The 2000s were an influential period for gaming. During this time the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube reigned as the state of the art home consoles on the market. Developers took advantage of the new technology afforded to them to create new franchises that would define a generation.
While many of the franchises that made a name for themselves in the 2000s would become fan favorites, several of them would never make it out of the decade. Sadly, very few of these franchises have seen much in the way of recognition in recent years. With so much time passing, a reboot would be an excellent way to reintroduce such stellar franchises.
10 Jak and Daxter
After the success of the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Naughty Dog decided to test their creative talents once more by creating the Jak and Daxter series. With the first entry releasing in 2001, this franchise became a staple of the PlayStation 2 console. Fans cherished this game's more open-ended take on platforming with areas that could be explored at will.
From collecting Precursor Orbs in the original to the witty banter between Jak and Daxter, there are many aspects to enjoy. While each entry was unique with later entries being even including gun combat, this is one PlayStation mascot that hopefully makes a resounding return.
9 Jet Set Radio
Serving as one of the final big releases for the Sega Dreamcast, Jet Set Radio became a cult classic. Known for its highly stylized design and roller skating protagonist that tags the streets of Tokyo with graffiti while dodging the police.
It's edgy style and "fight the power" messaging are very reminiscent of the late 90s and early 2000s. This action game was released in 2000, and while there would need to be substantial work to bring the characters into the 20s, it'd be interesting to see Sega tackle this challenge.
8 Prototype
At the end of the 2000s, a new super-powered franchise emerged. Radical Entertainment created a power fantasy known as Prototype. Prototype focused on following the anti-hero Alex Mercer on his rampage. Harboring a slew of shape-shifting powers, Mercer will maim and destroy any on his quest to find out who created him.
The Prototype games were excellent substitutes for super-hero games in a time where Spider-Man Ps4 was nonexistent and Batman games were few and far between. Though there was a sequel to Prototype, it underperformed and disappointed fans of the franchise. With luck, someone at Activision could pick up this forgotten gem and recreate the magic it once had.
7 SSX
In the early 2000s, EA Sports released a sports icon called SSX Tricky. While this wasn't the first entry, this was the release that catapulted the snowboarding series to fame. SSX sees players racing to the finish while pulling off ridiculous tricks to the tune of Run- D.M.C.'s It's Tricky.
Known for taking snowboarding to the next level, even those uninterested in sports found fun in the games. While EA did release an entry for the series in 2012, the trick-toting games have since gone silent. Hopefully, there will be more time to get tricky this decade.
6 Crazy Taxi
An arcade sensation from the late 90s that made its way to home consoles was Crazy Taxi. After a successful run at arcades in 1999, Crazy Taxi came to Sega's final console, the Dreamcast in 2000.
This hit-and-run time attack racing game tasks players with transporting clients around a bustling town as quickly as possible. The quicker the arrival, the more points earned. While there has been a recent release of the franchise from Sega, it is a mobile game from 2014 that lacks the charm of the original.
5 Infamous
Before Sucker Punch ventured to Tsushima island in the Ghost of Tsushima, they were the architects of the Infamous series. Players progress through the story choosing whether to align themselves with good or evil while gaining powers that suit the playstyle of a hero or a villain.
This gives incentive for multiple playthroughs as the campaign concludes differently depending on what path was chosen. The most recent release in the series was Infamous Second Son back in 2013 but the studio moved on to create Ghost of Tsushima in 2020. After the resounding success of the Samurai centered experience, the future of their last series is uncertain.
4 Sly Cooper
Long before even Infamous, Sucker Punch had made a name for themselves with the Sly Cooper IP. In 2002, a series of platforming stealth games started with Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. At the time Sly was one of the most popular PlayStation mascots, seeing three entries on the PlayStation 2.
While Sucker Punch developed the first three entries in this series, they ultimately relinquished the rights to Sanzaru Games so that they could move on to the Infamous series. Sly Cooper would see a final release in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 before the series went dormant. Hopefully, this character will return to reclaim his fame as a PlayStation icon soon.
3 Super Monkey Ball
Another icon for Sega in the 2000s was Super Monkey Ball. Like Crazy Taxi, this title started as an arcade exclusive to massive appeal. After such success, Sega capitalized and brought this to home consoles as well. Sega worked quickly as it was on GameCube by the end of the year.
As an arcade platformer, Super Monkey Ball combined party style minigames and precise and challenging platform courses. With goofy mascot characters like Ai Ai and Gon Gon, it seemed Sega had a lasting success on their hands. Sadly, the franchise hasn't seen much attention lately, though a remaster of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz was released in 2019.
2 Guitar Hero
The 2000s can't be mentioned without referencing the rhythm game craze. Activision stumbled upon a gold mine with the Guitar Hero franchise in 2005. This series became a household name because of the peripherals that came packaged with the game. These plastic guitars let players feel like they were playing guitar and rocking along to famous songs.
With songs from legends like Van Halen, Dragonforce, and Slash, there were songs for fans of all ages. Unfortunately, Activision got greedy and almost single-handedly oversaturated the market. The company released at least two games per year until 2010 when rhythm games began to crash. With over a decade for people to detox from the Activision binge, there may be hope for this legend of rock to return to center stage.
1 Viewtiful Joe
Capcom's side scroller beat 'em up, Viewtiful Joe took reviewers and gamers by storm in 2003. Releasing to near-universal praise, it was praised for tight controls, excellent design, and unique gameplay that made it an instant classic. While there were two iterations released, the franchise came to a grinding halt in 2004.
Though they may have stumbled in the past, Capcom has revitalized several of their own franchises with stellar releases like Devil May Cry 5 and Resident Evil 7. This company has shown that they can do their games justice when the right people are put in charge. There may be hope for Viewtiful Joe fans out there.