Top 10 Best Video Game Franchises of All Time

If there was no Mario, I bet most home console video games wouldn't be a reality. Everyone looks at how good or original a game is, and while that is incredibly important, you also must consider the history and their impact on the world.

Mario's face is more recognizable than Mickey Mouse's. He has appeared in over 200 games and defined a generation. He helped build Nintendo's empire that probably won't ever fall. All of his games are at least 8/10s, though his movie leaves much to be desired.

He has TV shows, comic books, movies, and all other forms of merchandise. He may not have the greatest games, but he certainly has the most recognizable.

Nothing will ever shake this. All of you talking about how Grand Theft Auto and Skyrim are better, you're welcome for having Zelda CREATE THAT GENRE. Since the 80s, Zelda has been creating high-quality and critically acclaimed games that have interesting, well-paced stories, fun characters, great dungeons, awesome boss fights, great music, amazing atmosphere, and beautiful open worlds. The list goes on.

The series has managed to create so many amazing games that one could get lost in forever, exploring for treasure, helping civilians, getting to know the world better, and finishing sidequests. There's just so much to do! An amazing series that never gets old and will always keep everyone entertained.

Pokemon is for a wide range of audiences. There is a Pokemon for everyone (girls and boys alike). Adults can also enjoy this game. It has strategy, story, lore, awesome Pokemon, etc. In some ways, it has a more mature storyline than many other games considered 'more mature', with it exploring themes like animal rights (Pokemon Black and White) and the balance of nature (Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire and ORAS).

I don't play Pokemon games, watch the anime, or play the Trading Card Game. But the sheer immensity of this franchise keeps me interested. There are so many Pokemon and Pokemon types.

There is also a great fan art and fan fiction community which will keep you interested for a long time. So basically, this franchise will keep you interested for as long as possible.

What happens when you take Nintendo's all-stars and put them in a battle for the ages? Epicness. This game took Mario, Link, Samus, and tons of others in a fighting game that's one of a kind. Awesome characters, bonus features, and "trophies" that describe Nintendo's history, plus addicting fighting, great stages, and items, and you've got yourself the greatest fighting game ever.

I love this series so much! It's a masterpiece.

Sakurai also created the Kirby series, which is another great series. This series is so much fun. Anybody can play it, and there's a character for every skill level and play style!

Man, Sonic the Hedgehog is my favorite one.

Sure, there are definitely bad games out there, but there are so many good things that people forget. The character designs, levels, music, (mostly) good stories, and six masterpiece games like the classic games and the Adventure games.

The characters and nostalgia are what keep me loving this franchise even after 16 years.

Now, is he the best one objectively? No, but he is my favorite and always will be.

I still like the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, as I was absolutely obsessed with it during my childhood. However, now that I am older, I now prefer the Mario franchise. The Sonic games I played were mostly mediocre to bad, with examples being Shadow the Hedgehog and the Game Boy Advance port of Sonic 1.

I greatly regret playing those games as a child. So, during my late childhood, when I got a Wii, I got my first Mario game, New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I loved that game, so I went out to buy more Mario games, such as Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Mario Party 9. After playing all those games, I went out to buy Nintendo consoles in order to play more Mario games.

In conclusion, while I still do enjoy some Sonic games, it doesn't compare to how much I like Mario over the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. This is all I have to say. Goodbye.

The Big 3 Nintendo franchises are at the top, and will probably stay there, but at least keep Grand Theft Auto at 4. It is one of the most critically acclaimed series of all time.

The only series more critically acclaimed than this is probably Zelda.

Come on, everyone. Get over the classics and appreciate something which is next level. Grand Theft Auto is the best franchise currently, and you know it, even if you don't agree.

The Grand Theft Auto fans have no problem because Trevor Philips will take care of you.

I will not allow this! Halo, below Call of Duty!? Call of Duty releases the same game every year! With Halo, there is always something new. Halo: Combat Evolved is the classic Halo. Halo 2 introduced playable Elites and online multiplayer.

Halo 3 had better armor customization. Halo 3: ODST introduced Firefight. Halo: Reach is by far the most unique of any Halo. Halo 4 did something entirely new with the campaign. Halo 5 introduced the REQ system (which is actually pretty bad, but at least it is new)! Call of Duty is the same game every year!

I really enjoy Call of Duty. Yes, I know it's full of unloved kids whose parents bought them the game to get them out of their hair, but I still enjoy the campaign and zombies. I have been a Call of Duty fan for a long time and I know the series won't last forever, but I still enjoy it.

I will agree, though, that it doesn't take much skill. That's why I've been playing a lot of Battlefield and Rainbow Six Siege. But still, Call of Duty is a classic I grew up with, and the new Modern Warfare is really good, so I have some hope. However, we need to ban those annoying kids.

How is the best kid-friendly series in history not even in the top 5? Kirby is a complex series. HAL tries to make the games kid-friendly and easy while also presenting a challenge and having complex stories. As contradictory as those things might seem, the Kirby series not only manages to do all of those things but does it perfectly.

Essentially, they hide the tragic backstories, absurd power levels, etc., behind pause screens that children are unlikely to read. They hide the difficulty in Extra Mode and The True Arena, which aren't available from the start and make the game incredibly hard. That way, kids are unlikely to read into the scary stuff and unlikely to play the hard parts, while older kids and adults can appreciate how much thought goes into these games.

The multiplayer functions allow the whole family to play at once. In the end, everyone is happy.

How Kirby isn't number 1, I don't know. He certainly deserves it, so vote for the Super Tuff Pink Puff!

Probably the second-best side-scroller non-Metroidvania game franchise after Mario. I mean, you can copy other robots' abilities, beat a mad scientist (and never capture him), summon Rush to do shortcuts, try doing a buster-only run (excluding the mandatory usages on the Wily stages), and attempt a perfect run on robot masters. This franchise is challenging and fun, and almost never frustrating (unless you want to do a buster-only perfect run on the Doc Robot in MM3).

Best video game franchise ever. It is also a huge influence on modern shooter games today, like Halo and Call of Duty. I will never get tired of the Mega Man games. Of course, the classic series is the best.

Honestly, I'm surprised that this series didn't crack the top 5. The Elder Scrolls is a series in which anyone can become whoever they want to be, and make whatever decisions they see fit. These games are extraordinarily extensive, easily allowing players to clock hundreds, if not thousands, of hours.

The Elder Scrolls is my favorite series next to the Legend of Zelda. Come on, this deserves to be in a higher spot.

All the games have their pros and cons. Morrowind is my favorite, though. It has very deep RPG mechanics. Everything you do levels up.

Skyrim has the smoothest combat system, but its RPG mechanics aren't as deep as Morrowind's. It feels more like an action game than an RPG. And Oblivion feels like it's more in between the two.

Mario Kart has extremely high sales, and even though it is a sub-series, I believe it should be very high on the list.

I enjoy Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the most because you can use your own Miis to race.

The only racing game I need, plus Burnout Revenge if EA could make it come to the Switch. But mostly, just Mario Kart.

Metroid is a fun, original experience with darkness around the corner. But in a positive way! This series is one of the best, if not the best, cult classic. Then, there is Federation Force...

This series should be higher on the list! It's immersive, it's dark, it's symbolic, it's mysterious, and it's got the most badass female protagonist in history. It's... well... it's Metroid!

I wish Metroid sold better. I don't expect massive Mario, Pokémon, or Zelda-esque blockbuster hits, but it would be nice to see a Metroid game dish out 5 million units.

The undisputed king of video game music, and the best storytelling franchise. Final Fantasy 6, 7, 10, and 15 are amazing. Definitely worthy of the top 3.

Why is this not in the top 10?! Other than Pokémon, Final Fantasy is the best RPG. I have never played a Final Fantasy game, but they look good.

I only think the Zelda franchise is better. FF7 is my third favorite game. How is this so low?

Best fighting game series ever made.

Best fighting game franchise.

The best ever game franchise. The coolest, mind-blowing games ever. God of War has defined what a real game should be like. The God of War games are the best and should be played.

They should be number 1, but I know players other than PlayStation cannot vote for this because it only works on PS systems. To experience the real gaming experience and powerful story and gameplay, one should have to buy PlayStations.

God of War is still an underrated franchise and it's only carried by graphics.

This series should be in the top ten!

Greatest racing franchise of all time. Should be top 5. I even still love playing Most Wanted!

It's the best-selling racing game franchise. It should be at least in the top ten.

At least top 10 in my opinion. NFS Heat and Unbound revived the franchise!

The word that explains how you feel during this game is BAD ASS. You tear out a person's spine? No problem - there aren't any cops in this game, so feel free to tear heads off. (I am not a terrorist, please don't sue me.)

But to put it simply, this game takes stress out. Have a guy break up with you? Post a pic of him on the screen and go all out!

Definitely the most influential franchise of the 90s, but this game is still very popular and addictive. MK rules! Finish Him!

Sub Zero is the best, and all Scorpion fans know deep down that Sub Zero is just way better.

These games have been consistently great, unlike many of the other higher-voted franchises. The trilogy is great, but that 4th game sealed the deal.

This is hands down one of the greatest video game franchises of all time, and it deserves a spot on the top 10 list.

Has one of the greatest lineups of characters, and the storyline behind each game is fantastic! Deserves to be in the top 10!

Best all-around game of all time, and no other game tells the story the way it does.

For a new game, this is awesome! It really deserves the hype it gets. I wanted to know why everyone was talking about this, and I'm glad I checked this game out! It's definitely up there with Zelda and Final Fantasy.

It has so much emotion and stories that it beats novels, not to mention kick-ass playing. Plus, it has Disney characters and Final Fantasy characters. I haven't done Final Fantasy yet, and I know the top two should be Grand Theft Auto under Kingdom Hearts. Mario can be third.

Amazing! So much nostalgia, and it is all about the power of friendship and love.

Developers listen to their fans and have been providing great entertaining games for many years, which make the fans extremely happy.

This franchise has produced almost ten games already. It should replace Call of Duty!

It's Battlefield, so what can I say that isn't already said?

I've completed the first game. It was kind of generic and boring. The only level that posed a real challenge for me was the bonus level they scrapped from the first game because it was "too difficult."

But honestly, they need to make more levels like that because it makes the game fun.

Even if you don't like the newer Fallout games, don't forget how much you liked the older ones at least!

This franchise nearly died but brought itself back to life. That is something you don't see at all.

This is the franchise that established survival horror as a genre. It later created the third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, becoming the father of modern-day shooters, and has reinvented itself again. Taking inspiration from other games like Silent Hill and Outlast, it now outshines the horror and survival genre more than ever! And still, it has a long way to go.

If there is a franchise that definitely isn't afraid to try new things, can make mistakes but learn from them, and appeal to its fans, it's Resident Evil!