Dimensional Rift: 9 Series That Struggled To Jump To 3D

The 3D revolution hit the video game industry hard in the mid-90s. Home console technology was improving by leaps and bounds over the forerunners from earlier in the decade and prior to that. Because of that, developers were tinkering with the formulas of classic titles in order to deliver a more cutting edge experience.

The main issue many series experience in their attempt to try something new is they leave behind what made them so beloved in the first place. Seeing your favorite series in a new light should be enjoyable, but when that new light brings with it a betrayal of what made you love that property in the first place, you realize that some formulas are better left unchanged.

In my recent contribution to Game Informer’s “The Essentials” column, I marveled at how effectively the Super Mario franchise transitioned to 3D, but not all franchises made the jump with similar success. Check out some of the more beloved franchises that struggled to leap into the third dimension.

Mortal Kombat

Debuting in 1992, Mortal Kombat was one of the better fighting series on the market. Though it had its ups and downs during its 2D years, it wasn’t until it made the jump to 3D that it experienced its sharpest downturn.  In 1997, Mortal Kombat 4 attempted to utilize the 3D space for a fighting game, but 2000’s abysmal action brawler Mortal Kombat: Special Forces might be among the worst examples on this list. Even the better 3D Mortal Kombat games like Deadly Alliance, Deception, and Armageddon didn’t feel as good as other fighters at the time.

Thankfully, the bloody franchise has returned to its former glory by embracing its 2D roots once again. The 2011 reboot of the franchise is one of the best fighting games of the previous console generation, and the upcoming Mortal Kombat X is looking more promising each time we hear about it.

Bionic Commando

The 2D Bionic Commando releases were influential and well-received, but when the series tried to appeal to gamers wanting a more modern experience, it failed to grab players the way the original entries did. Capcom’s 2009 attempt to breathe new life into Bionic Commando was far from the game players wanted.

Though the grappling mechanic returns in full force, the clumsy controls and awful level design show a franchise far removed from what made the 2D releases so great. Capcom has since returned Bionic Commando to 2D with Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, which released in 2011 to slightly better reception.

Pac-Man

One of the most classic 2D arcade franchises of all-time has tried to restore former glory through 3D ventures to little avail. The series’ first attempt at 3D of any kind came with 1987’s pseudo-3D conversion of the original Pac-Man formula, Pac-Mania. The game was well-received, but it gave fans false hope for the full-fledged 3D adventures to come.

Since then, the Pac-Man franchise has spawned several games with lukewarm reception. While very few have been outright bashed by critics, they all failed to move beyond bland action-adventure fare. Perhaps most telling is the fact that the best release from the past five years has been Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, which is simply an enhanced version of the original game. 

On the next page, we look at a short-lived, yet much-loved 2D platformer series, and more!

Earthworm Jim

The original Earthworm Jim featured a great soundtrack, fun level design, and an interesting protagonist with a ton of personality. All of those elements would lead you to believe that the developers could do something great in the 3D space. Sadly, Earthworm Jim’s big transition with Earthworm Jim 3D was less than stellar.

One of the most common issues with early 3D games was on full display with Earthworm Jim 3D, as the game possessed an unmanageable camera. Delivering an experience that was disappointing to nearly everyone, Earthworm Jim 3D all but killed the franchise, as the only game to follow 3D is a poorly-received Game Boy Color title. Though the original game has been remastered on newer hardware through services like PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and WiiWare, no home console titles have released since Earthworm Jim 3D.

Golden Axe

The fantasy-based beat ‘em up series captured the imaginations of Sega Genesis players and arcade dwellers across the world, but the more recent attempt to move the series forward technologically was a total disaster. Golden Axe: Beast Rider abandoned everything players loved about the original games in favor of a poorly designed title with bad controls.

The changes made the game feel drastically different than what players had been used to in the series. The rough sound design, over-the-top violence, and an overly-sexualized female protagonist made Golden Axe: Beast Rider feel like a Golden Axe game in name only. Even more upsetting is that no Golden Axe title has released since, leaving Beast Rider as a troubling final taste for the once-great franchise.

Castlevania

While Castlevania fans patient enough to wait around for a good 3D game were finally rewarded with 2010’s Lords of Shadow, the early days of 3D Castlevania games were much rougher. The Nintendo 64 and PlayStation 2 saw multiple games in the series that ranged from mediocre to poor in quality with abysmal camera systems, uneven checkpoints, and rough platforming exacerbating the sharp difficulty curve. Even the best 3D games paled in comparison to the 2D game that appeared on the original PlayStation: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Though Lords of Shadow doesn’t come close to living up to the greatness of Symphony of the Night, it showed fans that the series can work well on a 3D plane. Unfortunately, that goodwill was squandered on Lords of Shadow 2, which did little to give fans faith in future 3D titles in the franchise.

On the next page, we look at more series straight from our nostalgic memories.

Sonic the Hedgehog

It’s no secret that Sonic the Hedgehog has been struggling as of late. Games like Sonic Boom and Sonic Lost World certainly don’t help the cause, but Sonic’s problems started well before those more recent letdowns. Though Sonic 3D Blast’s poor controls and Sonic X-treme’s cancelation set a bad tone for 3D Sonic games early on, very few games have done much to redeem the franchise.

To be completely fair, quality 3D Sonic games do exist. Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 were strong Dreamcast releases, Sonic Colors was a decent Wii exclusive, and Sonic Generations was a well-developed stroll down memory lane. Unfortunately for Generations, it serves to further accentuate how far the series has fallen from its 2D glory years.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The pizza-loving heroes from our childhood had a decent run in 2D. Though it’s probably best to disregard the first NES TMNT game, some of the later entries on NES and in arcades provided great experiences. Games like TMNT Arcade and TMNT III: The Manhattan Project are fondly remembered by fans, but the series’ side-scrolling beat-em up prowess culminated with 1991 arcade and 1992 SNES game, Turtles in Time.

Since making the jump to 3D, the Ninja Turtles franchise has struggled to maintain any kind of momentum under publishers Ubisoft and Activision thanks to uninspired level design and unpolished controls. Activision’s first release in the franchise, Out of the Shadows, is widely regarded as a low-point in the franchise.

Frogger

Though Frogger’s initial idea of crossing a road without getting splattered resonated with gamers, developers have not been able to come up with compelling 3D adventure beyond that original concept. The 3D releases moved so far away from the original concept that the games felt completely removed from the franchise. The closest the series has come to a good 3D game is Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge, and even then, the experience is more 2.5D than 3D. 

Frogger’s basic 2D gameplay has always been influential, inspiring clones since its 1981 debut. Even today, developers draw inspiration from Frogger’s basic formula to great success in titles like Crossy Road on mobile devices, showing that the 2D formula is still relevant in today’s market.

Did your favorite series that started in 2D successfully make the jump to 3D?