Crash, Earthworm Jim, and 8 other retro mascots in dire need of a reboot

Gone, but not forgotten

Sonic the Hedgehog changes his mind like a girl in a Katy Perry song changes clothes (which, if Ms. Perry is to be believed, is often). First, he's fat and running to the right, then he's falling in love with a human girl, then he's turning into a Werehog, then he's flipping around the world like an astronaut, and now with Sonic Boom he's gotten himself a big ol' scarf. I can't wait to see where this goes.

Gex

Every time I see a Geico commercial, I'm reminded of Gex, the sharp-tounged gecko from the PS1 era. Through three games, this foul-mouthed lizard mixed pop culture with platforming to create a series with action and laughs. Super Mario 64 they were not, but Deep Cover Gecko and Enter the Gecko used that formula pretty well for the time, and while I dont mind going back and playing through it again every once in a while, the dated references take some of the oomph away.

Sir Daniel Fortesque

I'm going to go out on a limb here for a second: the fact that there are only two Medievil games in existence (the PSP version was a reimagining of the first game) is downright criminal. Those games were cheeky, challenging, and a lot of fun, and their lead character, Sir Daniel Fortesque, made for a perfect hero in this spooky world.

Jazz Jackrabbit

Every big developer needs to start his or her career somewhere. Cliff Bleszinski, the man who gave us the testosterone-laced shooter series Gears of War, began his career in development working on an arcade game centered around a futuristic re-telling of The Tortoise and the Hare. The tortoise, called Devan Shell, was the main villain, and our hero was a green bandana-wearing hare named Jazz Jackrabbit.

Conker

The first time we saw this bright-eyed, bushy-tailed little squirrel, he was racing alongside Diddy Kong and his pals in Diddy Kong Racing. The next time we saw him, wellthings were a little different. Conkers Bad Fur Day was the HBO of the Nintendo 64 library, mixing the normal 3D platforming set-up with raunchy jokes and poop monsters. I approved then, and Id approve again now.

Earthworm Jim

Weve seen Earthworm Jim more recently than some of the other names on this list, as his original game was re-released on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network in HD back in 2010, but unfortunately the game didnt age as well as everyone hoped it would. I still had fun, dont get me wrong, but it wasnt the return to form for my favorite earthworm in a space suit that I thought it would be. I want more.

Crash Bandicoot

Where has poor old Crash Bandicoot gone? It seems like only yesterday I was traveling through time with Crash and Coco in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, but since then Crash has just gone south. He did star in a few games, sure, but none of them lived up to the quality of the original trilogy. I miss those days and I want them back.

There was a time when Crash Bandicoot looked to rival Mario and Sonic in the pantheon of video game mascots. How could he have fallen so quickly? He hasnt seen his name on the cover of a console release since 2008s Crash: Mind over Mutanthas he been hibernating, or has Activision (current owner of the rights) just given up? I say Activision should sell Crash back to Naughty Dog so they can make The Crash of Us. I'd play that forever.

Sir Arthur

Like Sir Dan earlier, Arthur from Ghosts n Goblins scored himself a roster spot in a heavily anticipated fighting game (Marvel vs Capcom 3, for those unaware), yet after the game launched we heard not a peep about him. Theres no news of this knight in shiny strawberry boxers coming back to battle the denizens of the underworld, and frankly that makes me a little sad.

Parappa the Rapper

Another lost PlayStation soul, I'm shocked that outside of a PSP remake, this little rapper guy couldnt find a way back into the limelight, especially during the major music game scene last generation. You mean to tell me that a new Parappa wouldnt fit among the Guitar Heros and Rock Bands of the world? I dont believe that for a second.

Spike

Sony once instilled a lot of faith into its Ape Escape franchise. Why else would they allow Konami and Metal Gear Solid to reference it if they didnt think it would be of the same high quality? Somewhere after Ape Escape 3, Spike and his simian nemeses lost their way and we havent seen them since (outside of guest appearances in other games, of course).

Mega Man

Look, I know hes coming to the new Smash Bros and thats a great start, but ask any Mega Man fan if theyre satisfied with his recent contributions to the gaming world and the response will be what contributions?! Fans are still waiting for Capcom to pay their penance after the cancelled Mega Man Legends 3 and, to a lesser extent, Mega Man Universe, but theres still nothing to talk about.

Who else should rise from the grave?

These are but a few of the forgotten names that have given us fun over the long years of video game history. If I forgot your favorite mascot, let me know in the comments below. However, no Bubsy please. I didn't forget him, I just don't like him.