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This is a list of notable longest-running video game franchises. To qualify for this list, a video game franchise must have seen regular releases, with no more than 10 year-long gaps in-between, for at least 25 years, from a franchise's first release to its most recent. Only franchises that started out as a video game are listed; therefore, licensed video games and video games based upon other media are not listed. Ports, translations, downloadable content, re-releases, and compilations are not considered new entries. Remakes (i.e., games with significant differences in graphics or game play or some new features) and expansion sets which received retail releases are considered new entries in a series.
Rank | Franchise | First release | Latest release | Original owner | Current owner | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Space Invaders | Space Invaders June 1978 | Space Invaders: World Defense July 18, 2023 | Taito (Square Enix) | 45 years, 1 month | |
2 | Mario | Donkey Kong July 9, 1981 | Mario & Luigi: Brothership November 7, 2024 | Nintendo | 43 years, 3 months | |
3 | The Oregon Trail | The Oregon Trail May 1978 [Note 1] | The Oregon Trail April 2, 2021 | MECC | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | 42 years, 11 months |
4 | Donkey Kong | Donkey Kong July 9, 1981 | Mario vs. Donkey Kong February 16, 2024 | Nintendo | 42 years, 7 months | |
5 | Yars | Yars' Revenge May 1982 | Yars Rising September 10, 2024 | Atari | 42 years, 4 months | |
6 | Pac-Man | Pac-Man July 1980 | Pac-Man World Re-Pac August 25, 2022 | Namco | Bandai Namco Entertainment | 42 years, 1 month |
7 | Microsoft Flight Simulator | Microsoft Flight Simulator November 1982 | Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 November 19, 2024 | Microsoft | Xbox Game Studios (Microsoft) | 42 years |
8 | Wizardry | Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord September 1981 | Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord September 15, 2023 | Sir-Tech | Drecom | 42 years |
9 | Bomberman | Bomber Man July 1983 | Super Bomberman R 2 September 13, 2023 | Hudson Soft | Konami | 40 years, 2 months |
10 | Nobunaga's Ambition | Nobunaga no Yabō March 1983 | Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening July 20, 2022 | Koei | Koei Tecmo | 39 years, 4 months |
11 | Galaxian | Galaxian October 1979 | Galaga Revenge January 8, 2019 | Namco | Bandai Namco Entertainment | 39 years, 3 months |
12 | Romance of the Three Kingdoms | Romance of the Three Kingdoms December 1985 | Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake October 23, 2024 | Koei | Koei Tecmo | 38 years, 10 months |
13 | The Legend of Zelda | The Legend of Zelda February 21, 1986 | The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom September 26, 2024 | Nintendo | 38 years, 7 months | |
14 | Kunio-kun | Renegade May 1986 | River City Saga: Three Kingdoms Next November 7, 2024 | Technōs Japan | Arc System Works | 38 years, 6 months |
15 | Dragon Quest | Dragon Quest May 27, 1986 | Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake November 14, 2024 | Enix | Square Enix | 38 years, 5 months |
16 | Shadowgate | Shadowgate July 30, 1987 | Beyond Shadowgate September 19, 2024 | ICOM Simulations | Zojoi | 38 years, 3 months |
17 | Dragon Slayer | Dragon Slayer September 10, 1984 | The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II September 29, 2022 | Nihon Falcom | 38 years | |
18 | Castlevania | Castlevania September 26, 1986 | Haunted Castle Revisited August 27, 2024 | Konami | 37 years, 11 months | |
19 | Wolfenstein | Castle Wolfenstein September 1981 | Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot and Wolfenstein: Youngblood July 25, 2019 | Muse Software | Bethesda Softworks | 37 years, 10 months |
20 | Test Drive | Test Drive 1987 | Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown September 12, 2024 | Accolade | Nacon | 37 years, 8 months |
21 | BurgerTime | BurgerTime August 25, 1982 | BurgerTime Party! October 8, 2019 | Data East | Marvelous Entertainment | 37 years, 1 month |
22 | Contra | Contra February 21, 1987 | Contra: Operation Galuga March 12, 2024 | Konami | 37 years | |
23 | Q*bert | Q*bert October 18, 1982 | Q*bert October 11, 2019 | Gottlieb | Sony Pictures | 36 years, 11 months |
24 | Bubble Bobble | Bubble Bobble August 1986 | Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! May 23, 2023 | Taito (Square Enix) | 36 years, 9 months | |
25 | Tetris | Tetris January 29, 1988 | Tetris Forever November 12, 2024 | ELORG | The Tetris Company | 36 years, 9 months |
26 | Arkanoid | Arkanoid April 26, 1986 | Arkanoid: Eternal Battle October 27, 2022 | Taito (Square Enix) | 36 years, 6 months | |
27 | Metroid | Metroid August 6, 1986 | Metroid Prime Remastered February 8, 2023 | Nintendo | 36 years, 6 months | |
28 | Final Fantasy | Final Fantasy December 18, 1987 | Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail July 2, 2024 | Square | Square Enix | 36 years, 6 months |
29 | Megami Tensei | Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei September 11, 1987 | Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance June 14, 2024 | Atlus | 36 years, 4 months | |
30 | Daisenryaku | Gendai Daisenryaku November, 1985 | Daisenryaku Supreme Strategic Battles February 3, 2022 | SystemSoft | SystemSoft Alpha | 36 years, 3 months |
31 | Double Dragon | Double Dragon April 22, 1987 | Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons July 27, 2023 | Technōs Japan | Arc System Works | 36 years, 3 months |
32 | Ys | Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished June 21, 1987 | Ys X: Nordics September 28, 2023 | Nihon Falcom | 36 years, 3 months | |
33 | Might and Magic | Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum 1986 | Might & Magic: Armies March 29, 2022 | New World Computing | Ubisoft | 36 years, 2 months |
34 | Street Fighter | Street Fighter August 12, 1987 | Street Fighter 6 June 2, 2023 | Capcom | 35 years, 9 months | |
35 | A-Train | A-Train December 1985 | A-Train All Aboard! Tourism March 12, 2021 | Artdink | 35 years, 3 months | |
36 | Momotaro Dentetsu | Momotaro Dentetsu December 2, 1988 | Momotaro Dentetsu World: Chikyuu wa Kibou de Mawatteru! November 16, 2023 | Hudson Soft | Konami | 34 years, 11 months |
37 | SaGa | The Final Fantasy Legend December 15, 1989 | Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven October 24, 2024 | Square | Square Enix | 34 years, 10 months |
38 | Reader Rabbit | Reader Rabbit 1984 | Reader Rabbit: Jumpsmarter September 25, 2018 | The Learning Company | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | 34 years, 8 months |
39 | Prince of Persia | Prince of Persia October 3, 1989 | Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown January 18, 2024 | Broderbund | Ubisoft | 34 years, 3 months |
40 | Lode Runner | Lode Runner June 23, 1983 | Lode Runner Legacy July 13, 2017 | Broderbund | Tozai Games | 34 years |
41 | Ninja Jajamaru | Ninja JaJaMaru-kun November 15, 1985 | Ninja Jajamaru: The Great Yokai Battle December 12, 2019 | Jaleco | City Connection | 34 years |
42 | Carmen Sandiego | Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? April 23, 1985 | Carmen Sandiego: The Crown Jewels Caper March 14, 2019 | Broderbund | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | 33 years, 10 months |
43 | Family Stadium | Pro Baseball: Family Stadium December 10, 1986 | Pro Baseball: Famista 2020 September 17, 2020 | Namco | Bandai Namco Entertainment | 33 years, 9 months |
44 | Golden Tee | Golden Tee Golf 1989 | Golden Tee PGA Tour 2022 Home Edition October 24, 2022 | Incredible Technologies | 33 years, 9 months | |
45 | Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing | Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing! October 1987 | Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 2020 July 5, 2021 | The Software Toolworks | Encore, Inc. | 33 years, 9 months |
46 | Phantasy Star | Phantasy Star December 20, 1987 | Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis June 9, 2021 | Sega | 33 years, 5 months | |
47 | Leisure Suit Larry | Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards July 5, 1987 | Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Dry Twice October 23, 2020 | Sierra Entertainment | Assemble Entertainment | 33 years, 3 months |
48 | Mana | Final Fantasy Adventure June 28, 1991 | Visions of Mana August 29, 2024 | Square | Square Enix | 33 years, 2 months |
49 | Blaster Master | Blaster Master June 17, 1988 | Blaster Master Zero 3 July 29, 2021 | Sunsoft | 33 years, 1 month | |
50 | Richman | Richman November 28, 1989 | Richman 11 October 19, 2022 | Softstar | 32 years, 10 months | |
51 | Uncharted Waters | Uncharted Waters May 1990 | Uncharted Waters Origin March 7, 2023 | Koei | Koei Tecmo | 32 years, 10 months |
52 | Fire Emblem | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light April 20, 1990 | Fire Emblem Engage January 20, 2023 | Nintendo | 32 years, 9 months | |
53 | The Legend of Heroes | Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes December 10, 1989 | The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II September 29, 2022 | Nihon Falcom | 32 years, 9 months | |
54 | Puyo Puyo | Puyo Puyo October 25, 1991 | Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop April 4, 2024 | Compile | Sega | 32 years, 5 months |
55 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic the Hedgehog June 23, 1991 | Sonic Dream Team December 5, 2023 | Sega | 32 years, 5 months | |
56 | Mega Man | Mega Man December 17, 1987 | Rockman X DiVE March 24, 2020 | Capcom | 32 years, 3 months | |
57 | Alone in the Dark | Alone in the Dark 1992 | Alone in the Dark March 20, 2024 | Infogrames | Embracer Group | 32 years, 2 months |
58 | Ultima | Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness June 1981 | Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar August 7, 2013 | Richard Garriot | Electronic Arts | 32 years, 2 months |
59 | Blaster Learning System | Math Blaster! 1983 | Math Blaster Premium May 15, 2015 | Davidson & Associates | JumpStart Games | 31 years, 10 months |
60 | Jake Hunter | Tantei Jingūji Saburō: Shinjuku Chūō Kōen Satsujin Jiken April 27, 1987 | Tantei Jingūji Saburō: Prism of Eyes August 9, 2018 | Data East | Arc System Works | 31 years, 3 months |
61 | Raiden | Raiden April 1990 | Raiden IV x Mikado Remix May 6, 2021 | Seibu Kaihatsu | MOSS | 31 years, 1 month |
62 | Mortal Kombat | Mortal Kombat October 8, 1992 | Mortal Kombat 1 September 19, 2023 | Midway Games | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | 30 years, 11 months |
63 | Metal Max | Metal Max May 24, 1991 | Metal Dogs April 8, 2022 | Data East | Cygames | 30 years, 10 months |
64 | Xanadu | Xanadu October 27, 1985 | Tokyo Xanadu eX+ September 8, 2016 | Nihon Falcom | 30 years, 10 months | |
65 | Myst | Myst September 24, 1993 | Riven June 25, 2024 | Cyan Worlds | 30 years, 9 months | |
66 | Kirby | Kirby's Dream Land April 27, 1992 | Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe February 24, 2023 | Nintendo | 30 years, 9 months | |
67 | Metal Gear | Metal Gear July 7, 1987 | Metal Gear Survive February 20, 2018 | Konami | 30 years, 7 months | |
68 | Super Robot Wars | Super Robot Taisen April 20, 1991 | Super Robot Wars 30 October 28, 2021 | Banpresto | Bandai Namco Entertainment | 30 years, 6 months |
69 | The Elder Scrolls | The Elder Scrolls: Arena March 25, 1994 | The Elder Scrolls: Castles September 10, 2024 | Bethesda Softworks | 30 years, 5 months | |
70 | Fritz | Fritz November 1991 | Fritz 18 Neuronal March 30, 2022 | ChessBase | 30 years, 4 months | |
71 | Mystery Dungeon | Torneko's Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon September 19, 1993 | Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island January 25, 2024 | Chunsoft | Spike Chunsoft | 30 years, 4 months |
72 | Winning Post | Winning Post January 14, 1993 | Winning Post 10 March 30, 2023 | Koei | Koei Tecmo | 30 years, 2 months |
73 | Xuan-Yuan Sword | Xuan-Yuan Sword October 13, 1990 | Xuan-Yuan Sword 7 October 6, 2020 | Softstar | 29 years, 11 months | |
74 | Warcraft | Warcraft: Orcs & Humans November 23, 1994 | World of Warcraft: The War Within August 26, 2024 | Blizzard Entertainment | 29 years, 9 months | |
75 | Picross | Mario's Picross March 14, 1995 | PICROSS Records of The Shield Hero October 3, 2024 | Jupiter Corporation / Nintendo | 29 years, 6 months | |
76 | Tekken | Tekken September 21, 1994 | Tekken 8 January 26, 2024 | Namco | Bandai Namco Entertainment | 29 years, 4 months |
77 | Dokapon | Kessen! Dokapon Oukoku IV: Densetsu no Yuusha Tachi December 10, 1993 | Dokapon Kingdom: Connect April 13, 2023 | Asmik Ace | Sting Entertainment | 29 years, 4 months |
78 | Spy Hunter | Spy Hunter June 11, 1983 | Spy Hunter October 9, 2012 | Midway Games | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | 29 years, 3 months |
79 | Doom | Doom December 10, 1993 | Mighty Doom March 21, 2023 | id Software (Bethesda Softworks) | 29 years, 3 months | |
80 | Derby Stallion | Derby Stallion: Best Race December 21, 1991 | Derby Stallion December 3, 2020 | ASCII Corporation | Kadokawa Corporation | 28 years, 11 months |
81 | Gauntlet | Gauntlet October 15, 1985 | Gauntlet September 23, 2014 | Atari Games | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | 28 years, 11 months |
82 | Power Pros | Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū '94 March 11, 1994 | WBSC eBaseball: Power Pros February 8, 2023 | Konami | 28 years, 10 months | |
83 | Wario | Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 January 21, 1994 | WarioWare: Move It! November 3, 2023 | Nintendo | 28 years, 9 months | |
84 | Darius | Darius February 1987 | Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviours November 30, 2015 | Taito (Square Enix) | 28 years, 9 months | |
85 | Pokémon | Pokémon Red and Green (Blue) February 27, 1996 | Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket October 30, 2024 | Creatures / Game Freak / Nintendo | The Pokémon Company | 28 years, 8 months |
86 | Rance | Rance: Hikari Quest July 15, 1989 | Rance X: Decisive Battle February 23, 2018 | Alicesoft | 28 years, 7 months | |
87 | Front Mission | Front Mission February 24, 1995 | Front Mission 2: Remake October 5, 2023 | Square | Square Enix | 28 years, 7 months |
88 | Metal Slug | Metal Slug April 19, 1996 | Metal Slug Tactics November 5, 2024 | SNK | 28 years, 6 months | |
89 | Fire Pro Wrestling | Fire Pro Wrestling Combination Tag June 22, 1989 | Fire Pro Wrestling World December 18, 2017 | Human Entertainment | Spike Chunsoft | 28 years, 5 months |
90 | Jagged Alliance | Jagged Alliance April 1995 | Jagged Alliance 3 July 14, 2023 | Sir-Tech | Embracer Group | 28 years, 3 months |
91 | Need for Speed | The Need for Speed August 31, 1994 | Need for Speed Unbound December 2, 2022 | Electronic Arts | 28 years, 3 months | |
92 | TwinBee | TwinBee March 5, 1985 | Line GoGo! TwinBee May 20, 2013 | Konami | 28 years, 2 months | |
93 | Reel Fishing | Reel Fishing October 10, 1996 | Reel Fishing: Days of Summer October 31, 2024 | Natsume Inc. | 28 years | |
94 | Lemmings | Lemmings February 14, 1991 | Lemmings December 20, 2018 | Psygnosis | Sony Interactive Entertainment | 27 years, 10 months |
95 | Hoyle | Hoyle's Official Book of Games: Volume 1 1989 | Hoyle Official Casino Games October 14, 2016 | Sierra Entertainment | Encore, Inc. | 27 years, 9 months |
96 | Virtua Fighter | Virtua Fighter October, 1993 | Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown June 1, 2021 | Sega | 27 years, 8 months | |
97 | Galactic Civilizations | Galactic Civilizations Fall 1994 | Galactic Civilizations IV April 26, 2022 | Stardock | 27 years, 7 months | |
98 | EVE | EVE Burst Error 1995 | EVE ghost enemies June 29, 2022 | C's Ware | Red Flag Ship | 27 years, 5 months |
99 | The King of Fighters | The King of Fighters '94 August 25, 1994 | The King of Fighters XV February 17, 2022 | SNK | 27 years, 5 months | |
100 | Tokimeki Memorial | Tokimeki Memorial May 27, 1994 | Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 4th Heart October 28, 2021 | Konami | 27 years, 5 months | |
101 | Civilization | Civilization September 1991 | Civilization VI: Gathering Storm February 14, 2019 | Microprose | Take-Two Interactive | 27 years, 5 months |
102 | Shining | Shining in the Darkness March 28, 1991 | Shining Resonance Refrain July 10, 2018 | Sega | 27 years, 3 months | |
103 | Star Ocean | Star Ocean July 19, 1996 | Star Ocean The Second Story R November 2, 2023 | Enix | Square Enix | 27 years, 3 months |
104 | Yoshi | Yoshi December 14, 1991 | Yoshi's Crafted World March 29, 2019 | Nintendo | 27 years, 3 months | |
105 | The Black Bass | The Black Bass August 1984 | Super Black Bass 3D October 6, 2011 | Gamu | Starfish SD | 27 years, 2 months |
106 | Rayman | Rayman September 1, 1995 | Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope October 20, 2022 | Ubisoft | 27 years, 1 month | |
107 | Xeno | Xenogears February 11, 1998 | Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition March 20, 2025 | Monolith Soft | 27 years, 1 month | |
108 | Age of Empires | Age of Empires October 13, 1997 | Age of Empires Mobile October 17, 2024 | Microsoft | 27 years | |
109 | Resident Evil | Resident Evil March 22, 1996 | Resident Evil 4 March 24, 2023 | Capcom | 27 years | |
110 | Star Soldier | Star Soldier June 13, 1986 | Star Soldier for GREE June 20, 2013 | Hudson Soft | Konami | 27 years |
111 | Story of Seasons | Harvest Moon August 9, 1996 | Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life June 27, 2023 | Pack-In-Video | Marvelous Entertainment | 26 years, 10 months |
112 | Crash Bandicoot | Crash Bandicoot September 9, 1996 | Crash Team Rumble June 20, 2023 | Universal Interactive | Activision Blizzard | 26 years, 9 months |
113 | Angelique | Angelique September 23, 1994 | Angelique Luminarise May 20, 2021 | Koei | Koei Tecmo | 26 years, 7 months |
114 | Babylonian Castle Saga | The Tower of Druaga June 1984 | The Labyrinth of Druaga January 13, 2011 | Namco | Bandai Namco Entertainment | 26 years, 7 months |
115 | Itadaki Street | Itadaki Street: Watashi no Omise no Yottette March 21, 1991 | Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary October 19, 2017 | ASCII Corporation | Kadokawa Corporation / Square Enix | 26 years, 6 months |
116 | Sword and Fairy | The Legend of Sword and Fairy July 7, 1995 | Sword and Fairy 7 October 22, 2021 | Softstar | 26 years, 3 months | |
117 | Tomb Raider | Tomb Raider October 25, 1996 | Tomb Raider Reloaded February 14, 2023 | Eidos Interactive | Embracer Group | 26 years, 3 months |
118 | Wipeout | Wipeout September 29, 1995 | Wipeout Merge January 18, 2022 | Psygnosis | Sony Interactive Entertainment | 26 years, 3 months |
119 | eFootball | J.League Jikkyou Winning Eleven July 21, 1995 | eFootball 2022 September 30, 2021 | Konami | 26 years, 2 months | |
120 | Armored Core | Armored Core July 10, 1997 | Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon August 25, 2023 | FromSoftware | 26 years, 1 month | |
121 | Gradius | Gradius May 29, 1985 | Gradius the Slot July 2011 | Konami | 26 years, 1 month | |
122 | Samurai Shodown | Samurai Shodown July 7, 1993 | Samurai Shodown June 25, 2019 | SNK | 25 years, 11 months | |
123 | Touhou Project | Highly Responsive to Prayers August 15, 1997 | Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost August 13, 2023 | Team Shanghai Alice | 25 years, 11 months | |
124 | Atelier | Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg May 23, 1997 | Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key March 23, 2023 | Gust | Koei Tecmo | 25 years, 10 months |
125 | Beatmania | Beatmania December 10, 1997 | Beatmania IIDX 31: EPOLIS October 18, 2023 | Konami | 25 years, 10 months | |
126 | Tales | Tales of Phantasia December 15, 1995 | Tales of Luminaria November 3, 2021 | Namco | Bandai Namco Entertainment | 25 years, 10 months |
127 | Mario Party | Mario Party December 18, 1998 | Super Mario Party Jamboree October 17, 2024 | Nintendo | 25 years, 9 months | |
128 | 5-Star General | Panzer General 1994 | Fantasy General II: Invasion September 5, 2019 | Strategic Simulations | Slitherine Software | 25 years, 8 months |
129 | 194X | 1942 November 30, 1984 | 1942: First Strike July 1, 2010 | Capcom | 25 years, 7 months | |
130 | Silent Hill | Silent Hill February 24, 1999 | Silent Hill 2 October 8, 2024 | Konami | 25 years, 7 months | |
131 | The House of the Dead | The House of the Dead September 13, 1996 | The House of the Dead: Remake April 7, 2022 | Sega | 25 years, 6 months | |
132 | Postal | Postal September 24, 1997 | POOSTALL Royale April 1, 2023 | Running with Scissors | 25 years, 6 months | |
133 | Ganbare Goemon | Mr. Goemon May 1986 | Ganbare Goemon Pachisuro 2 September 2011 | Konami | 25 years, 4 months | |
134 | Warriors | Dynasty Warriors February 28, 1997 | Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes June 24, 2022 | Tecmo | Koei Tecmo | 25 years, 3 months |
135 | Emergency | Emergency: Fighters for Life June 5, 1998 | Emergency August 15, 2023 | Sixteen Tons Entertainment | Embracer Group | 25 years, 2 months |
136 | SimCity | SimCity October 3, 1989 | SimCity BuildIt December 15, 2014 | Maxis | Electronic Arts | 25 years, 2 months |
137 | Worms | Worms November 17, 1995 | Worms Rumble December 1, 2020 | Team17 | 25 years |
Super Mario Kart is a kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The first game in the Mario Kart series, it was released in Japan and North America in 1992, and in Europe the following year in 1993. Selling 8.76 million copies worldwide, the game went on to become the fourth best-selling SNES game of all time. Super Mario Kart was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console in 2009, on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2013, and on the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in 2016. Nintendo re-released Super Mario Kart in 2017 as part of the company's Super NES Classic Edition.
The fighting game genre of video games involves combat between multiple characters, often one-on-one battles. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as blocking, grappling, counter-attacking, and chaining attacks together into "combos". Characters generally engage hand-to-hand combat, often with martial arts, but some may include weaponry. Battles are usually set in a fixed-size arena along a two-dimensional plane, where characters navigate the plane horizontally by walking or dashing, and vertically by jumping. Some games allow limited movement in 3D space, such as Tekken, while some are set in fully three-dimensional environments without restricting characters' movement, such as Power Stone and Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm; these are sometimes referred to as "3D arena" fighting games.
Resident Evil, known as Biohazard in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments inhabited by zombies and other mutated creatures. The franchise has expanded into other media, including a live-action film series, animated films, television series, comic books, novels, audiobooks, and merchandise. Resident Evil is the highest-grossing horror franchise.
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in video games, he is the creator of some of the most acclaimed and best-selling game franchises of all time, including Mario,The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Star Fox and Pikmin. More than 1 billion copies of games featuring franchises created by Miyamoto have been sold.
A sports video game is a video game that simulates the practice of sports. Most sports have been recreated with video games, including team sports, track and field, extreme sports, and combat sports. Some games emphasize playing the sport, whilst others emphasize strategy and sport management. Some, such as Need for Speed, Arch Rivals and Punch-Out!!, satirize the sport for comic effect. This genre has been popular throughout the history of video games and is competitive, just like real-world sports. A number of game series feature the names and characteristics of real teams and players, and are updated annually to reflect real-world changes. The sports genre is one of the oldest genres in gaming history.
Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version are 1996 role-playing video games (RPGs) developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments of the Pokémon video game series, and were first released in Japan as Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green, followed by the special edition Pocket Monsters Blue later that year. The games were released internationally in 1998 and 1999 as Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, while an enhanced version named Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition, was released in Japan in 1998 and in other regions in 1999 and 2000.
In the history of video games, the fourth generation of video game consoles, more commonly referred to as the 16-bit era, began on October 30, 1987, with the Japanese release of NEC Home Electronics' PC Engine. Though NEC released the first console of this era, sales were mostly dominated by the rivalry between Sega and Nintendo across most markets: the Sega Mega Drive and the Super Nintendo. Cartridge-based handheld game consoles became prominent during this time, such as the Nintendo Game Boy, Atari Lynx, Sega Game Gear and TurboExpress.
The fifth generation era refers to computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld gaming consoles dating from approximately October 4, 1993, to March 23, 2006. The best-selling home console was the Sony PlayStation, followed by the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn. The PlayStation also had a redesigned version, the PSone, which was launched on July 7, 2000.
2004 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Madden NFL 2005, NBA Live 2005, ESPN NBA 2K5, Tony Hawk's Underground 2, WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw, Doom 3, Dragon Quest VIII, Gran Turismo 4, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Half-Life 2, Halo 2, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Myst IV: Revelation, Ninja Gaiden, Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen/Emerald, Everybody's Golf 4, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, and World of Warcraft. New intellectual properties included Fable, Far Cry, FlatOut, Killzone, Katamari Damacy, Monster Hunter, N, Red Dead Revolver, SingStar, and Sacred. The Nintendo DS was also launched that year.
Hitman is a stealth game franchise created by Danish developer IO Interactive. The player controls the contract killer Agent 47, who travels the world to assassinate various targets who are assigned to him.
Super Robot Wars, known in Japan as Super Robot Taisen, is a series of Japanese tactical role-playing video games produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Banpresto. Starting out as a spinoff of the Compati Hero series, the main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to team up or battle one another. The first game in the franchise was released for the Game Boy on April 20, 1991. Later spawning numerous games that were released on various consoles and handhelds. Due to the nature of crossover games and licensing involved, only a few games have been released outside Japan, and in English; Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation and its sequel were the first of these in 2006. The franchise celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2016, and its 30th anniversary in 2021, and Super Robot Wars 30 was also released overseas.
Streets of Rage is a series of side-scrolling beat 'em up video games. It centers on the efforts of several ex-police vigilantes trying to rid the fictional American metropolis of Wood Oak City of a crime syndicate that has corrupted its local government. The first three games in the franchise were developed and released by Sega for the Sega Genesis in the early 1990s and have since been ported and re-released on various platforms. A fourth entry was also released in 2020.
The 2000s was the fourth decade in the industry's history. It was a decade that was primarily dominated by Sony, Nintendo, newcomer Microsoft, and their respective systems. Sega, being Nintendo's main rival in the 1980s and 1990s, left the console market in 2001 in favor of returning to third-party development, as they once were. Overall the decade saw the last of the low resolution three-dimensional polygons of the 1990s with the emergence of high definition games, and often focused on developing immersive and interactive environments, implementing realistic physics, and improving artificial intelligence. The sixth and seventh generation of video game consoles went on sale, including the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. Notable games released in the 2000s included Half-Life 2, Wii Sports, Grand Theft Auto III, BioShock, The Sims, Metroid Prime, Burnout 3: Takedown,Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, Resident Evil 4, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Shadow of the Colossus,Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, LittleBigPlanet, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind,World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy X, Perfect Dark, God of War, Left 4 Dead, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Counter-Strike, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,Diablo II, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion,Super Smash Bros. Melee, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Gears of War, Max Payne, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl,Super Mario Galaxy, Halo: Combat Evolved, Tony Hawk´s Pro Skater 3, Guitar Hero, Devil May Cry, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus,Hitman: Blood Money, Grand Theft Auto IV, Halo 2, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Fallout 3, Super Mario Sunshine, Rock Band, Beyond Good & Evil,Portal, Ico, Jet Set Radio, Silent Hill 2, Psychonauts, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves,Halo 3, Plants vs. Zombies, Angry Birds, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
The Sims is a series of life simulation video games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and is one of the best-selling video game series of all time. It is also part of the larger Sim series, started by SimCity in 1989.
The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. As of September 30, 2021, in addition to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has sold over 863.07 million hardware units.
Ghosts 'n Goblins, known in Japan as Makaimura, is a run-and-gun platform video game series created by Tokuro Fujiwara and developed by Capcom. The first entry in the series was Ghosts 'n Goblins, released in arcades on July 7, 1985. The series has subsequently been ported to and released on a variety of personal computers, game consoles and mobile platforms and spawned several sequels and spin-offs.
Red Dead is a series of Western-themed action-adventure games published by Rockstar Games. The first entry in the series, Red Dead Revolver, was released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in May 2004. Originally developed by Capcom, Red Dead Revolver borrowed elements from their 1985 arcade title Gun.Smoke, to which it was intended to be a spiritual successor, but the game was cancelled in 2002. Subsequently, after acquiring the rights, Rockstar purchased Red Dead Revolver and expanded on it.
Video gaming in the United States is one of the fastest-growing entertainment industries in the country. The American video game industry is the largest video game industry in the world. According to a 2020 study released by the Entertainment Software Association, the yearly economic output of the American video game industry in 2019 was $90.3 billion, supporting over 429,000 American jobs. With an average yearly salary of about $121,000, the latter figure includes over 143,000 individuals who are directly employed by the video game business. Additionally, activities connected to the video game business generate $12.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes each year. World Economic Forum estimates that by 2025 the American gaming industry will reach $42.3 billion while worldwide gaming industry will possibly reach US$270 billion. The United States is one of the nations with the largest influence in the video game industry, with video games representing a significant part of its economy.
A kart racing game, also known as cart racing game or go-kart racing game, is a subgenre of racing games. Kart racing games have simplified driving mechanics while including unusual racetrack designs, obstacles, and vehicular combat. Though the genre has its roots in the 1980s, Super Mario Kart (1992) popularized the genre, with the Mario Kart series still being considered the foremost kart racing franchise.