with a more professional keyboard a (rather plain) new case and a built in tape recorder or disk drive. Although the 128K Spectrum was more successful than similar "upgrades" for rival computers (e.g. the Commodore 128) and its abilities were usually taken advantage of the old 48K model was still supported by the game publishers right to the end. Even today the "Speccy" has a large fanbase and new indie games are still being published for it, at the rate of dozens per year. |
| 263 | [[/folder]] |
| 264 | [[/index]] |
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