[dropcap size=big]K[/dropcap]ickstarter has been one of the best ways for developers to bring back dead franchises or even continue them because of how niche the genre maybe. Where publishers may not take the risk to resurrect the franchise, developers can go and get the funds by means of crowd-funding. Here are five franchises, I believe, that should be brought back from the abyss.

Note: These are in no particular order. I also understand the issues of licensing but lets make believe we are in a perfect world!

Rampage

Rampage originated in the arcades in the 80’s and was later ported to multiple consoles. I remember having a blast with this game co-op on PSOne eating people and destroying buildings. Imagine having an open, procedurally generated world to explore and destroy as a giant rampaging beast? This IP could be expanded greatly and could include some great DLC from films like Godzilla, Gamera and Pacific Rim.

I wouldn’t mind a Double Dragon Neon-esque reboot either where the game is 2.5D but with gorgeous destruction!

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Darksiders

Darksiders 1 and 2 were some of my favorite games of the previous generation. They were a mix of Devil May Cry and Legend of Zelda, two of my favorite franchises. Even the second game combined a robust loot system that changed the way you play. Darksiders ended with an awesome cliffhanger and the second game took place around the first game leaving us stranded in Limbo. Not only that but THQ filed for bankruptcy and left Vigil Games for dead. David Adams, former CEO of Vigil Games, went on to Crytek and has expressed interest in gaining back the IP which was ultimately bought by Nordic Games.

Nordic Games has a solid track record with releases like Destroy All Humans, De Blob and Rochard so I would love to see Nordic Games bring the franchise back through Kickstarter with a possible partnership with David Adams and Joe Madureira.

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Crash Bandicoot

Crash Bandicoot 1-3 are some of the best platforming experiences of all time. The game changed drastically from the first one and it was definitely for the better. The games became more charming narratively and graphically and added a plethora of mechanics the orange marsupial didn’t have previously. Naughty Dog Studios and Sony lost the IP to Universal Interactive Studios and bounced  from developer to publisher multiple times. This ultimately killed the franchise and we have yet to see a new one since 2010.

Platformers like Shovel Knight, Shantae and A Hat in Time were very successful through Kickstarter and I think Crash Bandicoot could be too if ex-Naughty Dog devs decided to bring it back.

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Actraiser

Actraiser is a cult classic released on the Super Nintendo. It was a melting pot of numerous genres and did it successfully. It combined city building, platforming and RPG mechanics all into God game. City Building games are huge on Mobile platforms and RPG platformers are big on PC and Console.  The original had a pretty tight narrative but if this new one had a looser story and more of a sandbox world and competitive aspects I think it could be a big hit.

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Rock Band

The music genre is dead. Its as simple as that. Harmonix has recently sent out surveys to gamers if they are interested in new gen title. I don’t exactly know what the survey asked (sorry) but I believe there would be a lot of interest if they managed to get players to use their old instruments and transfer their songs to their new system. If Harmonix was really smart, they would allow access to every previous song released, which is over 1000, in a monthly subscription for as low as $5. Kickstarter has revitalized the Adventure game genre so why not the music one?

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Let me know what franchises you would like to see get brought back from the grave in the comments or forums.