10 Video Game Developers That Stupidly Ditched Popular Genres

5. Bionic Commando

The Change: Side-scrolling platformer to third-person shooter.

Originally released in 1988, Bionic Commando quickly became a cult classic - and not just because the main character was called Rad Spencer.

No, Bionic Commando was badass because it had one of the earliest instances of a grappling hook. You'd use it to cross platforms without jumping, and though it looks a bit primitive now, the 2008 "Rearmed" remake proved this idea was always fantastic at its core.

What wasn't especially great... was 2009's full-on reimagining, ditching the 2D platforming and tight locomotion for a sprawling, floaty, third-person action adventure. It retained the signature grappling hook and admittedly, still stood out amongst its contemporaries because of that, but aside from that, this was painfully crippled by design choices that got in the way at every turn.

Want to swing around a city like Spider-Man with your cybernetic limb? Well you can... until an all-killing mist prevents a landing spot. Naff weapon choices mean you're stuck with pistols for the vast majority of the game, and although you can lob pieces of the environment at foes, it's barely used across the whole game.

There's so much here that could've worked a treat, but 3rd-person Bionic Commando came and went in the exact same year.