Series You Personally Think Should Be Well Known By Most Gamers

[Randoman]

So have there been any game series that you personally thought most gamers would know about (at least the name of it), but actually don't?

For example, I was surprised when some of my SF friends have never heard of Bomberman or Contra before. I thought for sure Bomberman was quite iconic and recognizable, especially by people who are heavily into gaming. Though I guess I've underestimated how much of a popularity decline Bomberman has been on after the 80's and 90's despite him still receiving quite a lot of new games after that. As for Contra, seeing how the Konami code is quite the well known meme/inside joke and Contra is one of the Konami games where you'd need it the most, I thought Contra's popularity would be tied in with the Konami code's. And I always thought that Contra was one of the most famous and well known hard games of the NES era.

[Knight]

Probably Metroid. Not that it isn't unpopular, it isn't really, but when people say Nintendo, the first things that probably come to mind are Mario, Zelda and Pokemon, but I think Metroid should be a strong, unforgettable fourth. It's probably really biased of me to say that since I'm such a fanboy.

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are two other ones. Both games are pretty fun and have high acclaim for their artistic accomplishments, and their HD rereleases have helped them spread about, but I still think that they need to be more well-known. The main reason is, despite whether or not you think they're fun or not, the series' positive influence on the games that followed is very evident, aesthetically and technologically (I don't think Zelda Twilight Princess would exist without it), and with The Last Guardian coming out soon, there's a good chance that it too will innovate a lot of gaming, and its sequels as well, and I hope Sony realizes what an important game series it is so that we won't have to wait another 8 years for another one. So its a series that needs a lot of recognition by fans so that it stays afloat.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Knight

[Zera]

Probably Metroid. Not that it isn't unpopular, it isn't really, but when people say Nintendo, the first things that probably come to mind are Mario, Zelda and Pokemon, but I think Metroid should be a strong, unforgettable fourth. It's probably really biased of me to say that since I'm such a fanboy.

I don't mind the fact that some people still think Metroid is "that orange robot guy in Smash Bros", but there are some games that are so darn awesome that you have to play them at some point. And Super Metroid is one of those games.

I personally think more people should know about Treasure's game series like Bangai-O and Sin and Punishment. Or at least take a look at Ikaruga.

[Sentacotus]

Gonna have to second Metroid. Seems like people either really know it or don't. I would lob Fire Emblem in there pre-Awakening and pre-Fates but its becoming better known at this point. Others that I find that people don't really know about but should (or at least give em a shot) are F-zero and Castlevania (not lords of shadow).

[Rizziah]

I'm not sure on how well known it is, but I don't see it brought up a whole lot, so Etrian Odyssey would be on my recommendation list.

It's a challenging first-person dungeon crawler made by Atlus (of SMT fame), which uses inspiration from much more retro games to add their own unique features, such as the built-in map making system that helps you keep track of yourself in each dungeon you explore. It has a nice art style and atmosphere, and a free-form style or storytelling that allows you to make up your own adventure in your head. Each and every member is named and customized by you, and later games add some alternative palletes to the already stellar designs. It's a good mix of minimalism and innovation that I find most other forms of media have trouble with, but EO pulls it off pretty darn well, in my opinion. Compact with great music (here's one example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct2fnCE-CcI), it's a series of games that always improve on the next. Although I will say I've only played the first 3 games in full, all on which are on the OG DS, the demo for EO4 on my 2DS has already impressed me.

Also maybe Dark Souls. I've come across some people who've never heard of it, which caught me by surprise, but I think most gamers know it.

[Blaze The Great]

Fire Emblem is honestly the best Nintendo franchise I've ever played. It should be considered one of the top 5 Nintendo franchises for sure, maybe even top 3. I think it's that good.

[Magical CC]

Many franchises from Japan....Yakuza for example, solid gameplay and lot of fun stuff to do that actually are actually fun like...playing with some hostesses....and dress them......and....

[Ema Skye]

Probably Metroid. Not that it isn't unpopular, it isn't really, but when people say Nintendo, the first things that probably come to mind are Mario, Zelda and Pokemon, but I think Metroid should be a strong, unforgettable fourth. It's probably really biased of me to say that since I'm such a fanboy.

This post makes me think of the Donkey Kong games. It's so closely tied with Mario that some people group them together, even though the DK games are absolutely capable of standing on their own without help from Mario.

[Anacybele]

Fire Emblem is honestly the best Nintendo franchise I've ever played. It should be considered one of the top 5 Nintendo franchises for sure, maybe even top 3. I think it's that good.

Basically this for me. :P I love FE this much too! Well, not every game in the series (FE7 is boring compared to the rest, imo. Shadow Dragon just turned me off completely when I was forced to sacrifice someone. And when I heard other people voice negative opinions about it, I just never picked it back up), but the ones I DO love a lot are pretty much my favorite games ever.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

I never was / am a big videogamer in general. Played platformers like Mario, DK and Kirby in my childhood and now I only play FE, a few RPG series and round based strategy games.

Smash Bros Brawl told me about some franchises like Fire Emblem, Earthbound or Metroid I've never ever heard before.

I'm glad that I played Brawl because otherwise I never ever would get into the best series in the world of videogames.

Fire Emblem is honestly the best Nintendo franchise I've ever played. It should be considered one of the top 5 Nintendo franchises for sure, maybe even top 3. I think it's that good.

Nothing more to add :)

[omglmaowtf]

Who do you include in this demographic of " most gamers"? If you include girls/women who only game when they're on their mobiles while commuting, then Angry Birds probably will be the only series they know; doubt they'll even be able to identify Dixie Kong if shown an image of her

[Knight]

Who do you include in this demographic of " most gamers"? If you include girls/women who only game when they're on their mobiles while commuting, then Angry Birds probably will be the only series they know; doubt they'll even be able to identify Dixie Kong if shown an image of her

I'm not the OP, so I won't speak for him, but I'd say anyone who considers themselves a gaming enthusiast and a partaker in the culture. I don't think gamers in this context meant to include people who only game for a time waster.

Perhaps I should note that I don't think it's some crime that you don't know anything about "_____" series, and that somehow your life is inferior for not knowing anything about Metroid or Shadow of the Colossus.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Knight

[Irony]

Golden Sun. Radiant Historia. I'm gonna second Etrian Odyssey and Fire Emblem. The Last Story, which I haven't played, but I would love to do so.

Edit: Also- Ace Attorney. Ghost Trick. Rhythm Thief.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Fantasia

[MacLovin]

FIRE EMBLEM

SHINING FORCE

CIVILIZATION.

[Alertcircuit]

Actually surprised at the Contra thing, I was under the impression most people knew that game?

As for games people should know but don't, Elite Beat Agents, Shovel Knight, Shantae.

[Shinehollow]

Super Mario is obviously well known.Mega Man,maybe.

Pac-Man.

[Randoman]

...yeah, you guys really misinterpreted my question in the OP.

I wasn't asking about game series you enjoy that you want many other gamers to know about. I was asking what game series are popular and prevalent enough that most people that are into gaming should know about their existence or the basics of them but don't, regardless of whether or not you like them.

For example, a lot of people acknowledge that Metal Gear Solid (whether they enjoy the series or not) is quite a prevalent and well-known series, though ironically, there are quite a lot of gamers that never knew about the series and didn't even know who Snake was until he showed up in Brawl. Another example would be Space Invaders which was one of the cornerstones of space shooters and is quite recognizable among most gamers, though there are a surprising amount of gamers that wouldn't recognize the pixel aliens from Space Invaders if you were to show them it.

So basically, it has nothing to do with whether or not you like the series, but if you think it would be well recognized and well known from how many games it has or the impact it made on gaming history.

Who do you include in this demographic of " most gamers"? If you include girls/women who only game when they're on their mobiles while commuting, then Angry Birds probably will be the only series they know; doubt they'll even be able to identify Dixie Kong if shown an image of her

I guess for the purpose of this thread, let's narrow it down to people who own dedicated game consoles (I'll leave it up to you if you want to consider PC or not) and spend at least 8 hours a week playing them.

[Knight]

...yeah, you guys really misinterpreted my question in the OP.

I wasn't asking about game series you enjoy that you want many other gamers to know about. I was asking what game series are popular and prevalent enough that most people that are into gaming should know about their existence or the basics of them but don't, regardless of whether or not you like them.

For example, a lot of people acknowledge that Metal Gear Solid (whether they enjoy the series or not) is quite a prevalent and well-known series, though ironically, there are quite a lot of gamers that never knew about the series and didn't even know who Snake was until he showed up in Brawl. Another example would be Space Invaders which was one of the cornerstones of space shooters and is quite recognizable among most gamers, though there are a surprising amount of gamers that wouldn't recognize the pixel aliens from Space Invaders if you were to show them it.

So basically, it has nothing to do with whether or not you like the series, but if you think it would be well recognized and well known from how many games it has or the impact it made on gaming history.

Yeah, I was a little confused but I figured that's what you meant. There's a ton of game series that I'd love to be more popular than they are. I assume you mean like the video-game equivalent of something like most film buffs should know about Citizen Kane and stuff like that.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Knight

[MoonlitSonata]

Hmmm... I'd say the ones that if you have any semblance of an idea about mainstream video games that you should know about are Final Fantasy, Mario, Pokemon, World of Warcraft, and Halo/Call of Duty. Reasons:

Final Fantasy: Least likely to be recognized on this list, but definitely a series that has enough mainstream spotlight that it is difficult to not know about. Easily the most well-known JRPG series of all time

Mario: Nintendo's mascot, and they're not going to let us forget him any time soon. I had read that he was more recognizable worldwide than Mickey Mouse for a period of time around the 90s.

Pokemon: Between the toys, games, and TV show, at the very least most people with a kid have heard of the little yellow mouse in some shape or form. Very user-friendly to simply pick up and play, with a meta that does not render it irrelevant to older crowds into competitive battling

WoW: If someone mentions MMOs, WoW is certainly going to come up in some context, whether it's the fans that have stuck with it for ten years or the people who can't stand that WoW revolutionized MMOs in such a manner that most newer MMORPGs have a multitude of similar features from the word go.

Halo/Call of Duty: I consider these both to be the same when it comes to recognition, as when you hear about FPS games and the current gaming scene, chances are most people who helped bring gaming into the mainstream have played one of the two. Also the fact that when news outlets report on any connection between video games and violence both titles are extraordinarily likely to be mentioned, and clumped together as a result.

Lastly, not mentioned on my initial list but Windows Solitare is another game that literally everyone with a computer, gamer or non-gamer, should know.

[Batter the Beast]

Battletoads and Ghosts 'n Goblins for their notorious difficulties should be well known (though I think Ghosts 'n Goblins is a bad game, but Ghouls 'n Ghosts is amazing) but a lot of people have no idea what they are. Also Castlevania should be well known for being a perfect example of memorization and planning gameplay in a platformer and a perfect example of howstiff controls really benefits the overall design, but, once again, a lot of my gamer friends have never seen any of the Castlevania games.

One would also have to consider how the current generation of gaming may not know anything about any old non-Nintendo series due to many series, like Castlevania and Contra not having proper sequels in a long time. Despite the fact that those two games are cornerstones of the gaming world, people that are just getting into gaming won't have a proper system to play the games on and will probably never hear about them except from word-of-mouth from any other gamer who grew up playing those games, which is what I have to do to some of my gaming friends. Nonetheless, you'd be hard pressed to find people that don't know about other cornerstones such as Halo or Minecraft.

[NICKT™]

999 and Virtues Last Reward.

and Mount Your Friends.

[Rapier]

I'm not sure whether the Mother series fit in the criteria, but I'd like them to be recognized. Itoi's writing is something to behold.

That, and the FE series.

[HF Makalov Fanboy Kai]

Yazuka is every weeaboo's wet dream and an amazing series, the fact that this isn't known world wide is mind boggling

[Straylock]

I'm not sure whether the Mother series fit in the criteria, but I'd like them to be recognized. Itoi's writing is something to behold.

That, and the FE series.

Correct me if I'm misunderstanding the topic, but Mother seems like the opposite in that a lot of people know about it (largely due to Smash), but most of those people haven't played. They really should though; that is a fantastic series.

I'd definitely say Castlevania would probably be a big one for this topic. That franchise was pretty big back in the day, with the first game generally regarded as one of the NES classics, while Super Castlevania IV and Symphony of the Night usually rank highly on those "Best games of all time lists." With that said however, I've only met one person in my life who has played a game in this series. I don't know, I may just be looking in the wrong places, but I would think that more people would've played at least one of these games with how well known they are and how many there are.

[Leif]

I played Chrono Cross in high school. I think it should be remade and have a remastered plot. It was so damn confusing, with insane plot revelations all crammed in ar the last minute. However, its battle system, music, setting were so fantastic. However, the 40+ recruitable characters and connection to Trigger dragged it down, though. I didn't like having so many throw-away characters in a standard JRPG (strategy RPG is a different animal), they cheapen the stories if the main, and more important characters.

Lynx was one badass villain with a slick design. Too bad he, as well as other main characters, weren't fleshed out enough to be all that memorable.

It's a pity really. It has so much going for it. It, honestly, should have been a game that stood apart from Chrono Trigger....

EDIT:

Oh, and of course, Fire Emblem deserves all the love in the world.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Leif