15 Resurrected Video Game Franchises That Should Stay Dead

4. Ninja Gaiden

The Originals: Ninja Gaiden launched for the NES in 1988 and led to a mostly-acclaimed trilogy, noted for its brutal level of difficulty and engrossing combat. The Resurrection: The series came back to life over a decade later with 2004's Xbox reboot, Ninja Gaiden, which was lauded for its presentation, gameplay and ridiculous but fair difficulty. This led to several spin-offs and updated versions as well as two core sequels, though 2012's Ninja Gaiden 3 marked where the series fell off a cliff critically. Without franchise director Tomonobu Itagaki, the game received mediocre reviews, while last year's Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z was straight-up panned. Why It Needs To Stay Dead: Considering that Itagaki is gone and even filed a lawsuit for withheld pay, the series seems left without a captain, and though Ninja Gaiden 4 has yet to be confirmed, it's likely on the way in the next year or two. Still, here's hoping they don't tarnish Itagaki's iconic series anymore and let us remember the good times...