Favorite classic franchises from the pre-3D (PS1/N64 forward) era.

[Tanooki]

With me buying up some old GBA games lately and famicom too it has got me thinking of some old franchises and what used to be really fun and still can be despite the age.

I'm finding I really still dig a lot of the old stuff I used to when I allow myself to really sit down and jam into the stuff. I keep having these wow I forgot that or wow I remember that type moments whether it's my two year old wanting to button mash an 8bit mario game or firing up one of those gradius releases, or even obscure offshoots like Sabrewulf for the GBA which I believe was an old UK computer title from Rare originally.

I know it's easy to throw Mario, Sonic, Bonk, Mega Man, Castlevania and so on out there, and they are legit answers, but does anyone here have some personal favorite franchises that maybe dead now, maybe still alive but just overlooked. I'm trying to find some old stuff to dust off from the old era, even if it's like the PC with gems like Wing Commander, Duke Nukem, and so on.

[Nesmaster]

Boulder Dash, Micro Machines, Lost Vikings, King of the Monsters. Some are dead, but the old games are still very fun.

[Ozzy_98]

Ys and the goldbox games from SSI. Some of the best tactical RPGs out there.

[Gameguy]

Earthworm Jim, Phantasy Star, and Rocket Knight Adventures. These series were great back in the day, before they got ruined.

[PizzaKat]

Definitely Double Dragon, the digital release I dont really count. The 2nd and 3rd ones on the NES were some of my favorites on the console. Lot of hours spent on those 2.

[Zthun]

The old ninja turtle games were awesome. Turtles in Time is legendary.

[Emperor Megas]

194X
Alex Kidd
Bonk
Fantasy Zone
Galaga
Phantasy Star
R-Type
Twin Bee
Valis
Wonderboy

I know there are a few modern incarnations of some of these, but they aren't really in the vein of the originals. Well, not Phantasy Star Online, anyway.

[Nebagram]

Road Rash. Every time my friends have a conversation on the topic of 'franchises that need to be resurrected' it always ends quickly, because Road Rash is always top of that list.

[chuckydj]

Gauntlet, especially the pre-ps2 games, I second the Road Rash series mainly the genesis set, and also Bubsy and Tomba series for platformers.