Topic: Longest-running video game franchises

What series you have the longest history with and whether you consider yourself a long-time fan of the series and always try to play a new one when it comes out? Given how many long some franchises have been going on now I expect there will plenty of different answers!

@JohnnyShoulder that would be The Legend of Zelda, it was the fist NES game i played back in 1988 followed by the original Super Mario Bros which i played on the same day so you could say those 2 draw for my longest

Wolfenstein is probably the longest running Franchise that I still play. Doom is most likely the 2nd longest. If I still played Mario games, that would be the longest as I was playing Mario games on Game and Watch as well as Donkey Kong (which also could be the longest franchise that I still played) - the first game that Mario was in. However, I haven't played either of these two franchises since the Wii Mario/DK games.

Wolfenstein just beats out Doom as I played that before I played Doom 1. Apart from Tomb Raider, I can't think of any franchises that I still play and been around for 20yrs or more. I could be wrong and overlooked something but apart from the Nintendo games (Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong etc), I can't think of any franchises that are still going so I don't think there are any older than Wolfenstein that I still play.

I was a big Sonic fan when I owned a Mega Drive as a child, but have since fallen way behind with the series.

For franchises I've played continuously it's Mario, followed by Zelda and Pokémon. Super Mario 64 was my first N64 game back in 1997 and I've remained a massive fan of the series since, especially the 3D entries. Closely followed is The Legend of Zelda. Ocarina of Time was my first Zelda game in 1998 and it remains my favourite franchise. I got Pokémon Blue shortly after the European release in 1999.

Super Mario Bros.

The first game in the series was the second video game I ever played (the first being a baseball game on my cousin's Atari).

Still a fan of the franchise though I prefer 2D games to the 3D ones.

I’d probably say Resident Evil is the longest running franchise that I play and that I actively get excited about new instalments of. Although there are older games that I played and still do play, the obvious one being Sonic, I regularly miss instalments and they are often not that great, either.

Good question. I don't think I have a particular allegiance to any franchise, but when Sonic went back to classic 2D, I shamelessly ran back into his arms like a badly-treated lover

Generally I only play games in long running franchises, sad I know but I have so little time that I need that hook to get me on. I probably get most excited for mortal Kombat/injustice series but I always wait for the "complete" editions. I enjoyed Doom 2016. Donkey Kong country returns on Wii was one of the best games I've ever played, I really enjoyed it. All the Mario's and Zelda's too, yeah I'm mainly a franchise gamer I think.

I'm the same with films and TV too, I generally only get time to see the Marvel films and I'll make a point to see the new mission Impossibles, terminators (though the last one was really really bad), predators (again last one was a bit rubbish), Rocky's (now creeds), DC films, I'll try to see films by directors I like too, it's sort of a franchise!

@ralphdibny yikes I wouldn’t say I’m a movie snob but I can’t imagine a diet consisting of mostly Marvel 😂

I’ll give you the Rocky and Creed films though, big fan over here.

I guess you Wouldn't concider them franchises but what fits under that category for me Would be Madden and WWE i have brought them every year since the Super Nintendo era

@kyleforrester87 haha I know I can't help it but I've been following the MCU since iron man (including all the TV shows that may or may not be canon) and marvel generally since X-Men, I did see blade but not when I was 8 years old when it came out lol.

Love rocky and thought creed was a brilliant continuation!

Oh and I am a movie snob! I love kubrick, lynch, fincher (except panic room and Benjamin button), pre titanic Cameron, tarantino, Boyle so I'll normally catch their films and nothing compares these days. In terms of comfort films I know what I like! Avengers endgame, Captain marvel and Spiderman 2 (or is that 8) all tick the right boxes for me, I guess black panther was majorly overrated though lol

@kyleforrester87 Eastwood, both scotts (wiggly and Tony), Rodriguez, Roth, meadows (first 4 or 5 films), clarks (Alan and Noel), Love, classic Ritchie (bit of a hack now), Vaughn....I could go on lol

@KnightWolf WWE is defo a franchise! I know it's an adaptation, I used to play war zone, attitude and smack down so much!

Pokemon. I have been a huge fan of that series and used to grab new ones whenever they came out, but I've started becoming less interested in the latest games. I may well skip Sword and Shield and wait and see what they do after that.

My earliest memory of a game that is still going is Sonic on the Master System. I didn't get into Nintendo until a lot later (same with games on PC like Wolfenstein and Doom) and even then I wasn't fussed on the Mario games. But as I grew older my tastes changed so I can't say I stayed a fan on Sonic.

There are other series which I started of early with like Resi Evil and Metal Gear but I've not enjoyed all of the games so wouldn't class myself as fan of those series either.

So after racking my memory banks I think about the only series I've stuck with consistently over the years is Fifa and PES. I remember playing the first Fifa on the MegaDrive and a ISS on the SNES. I usually flip flop between the two titles but have always kept a pretty close eye on both titles. Shame they have both gone in the PTW direction for my liking recently.

Gotta be Tomb Raider. Although I haven’t played every single game, I’ve followed the series for a long time and it dates back pretty far. Still finishing up Lara Croft Go and never quite finished Temple of Osiris. But when a mainline game hits, I’m there day one.

@Th3solution Come to think of it, i think GTA is probably the closest series of games i will always look out for and have been playing since back in the day. Yeah I've not enjoyed all of the games, but will be hyped for the next game. Unless it is GTA Online 2 or something.

For some reason reading your comments about Tomb Raider triggered that memory, so thanks!

@Frigate Sport franchises most definitely do count, I've names Fifa and ISS/PES too.

In more recent times the SoulsBorne games by From I can definitely see going in this category for me. I missed Demon Souls as I didn't have a ps3 but have played every game since Dark Souls. I will happily buy those games at launch.

@JohnnyShoulder Yeah, GTA goes back pretty far, that’s a good shout.

Another that came to my mind is Final Fantasy. However, I haven’t been as passionate about it as consistently as Tomb Raider. I have gone back to play older FF games from the early generations that I missed, but not all of them, the earliest being FF7. And I haven’t been as smitten with the series of late. I played FF13 and 13-2 but never got around to Lightning Returns, nor FF15 yet. One of these days I’d like to go back and do FF6 at least and also get FF15 done. That’s looking less and less likely. I will probably be there day 1 for FF7 Remake though.

Elite is a game I have always followed. So much potential but there hasn't been a perfect implementation yet!

Dizzy the Prince of the yolk folk. No idea why this stopped being a thing but the big boxes of 5 games was brilliant.

Streets of Rage. Can't wait for number 4. Always go back to SoR 2 and 3.

Then the franchises that I may miss at release but will defo grab around release regardless of reviews.

Ridge Racer, Final Fantasy single player games, Soul Calibur, GTA,