Franchises That Xbox Needs to Bring Back ASAP

For the last several years, Xbox has been led by CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer. But now, a new era for the video game brand is about to begin as Spencer retires and hands over the reins to gaming newcomer Asha Sharma as the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

In the past few days, many Xbox fans have expressed concern over Sharma's appointment, especially due to her lack of experience in the gaming industry and controversial history with artificial intelligence development.

To help reassure fans, Sharma has recently responded to fan questions on X about her goals with Xbox, with Sharma notably saying, "Hear you" to X user Alejandromp66's post about the importance of Xbox exclusive titles in the way they establish the brand's identity.

With one of Sharma's goals as CEO being to usher in the return of Xbox, here are a few of Xbox's many forgotten exclusive franchises that Sharma should strive to revive in order to help Xbox succeed in an ever tumultuous gaming landscape.

10 'Splosion Man

Xbox's Explosive Arcade Mascot

During the Xbox 360 era, Microsoft Game Studios published many stellar video games to launch digitally on Xbox Live Arcade, with one of the best being Twisted Pixel Games' 'Splosion Man.

A 2D platformer, 'Splosion Man has players embody the titular 'Splosion Man, a being made up of living radioactive, spontaneous combustible material who escapes a research facility using his explosive abilities to propel from walls and platforms.

The gameplay of 'Splosion Man, while a bit difficult to master, was incredibly fun, both in its single-player and multiplayer modes, and its mechanics and comedic charm were significantly improved in its sequel, Ms. Splosion Man.

Despite the critical and financial success of both 'Splosion Man games, the series never received any more entries, but Microsoft could easily make a deal with Twisted Pixel to make a new one, possibly in a new 3D perspective similar to the upcoming Super Meat Boy 3D.

9 Ori and the Blind Forest

A Stellar Metroidvania Series

The era of the Xbox One was a tumultuous time for the Xbox brand as it struggled to please longtime fans, compete with the PlayStation 4, and develop strong, system-selling exclusive titles, but one of the bright spots of the Xbox One era was Moon Studios' Ori and the Blind Forest.

A 2D, platforming Metroidvania, Blind Forest follows the titular animalistic spirit Ori as they strive to restore the forest of Nibel and help the creatures living within it alongside help from the orb-like spirit Sein.

The visuals and story of Ori are absolutely superb, and it instantly became one of the best Xbox One exclusive games to have ever been released, with Moon Studios quickly beginning work on a similarly critically acclaimed sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

While Will of the Wisps does wrap up Ori's story nicely, it would be great to visit the world of Ori at least one more time, especially after Metroidvanias became all the more popular after the release of Hollow Knight: Silksong.

8 Killer Instinct

Rare's Fighting Game Legacy

Ever since Microsoft acquired Rare in 2002, the publisher's handling of the beloved developer has been mixed to say the least, with many franchises being forgotten, games being canceled, and the developer being forced to release Kinect titles. But one Rare series that saw fairly decent success under Xbox was Killer Instinct.

Killer Instinct was a fairly popular fighting game series back in arcades and on consoles during the mid 1990s, but it never saw a modern release until Double Helix Games, under supervision by Rare, released 2013's Killer Instinct reboot as a launch title for the Xbox One.

While it launched with limited content as a free-to-play game, 2013's Killer Instinct went on to become highly popular, especially among hardcore fighting game fans, for its robust mechanics and seasonal content such as the DLC guest fighters Arbiter from Halo and General RAAM from Gears of War.

2013's Killer Instinct hasn't received a major update since 2017, and with rumors of Xbox launching its next console in 2027, it'd be a perfect time to launch a much-needed sequel to this successful reboot of a much beloved fighting game series alongside the new console.

7 Fuzion Frenzy

Xbox's Underrated Party Game Series

The original Xbox era saw many fan-favorite Xbox-exclusive franchises begin with the likes of Halo, Fable, and Project Gotham Racing, but one of these cult classic titles is far overdue for a third entry, with that series being Fuzion Frenzy.

Fuzion Frenzy was a futuristic party game similar in gameplay to Mario Party and was a launch title for the original Xbox alongside Halo: Combat Evolved.

Here, four players competed against each other across 45 mini-games, such as Paint Panic and Falling Star, in either randomized tournaments or pre-selected game matches with the goal of getting the most orbs and points after each round to win.

Fuzion Frenzy quickly became a fan-favorite among original Xbox owners, and while it did receive a sequel on the Xbox 360, it never got another chance in the spotlight. Now would be a perfect time to bring Fuzion Frenzy back, especially to compete against modern Mario Party titles for the mobile ROG Xbox Ally.

6 MechAssault

An Ideal Replacement for Titanfall

One of the greatest innovations Xbox has ever produced was Xbox Live, one of the first and arguably most successful online multiplayer services designed for consoles. The game that launched alongside Xbox Live to showcase the potential of the service was 2002's MechAssault.

A spinoff of the BattleTech franchise, MechAssault was set on the planet Helios and had players fight against the zealous, technology-worshipping faction Word of Blake with a wide variety of hulking mechs.

The gameplay of MechAssault was fantastic, with each type of mech offering its own strengths and weaknesses, while the multiplayer proved to be a perfect example of what Xbox Live could do thanks to the establishment of engrossing game types and easy to set up online matches.

MechAssault did receive a sequel on the original Xbox and a spinoff on the Nintendo DS, but Microsoft should strive to reboot the series for modern consoles as it could serve as a perfect replacement for Titanfall, especially after EA and Respawn Entertainment repeatedly expressed disinterest in developing Titanfall 3.

5 Jade Empire

BioWare's Forgotten RPG World

BioWare used to have a fairly strong relationship with Xbox, having released several games exclusively for the original Xbox and Xbox 360, such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect. But one exclusive RPG didn't receive as much attention as its BioWare siblings, with that RPG being Jade Empire.

A third-person RPG, Jade Empire is similar in terms of gameplay to BioWare's Dragon Age series but with a more melee-focused twist, as most combat in Jade Empire is inspired by kung fu while players can still use magic, melee, and ranged weapons such as a staff or musket to fight.

What made Jade Empire really standout, even among BioWare games, was its world, as it's set in the titular Jade Empire, a land heavily inspired by Chinese history and mythology with a mix of steampunk elements full of chi-wielding monks, monstrous Toad Demons, and magic-powered Flyer vehicles.

Despite Jade Empire's incredibly unique world, it never received a sequel, and while the rights to it are still owned by EA, Microsoft could negotiate with EA to develop a successor to JE or potentially acquire the rights to JE and allow other companies to produce an exclusive sequel – possibly Arcanaut Studios since many of its staff are former BioWare developers.

4 Ryse: Son of Rome

Xbox One's Most Underrated Launch Title

The Xbox One arguably had the worst launch of the Xbox series of consoles due to a myriad of factors, but despite those issues, it still managed to release a good number of underrated exclusive launch titles such as Dead Rising 3 and Ryse: Son of Rome.

Initially developed to be a first-person Kinect-only game, Ryse: Son of Rome eventually released in 2013 as a third-person hack-and-slash game set during the reign of Roman Emperor Nero, with players embodying Roman legionary Marius Titus during major battles against barbarians throughout his life.

Ryse was one of the most visually impressive launch titles of the eighth console generation, and it proved to be a fun, albeit brief game with unique PvE online co-op gameplay and Kinect features such as being able to command Roman troops with voice commands.

Despite Son of Rome being intended to be the beginning of a franchise, it sadly never got a sequel, prequel, or a spinoff. Still, a series centered around the Roman Empire has so much potential that Xbox should strive to revive it with Crytek, especially with Assassin's Creed's Netflix show rumored to bring that era of the Roman Empire back into popularity.

3 Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

A Pulpy World Brimming With Potential

Without a doubt, the most underrated original Xbox exclusive game that was absolutely poised to become a wildly successful franchise on future Xbox platforms was FASA Studio's Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge.

Inspired by the 1998 Crimson Skies board game, Revenge is set in an alternate 20th century when, after The Great Depression, planes and zeppelins became the primary mode of transportation and the United States split into several warring nations and territories.

The world and story of Revenge is highly enthralling as it's highly reminiscent of classic pulp books and films like Indiana Jones, but its gameplay was just as engrossing as it has players pilot a wide variety of fighter planes in third-person aerial dogfights both in the single-player campaign and in its PvP multiplayer.

High Road to Revenge didn't sell exceptionally well, but it was praised by critics and fans alike, quickly becoming a cult classic and a mascot of Xbox's backwards compatibility, and it would be great to see Xbox revive the franchise in modern gaming as its world and style are just begging to be revisited.

2 Banjo-Kazooie

The Perfect Time for Banjo's Revival

Aside from developing the much celebrated Donkey Kong Country series, Rare was well-known for creating some of the most cherished Nintendo games and series, including Battletoads, GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark, and Banjo-Kazooie.

Of all the games Rare developed for the Nintendo 64, Banjo-Kazooie is arguably the most beloved as it was a perfectly charming 3D platformer full of hilarious characters and wacky landscapes. But when Rare was acquired by Xbox, Banjo was one of Rare's many franchises that was mishandled.

Instead of releasing a proper third mainline entry, Rare and Microsoft launched the controversial, vehicle-focused Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts in 2008, which became so divisive amongst fans that a new Banjo game hasn't been released since.

However, with Banjo and Kazooie recently being added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and similar platformers like Astro Bot seeing widespread critical and financial acclaim, now would be a perfect time for Microsoft to green-light either a Banjo-Kazooie remake or the much desired Banjo-Threeie for Xbox.

1 Viva Piñata

Rare's Best New IP Under Xbox

Rare has created a few new popular franchises during its tenure under Microsoft, such as Sea of Thieves, but one franchise that would perform exceptionally well on modern platforms is Viva Piñata.

A third-person life simulation series, Viva Piñata is centered around gardeners tending to plots of land and raising Piñata animals and creatures as they become enticed to stay on the farmland while keeping dastardly sour Piñata animals away and prepping other Piñatas to be sent to parties.

The Viva Piñata series became a beloved franchise for many gamers who grew up on the Xbox 360, but despite widespread critical and financial success, the series never received a new entry beyond the 360 era.

With how popular life simulation games have become since the 360, seen in the monumental success of titles like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Microsoft should strive to have Rare make a new entry in the Viva Piñata series with new animalistic Piñatas to raise, and possibly an expansion to farming and multiplayer mechanics.