5 longest-running video game series

The first video games appeared around the early 1970s with the introduction of the Arcade system. Back then, many games could be played on these arcade machines, which were not accessible at home. Thus kids, back in those days, went to Arcade centers, where they could spend their daily or monthly allowance on some interactive media.

While many video games were released around that time, not all have survived to the modern day. Some did not evolve for the next generation of video game platforms, while others were not popular. Some did cut, eventually gaining enough momentum to get their franchise.

This video game series have been around for the longest time, running since the industry was still in its infancy. The following are five such examples of the longest-running video series in history.

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1) Mario

It’s a wonder everyone’s favorite Italian plumber has been around for quite a long time. It is also ironic that Mario first appeared in a game not titled in his name but known as Donkey Kong. It featured the Italian plumber's race to save a damsel in distress (Pauline) from the eponymous gorilla.

Since then, Mario has seen many changes, getting his own game, a makeover, a taller brother, and a much larger extended cast for his franchise. Following on from Donkey Kong, Mario dominated the platforming landscape with the now-famous video game Super Mario Bros.

The games in the series have become quite diverse, stepping into various genres, like party games, golf, and kart racing to name a few. The most recent mainline outing for this mustached plumber is June 10, 2022, known as Mario Strikers: Battle League, a soccer game based around Mario and his supporting characters in the universe. A sequel to Super Mario Odyssey is also in development.

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2) Wolfenstein

The first Wolfenstein video game was released in September 1981 for the Apple II home computer. It featured an unnamed protagonist with a top-down gameplay mode, with elements of stealth and shooting included.

While the second game changed tactics with a first-person shooter mode of gameplay, it was only in the third game Wolfenstein 3D there the protagonist was given the name BJ Blazkowicz.

The Wolfenstein series has gained a reputation as game where players get to shoot Nazis, as all the games occur in a World War II setting. Blazkowicz is an allied spy tasked with some mission to infiltrate or exfiltrate a Nazi base, mowing down enemies as he goes.

As of 2014, Wolfenstein has had somewhat of a soft reboot. The series went on to incorporate a more intricate story and give the protagonist a relatable and likable personality. Since then, the rebooted series has had three main games and two additional tie-ins. A third game is highly anticipated and rumored to be in the works.

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3) The Legend of Zelda

Link and Zelda first appeared on the scene in 1986 with the first Zelda game iconically titled The Legend of Zelda. This game saw Link in his quest to gather the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom to defeat the antagonist Ganon and rescue Princess Zelda.

While these names meant little to players at the time, these three individuals are the cornerstones atop which most Zelda games are now structured.

Starting as a top-down game where players controlled Link through various stages, the Zelda series retained this theme for a long while as it evolved across various consoles.

It was in the Ocarina of Time when the games became third-person perspective when they came out for the N64 and GameCube.

While many more Zelda video games have since been released, the most recent one in terms of telling a new story was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This game changed the series by making it an utterly open-world game set in Hyrule. The game performed immensely well, and a sequel is set to arrive in 2023.

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4) Metroid

This sci-fi platformer was possibly one of the first video games to have a female character in the lead role. Players played most of the game unaware of this fact, as protagonist Samus Aran is suited up in a Power Suit, which allows her to shoot projectiles and roll up into a ball. It was only at the end of the game that it was revealed that Samus was a woman.

Metroid remained a side-scrolling platformer until Metroid: Prime, which gave players control of a first-person perspective for the first time. Prime launched a successful trilogy of games that were fun to play and looked significantly better than the series’ previous iterations.

After somewhat of a slump, Metroid returned in 2021 with Metroid: Dread, returning to its side-scrolling platformer days but with updated graphics. While this game was successful in its regard, a sequel to the Metroid: Prime trilogy is supposedly the next project in this series, although a release date has not yet been set.

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5) Street Fighter

The first-ever PvP fighting game, Street Fighter, launched in 1987 for the arcade. With only two playable characters to choose from, this game was a moderate success for Capcom. It still introduced several new concepts to the genre, like special moves based on input commands and light, medium and heavy attacks.

The video game series has since become more of a hit, incorporating many more playable characters in Street Fighter II's next game, which eventually gave players a wide selection of 8 fighters to choose from. This game sets the bar for the other fighting games, even gaining enough popularity to warrant a live-action movie.

Over the years since, Street Fighter hasn’t changed that much regarding its gameplay. While the graphics have improved with an elegant artistic aesthetic, the core gameplay has remained the same. The latest outing, Street Fighter 6, is set to be released in late 2022 and will introduce a single-player campaign in the series.

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Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.