8. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater - Gimmicky Peripherals
For 5 years, the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series was pretty much untouchable in the admittedly rather niche skateboarding game genre. The original 4 Pro Skater games only improved in quality, and the two Underground titles similarly built on everything that had come before. Things took a downturn with 2005's American Wasteland, which changed up the formula somewhat and was far too easy, and later titles simply coasted along with mixed-to-average reviews. It wasn't until 2009's Ride, though, that the series was well and truly dead in the water. Ride tried to milk the whole Guitar Hero gimmick but was about five years too late, for it required players to use a skateboard peripheral that attempted (badly) to replicate the feel of an actual skateboard. The problem is that the infra-red sensors were incapable of detecting subtle movements, making the game more infuriating than entertaining. It's a nice idea, but one that just doesn't stand up in the execution.