Franchises that were better off dead

The dead franchise: GoldenEye 007 (1997)

It’s one of the most popular and influential shooters of all time. It revolutionized console multiplayer with fast and simple split-screen modes that are still played to this day. It’s a rare, endlessly cited example of great adaptation between movies and videogames. Yet amazingly, after more than a decade, Nintendo 64’s GoldenEye 007 still does not have a true sequel or update.

Oh, they’ve tried… for better and for worse. Perfect Dark and TimeSplitters were worthy spiritual successors, developed by many members of the same creative team. Meanwhile, new license-holder Electronic Arts churned out six James Bond games in less than five years – only two of them based on actual films, and one of them nothing but a racer.

The publisher’s seventh attempt, though, was the real mistake.

The failed resurrection: GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (2004)

Rogue Agent could have been just another mediocre, uninspired console shooter. Rogue Agent could have come, gone and been forgotten within a month. Rogue Agent could have been simply Rogue Agent, or 007: Rogue Agent, or James Bond: Rogue Agent. When you stick the word “GoldenEye” in the title, however, you create a set of expectations. The game had better ship with memorable multiplayer, a cleverly designed campaign and loving references to the classic that’s reputation is clearly being exploited.

GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, of course, succeeded at none of these requirements. The story mode is remembered only for breaking canon, killing off established Bond characters with no rhyme or reason. The multiplayer was so dull that, two years later, both online servers – PS2 and Xbox – were turned off due to inactivity. And as for homage? With the exception of one character and one setting, Rogue Agent had absolutely nothing to do with either the original GoldenEye game or the original GoldenEye film.

LUNAR

The dead franchise: Lunar (1992-1995)

While you can count the number of games that made Sega CD ownership worthwhile on just one hand, Lunar: The Silver Star would have to be honored with the first or second finger. The RPG delivered an experience that console cartridges couldn’t handle – an epic tale full of melodrama, romance, betrayal and endearing characters, bolstered by fully animated cutscenes and voiced dialogue.

The game also won over both Eastern and Western RPG fans, helping to establish the small publisher Working Designs as a champion for JRPGs in the rest of the world. A sequel was released in 1995, during the Sega CD’s dying days, but remakes of both games on PSOne introduced the series to a newer, bigger audience that was fresh off Final Fantasy VII. In spite of the series’ enduring popularity (and a further GBA remake), the third game didn’t surface until 2005 – well after Working Designs had died and hope had been lost.

The failed resurrection: Lunar: Dragon Song (2005)

Patient fans were rightly excited by the announcement of Dragon Song for DS, the first non-remake Lunar in nearly a decade. News that the game would establish more of the franchise’s lore by taking place 1000 years before the original was another cause for celebration.

Playing the finished product, however, is like having your long-lost lover dash into your arms from the airport terminal… then kick you square in the balls. What’s so hideous about Dragon Song? Where to begin? For starters, you can’t target specific enemies in combat. You also can’t earn items and XP from the same fight, but instead must specify which one you want beforehand, making it tough to earn equipment. Running on the map screen – a basic RPG function – costs you health. Even escape is torture, since you have to shout “RUN!” into the DS microphone each and every time. Nothing about Dragon Song makes sense. More importantly, nothing about Dragon Song is fun.

Following such a complete failure, it’s hard to get excited over any future Lunars. If you just want another remake of the original to soothe your festering wounds, though, this week’s release of Lunar: Silver Star Harmony on PSP should do the trick.