I was reading this absolutely retarded article over at RacketBoy/RetroGaming that was talking about games franchises that should be resurrected, redone or revived. I can’t believe that anyone can honestly call themselves a gamer who calls for a sequel to Battletoads. What the fuck is that about? I’m sorry, but Battletoads sucked hard, it doesn’t deserve a sequel. Hell, it doesn’t deserve to see the light of day. I know it was just one guys opinion but if he was nearby I’d personally revoke his geek license for being such a fucking moron. I’d let you read the article but anyone who mentions Vectorman, Powerstone and Lost Vikings in the same article doesn’t deserve the 10 minutes it would take you to disagree with him.

So, fuck that. I’m presenting Matt’s list of 14 games (because 14 is better than 10) that actually do deserve a sequel or resurrection because they were good, not because some wacko has a hard on for Killer Instinct because he memorized a 60 hit combo 10 years ago.

I should also mention that many games on my list actually do have or did have sequels. When I say that a game deserves a sequel or “resurrection”, I mean in the modern sense. Just as the latest Batman movie was a reinvention of the series to save it from the crap that the franchise had become, so too could these games benefit from such a reinvigoration. Sid Meier’s Pirates is THE perfect example of this. The original was endless hours of fun and the remake was the perfect combination of nostalgia and new innovation. Anyway, on with the list…

1) Monkey Island – Although everyone knows there were multiple installments of the Guybrush Threepwood saga, it’s a series that hasn’t been updated in quite some time. Since the folding of Lucas Arts and the near extinction of the adventure game genre, series like this and others on this list have sat neglected and forgotten while teeny bopper fucks play Halo until their eyes bleed. I can’t remember having more fun than playing games like these when I was younger. Not only known for it’s brain teasing puzzles but the ability to make us laugh, Monkey Island is long over due for a make over. It should of course be kept in the adventure genre, probably in a style similar to Syberia, and you’d have to get ex-Lucas Arts guys to pen the script, but it would delight fans for sure.

2) Populous – Published by BullFrog and EA back in 1989, the game has 2 technical sequels (both crappy) and yet again no modern representation. Peter Molyneux went on to continue the “god game” genre with Black & White (with a few stops in between) but the simplicity of Populous was never rediscovered. There was something very primal about making volcanoes erupt in enemy territory and watching people run for cover. Just goes to show that we don’t necessarily need hundreds of levels of depth the “build structure” of these sim games to have fun.

3) Grim Fandango – I doubt there is anything else like Grim Fandango in the history of gaming. Another brilliant title from the Lucas Arts skunkworks that although recognized for it’s genius, never garnered a sequel. It’s a true shame. The combination of whit and humor along with fantastic writing and great puzzles, all wrapped up in 1930 Art Deco styling. A classic.

4) Chrono Trigger – Yes, I realize there was a sequel but it was released in limited numbers, mostly to Japaneses audiences, and didn’t really advance the series. If I’m not mistaken there was a GameBoy port as well. This was actually one of the first RPGs I ever really enjoyed. What I’m thinking is that it deserves a Final Fantasy like treatment and a move to 3D. I loved the time traveling theme and think it could work great in modern engines. Square needs to resurrect this one.

5) Tribes – Although lag issues and graphics problems kept most from enjoying what was truly one of the first “massive” outside level FPS, it was insanely fun to play. They’ve tried several reinventions of the series but most of them were lack luster. The whole series really needs a redo at the hands of some experienced multiplayer guys, Splash Damage or
Gearbox for example. Maybe build it on the new UT engine and really do it right.

6) Day of the Tentacle – Another entry from our boys in the land of Lucas. DotT was the game that I spent the most time on in my early gaming days. Completely off the wall story, funny characters, and a walking, talking, evil purple tentacle, what else could you possibly ask for? I’m not sure how you could update this one but if anyone could do it justice, I can guarantee it would get more hype than HL2.

7) Star Wars: TIE Fighter – Very few games cause me to go out and buy things. Tie Fighter caused me to buy not one but two joysticks at a time when joysticks were still pretty expensive. There have been hundreds of entries into the SW franchise but none were as pure as TF, well, except maybe X-Wing VS Tie Fighter, which was practically the same game. It was a simple premise. You weren’t trying to save the princess, beat Darth or complete some long story driven plot. You were simply thrown into the cockpit of a TIE fighter, asked to kick a little ass, and go home at the end of the day. It beat the pants off Wing Commander, which, I considered putting on this list, until I remembered Mark Hamill’s “performance” and figured you should let the REALLY dead rest in peace.

8) Secret/Legend of Mana – Another game, just like Chrono Trigger, that was lost in the shadows of Final Fantasy. They made 3 of these if I’m not mistaken. I think the US only saw two. It’s a shame that all these RPGs from the 8/16 bit age don’t get translated up into newer graphics because the stories and player involvment back then was at an all time high. Even big name titles these days can’t touch classics like this.

9) MechWarrior – When is the last time you drove a 50 ton killing machine and felt good about the experience? 5 years, 10? I haven’t enjoyed a MechWarrior game since Mercenaries and that shit was old. It was part of MW2 and that came out in ’95! Why can’t they get this right? All I want is a big giant robot that can shoot stuff. It’s really not that hard. The originals were so good it was silly. They tried to redo it with MW4 a few years ago and, having tried it, I can honestly say I wasn’t impressed. This series needs to be saved. It needs a hardcore development team to come in, wipe the drawing board and start over.

10) Syndicate – Does anyone remember Syndicate? There was just something really unique about the world it created. An alternative future with mega corporations controlling people’s minds and CIA/Spook like agents running around killing rival corporations guys and stealing technology, all presented in a top down RTS style. It was great. I still to this day have the box sitting on a shelf in my study. If the floppies hadn’t corrupted I’d fire it up again. This could get remade a dozen different ways and it would be great. They could make this into a Deus Ex kinda thing with a nice engine and I’d be all over it.

11) Contra – This one is simple. The idea has been continued by countless games. Never ending ways of mindless bad guys throwing themselves at you. FPS’ers have taken this to the next level but I think the Contra name could be used to reinvent this into what Duke Nuke’em should have been. A FPS for FUN. No tactics, no lifelike AI, just pure fun. The closest we can get is Serious Sam, and I say we can do better.

12) Day of Defeat / Counter-Strike – This one may confuse you. Let me explain. Counter-Strike and DoD were two of the best mods for the legendary game Half Life. Since Half Life 2 has been released, both DoD and CS have new, modern versions… of the same game. They have the same levels, the same kits, the same game play, everything a faithful recreation of games people loved. I respect that. There also comes a time when, although playing a REMAKE is nice, a sequel would be better. Who wouldn’t want to play CS2 or DoD2? Think of it. You take the same premise and kick it up a notch. CT vs T could evolve into 3 or 4 groups, you could add dozens of weapons, interactive levels, new options, new technologies, VEHICLES! I’d like a show of hands as to how many people think that C4 should be usable ANYWHERE in a level…. all of you… I thought so.

13) StarCraft – Of all the RTS games to not get a sequel, this is the most surprising. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t my first choice in RTS, I was a Total Annihilation kinda guy, but it was still very enjoyable and there’s absolutely no reason why we have World of Warcraft and Warcraft 3 and no StarCraft 2. That’s BS. It’s like someone make the company choose one and they picked gay-ass fairies and orcs and shit and left the cool aliens and robots out in the cold. What the hell?!?

14) Space Quest – Yeah, there was 6 of them, but good god, Roger Wilco deserves better than 256 colors. Sierra really had some great games back in the early 90’s and SQ was the best of them. I can remember playing late at night and laughing so hard I woke my parents up in the next room. It’s sad to see so many funny games get pushed aside for 100% “everything must die” shooters. Games are for fun and entertainment AND blowing shit up. We need to bring some of that back.

There you have it, 14 games that if made right, could seriously rock the video game world. There are several games at I know you’re thinking I left out. Total Annihilation for example. Although the brand “annihilation” was sold off when Cavedog went under, the lead designer and programmer will this year be releasing a sucessor to the RTS crown, Supreme Commander. System Shock, the highly addictive FPS RPG hybrid series is, while being the intellectual property of Irrational Games, is being reincarnated by ex-team members as BioShock, a new creepy adventure shipping late this year. Sam & Max, the dynamic dog and crayz rabbit thing/serial killer detective team is being brough into 3D by its creators after a bizarre legal battle. I briefly considered Street Fighter on this list as a 3D fighter in the vein of Dead or Alive could be interesting, but then I reconsidered as SF is one of those cultural things that is probably best left unchanged. Mario Kart was another contender for the list seeing as how the later incarnations of the series never quite messured up to the SNES original. It was left out since I figure Nintendo will no doubt remake it anyways and at the very least keep pumping out GameBoy versions until the end of time. Tony Hawk, although it gets remade every year, could stand to return to its roots as the punk rock ollie-fest it started out as. It was left out given that I’ve heard good things about TH Underground but have yet to play them.

Think I left something out? What were some of your favorite games you miss?