10. Syndicate
Developer: Starbreeze Studios
Franchise Gap: 1993- 2012
Bringing back a beloved gaming franchise is never easy, but at least the developer under taking it usually has at some support from fans of the original. But that wasn’t the case with Starbreeze Studios re-imagining of the Syndicate franchise. Syndicate 2012 enraged the original PC games fanbase by totally changing its genre from RTS to FPS – apparently because publisher EA simply didn’t believe an RTS was a viable genre in 2012. Starbreeze did an admirable job with Syndicate’s cyberpunk premise, creating an engrossing liner shooter with some clever sandbox elements, but rather sadly it just failed to inspire gamers at large.
9. Marvel Vs Capcom 3
Developer: Capcom
Franchise Gap: 2000-2012
Marvel Vs Capcom 3 could never have been made if the gaming climate hadn’t been changed by Street Fighter IV’s success. With the re-introduction of the genre, and a growing fighter market, there was once again space for unusual takes on the fighting game, a situation that fitted Capcom’s approach to Marvel Vs Capcom 3 to a tee. With its over the top looks balanced by a far more friendly approach to the hardcore mechanics under its zany hood, there was plenty there for both old and new Marvel Vs Capcom fans to enjoy.
8. Donkey Kong Country Returns
Developer: Retro Studios
Franchise Gap: 1999- 2010
With its experience resurrecting beloved Nintendo franchises already proven in the Metroid Prime trilogy, it was hardly surprising that Retro Studios was chosen to develop Donkey Kong Country Returns, but the Japanese developer out did itself. Despite some arguably misplaced application of the Wii’s motion controls Donkey Kong Country is a challenging old school platforming throwback. Thanks to Retro Studios modern tweaks, it’s arguably a far more satisfying experience than any of the original games, all while perfectly capturing the Donkey Kong Country spirit.
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