20 Stupid Decisions That Destroyed Their Franchise

3. Generic Approach – Bionic Commando (2009)

A staple of late 1980s gaming, the first Bionic Commando was a highly respected and influential action/adventure platformer.

In particular, its lack of a jump mechanic and emphasis on grappling directly or indirectly inspired successors such as Earthworm Jim, Axiom Verge, Just Cause, Shadow Complex, Tomb Raider, and Katana Zero.

True, only a handful of follow-ups arose over the subsequent 20 years, so Bionic Commando wasn’t exactly an A-list franchise throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Yet, 2008’s upgraded remake of the original pioneer – Bionic Commando Rearmed – was big enough to reignite interest. 

Consequently, Capcom decided to create a fresh entry to bolster that momentum. Regrettably, though, 2009’s Bionic Commando had the opposite effect.

By deviating from a 2D sideview to a 3D over-the-shoulder perspective – and by allowing protagonist Nathan Spencer to jump – the game lost its specialness. Beyond that, its storyline – which saw Spencer killing terrorists to save his wife – was unusually humorless and bland.

Spencer’s redesign – from comic book cool and colourful to realistically drab and dirty – didn’t work, either.

Bionic Commando was such a misfire that it hurt the development and reception of 2011’s Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 and partially led to developer Grin declaring bankruptcy in 2009. With no one else taking over, the series has been silent for 15 years.