10 Longest-Running Video Game Franchises With The MOST Quality

It’s impossible for us to talk about Zelda as a flagship system seller for Nintendo without immediately following up with the franchise that not only predates it, but also happens to be the most commercially successful franchise of all time, selling approximately 830 million units.

If you haven’t guessed it yet, you really should have because I said it in the title of the entry, but if you’ve got me second screened and weren’t paying attention then it’s-a-him, Mario.

Mario may have begun his life as the, now that we’ve thought about it, fairly controversial figure of Jumpman who quickly turned the tables on his nemesis Donkey Kong in his 1981 debut by spending the next few games locking him up in a cage. But thanks to our old friend, iconic video game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto, not being able to secure the licensing rights to use Popeye in his new video game, the Italian plumber was born.

The mythos, soundbites, moustache, hat, and gigantic piercing blue eyes of Mario really do precede him but the only thing as popular as the character himself is the stunning tight platforming gameplay mechanics he’s so often shipped with.

From Mario Kart to Super Mario Bros, Mario Party, Mario puzzle games, sports games, RPGs, and every offshoot and side character who took off with their own games or series, the franchise has something for absolutely everybody.

While we’re spotlighting plenty of games on this list that have dominated and defined a single genre, Mario’s ability to earn gamers’ love in a way that transcends genre, age, and is still rolling out 10/10 games over 40 years into its industry debut, is nothing short of extraordinary.

It’s the franchise that keeps on giving and in many ways has defined gaming as a whole.