10 Beloved Franchises That Haven't Been Good In A WHILE
9. Mega Man
Every time Mega Man goes downhill, Capcom use the same strategy to get him back on his feet: Reboot the Astro Megabusting android and release a ton of sequels.
When the original sidescrollers got stale, the company released a gritty reimagining called Mega Man X. After that went down the tubes, Capcom got to work on an RPG called Mega Man: Battle Network. The instant this spin-off waned in quality, Mega Man Zero was brought out.
It was an effective system, but would only get the Blue Bomber so far.
As such, the developers took the old-school route for Mega Man 9, emulating the style and pixelated aesthetic of the NES saga. The 8-bit inspired title wasn't just a beautiful love letter to the classic series, but a magnificent platformer in its own right. And when the similarly designed Mega Man 10 received solid reviews, the super-fighting robot's resurgence seemed inevitable.
And yet, the underwhelming Mega Man 11 is the only new entry in 15 years. Mega Man might've peaked 30 years ago, but his dedicated fanbase remains intact. If Capcom pulled their finger out for the next game rather than repacking the old titles for the umpteenth time, Mega Man could become a hot property once more.