Skipping A Generation – What We Missed This Console Cycle

Sometimes genetic traits skip a generation. The same goes for video games. These are the games that decided to sit this generation out, but we'd like to see make a return for the PlayStation 4 and the next Xbox.

Ape Escape – Sony’s dual-analog stick mascot made an appearance in a way with PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, but otherwise we haven’t seen much from Ape Escape since the third game released on the PlayStation 2. We also saw the apes make a random appearance in Metal Gear Solid 3 in a bonus game. The Apes keep appearing, so it seems like Sony is not ready to forget about them just yet.
Likelihood of Return: Medium

Dino Crisis – Dinosaurs will never go out of style, but action games built loosely around outdated Resident Evil engines stopped being cool a while ago. We saw an attempt at resurgence of the franchise on the Xbox with Dino Crisis 3, but it attracted little attention. Maybe it’s time to bring the dinosaurs out of space and back down to Earth on a new console. Having heard nothing about the franchise in years though, it seems unlikely it will be making a return.
Likelihood of Return: Low

F-Zero – Miyamoto recently expressed surprise that there was a devoted fanbase for F-Zero. The last true F-Zero was GX for the GameCube. Most recently, there was an F-Zero minigame in Nintendo Land, but otherwise we haven’t heard much from the fast-paced science-fiction racer. Nintendo always has tricks up its sleeves, and now that Miyamoto knows that people want more, hopefully he will get on the ball.
Likelihood of Return: High

Frequency/Amplitude – Before Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Dance Central, Harmonix was best known for its trance-influenced techno rhythm games Frequency and Amplitude. In many ways, Rock Band Blitz is a spiritual successor to these games with similar gameplay mechanics. With Rock Band winding down, it seems like a good time bring back these games, which were less focused on licensed music, and all about the rhythm.
Likelihood of Return: Medium

Jak and Daxter – Naughty Dog has moved past the mascot platformer, and into the realm of mature shooters and desolate post-apocalyptic monster tales focused on survival. Ideas for a new Jak and Daxter were thrown around before The Last of Us began production, but the studio just didn’t like what it was coming up with. Naughty Dog’s Nate Wells did say, “never say never,” though.
Likelihood of Return: Medium

Legacy of Kain – The Legacy of Kain franchise currently resides in the hands of Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics. It’s a series that has a lot of fans, and a recent domain registration seems to be a pretty good hint that something might be in the works.
Likelihood of Return: High

Maximo – The spiritual successor to Ghosts ‘n Goblins, Maximo had two solid outings on the PlayStation 2, and then he went into hibernation (presumably in his heart pajamas). It’s a Capcom franchise, and the publisher/developer is no stranger to bringing back games that were presumed dead. That being said, Maximo has been absent from any recent cameo opportunities, like Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
Likelihood of Return: Low

Mega Man X – Mega Man X has appeared in some capacity during every gaming generation since the Super Nintendo. The last time we saw X and pals in a numbered iteration was in 2004 on PlayStation 2. It’s time for a new entry, and the next generation would be a perfect place to revive the franchise. That being said, I would love for it to return to its 16-bit roots à la Mega Man 9 and 10.
Likelihood of Return: Medium

Oddworld – The last true original entry in the Oddworld series was Stranger’s Wrath for the Xbox in 2005. We’ve seen some HD remakes and total remakes of past Oddworld games, but it’s about that time to jump back into Oddworld’s interesting world, and it would be nice if we could do it with fancy next-generation graphics. Developer Just Add Water recently released some Oddworld remakes, and rumor has it that they are working on something for PlayStation 4. Also, it’s taking requests for its next project from a list of possible games, many of which are brand new.
Likelihood of Return: High

Onimusha – Onimusha was one of the PlayStation 2’s early successes, with three core entries in the series, one fighting game, a Game Boy Advance game, and one sort-of sequel/spin-off with Dawn of Dreams in 2006. Since then, the franchise has been quiet. Onimusha has always been a series that showcased impressive technology, and a new console generation might be the perfect place for a resurgence. Much like Maximo though, neither Samanosuke, Jubei, or any other Onimusha characters have appeared for prime cameo opportunities.
Likelihood of Return: Low

Persona – Persona has always been an RPG series with a devoted, but not necessarily widespread fan base. That base is growing though, and Persona 4 Golden on the Vita received universal praise. Persona 5 is rumored to be in the works, but who knows for what console. With two PlayStation entries and two PlayStation 2 entries, it would be surprising to see the series skip a whole generation, but it's certainly a possibility.
Likelihood of Return: High

Star Fox – We got to replay Star Fox 64 recently on the 3DS, but the last time we got a new entry in Star Fox’s story was on the GameCube and DS with Assault and Command, respectively. Those two games released within a year of each other, and that was it. It seemed like motion control could have provided an interesting Star Fox experience on the Wii, but he simply never surfaced. Hopefully the Wii U will offer a new opportunity for the Star Fox team. Looking at Nintendo's history, we're about due for a new Star Fox.
Likelihood of Return: High

Star Wars: Battlefront – Who knows what is happening with the Battlefront series. There was a current-gen game in the works, but it was canceled despite being almost done. Then the developer was picked up by Crytek, and now LucasArts is no more, so who knows what is happening with everyone’s favorite third-person Star Wars shooter.
Likelihood of Return: ???

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron – The Rogue Squadron franchise thrived on the Nintendo 64 and GameCube, but then developer Factor 5 decided, “You know what’s cooler than piloting X-Wings and other iconic Star Wars spaceships? Piloting dragons.” After the release of Lair, it’s difficult to tell if the developer was correct in its assumption, but Lair was mostly a failure. The studio has since closed, so unless someone else wants to step up and make it happen, Rogue Squadron is probably dead.
Likelihood of Return: Low

The Suffering – Prison is terrifying even without monsters running around everywhere, so it’s easy to understand why The Suffering series scared the pants off of people. Dead Space has proven that there is a profitable market for people who like scary action games, so maybe The Suffering will make a return. The last we heard from the developer before being purchased by Warner Bros. Interactive, was that its upcoming game This is Vegas was no longer upcoming.
Likelihood of Return: Low

Syphon Filter – Shortly after the release of Metal Gear Solid came another PlayStation stealth game. Syphon Filter was a successful franchise with four console releases across the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, and a pair of PSP games. Syphon Filter snuck past the PlayStation 3 generation, but Sony isn’t one to abandon a franchise.
Likelihood of Return: Medium

Time Splitters – Developer Free Radical put its current-gen eggs in a basket called Haze, and it didn’t turn out well. The game flopped, and Free Radical became part of the Crytek family. Haze was the only current-gen game the studio released, and Time Splitters has been marinating in the background. There is a new Time Splitters in the works, but it has little to do with the original developer. It’s unclear whether there will ever be a new Time Splitters from the folks who originally created it.
Likelihood of Return: High (with qualifier)

Viewtiful Joe – Viewtiful Joe released exclusively for the GameCube, and in many ways it was a big hit. The GameCube was hurting for exclusives, and Viewtiful Joe injected the system with an action game unlike any other. Capcom decided quickly that it had a new franchise on its hands, and released a number of sequels and spin-offs in quick succession. Joe took a break during this generation opting only for cameo appearances in fighting games like Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. With the upcoming generation of consoles, it might be time for Joe to return with a new coat of paint.
Likelihood of Return: Medium