Many of gaming’s biggest franchises come from Japan. We all have to continually thank the country for giving us gems like Super Mario, Resident Evil, Pokemon, Metal Gear, and many more. On a rare occasion, western developers get a chance to make a game in any of these storied franchises.
Sometimes they fumble the ball a bit, and other times they knock it out of the park, bringing something wholly unique to the series. The ten games below might change something about the game’s identity, but they are still fantastic in their own right and deserve a playthrough or two from fans.
10 Donkey Kong Country (Rare)
One could consider this its own franchise, but Rare’s Donkey Kong Country took a Nintendo character and made a platforming star out of him. Not only is the gameplay as smooth as the best platformers on the SNES, but the graphics are gorgeous, outdoing almost everything else on the console. Rare would go on to make several other games in the franchise. The series had a long hiatus until Retro Studios revived it in 2010.
9 Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow (MercurySteam)
Castlevania has always had an iffy time in the 3D space. The closest it ever got to some real prestige was Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, by Spanish developer MercurySteam.
While it trades in the labyrinthine mazes of Symphony of the Night for a more traditional action game, it was a smooth experience with a compelling story. While there is a massive twist at the end, the sequel is generally considered a poor successor.
8 DmC: Devil May Cry (Ninja Theory)
Even though the last thing Devil May Cry fans wanted after Devil May Cry 4 was a reboot, DmC: Devil May Cry was not too bad. Ignore its status as a reboot and it is easier to enjoy DmC: Devil May Cry as a fun action game. It might be a little easier to do so now since Devil May Cry 5’s release. Developer Ninja Theory is now owned by Microsoft, so they won’t be touching the Devil may Cry franchise again anytime soon.
7 Star Fox Adventures (Rare)
Western developers have always been somewhat involved with Star Fox, but it is still a Nintendo franchise. Star Fox Adventures from Rare started off as a completely unrelated action-adventure game until Nintendo suggested replacing the main character with Fox McCloud. Development also started on the N64 until it was restarted for the Nintendo GameCube, and a build of the original game recently leaked. Looking at the original reveals an extremely impressive N64 game.
6 Bionic Commando (Grin)
Grin’s 2010 Bionic Commando reboot is probably the most polarizing game on the list for a few reasons. The interpretation of the older 2D aesthetic is not what people expected, and many took issue with the story, particularly the twist about Nathan Spencer’s arm. However, even if you find these terrible, there is still an awesome PS3 and Xbox 360 action game. Unfortunately, no sequels were ever produced, despite a cliffhanger ending.
5 Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (Silicon Knights)
These days remakes are all the rage. They were less common in 2004, though there was still a precedent with titles like the Resident Evil remake. Silicon Knights was tasked with bringing Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid from 1998 to the GameCube.
Some fans took issue with the ridiculous action in the cutscenes. Additionally, putting Metal Gear Solid 2’s gameplay into Shadow Moses Island made some parts too easy. However, it is still a treat to see the classic setting with a new polish.
4 Pac-Man World (Namco Hometek)
Pac-Man World is better than it has any right to be. You’d think a 3D adaptation of the classic arcade game would be a cheap cash-in, but it is actually one of the finest platformers for the original PlayStation. It also happens to be one of the hardest games for the console, on par with the original Crash Bandicoot. Despite having Namco in the name, Namco Hometek is based in the United States.
3 Sonic Mania (Christian Whitehead And Pagoda Games)
Sonic Mania is generally considered the best game in the franchise since the original Sega Genesis titles. It was developed primarily by Australian developer Christian Whitehead with help from Pagoda Games. Christian presented a prototype of the title after porting several Sonic games to mobile devices. He and Sega connected after he had been a part of the fan community for years, making his own fan games. Sega was smart to put the series in the hands of a passionate fan.
2 Luigi’s Mansion 2 And 3 (Next Level Systems)
While perhaps a weird choice for a GameCube launch title, Luigi’s Mansion is still a fine game. The sequels, developed for the Nintendo 3Ds and then the Nintendo Switch, were handled by western developer Next Level Systems. These two titles also add cooperative multiplayer to the mix, which is always a welcome addition for a series. The gameplay is not the typical platforming fare one expects from a Nintendo game.
1 Metroid Prime (Retro Studios)
A lot of classic franchises did not survive the transition into 3D during the mid-90s. The Metroid franchise took a break on the N64 to come out of the gate swinging on the GameCube with Metroid Prime. Retro Studios’ trilogy retains the element of exploration from the originals, but puts the action into a first-person perspective. With the same developer developing Metroid Prime 4, Samus fans have a lot to look forward to, assuming the game ever comes out.
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