RIP the most popular game character to bite the dust so far.

[Buyatari]

The recent thread of the most popular series got me thinking. Sure Mario and Sonic may never die but what about the those other once popular characters. Will Qbert one day be just another unknown character to tomorrow's youth?

Will there ever be another Bonk or Earthworm Jim game?

I am sure I am forgetting some big ones here. So what is the most popular character to kick the bucket with no revival in sight?

TOP TEN IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.

GEX
Earthworm Jim
QBert
Pitfall Harry
Dragon's Lair
Alex kidd
Lolo
Wonderboy
Mr Do
Battletoads

[Kitsune Sniper]

SOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!!!11!!11

*haha*

Oh wait, you mean in franchises... um... I would've said Rayman but he just got a new game.

Also, we ALMOST got a new Bonk game, but it was canceled after the big earthquake in Japan.

[Kid Fenris]

Also, we ALMOST got a new Bonk game, but it was canceled after the big earthquake in Japan.

I played Bonk: Brink of Extinction at a show, and it felt very much like an old-school Bonk game with some clever power-ups. That's really all I can say.

I suspect it was canceled mostly as a result of Konami taking over Hudson earlier this year and closing Hudson's U.S. branch. The earthquake likely didn't affect development of the game, since it was made by the Houston-based Pi Studios.

[InsaneDavid]

Pitfall Harry. One groundbreaking game, one amazing sequel adventure, and then a bunch of uninspired crap.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I played Bonk: Brink of Extinction at a show, and it felt very much like an old-school Bonk game with some clever power-ups. That's really all I can say.

I suspect it was canceled mostly as a result of Konami taking over Hudson earlier this year and closing Hudson's U.S. branch. The earthquake likely didn't affect development of the game, since it was made by the Houston-based Pi Studios.

Well, that's what the composer (http://disasterpeace.com/album/bonk-brink-of-extinction-soundtrack) said about the project. But you're probably right. Still seems weird though.

[Hawksmoor]

Bubsy?

[VertigoProcess]

Gex? Any 3do lovers out there?

[Kitsune Sniper]

Bubsy?We're talking about popular franchises here.

Gex? Any 3do lovers out there?Yeah, you know what? This counts. I remember hearing the Gex games were pretty awesome and then they just stopped making them.

[SpaceHarrier]

Mega Man.

Ok, ok, I'm sure they are working on something, right? Right?!

[Edmond Dantes]

Bubsy?


Gex? Any 3do lovers out there?

I actually liked both these characters back in the day (I don't care what the critics say, the original Bubsy was pretty awesome). But one was killed for an inability to adapt to 3D, and... I really don't know what happened to the lizard.

Gex wasn't strictly a 3DO character... I had the PC port of the first game.

[Sunnyvale]

My list of dead stars would be:
Any Yar
Dirk of Dragon's Lair
The cast of Rampage

[substantial_snake]

Video game characters never die they just get put on hiatus untill their licenses get bought up by company after company untill some mega corporation decides to either cash into nostalgia or is desperate enough to look at what can make them a quick buck. I mean hell Choplifter is getting a new game this year and that has effectively been a dead "character" for almost 20 years. It took Solid Snake 8 years until he saw another release after MG2:SS and I'[m sure in the intervening time when Konami and Kojima moved onto other projects, the fans thought that snake had "died" but that's not how it turned out. Their will be a revival for pretty much all of the "dead" characters at some point in time weather its a mobile phone adaptation or a full on game someone will try their hand at reviving Gex or Bubsy (ugh..) at some point.

[The 1 2 P]

Will Qbert one day be just another unknown character to tomorrow's youth?

I doubt most kids today know who Qbert is and the same thing could have been said for the last 10 years.

I don't think that real popular characters will ever really die, they might just take a hiatus for a few years. I've personally been waiting for a current gen Syphon Filter game for like.....forever but apparently Gabe Logan is struggling with being one of those charaters on an extended vacation.

[Rickstilwell1]

I have a bad feeling that the Legacy of Kain series might not be coming back. It makes me mad too. I loved that series.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I have a bad feeling that the Legacy of Kain series might not be coming back. It makes me mad too. I loved that series.

Well Kain and Raziel were bonus characters in that Lara Croft game, so there's still hope!

[VertigoProcess]

Gex wasn't strictly a 3DO character... I had the PC port of the first game.

Yeah I know and I think there was a playstation version and a saturn version if I remember correctly... but the 3do kind of made him their unofficial mascot...

[Rickstilwell1]

Well Kain and Raziel were bonus characters in that Lara Croft game, so there's still hope!

Yeah but how long ago was that now?

[otaku]

legacy of kain is a good mention! Rayman has solid games and may be safe. I loved earthworm jim and would like to see another game.

Here's one not yet mentioned-Ryo hazuki from shenmue he's had appearances and sega publishes a similar series of games (yakuza) here's hoping they finish this series up someday

[Oobgarm]

I'd consider Crash Bandicoot, as he's pretty much been dead since he left the PlayStation. It's been 4 years since his last game, and I don't think they're in a hurry to revive him.

Pitfall Harry is a great choice.

What about Strider? There's not been a proper game in the series since Strider 2 on PlayStation.

Ecco the Dolphin?

Alex Kidd?

[jonebone]

Lolo :(

[Pedro Lambrini]

Wonderboy. I don't think he'll be back in hurry. A damn shame. It was Wonderboy that made owning a SMS worthwhile in the good old days.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

The correct answer is:

Mr. Do!

The poor guy hasn't graced a console since the 90s.

Even his four arguably classic arcade titles haven't found their way to any "classics collections". The wiki says that there was plans to release the arcade rom in the arcade emulation section of the Wii Virtual Console, but that was back in 2010 and I don't believe that it ever came to pass.

Mr. Do truly is a sad clown.

[Amon_Re]

Wonderboy. I don't think he'll be back in hurry. A damn shame. It was Wonderboy that made owning a SMS worthwhile in the good old days.

I agree, I love the Wonderboy series!

[Edmond Dantes]

Aren't there several different Wonder Boys, and one of them is actually a girl?

I would say Master Higgins, But I heard he got a game recently.

Strider, at least, keeps appearing in Marvel vs. Capcom. As did Firebrand recently.

Oh hey, here's a good one for you: the Battletoads.

[kupomogli]

Ryu from Breath of Fire. He's always a different character with the same powers, resemblance, and name. Unfortunately it looks like Capcom has no interest in bringing him or Nina back for another game.

[Buyatari]

Ryu from Breath of Fire. He's always a different character with the same powers, resemblance, and name. Unfortunately it looks like Capcom has no interest in bringing him or Nina back for another game.

ehh that is more of a franchise than a character. If you want to go RPGs series what about Ultima ?

Not an RPG but if you are talking about popular series then King's Quest is another and so is Tecmo Bowl.

I agree Gex should be included but I'm not sure Bubsy should be.

[Hawksmoor]

Zero the kamikaze squirrel! Also, Joe & Mac.

[Hawksmoor]

We're talking about popular franchises here.

I dunno, as Accolade properties go I think Bubsy was one of their more popular ones. I miss Accolade and Bubsy. :(


Yeah, you know what? This counts. I remember hearing the Gex games were pretty awesome and then they just stopped making them.

Gex was/is awesome. The forefather of the Geico gecko. Also voiced by comedian Dana Gould, who seemed to drop off the face of the planet in the mid 90's.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Yeah but how long ago was that now?

Last January.

[BlastProcessing402]

Billy and Jimmy Lee? When was the last Double Dragon?

[Hawksmoor]

Just thought of another good one: Vectorman.

[Nebagram]

Dizzy.

That is all.

[The 1 2 P]

Oh hey, here's a good one for you: the Battletoads.

I don't know what the hell is up with Microsoft when it comes to Rare franchises. They are sitting on cash money but refuse to release a new or updated version of either Battletoads of Killer Instinct(among others). They are too focused on avatars and Kinect Sports. They need to start releasing some of those classics as XBLA games.


Billy and Jimmy Lee? When was the last Double Dragon?

Speaking of XBLA games, a new updated version of Double Dragon II is coming to XBLA soon. But personally I'm hoping that they relist the first version. I'm tired of playing that demo from the OXM disc over and over again.

[calthaer]

Here I thought this thread was talking about video game characters that had actually "died" in the game, and wondered why Aeris wasn't at the top of that list.

[kevifray]

i'd say earthworm jim will be brought back at least for nintendo ds or psp etc.

[Cryomancer]

Toejam & Earl. I don't care what anyone says, III was a worthy successor that should get more respect (and playtime). The concept they shopped around of a 4 player co-op DS game sounds awesome and I would totally buy it, but unfortunately no publishers wanted in on it.

[JSoup]

The cast of Rampage

I seem to recall reading a week or so ago that a movie was being made based on Rampage: World Tour.

[Gameguy]

What about Tomba?

[kupomogli]

i'd say earthworm jim will be brought back at least for nintendo ds or psp etc.

Earthworm Jim HD was released on the PS3 and 360 last year. There's a DSi Ware version which I'm assuming is the same except for the HD.

[Hawksmoor]

Bayou Billy.

[jdc]

I second Tomba. What I'd REALLY like is a Spyro game that lived up to the first 3 on the PSX.

[The 1 2 P]

I wouldn't mind seeing another Bad Dudes game.

[GameNinja]

I wonder if there is a specific reason why most of these characters are from platformers, specifically spyro (who isnt THAT dead) Gex, Crash Bandicoot, Earthworm Jim etc. etc.


It seems like Ubisoft did with Rayman Origins what needs to be done with Earthworm Jim-A great, joyful 2D game.

[T2KFreeker]

Okay, way back. I know there have been Castlevania games, but I want a new one with the original Vampire Killer, Simon Belmont! Yeah, been a LONG time for that one.

[Robocop2]

Okay, way back. I know there have been Castlevania games, but I want a new one with the original Vampire Killer, Simon Belmont! Yeah, been a LONG time for that one.

I'd love to have an HD remake of the original CV of some sort.

I'll add another vote for poor TJ & E.

[Sunnyvale]

I seem to recall reading a week or so ago that a movie was being made based on Rampage: World Tour.

Hmm... That might be alright. I'm a huge fan of the Rampage series, and am disapointed we haven't seen a 3D version (or am I mistaken?). But video game movies usually don't do it for me, even the RE series, so unless I meet a geeky gal that wants to go see it, Hastings will show it to me. No real info as of yet online, it seems...
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/11/18/rampage-game-being-turned-into-film.aspx


What about Tomba?

I think we have a winner for this thread.

[Rickstilwell1]

Dizzy.

That is all.

That is a really important one there. 10 games of his own and none since the early 90s. Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy on NES was my favorite, followed by the NES Aladdin version. The Genesis version was cool but I found it hard to climb Zaks' tower at the end without getting killed since the way the magic acts in that version is completely different than either NES version.


There are also characters within series that are still going who have little hope of returning as playable characters. In the Donkey Kong series, Chunky Kong and Kiddy Kong seem to be the most forgotten playable Kongs besides DK Jr while the rest have at least made cameos. Because of Donkey Kong Country Returns, I am curious if K. Rool will even ever return to the series.

In the Sonic series, Mighty, Ray, Fang, Bark and Bean are the most popular characters that haven't been playable since the 90s.

Croc hasn't been around in a long time.

Mr. Nutz who only had two games hasn't been ported to a game system since the Game Boy Advance and hasn't had an original game since the 90s.

Oddworld Inhabitants said they wanted to make a new Oddworld game in the future, but I don't know if there is any hope of Abe returning since he wasn't even in the last game (Stranger's Wrath).

[NayusDante]

Mega Man.

Ok, ok, I'm sure they are working on something, right? Right?!

I classify Mega Man as a zombie at this point. The projects are real, but they get canceled before release. It moves, but it's not alive or dead.

[Cass]

Mega Man.

Ok, ok, I'm sure they are working on something, right? Right?!

I... I might cry. T_T

[old_skoolin_jim]

Gex wasn't strictly a 3DO character... I had the PC port of the first game.

Surprised nobody's brought up "Enter the Gecko" or "Deep Cover Gecko," two pretty solid (for their time) 3d-platformers on the PS1/N64. For those of us with only a PS1, it may have been the closest any of us got to Mario 64...

[bones11]

Shenmue ftw, egad I miss that series.

[Buyatari]

Yeah I think Tomba should be added to the list. Toe Jam and Earl too. Which ones should be removed?

I'm not sure that digital downloads count as new games unless there really are new games. I was happy to see the remakes of Monkey Island on Xbox live and I guess in a way it keep the series alive but not as much a new game on par with the first 2 in the series would.

[Nophix]

How could Mike Jones be left off?

Seriously, dude was tougher than Norris!

[chilimac]

Aero the Acrobat. 2 great games for the SNES and Genesis, and a port of the first game to the GBA, and then nothing ever since.

[MarioMania]

Only 1 person on this thread said Vectorman

I vote Vectorman also

[kupomogli]

How could Mike Jones be left off?

Seriously, dude was tougher than Norris!

If Nintendo released a new Star Tropics I'd buy it.

Chuck Norris eats iron and shits nails, has never cried, has another fist instead of a chin, can make fire by crushing two ice cubes together, etc. He even proves to us that there is one true religion somewhere out there. If a God walking among humans isn't a sign I don't know what is.

Speaking of Chuck. Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain! actually looks like a pretty good beat em up both graphically and gameplay for those who like the original style beat em ups like Final Fight and such.

[Gameguy]

I'm not sure that digital downloads count as new games unless there really are new games. I was happy to see the remakes of Monkey Island on Xbox live and I guess in a way it keep the series alive but not as much a new game on par with the first 2 in the series would.
There was a new recent Monkey Island game, the Tales of Monkey Island from Telltale Games. I haven't played it but that's why I didn't mention Guybrush earlier, I did think about him though.

There's also Lolo and Lala, their trilogy of puzzle games on the NES are among the best games on the system. It's too bad that's where the series ended.

[Nophix]

Mike Jones kills giant godlike sea creatures with a simple yoyo.

[frogofdeath]

How could Mike Jones be left off?

Seriously, dude was tougher than Norris!
I'm glad somebody brought up the StarTropics franchise. I came to post this a couple days but ended up drawing a complete blank on what I had intended to post. Thankfully, somebody else remembered.

So, I will second a vote for Mike Jones.

[Yago]

My vote goes to James Pond! James Pond 2: Codename Robocod is one of my favorite platform games of all time on the Amiga 500 and Amiga 1200 AGA version.

James Pond had a recent release on the iPhone and iPad but that don't count. Were talking video games here not crummy phone apps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Pond

[slapdash]

I believe James Pond also jumped to DS, though that was a couple years back.

[ownerizer]

I'm going to miss the Dead or Alive series dearly, so you can add all those characters to the mix. Also, as someone mentioned earlier, I liked Earthworm Jim too.

[The Dord]

Wonderboy. I don't think he'll be back in hurry. A damn shame. It was Wonderboy that made owning a SMS worthwhile in the good old days.

This. Damn I wish there was a new wonderboy game!

[Flashback2012]

I'm going to miss the Dead or Alive series dearly, so you can add all those characters to the mix. Also, as someone mentioned earlier, I liked Earthworm Jim too.

Was the 3DS version officially pegged as the nail in the coffin for the franchise? :?

[retroman]

Master Higgins would be one...