10 Gaming Franchises You Didn't Realise Are Still Around

Though RPGs struggled outside of Japan during the early 1990s, everything changed after Secret of Mana.

Despite having zero hype when it launched in the west, players were blown away by the Super Nintendo title. Rather than offering a traditional turn-based battle system, the fantasy adventure utilised real-time combat, making it more accessible. The main campaign featured a co-op mode, which was a unique feature for a role-player at the time.

Even though Mana looked like the next big thing, it never really took off. (Its astounding sequel, Trials of Mana, wasn't available in the west for decades.) Although Square should've struck while the iron was hot, the Mana series shrivelled away.

Or so it seemed. In reality, Mana never truly disappeared, since the original trilogy was remade with modern 3D graphics over the years and almost a dozen sequels have been released. 

However, there's one reason why the franchise doesn't get the same recognition it used to - it hasn't been great in a long time. The most recent instalment, 2024's Visions of Mana, has a superb combat system and beautiful graphics, but it doesn't push the envelope like the classics did.