Longest Running Gaming Series

[Flack]

What are some of the longest running gaming series?

The first one I thought of was Madden Football. John Madden Football debuted in 1989, and just released one this year. That's 15 years.

Then I thought about Pac-Man -- arcade game debuted in 1980, and the last Pac-Man game I know of came out in 2003. That's 23 years!

Donkey Kong/Mario comes close, as it came out in 1981 and I believe there was a new Mario game last year. That's 22 years.

What other long running gaming series can you come up with?

[Darkness X]

Final Fantasy comes to mind as well as Frogger and R-Type (although the R-Type series is dead now I think)

[hydr0x]

Pong, there are still tennis games coming out (and real pong clones too)

[AB Positive]

well, there's been a KoF every year since '94, it's having a 10 year anniversary right now.


Although Mega Man has it's 15th anniversary last year.


-AG

[Zubiac666]

bomberman

street fighters

and I'm pretty sure that there will be a new number 1 in the future:
Pokemon

[Ed Oscuro]

Whatever happened to Nintendo, Konami and Capcom games, to name a few? Heck, you've got a direct line of SNK fighters such as Fatal Fury -- that's been running (in one form or another) since 1989, I think.

But you've got Nintendo's Mario games...that's pre-1986 right there, not sure when the first game appeared on the Famicom, but a while ago. There's the Makaimura series from Capcom, running since 1985 and still going strong with the Maximo games on PS2. Of course, Konami's Contra and Dracula series are both from 1986 and still going strong (I think).

Of course, there's always the Gradius series...some folks say that a really old (1981!) Konami sidescrolling shooter named Scramble (http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9447) (which I would like to get in the cabinet!) is the first entry in that series, so maybe that's your answer...

[Ed Oscuro]

Yes, I know it says Super Cobra is the sequel to Scramble. However, Konami's said it themselves:

http://www.gamestone.co.uk/gradius/gba_gradius_generation.html

Scroll down a bit.

[Sniderman]

Atari's Pong released in 1972.
http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=9074

Atari's Pong for Playstation (and GameBoy amongst other modern systems) released in 1999.
http://psx.ign.com/articles/161/161431p1.html


Difference of 27 years. I win!

[downfall]

Pac-Man is certainly the longest running, and it probably spanned the most systems as well. The only thing that comes close is Mario, but that's already been mentioned.

Contra is a long standing series.
Castlevania as well.

Both have been mentioned also.

Nintendo, Capcom, and Konami are the three companies that seem to be known most for this kind of thing. Between the three of them, there are probably 10 or 15 series that are still going strong for over 10 years.

Mario
Donkey Kong
Gradius
Contra
Mega Man
Bomberman
Street Fighter
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Metal Gear
Metroid

and so on.

Sega fits to some extent, mainly because of Sonic, but other than that, they're not even really all too close to the rest.

[PapaStu]

I am shocked that this one has been missed, and glad that i get to suggest it. :D

Pitfall.

Newest game was a few weeks ago, original was on the 2600. That gives it some years.

And hasnt some form of the "Sim" series been around for a loooong time? Be it Sim City, or the SIMS

[downfall]

Pong yeah, but it's still the same game that it was way back when it came out. That's not really much of a series to me, just the same game with different graphics (OMG different colored bar and block!!LOL) released on whatever system they felt like releasing it on. That's why I don't count it anyway, because it hasn't changed. I think you need more than one game to be a series.

At least that's my opinion.

[Ed Oscuro]

I am shocked that this one has been missed, and glad that i get to suggest it. :D

Pitfall.

Dang, I was gonna post that just now :D

Oh, I should also mention Shinobi, since this is a name-tossing contest :P

Oh well, you win some, and you lose some more, that's how it goes.

[Sniderman]

Pong yeah, but it's still the same game that it was way back when it came out. That's not really much of a series to me, just the same game with different graphics (OMG different colored bar and block!!LOL)
Ah, but what is your definition of a "series," hmmmm? 3 or more titles? 5? A dozen? In my opinion, a "series" is two or more. Ergo, original Pong and the remakes from a few years ago constitute a "series." And, with a run of 27 years, makes it the longest-running one.


That's why I don't count it anyway, because it hasn't changed. Power-ups were added. Different playfields. Obstacles. Updating the gameplay and graphics to take advantage of new technologies, faster processors, etc. It sure's as HELL changed. That's like saying that the Mario series hasn't changed because it's still "rescue the princess" gameplay.


I think you need more than one game to be a series. Made my point above.


At least that's my opinion.
And mine too. :D

[tynstar]

Phantasy Star and Sonic have been around since the SMS days. Not th longest but still long.

[downfall]

I would say two games. Anything more than one. I agree with you there.

I never realized they re-made pong however (much less never even heard of a remake of pong), so I'll gladly eat my own words there. I just figured you were talking about the multitude of ports of the same game on every system coming and going. I'm nowhere near as knowledgable as many of you on this board, but I don't know quite how I missed that one. I always did like pong. Anyway.

The ports haven't changed, and that's what I was talking about, since I had no clue otherwise.

Makes note to self: *research before you speak*

:D

[PapaStu]

Pong yeah, but it's still the same game that it was way back when it came out. That's not really much of a series to me, just the same game with different graphics (OMG different colored bar and block!!LOL)
Ah, but what is your definition of a "series," hmmmm? 3 or more titles? 5? A dozen? In my opinion, a "series" is two or more. Ergo, original Pong and the remakes from a few years ago constitute a "series." And, with a run of 27 years, makes it the longest-running one.

See i think of a second game as purely a Sequel. When it hits a 3rd game, then its become a series, and that shows that the developer/publisher has put enough faith into the frachising of the game to consistantly spit them out every couple of years (though admitidily, there are games that dont make it past the 3rd release, but they did get the title of Series, IMO)


:::EDIT::::
In that, I see Pong as a series. The game did do evolution from the original 197whatever one, to the more than one update that it got, continuing with the 3D (?) and powered up version that is a few years old on the PSOne.

[IntvGene]

Not that it's popular here.. but the Gundam series in Japan has had 117 titles since the famicom one in 1986. The series has sold over 20 million copies.

[Flack]

I believe Pitfall was 1982, which puts it almost neck and neck with Pac-Man and Mario.

I kind of put Pong, Space Invaders, and games like that as remakes instead of series, but whatever way you look at it is okay.

[davidbrit2]

How about Final Fantasy? The irony of course being that every title has "Final" in the name. LET IT DIE ALREADY.

[Sotenga]

Can we count licensed titles? If so, both Star Wars and Indiana Jones games have been around since the days of the 2600. I've got nothing else, you guys pretty much covered all I was going to say (CASTLEVANIA) :P

[ubersaurus]

Does Space War 2000 count?

1962 to what, 2001? ;p I think that'd win it if that counted...depends on what you mean by released though.

[Azazel]

Some other series that have not been mentioned yet.

Ys
Dragon Quest
Shin Megami Tensei
Fire Emblem
Daisenryaku

[Flack]

Some other series that have not been mentioned yet.

Ys
Dragon Quest
Shin Megami Tensei
Fire Emblem
Daisenryaku

When were the first and last games in these series?

[Gnarkill]

um... pretty much all I can think of is here soooo... mario tennis? If I remember rite there was an NES game but I was way to young to remember.

[HaggarCodyGuy123]

What about Dragon's Lair (though most of the games are forgettable)?

[GaijinPunch]

The Gundam Series has been around for ages. The first one appeared on the Famicom in '86 or '87. They recently just sold their 20 millionth title (of all the series combined). It's huge.. there's well over 100 games (137 if memory serves) in the Gundam universe.

I'd say it by far blows the shit out of any other series, if you can consider it that.

[crashdummycow01]

what system did frogger come out for 1st?.... there've been alot of frogger games released

[§ Gideon §]

what system did frogger come out for 1st?
Arcade, I'd imagine.

[Flack]

Yup, and at 1981, it's another one of the longest running ones.

[Azazel]

Some other series that have not been mentioned yet.

Ys
Dragon Quest
Shin Megami Tensei
Fire Emblem
Daisenryaku

When were the first and last games in these series?

I don't have the exact years but could probably look it up if any one wants to know?

1st games
Dragon Quest NES and MSX(Not sure which came first)
Ys MSX
Shin Megami Tensei NES and MSX(Not sure which came first)
Fire Emblem NES
Daisenrayaku NES and most likely MSX as well.


Last Games
Ys 6 PC and PS2
Dragon Quest 4 PSX, DQ 5 and 8 are suppose to come out on the PS2
Fire Emblem GBA
Daisenryaku Dreamcast, there might be a PS2 one but I'm not up to date on current systems.
Shin Megami Tensei both X-Box and PS2

[Azazel]

Some other series that have not been mentioned yet.

Ys
Dragon Quest
Shin Megami Tensei
Fire Emblem
Daisenryaku

When were the first and last games in these series?

I don't have the exact years but could probably look it up if any one wants to know?

1st games
Dragon Quest NES and MSX(Not sure which came first)
Ys MSX
Shin Megami Tensei NES and MSX(Not sure which came first)
Fire Emblem NES
Daisenrayaku NES and most likely MSX as well.


Last Games
Ys 6 PC and PS2
Dragon Quest 4 PSX, DQ 5 and 8 are suppose to come out on the PS2
Fire Emblem GBA
Daisenryaku Dreamcast, there might be a PS2 one but I'm not up to date on current systems.
Shin Megami Tensei both X-Box and PS2

[robotriot]

Monkey Island isn't that old, but still.

Also maybe Defender of the Crown :)

[anagrama]

Pesronally, I wouldn't count Pong or 'remakes' of the classics, but that's probably just me.
Longest 'true' series - how about Ultima? When was the first one - '79, '80? That's gotta be up there, surely?

[§ Gideon §]

What's the longest running game series?

Track & Field, of course! *ba-dum-chah!* Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week, ladies and gentlemen.

[-hellvin-]

Maybe the Ultima series I would guess?
Ultima 1: First Age Of Darkness
-
Ultima Online

[davidbrit2]

What's the longest running game series?

Track & Field, of course! *ba-dum-chah!* Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week, ladies and gentlemen.

No way. Decathlon. ;-)

[§ Gideon §]

What's the longest running game series?

Track & Field, of course! *ba-dum-chah!* Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week, ladies and gentlemen.

No way. Decathlon. ;-)
Yeah, you're probably right. I shoulda done my research before hitting the punchline...

[davidbrit2]

Me too. I forgot about Sonic the Hedgehog. ARGH. Ha ha ha.

[calthaer]

The Ultima games have been going on for a long time - part of it depends on whether or not you want to consider the current UXO part of the series, or whether you take the view that EA is whoring out the name Ultima for a completely non-Ultima-ish game. If so, then it would have ended with IX in 1999, and started in 1978 with Akalabeth (which was essentially Ultima 0 - it is included with every Ultima collection that they have released) - a good two years before Pac Man.

This is merely talking about length of time that a series has been around and active, right? Not the number of games in a series. Otherwise Might & Magic (+ Heroes of Might & Magic and the abominable Legends of Might & Magic, Warriors of Might & Magic, and all that) might be the largest series with the most games. There were 9 of the regular series, Heroes had like 4 games with 9 expansion packs, and then all those other ones. 3DO closed shop, though, and I think that series is over.