10 Great Action Video Game Franchises (That Died Too Soon)

First released in 1988, Ninja Gaiden is one of the oldest and most popular action franchises on this list. Originally created as an arcade 2D side-scroller, the game later spawned a complete trilogy. Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos was released in 1990, and in 1991 the trilogy was complete with Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom.

The Ninja Gaiden series laid dormant for over a decade until 2004, when a Ninja Gaiden reboot was developed for the original Xbox console. The game follows master Ryu Hayabusa as the player undergoes a quest to retrieve a valuable sword and avenge his family’s killers. The game is known for its harsh gameplay and intense difficulty, resulting in panic inducing boss fights. The Ninja Gaiden reboot was a success, with a sequel releasing in 2008 for the Xbox 360 and a third installment in 2012 for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. However, once again, the Ninja Gaiden series has been laid to rest.

There is much demand for a return of the master ninja, with a Ninja Gaiden 4 hoped to be in the works, yet nothing has ever been confirmed. Now, with the huge popularity of FromSoftware games, including Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a samurai game seemingly influenced by master Ryu’s adventures, perhaps a second Ninja Gaiden reboot would be a welcome addition to a new generation of consoles.