You know the deal with me, folks - I live and breathe everything Capcom. I have the soundtrack to Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike downloaded to my iPod (yes, I still walk around with one of those things!), constantly switch out my Strider wallpapers based on how I'm feeling on a weekly basis, and rewatch the Chris Redfield boulder punching scene from Resident Evil 5 once a month. Now that Capcom has seemingly gotten out of their early to mid-2010s funk, fans like me have been treated to some fantastic remakes and sequels to some of the company's finest existing IPs. While it's nice that Street Fighter, Resident Evil, and Monster Hunter are getting a ton of attention these days, I think there's a ton of opportunity to rejuvenate so many Capcom franchises that need to come back. So here are eight franchises I'd love to proposition to the big wigs at my favorite gaming publisher/developer.
gaming
8 Capcom Franchises That Need to Come Back
1. 'Dino Crisis'
Out of all the old Capcom franchises that need to come back, this dinosaur-fueled survival horror affair unsurprisingly sits at the top of this list. Fans have been requesting the grand return of Regina and the bloodthirsty dinos that threaten her well-being for the longest time now. The first game in the series is still a banger and much deserving of the same remake treatment that raised Resident Evil 2 to another level of greatness. I and a lot of other folks would be down to see a full-fledged Dino Crisis that makes proper usage of the RE Engine - give me more darkened hallways, a greater variety of dinos to blast in the face, and refreshed environments to peruse through. I want to exist in a world where Exoprimal lets me clash with big lizards in exosuits and a Dino Crisis remake forces me to fight for my life against those very same vicious dinos.
2. 'Final Fight'
I never expected there to be such a major resurgence within the beat 'em up genre. Things have gotten way livelier within that game type thanks to releases such as River City Girls, Streets of Rage 4, and TMNT: Shredder's Revenge. One of the past rulers on the beat 'em up throne used to be Capcom's Final Fight - the first game in the series munched up a lot of quarters just so players could save Metro City with Cody, Guy, and Haggar. I'm hoping Capcom does the right thing with the Final Fight IP by allowing Dotemu and Tribute Games to craft a true fourth installment that goes hand in hand with the first three games. Those two development studios have a thing for reviving 90s games by sticking to what worked before and greatly improving their 2D visuals. Final Fight could surely use that sort of revival.
3. 'Strider'
I must admit - I only learned of Strider Hiryu's existence when I used him as one of my mains in the first Marvel vs. Capcom. A ninja from the future that attacks with robotic animals is simply one of the coolest video game characters of all time. Because of that guest cameo, I went back to enjoy the very first Strider. Then, later on, I came to appreciate Strider 2 and the 2014 "Metroidvania" take on the series. While I love all the side-scrolling hack and slash action the Strider series delivers, I would love to see a new game in the series go the full Devil May Cry route. Here's my dream scenario for an all-new Strider game - make Strider Hiryu and Strider Hien playable, place them within fully explorable 3D environments, and let them run wild with combo-heavy sword attacks in a futuristic realm.
4. 'Mega Man X'
The original "Blue Bomber" got his mainline series rebound with Mega Man 11 back in 2018. But ever since then, I've been campaigning for the same sort of return for the badass spinoff series that showcases an even cooler rendition of Mega Man. I say all that to say this - one of the Capcom franchises that need to come back ASAP is Mega Man X. I think the time is right for a ninth official entry in the series that gets back to the series' side-scrolling ways. What I'm envisioning here is something along the lines of the Azure Striker Gunvolt series that gives Mega Man X, Zero, and Axl a bunch of new "Mavericks" to hunt down within a gorgeous 2.5D world. Blasting bots, beating big bosses, and stealing their powers for your own is a formula that'll never get old - I just want more of it from Mega Man X now, Capcom!
5. 'Onimusha'
Oh, how I miss the Onimusha series! Capcom truly knocked it out of the park when it mashed up the world of survival horror with samurai-infused melee combat. Hacking and slashing up hordes of demons with elemental weapons is a formula that worked for the franchises' mainline installments. I know, I know - Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams didn't sell so hot during its 2006 launch. But I feel like a big-budget reboot for the series would grab a ton of attention and get a lot of older Capcom fans excited. It'd be incredible if this new Onimusha I'm proposing got the Devil May Cry 5 treatment by getting a massive visual upgrade, multiple playable protagonists, and a combat system that's more open-ended than previous entries. Since Ninja Gaiden is on ice at the moment, a brand new Onimusha could easily fill the void left by its absence.
6. 'Darkstalkers'
Here's a dream team-up between two Japanese gaming giants that I want to see before I leave this plane of existence - Capcom and Arc System Works! I'd empty out my savings account immediately for a proper fourth Darkstalkers game that brings together the familiar feel of fighting games Capcom is known for and the stunning anime visuals Arc Sys infuses all of its fighters with. Street Fighter gets all of the love from Capcom nowadays, but I still think there's a place for Morrigan and the whole horror movie-inspired crew she's battles against. I literally go to sleep and envision a new Darkstalkers game that looks just like Guilty Gear Strive. Darkstalkers makes the most sense for a throwback brawler that could become major again as an anime fighter. I'm fully convinced this old-school fighter is part of those Capcom franchises that need to come back.
7. 'Breath of Fire'
Now here's one of those Capcom franchises that need to come back that would add another strong genre to the company's current catalog. And that's JRPGs. While I appreciate all the fighting, action/adventure, and survival horror releases Capcom churns out in this day and age, I sorely miss their contribution to the JRPG genre in the form of the Breath of Fire series. The ever-changing journeys that Ryu and Nina kept me really busy back in the day, especially during the year 2000 when the excellent Breath of Fire IV dropped. Breath of Fire 6 can be completely ignored since it was a sham of a game that left a bad taste in fans' mouths - a seventh game that gets the same sort of development love and care that games like Xenoblade Chronicles and Tales of Arise get would be god-tier material. I'd totally be fine with this game utilizing a turn-based or active combat system, to be quite honest.
8. 'Viewtiful Joe'
Now y'all I know I couldn't do a list of Capcom franchises that need to come back and not mention this fire beat 'em up from way back when. Viewtiful Joe went so hard back in the day due to its clever usage of cassette machine controls within the confines of a side-scroller beat 'em up. Viewtiful Joe and his girlfriend Sexy Silvia turned out to be quite the dynamic duo as they landed sick combos on a cavalcade of baddies within a movie-inspired universe. I'd hope that Capcom and PlatinumGames (which was formerly known as Clover Studio) would partner up once again to create the third official Viewtiful Joe game so many fans are crying out for. Those cel-shaded graphics and slow-motion beatdowns would look so damn good with current-generation console hardware, now wouldn't they?
