The Top 7... Franchise Embarrassments

What shameful skeletons do these respected series have hidden in their closets?

Words: on January 7, 2008
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Jan 7, 2008

Every family's got one. The drunken brother-in-law. The cousin with a criminal record. The perverted uncle who hasn't been invited to reunions or holidays since his incident with the goat. Whatever the name and whatever the shame, we all know that one relative we're just not supposed to talk about.

Every videogame franchise has one of these regrettable members as well. Fans and developers may try to ignore, forget or even erase its existence, but the stain will always remain. Here are the seven most surprising... and most humiliating.



Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight
(1990, NES)

Capcom's legendary series is loaded with seminal moments. Remember when Chun Li defeated M. Bison in honor of her father's death? Remember when Ryu scarred Sagat's chest with a mystical uppercut? Remember when Ken traveled to the future, became a cyborg scientist cop, donned sunglasses and a robot suit, invented immortality serum and used his super powered bionic energy bullets to shoot parasitic aliens, open dimensional gateways and avenge his lab partner Troy?

No? Not so much on the last bit? Well, sorry Street Fighter devotees, because that ridiculousness is just as much a part of the franchise's history as anything else. While this 8-bit side scroller has no real connection to the main games, Capcom did choose that title, did stick an official Street Fighter logo on the Japanese box and did change the protagonist from Kevin to Ken in the US version. Thanks, marketing team. Thanks a lot.

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Platforms:

Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PC, PSP, DS, Xbox, GameCube

Topics:

Top 7

19 Comments
Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First
  • Superchops

    Superchops  - 6 months, 2 weeks ago  - Report

    I like the certainty that I can just skip to the end of the countdown and and KNOW that it'll be some CDi stuff.

    If it eases the pain, I recommend the video "Jonathan Swift Returns From The Dead To Eat A Cheese Sandwich". Best thing anyone's done to Faces Of Evil.
    Reply
  • mrpibb

    mrpibb  - 1 year, 4 months ago  - Report

    I'm pretty sure that Mystic Quest wasn't originally developed by Square, but they bought it and slapped the Final Fantasy brand on it
    Reply
  • SYGZY

    SYGZY  - 3 years, 2 months ago  - Report

    After watching that Faces of Evil, I got so scared... I hid in the tumble dryer.
    Reply
  • cowboydan91

    cowboydan91  - 3 years, 3 months ago  - Report

    great! I'll grab my stuff! lol
    Reply
  • Nessrox

    Nessrox  - 3 years, 5 months ago  - Report

    DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON LINK THE FACES OF EVIL!
    Reply
  • sadowolf

    sadowolf  - 3 years, 5 months ago  - Report

    warrior within wasnt THAT bad. it was a great game with image issues. PoP 3D was so much more worthy of the embarrassment title
    Reply
  • alberiostar

    alberiostar  - 3 years, 5 months ago  - Report

    wow. k. first. who cares. anus banna. vagina vacuum. piss in my eyesocket.
    Reply
  • LucYou

    LucYou  - 3 years, 3 months ago  - Report

    Oh my god I saw the opening to Link Faces of Evil and took it as a joke and thought little more of it, but then my friend who is a fellow Zelda fanatic told me that it was'nt a joke and this abomination actually egsists! Philips I CURSE you!
    Reply
  • key0blade

    key0blade  - 3 years, 5 months ago  - Report

    2 Removed comments...somebody's having a bad day.
    Reply
  • alberiostar

    alberiostar  - 3 years, 5 months ago  - Report

    sandpaper tampons. sorry forgot about that 1.
    Reply
  • lukel127

    lukel127  - 2 years, 8 months ago  - Report

    link isnt supposed to talk!!!!!! Keep it that way!!!


    My Boy! Lol
    Reply
  • DragonSovereign

    DragonSovereign  - 2 years, 8 months ago  - Report

    Must...resist...urge to kill myself...after seeing that-one-sorta-game--that-i'm-not-even-going-to-say-the-name-of-which-gives-zelda,-one-of-the-best-game-series-out-there-a-bad-name AGAIN. Seriously, that has got to be one of the worst games ever. It makes Sonic Unleashed look like Ocarina of Time. GamesRadar, the words you said on the final page are the truest words ever spoken. Except for "the cake is a lie"
    Reply
  • Platypus96

    Platypus96  - 3 years ago  - Report

    I think I'm going to cry after seeing faces of evil.
    Reply
  • pjbuhl

    pjbuhl  - 3 years ago  - Report

    o......m.........g faces of evil.......that is the worst abomination to ever grace my eyes ever... and who in the world was the arab on the flying carpet anyways??!?!?! i mean come on "how bout a kiss for good luck" FOR GOD'S SAKES MAN CUT THE CRAP.... and link is bored WTF?!?!?! i really do now want to go out and do what gamesradar did to the top 7 cute charecters you want to kill article on everyone who is responcible for that atrocious disrespect to a great franchise
    Reply
  • KaylaKaze

    KaylaKaze  - 3 years, 2 months ago  - Report

    Fallout: POS should have been on this list, not PoP. All of the Sands of Time games were great. You just didn't like the prince in WW 'cause you were jealous of his badass-ness (and Godsmack music).

    And Angry Videogame Nerd has a recent review of the CD-I Zelda games.
    Reply
  • MOOMAN

    MOOMAN  - 2 years, 6 months ago  - Report

    *POPS EYES WITH GUNFIRE* AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT STILL CANT BE UN-SEEN!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD KILL ME!
    Reply
  • AA95mp

    AA95mp  - 2 years, 6 months ago  - Report

    look at all those heads!!!!!!

    ROFL
    Reply
  • ManDevil

    ManDevil  - 2 years, 8 months ago  - Report

    To be fair Warrior within was a bit too "Hot Topic-esque"- The music sucked and he dressed like a reject from GWAR. The actual game was fantastic though, challenging, puzzling, gory and well animated. Much better than the current-gen snooze fest.
    Reply
  • iKOemos

    iKOemos  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    Final Fantasy USA! Hahahahaha
    Reply
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