Whether you love survival horror games like Resident Evil or mystery visual novels like Ace Attorney, Capcom has long since shown to have a robust library of franchises for all kinds of audiences. Many of their more acclaimed Intellectual properties have even gone on to produce not just video games but comic books, novels, animated television series, and feature films.
There's no argument that Capcom is a massive juggernaut in the entertainment industry when considering all these feats and accomplishments. With dozens upon dozens of video game franchises to choose from, we will break down the absolute best Capcom has dished out onto the market.
10 Ghosts N' Goblins
Starting our breakdown is the series notorious for giving gamers many frustrating anxieties during the NES era, Ghosts n' Goblins. Selling a little over four million copies in its lifespan, Ghosts n' Goblins is an action platformer in which you take control of a knight named Sir Arthur, who ventures on a perilous journey to save Princess Prin-Prin. Along his arduous quest, Arthur will have to slay zombies, dragons, devils, and the Great Demon Lord Astaroth.
Because of its successful sales and reception among fans over the decades, Ghosts n' Goblins has managed to spawn numerous sequels, spinoffs, and remakes, with Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection being the most recent installment. Its insanely high difficulty curve for many new and veteran players prevents the series from securing a higher position on our list.
9 Dead Rising
Next up at number nine is the zombie hoard-killing action game, Dead Rising. Known for being created by Keiji Inafune, the character designer for the Mega Man series, the Dead Rising IP has gone on to sell over fifteen million units globally, making the games one of Capcom's top-grossing franchises.
What makes Dead Rising different from your typical zombie-horror game is its unique gameplay. The games incorporate a 72-hour in-game schedule in which events and subplots happen at specific hours, affecting the time needed to complete the missions to achieve the desired endings. The Dead Rising series is also known for its over-the-top gimmick, allowing the protagonist to use almost any solid object as a blunt melee weapon to fend off the hoard of zombies.
8 Marvel VS. Capcom
At number eight is one of the more famous cross-over fighting series, Marvel vs. Capcom. With the first installment being X-Men vs. Street Fighter, released for the arcade in 1996, Marvel vs. Capcom has since risen to become a highly applauded IP worldwide.
As the name obviously suggests, Marvel vs. Capcom incorporates characters from the various Capcom games and Marvel Universe. These combatants range from all-time favorites like Ryu, Mega Man, and Phoenix Wright to superheroes like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Iron Man. With a large cast of popular icons and representatives from both companies, Marvel vs. Capcom can potentially rise to be a powerful contender to other cross-over fighting series like Super Smash Bros.
7 Breath Of Fire
One of Capcom's few RPG IPs, Breath of Fire, comes around in seventh place. Having no more than six installments under its belt, including one that was never released outside of Japan, Breath of Fire remains a niche franchise still managing to sell more than three million units in its entire lifespan.
Playing like your typical Japanese role-playing game set in a medieval fantasy setting, the Breath of Fire games star two protagonists, Ryu (not to be confused with the Ryu from Street Fighter) and Nina. During the games' battle segments, Ryu can morph into dragons of different elemental types, which has long been a staple of the series. Though the games were at their peak during the SNES and PlayStation generations, the franchise has unfortunately dipped in sales and quality. Breath of Fire VI has since been the series' most recent installment, released exclusively in Japan in 2016.
6 Ace Attorney
One of the best visual novel franchises of all time and arguably responsible for putting the genre on the western market, Ace Attorney points its objection finger at the number six spot. A series that has been adapted into an anime, manga, drama, and even a Japanese live-action film, it can't be stated enough how popular and well-loved the Ace Attorney series has become throughout its existence.
Taking the role of a young ace attorney, you, as the player character, are responsible for taking on your client's cases by proving to the court of law they are innocent. This is achieved by presenting the correct evidence that contradicts the witnesses' statements and counters your rival prosecutors' arguments. The franchise's success has led to many comedic parodies and copy-cat games to be produced, so it's no surprise it marks its appearance on our list, though not enough to surpass the classics.
5 Mega Man
Shooting his way into the safe spot at number five is the Blue Bomber known as Mega Man. Once the face and mascot of Capcom, Mega Man has since come and gone, with new titles and remasters of old games coming out sporadically.
Mega Man is one of the few franchises in Capcom's arsenal that has spawned numerous spinoffs that have branched out to become their own series, such as Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero/Mega Man ZX, Mega Man Battle Network, and Mega Man Star Force. Though the franchise has had its ups and downs over the decades, it can't be debated that Mega Man has become one of the most iconic video game franchises and characters in gaming history.
4 Devil May Cry
Hacking and Slashing in fourth place is the ever king of demon-slaying games, Devil May Cry. This series tells the exploits of a half-demon, half-human devil slayer named Dante, who, along with his brother Virgil and nephew Nero, fight against the demon hoards and Mundus, who threaten the Earth.
The Devil May Cry series is renowned for innovating the fast-paced action genre seen in later franchises like the modern Ninja Gaiden games and Bayonetta. With its high slaying action and steep difficulty curve, Devil May Cry has become one of the currently popular franchises Capcom has put out. The feats of Dante and his family lose out to the achievements of another franchise that has changed the face of the fighting genre.
3 Street Fighter
At number three comes the Street Fighter franchise, one of Capcom's more focal IPs. Being not just one of the company's more popular franchises, Street Fighter also boasts being the most successful fighting game series in the entire industry, grossing well over twelve billion dollars throughout its lifespan.
Housing some of the most iconic fighting characters of all time, Street Fighter has since seen its combatants cross over into other famous franchises such as Tekken and Super Smash Bros. With six main titles and dozens of variants, Street Fighter is a series of ever-increasing popularity and success, further impacting the fighting game genre.
2 Monster Hunter
The ever-growing action-RPG franchise known as Monster Hunter closes in at number two by just a hair. Being Capcom's second best-selling franchise, it's of little wonder that this IP has ranked so high thanks to its massive following. Of course, like many other Capcom franchises, Monster Hunter has been graced with its own anime, manga, and film adaptations, even going as far as to have its own collectible card game series.
The gameplay mechanics around Monster Hunter revolves around you utilizing a Hunter to tackle various tasks and missions contained within the game. As you complete these tasks, which require you to slay monsters, you are awarded zenny currency and parts needed to upgrade your weapons and armor. This enables you to take on even more challenging missions as you progress further into the games. Despite the overabundant amount of praise this series has received from critics and fans alike, it is outshone by one other franchise in terms of sales, innovation, and iconic representation.
1 Resident Evil
Coming in on top of our list is the king of horror games, Resident Evil. Otherwise known as Biohazard in Japan, Resident Evil has easily shaped how the horror genre is presented and narrated in video games. Over the decades, the franchise has since spanned many live and cg-animated films, television shows, novels, comics, plays, you name it.
With a strong supporting cast of heroes ranging from Leon Kennedy to Jill Valentine, the Resident Evil titles have showcased gut-wrenching and fear-inducing narratives that have left many players on the edge of their seats and horrified out of their wits. With menacing monsters like Nemesis and Mr. X pursuing you endlessly around every dark corner and hallway, it's understandable why so many fans keep coming back to these games for more frights and exciting gameplay.