The Video Game Critic

Posted: **January 26th, 2007, 4:40 pm**

A lot of game franchises start off as fresh and original, but tend to go downhill once the sequels get pumped out year after year. What franchises do you think have been run into the ground by their publishers?

I know Sonic has been talked about a lot in this way, but one title that comes to my mind is Grand Theft Auto. I really enjoyed the first few games, but I'm pretty much tired of it by now. I really think Sony is overestimating the appeal of having the next GTA exclusive to their system.

Posted: **January 26th, 2007, 4:50 pm**

That's kind of like Mortal Kombat. Back in the day, it was awesome. Now it looks like the John Tobias-less Midway is falling down on their skateboards.

Posted: **January 26th, 2007, 4:55 pm**

You sort of missed the boat, Critic, as GTA has not been a ps3 exclusive for months now. GTA4 is dropping, day one, for the 360 and the ps3. I understand, though, that certain franchises should die...my list goes, as follows:

1). Mario Party(8 games?! Come on!!!!!)

2). Sonic(blech!)

3). Phantasy Star(wow....Dreamcast graphics on 360?!?! Outdated gameplay?!?!? Where do I sign up?!?)

4). GTA

5). Pokemon(Nintendo doesn't realize that, while Pokemon still sells, it really is a reputation ruiner...also, they need to stop even bothering with making console Pokemons!!)

6). Mega Man(goes without saying)

7). Ratchet and Clank(umm, wasn't it intended as a trilogy?! I loved the second one but the third one SUCKED, at least for me it did!)

8). Medal of Honor(may I introduce you, sir, to the different games that stole MoH's thunder away: CoD2, CoD3, etc....I'm sorry, but MoH does NOT impress me anymore!)

Posted: **January 26th, 2007, 5:15 pm**

GTA4 isn't exclusive to Sony... in fact, it was originally announced as a 360 title.

Posted: **January 26th, 2007, 5:27 pm**

I'm not so annoyed by franchises as I am certain kinds of games: The huge amount of Gangsta and WWII games, for instance.

-Rob

Posted: **January 26th, 2007, 6:36 pm**

[QUOTE=BanjoPickles]
3). Phantasy Star(wow....Dreamcast graphics on 360?!?! Outdated gameplay?!?!? Where do I sign up?!?)
[/QUOTE]

Meh, just drop this silly online RPG crap and give us a REAL Phantasy Star game. Is it really that hard?

[QUOTE=BanjoPickles] 5). Pokemon(Nintendo doesn't realize that, while Pokemon still sells, it really is a reputation ruiner...[/QUOTE]

Really? The game still good if you just bother to get involved with them. They could use a tad moe accessability, though, but instead Nintendo keeps on shoveling all kinds of hidden values into the games that will be discovered by hackers a couple weeks later, and leading to more work when it comes to training.

[QUOTE=BanjoPickles]also, they need to stop even bothering with making console Pokemons!!)[/QUOTE]

Yeah, just throw the stadiums/colosseums into the handheld games already. The RPG part of the GC games was crap anyway.

[QUOTE=BanjoPickles] 6). Mega Man(goes without saying)
[/QUOTE]

Eh, they still manage to be good most of the time (okay, the later MMX games have been pretty sad, but the handheld games are still awesome). Just like Castlevania, this series keeps on chugging at a steady pace. The new games may not be original, but fans know what they're getting, and that it'll be as good as last time.

Posted: **January 26th, 2007, 6:42 pm**

agree on the Grand Theft Auto series. I loved Vice City, but I was really disappointed with San Andreas. It just felt like Vice City made slower, and with RPG elements thrown in. Because everyone who plays GTA loves RPGs right? Oh, and working out everyday? Since when is GTA the Sims?

As far as other series go the only ones I can think of are Sonic and Star Fox. The last great Star Fox game was Star Fox 64, and the last good Sonic game was Sonic Adventure 2. Hopefully Sonic and the Secret Rings on the Wii will be good, but I don't see Star Fox making a comeback. Personally, the only Star Fox game I liked was Star Fox 64 anyway.

In response to another poster saying Mario Party is run to the ground I say this: Mario has never thrown a good party. If you ever attend another one could you tell Mario his parties suck for me? There's no liquor, and he keeps making me wait for 20 minutes before I do anything.

Posted: **January 26th, 2007, 9:02 pm**

Banjo what in the world was wrong with ratchet 3? I thought it was the best of the four. They were really all very good, jak is a better choice for run into the ground.

Posted: **January 26th, 2007, 9:13 pm**

The first few [b]Tony Hawk[/b] games were outstanding. I probably spent more time with the Dreamcast version of [b]Tony Hawk 2[/b] than any other DC game back in 2000. Alas, this series wasn't meant to be released on a yearly basis on every system imaginable ala [b]Madden[/b], [b]MLB[/b] or [b]NBA Live[/b]. Football, basketball and baseball need the year-to-year updates for new rosters and tweaks to the gameplay (and the update thing isn't even necessary now that the consoles/PC's can be hooked to the internet for downloads) but Neversoft kept releasing basically the exact same game with new tricks, refined controls, different levels/parks, etc. Now, almost eight years after it was introduced (and long after Hawk himself retired from the profession the games bearing his likeness protray), the 'Tony Hawk' games are now perceived as redundant, expendable and pretty much an expendable title you can afford [b][u]NOT[/b][/u] to play when released because there's not much you will miss. The millions of other 'Tony Hawk' clones and/or extreme sport titles didn't help either.

A shame because a few the recent 'Hawk' games (particularly the DS version that, like [b]Mario Kart DS[/b], takes full advantage of the system's WiFi capabilities) have been better than before and have been ignored by the jaded masses that have long tired of the series. Activision has milked this series as dry as it can, yet there's probably more 'Hawk' coming next year just to keep the stockholders happy.

Posted: **January 26th, 2007, 9:26 pm**

[QUOTE=BanjoPickles]

You sort of missed the boat, Critic, as GTA has not been a ps3 exclusive for months now. GTA4 is dropping, day one, for the 360 and the ps3. I understand, though, that certain franchises should die...my list goes, as follows:

1). Mario Party(8 games?! Come on!!!!!)

2). Sonic(blech!)

3). Phantasy Star(wow....Dreamcast graphics on 360?!?! Outdated gameplay?!?!? Where do I sign up?!?)

4). GTA

5). Pokemon(Nintendo doesn't realize that, while Pokemon still sells, it really is a reputation ruiner...also, they need to stop even bothering with making console Pokemons!!)

6). Mega Man(goes without saying)

7). Ratchet and Clank(umm, wasn't it intended as a trilogy?! I loved the second one but the third one SUCKED, at least for me it did!)

8). Medal of Honor(may I introduce you, sir, to the different games that stole MoH's thunder away: CoD2, CoD3, etc....I'm sorry, but MoH does NOT impress me anymore!)

[/QUOTE]

Man that is a list I couldn't agree more on... except Ratchet and Clank hasn't annoyed me too bad, yet.

Sadly, Street Fighter is one of my favorite games of all time, but gee whiz stop already. What the hell is up with Star Fox? Make a game like Star Fox 64.... please. This ground mission/ lame Zelda- rip off/ strategy stuff is worthless. Release an honest to god "on rails" "flight only" Star Fox game every console and I would be happy. Prince of Persia has run its course. So has Gran Turismo. I would also say the Madden series needs an anema too. I like the 07 version, but there are at least 2 dozen serious bugs in the game that tell me they don't even care anymore.

Cousin Vinnie

The Video Game Critic

Franchises run into the ground?

Franchises run into the ground?

Franchises run into the ground?

Franchises run into the ground?

Franchises run into the ground?

Franchises run into the ground?

Franchises run into the ground?

Franchises run into the ground?

Franchises run into the ground?

Franchises run into the ground?

Franchises run into the ground?