10 Game Franchises That Need To Make A Comeback

5. F-Zero

What happened here?!

Somehow, the amazing F-Zero franchise, a game series that definitively changed what racing games on consoles could look like, has been dormant since 2004, not counting Captain Falcon’s appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series, with its last official game being F-Zero Climax back in 2004 on the Gameboy Advance.

With all the mediocre racing games not named Mario Kart floating around the market, it’s amazing to me that someone wearing a suit hasn’t smacked themselves in the forehead and said “Hey Bob, why don’t we make a new F-Zero game?”

As with several other entries on this list, the Wii-U is practically begging for a new F-Zero game. Can you imagine sitting down with your buddy, one person using the TV screen and one using the Wii-U gamepad and forcing each other off the track into loud and colorful explosions?

Seeing what the Wii-U was able to do with Mario Kart, there is no excuse for us to not get another F-Zero. You hear me, Nintendo? It’s been 11 years. Do not deny us!

4. Diddy Kong Racing

Surprise! It’s another racing game!

In all seriousness, it’s hard to believe that Diddy Kong Racing never really got a chance to spread its wings. While criticized for being overly similar to Mario Kart 64, as I mentioned before with Banjo-Kazooie, if you can pull off an established formula well and make it memorable, you’ve got a chance.

What the game lacked in high quality multiplayer functionality, it made up in spades with great animation, a beautiful color scheme and fun music. Not only could your favorite Rareware characters drive karts, they could also pilot hovercrafts and even airplanes, a feature you wouldn’t find in Mario Kart 64.

And on top of all that, Diddy Kong Racing actually had a distinct Adventure mode.

Unfortunately, the last iteration of DKR that we got was a graphically enhanced Nintendo DS remake titled Diddy Kong Racing DS in 2007.

Given Rare’s partnership with Microsoft, and the fact that Killer Instinct returned from beyond the grave to serve as a launch title for the Xbox One, there’s no reason that DKR couldn’t receive that same kind of treatment. It’s been eight years since the DS remake and a whopping 18 years since the original Diddy Kong Racing hit the N64 back in 1997. C’mon Rare! Bring it back!

3. Conker’s Bad Fur Day

Conker’s Bad Fur Day, like Banjo-Kazooie, was another game that wasn’t afraid to implement an already-established formula at the risk of seeming like a knock-off. Unlike Banjo-Kazooie, however, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, took it much, much further.

While the game implemented colorful graphics and catchy music, it was a far cry from the family friendly nature of Super Mario 64. The game’s titular protagonist is irreverent, ironic and absolutely hilarious and the game’s potty-mouthed dialogue follows that formula to a T.

While Conker: Live and Reloaded on the Xbox attempted to capitalize on that winning formula, I never felt the remake, while good, quite lived up to the original.

As for exactly why Conker should make a comeback after 10 years? Well, can you just imagine something similar to that boss fight in mind-blowing HD? Here’s a refresher:

2. Metroid

It’s been five years since the last entry in the Metroid franchise, if you can believe it. While half a decade may not seem like that long between games, there doesn’t look to be anything concrete on the horizon.

Following Metroid: Other M and a rumored (later cancelled) movie project, all’s been silent on the Metroid front.

Thanks to a report by the fine folks at Kotaku, we know that Nintendo is planning on making new Metroid games so, unlike the rest of the games on this list, the return of Metroid isn’t so much a matter of “if” right now as it is “when”.

Still, that doesn’t mean we’re going to get the game anytime soon. With the franchise’s excellent combination of shooting and platforming elements and a labyrinthian style map system that more or less spawned its own genre of gameplay, Metroid-U, as it will probably be called, will be an easy win for Nintendo. Whenever they decide to make it.

For perspective’s sake, keep in mind that folks have been waiting for Final Fantasy XV for nine years, which is only four years longer than the current wait for Metroid fans and FFXV is coming pretty close to Duke Nukem Forever “vaporware hell” status.

So, don’t sit around and wait! Go pester Nintendo of America [1 (800) 255-3700] and tell them that we want Metroid!

So, before we get into the No. 1 game franchise that needs to make a comeback, let’s check out the TL;DR recap:

10. Turok

9. Pokémon Stadium

8. Gex

7. Jak and Daxter

6. Banjo-Kazooie

5. F-Zero

4. Diddy Kong Racing

3. Conker’s Bad Fur Day

2. Metroid

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