Video game franchises are a cultural and technical phenomenon, with new titles some of the most highly anticipated games in any given year. As The New York Times highlights, the cultural potential of these titles are so pronounced that Hollywood returns to the games industry year after year – Uncharted is the latest such title to receive the big screen makeover. Even within that, a handful of game franchises can claim to be royalty within the franchise sphere; generation-spanning titles that claim a legacy far beyond any individual title.
Final Fantasy
Few franchises have been running as long as Final Fantasy, and even less with as much success. First debuted in 1987, Final Fantasy now boasts dedicated fan communities for every edition, whether that be IV or XIV. The enduring appeal of Final Fantasy comes in its nods to its community. The same characters appear time and time again, and they capture the spirit of the Final Fantasy world and everything that came before it. What’s more, Square Enix continues to develop a large stable of titles outside of the main line of the series, according to The Verge, which contribute further to the lore and layout of the world that Final Fantasy exists in. This constant worldbuilding and sensitive reconstruction of the past are why the franchise remains one of the greatest.
Super Mario
A Nintendo classic, Mario has become a cultural phenomenon in its own right. Movies, books, TV shows and more have spawned as a result of the game series, and it retains its iconic popularity to this day – little wonder, then, that an original copy of Super Mario 64 sold for $1.5 million, according to USA Today. When it was first released, Mario was groundbreaking in its gameplay. When Super Mario World came out, it broke down barriers again, becoming one of the first open world games that were available to gamers in the day. Now, with such settings the norm in AAA titles, it has become apparent just how important Mario was – and how relevant it remains to this day.
Ever-present Pokemon
Perhaps the most culturally significant franchise of them all, Pokemon is an international media behemoth. It started with Red & Blue in 1996, and since then has gone on to spawn a multimedia stable to rival any other franchise. The game itself is simple – you capture creatures, and you fight other trainers using your creatures. In reality, it’s so much more than that, with a deep lore, lovable characters, a dizzying assortment of Pokemon species and possible breeding and evolution possibilities, and a cute anime style to top it all off. Along with Dragonball-Z, Pokemon was arguably the franchise that got the west interested in Japanese media, and it’s easy to see why.
For video game lovers, sticking to these three franchises is an easy way to find quality in everything they do. The games will continue to succeed and generate new, exciting titles, and that’s what gamers want to hear.