They Still Make Those?

Somewhere between the one-hit wonder games and the popular franchises we all know and love lies a few series that soldier on in relative obscurity.

Here's a brief list of some games from franchises you may have thought were no longer around, but actually have releases slated for 2014. I'm not talking about HD re-releases or ports to new platforms, but rather actual new titles. Perhaps you're a fan of a series and haven't been keeping close tabs or just want to reminisce, but maybe these are worth checking out.

Might & Magic X: Legacy (PC)

As the Roman numeral aptly points out, there have been a few of these released since the RPG series' beginning in the mid-'80s. Along the way there has been the turn-based strategy of the Heroes of Might & Magic series, as well as other detours like the hybrid puzzlers Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes on 3DS. The 12 character classes in Might & Magic X: Legacy will apparently have skill systems similar to M&M VI and VII and gameplay that harkens back to even earlier entries in the franchise. The game is set to release via download on January 23.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

This zombie-themed Ninja Gaiden is a little bit of a departure from the rest of the series, and it includes the involvement of famed developer Keiji Inafune. Despite the zombies and the comic book-inspired look, the game (out on March 4) is still an action-packed gore fest.

Brothers in Arms 3 (iOS, Android, Windows Phones)

Gearbox has put Brothers in Arms: Furious 4 on ice, but in the next few months Gameloft is going ahead with this free-to-play entry in the series that started out back in 2005. The initial entries combined third-person action with squad strategy, and there are echoes of this in BOA 3 – you tap the screen to shoot enemies and swipe it to move your squadmates to flank.

Ace Combat Infinity (PS3)

The fighter combat series is going free-to-play for this PS3-exclusive due in the U.S. sometime this year. Infinity takes place on an alternate-reality Earth and features the series' superweapons as well as co-op 4 vs. 4 play. Click here for the game's initial trailer.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle (PS3)

This fighting franchise based on a Japanese manga has a more storied history in its homeland than over here in the West, but if you've wondered what it's about, All Star Battle (out some time in 2014) lets you battle against other combatants spanning all eight of the manga's storylines. All Star Battle features a single-player story mode, an online campaign mode, 32 playable fighters, and more.

MX vs. ATV Supercross (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac, Linux)

Nordic Games purchased the series from now-defunct publisher/developer THQ, and Supercross even features some of the developers who worked on the series' original incarnation. Nordic says Supercorss "has the scope of a downloadable game," and is expected in the first half of this year. The game is based off the same code used for MX vs. ATV Alive and Reflex, and includes features from those titles such as the DLC center the Motoclub Depot. Given that and Nordic's comments, hopefully the game is more fleshed out than Alive, but we'll have to wait and see.