10 Amazing Video Game Franchises That Were Abandoned

9. Banjo-Kazooie

You probably don’t need me to tell you about Rare’s iconic 3D platformer series, Banjo-Kazooie and its impact on the industry but just in case you missed this one, let me get you across the fundamentals.

Both Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie were must-have titles for the N64. Released in 1998 and 2000 respectively, they were praised for their visuals, humour, electric characters, engaging writing, and catchy soundtrack, not to mention the frequently inspired level design. At the time, these games represented the pinnacle of what platformers could be, and even gamers now would argue they’re still fantastic.

Unfortunately after Microsoft’s acquisition of Rare in 2002 the series pretty much ground to a halt, releasing a couple of handheld entries and then 2008’s Nuts & Bolts which altered the mechanics and visual style in a way that, to put it nicely, didn’t resonate with many fans.

To put it less nicely, it essentially marked the death of the franchise.

Aside from rocking up in Smash as playable characters and 2017’s middlingly received crowdfunded spiritual successor Yooka-Laylee, that's pretty much all she wrote.