Konami it has a tarnished reputation these days, but there was a time when seeing its logo at the start of the game meant a great and refined experience. The series detailed in the entries below proves this. Konami's games had variety, heart, and often innovated in medium.
While some of these series are hard to come by these days on modern hardware, Konami has at least been kind enough to release collections of some of them. Which franchise is the best is down to personal taste, but there's no denying the great gameplay found in each of them.
We note how many games are in each series, but only differentiate spin-offs when it's clear that they are spin-offs. Some older franchises don't number their titles or stop numbering after a few entries.
7 The Enders Zone
Futuristic Mech combat with a focus on story
Because it only has two games and a single spin-off, The Enders Zone only qualify for the highest spot on the list. It's a plus that both entries are tight action games where players control mechs in a futuristic setting.
Both the debut entry and its sequel are extremely short, but that just means there's no filler. continuation, 2nd runnermakes great use of its mechanics to ensure that every mission feels different.
First
The Enders Zone
famous came with a demo for
Metal Gear Solid 2
which some played more than the game they bought.
6 Lethal enforcers
The Light-Gun series that has evolved to use motion detection technology
- platform: Arcade, SNES, Genesis, Sega CD, PlayStation
- ISSUED: 1992
- Developer: Konami
- Gender: Light Weapon Shooter
Light gun games aren't as exciting as they used to be, but they used to easily make a line in an arcade. Lethal enforcers took players through urban environments, taking out ruthless criminals using digitized sprites as graphics.
The console versions had a special peripheral that looked like a small revolver. As the series evolved, Konami released Police 911which cleverly added the motion sensor so that players' movements are reflected in the game. Not impressive in this day and age with VR and games like super hotbut it was a nice trick when it was released and it worked well.
5 Cons
The most iconic side-scrolling shooter
It's hard to go wrong with 2D Cons. Even the debut entry has a simple, irresistible charm. However, the franchise becomes less reliable once it adds a dimension. PS1 Cons games are notoriously unpleasant, but Destroyed Soldier on PS2 is a shining example of updating a classic genre for a new generation.
Related
Each game against, ranked
There have been a lot of great Contra games made over the years. Here's a look at them all, ranked.
The intense, side-scrolling action will give players countless game overs, but this difficulty and trial and error is the best. Cons such compelling games. The one thing it hasn't had in years is a tried and true AAA game.
4 Dance Dance Revolution
Rythmn game peripherals innovated before Guitar Hero
Before Harmonix came along with Guitar Hero and revolutionized rhythm games, Konami pioneered the genre with games such as Beatmania, Guitar Freakand Dance Dance Revolution.
The latter in particular has become a phenomenon of its own. Cabinets were a prominent presence in whatever arcades they sat in, and people would gather around the car to watch when a master was behind the wheel.
The home console versions had a peripheral in addition to regular controller support. It can be looked at Just dance as a successor, but nothing beats the physicality of dancing on those trademark boards.
3 Castlevania
It evolved from an action game to the innovation of the Metroidvania genre
Castlevania started life on the NES as an extremely difficult side-scrolling action game. continuation, Simon's Questadded more adventure game elements to the mix, while the next two games returned to a more streamlined approach.
It's impossible to go through every title in the series, but Symphony of the Night deserves special praise for the way it includes RPG elements and an interconnected map reminiscent of Metroid. It didn't have the same fortune and praise in the 3D era, but Lords of Shadow the 2010 game is fondly remembered. Playing the classics today in The Castlevania Collection it shows how well the simpler game has aged along with the artistic design.
2 silent hill
It revolutionized the Survival Horror genre
silent hill on the original PlayStation it already set itself apart from its peers with its fully 3D graphics. Silent Hill 2 it opened the doors on what was possible in video game storytelling. The third game completes a trilogy, but the franchise is not over yet.
Entrances after Silent Hill 3 become less reliable, but there are still some interesting additions such as Shattered memories on the Wii, where conversations with a therapist change parts of the game. Silent Hills, a famous canceled collaboration between Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima and director Guillermo del Toro promised to bring some prestige back to the series, but players will never know if it was the shot in the arm it needed.
Each game changed the formula in some way
Metal Gear it didn't start with the 1998s Metal Gear Solidbut that third game is what many fondly remember as their introduction to the series that would go in so many wild directions. Metal Gear Solid 2 perfected stealth mechanics while telling a haunting tale of the digital age.
From there, each subsequent entry did something a little different with the genre, never giving players what they expected but usually leaving them satisfied. Since 2015 The Phantom Painit's hard to know if the series will ever return to its former glory. Series creator Hideo Kojima founded his own studio and made Death Stranding. However, what fans have now is one of the best runs of any video game franchise.
