Video games can create empires for themselves. If a game does well enough it has enough power to create more content outside what exists in its gaming world. Some games get toy lines while others also receive a television show or movie. However, they branch out they all become franchises when they do so.

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These are Franchises that have managed to continue to grow and also get better as time has gone on. All of these game franchises had games that kicked off their evolution. What makes them marvelous is their ability to become better and last through change.

10 Crash Bandicoot

Off Beat In Crash Bandicoot 4 It's About Time

Crash Bandicoot came out strong as it was first introduced for the original PlayStation. The game was very different from PlayStation's previous titles and established a new mascot for Naughty Dog who owned the title at the time. The Franchise went on to create some great sequels and some that, sadly, weren't so good.

Even though some of these franchise's games have not been the best, Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time brought the series back. The mechanics were greatly improved upon as there were many well-done additions in-game mechanics to this platformer.

9 Sonic The Hedgehog

Sonic Standing On A Rock

Sonic The Hedgehog has an extremely large video game catalog. The franchise has grown quite a bit with a movie series that's loved by fans and new audiences as well. Sonic the Hedgehog has brought about a lot of content and some of it has been some of the worst content to touch the gaming sphere. Nevertheless, most of the games tend to be fast-paced joyrides in settings that broaden imaginations.

These hiccups that Sonic the Hedgehog has had over the years make waiting for the new games to come out a little nerve-wracking as fans never know what they're in for. Though that is the case when the games are great they are some of the best platformers around.

8 Uncharted

Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Nathan And Sully

Uncharted's movie might not have been the best in the eyes of critics, but it gave the fans a lot of what they wanted. That deserves praise in itself as they kept a lot of the game's audience in mind when making the movie even though they made some bold choices in the casting for the film. The games, inversely, do everything right.

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The adventure that the different games take players continues to increase in bulk as the series progresses. The story is also a lot more course with the different games' progression as it opens up in design creating a powerful narrative that's captivating to sit through.

7 Kingdom Hearts

The Ultima Keyblade In Kingdom Hearts 3

Kingdom Hearts has branched out so far from when it was originally made for the PlayStation 2. The series has featured games that were exclusive on certain PlayStation and Nintendo systems. The Franchise has spanned through anime and Manga with more on the way.

The games outshine one another. People have a lot of problems with elements of the plot that the games contain as the story can feel extremely long and convoluted but those who have followed it seriously have a lot of love for the games. The combat always gets better with every single release and the worlds are larger in scale.

6 The Legend of Zelda

A wedding ceremony in Tarrey Town in Breath of the Wild.

The Legend of Zelda Franchise has expanded in scope over the years. This franchise was close to getting a Netflix adaptation, but that was scrapped when the show ended up getting leaked. The games have become some of the best to join Nintendo's library.

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Every game feels like it takes the same elements but remixes them to keep the dungeon crawling experience one that's truly magnificent. Breathe of the Wild made Zelda have survival-type elements and featured a unique weapon and stamina system. It started its own type of genre within the dungeon crawling genre that it had already perfected.

5 Super Mario

Fly Through The Narrow Valley In Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario is a franchise that does not disappoint. Well, besides its 1993 movie release. That is something we all try to forget about though and for good reason as the games manage to hold their own. The way that they have taken that platforming genre and keep finding ways to redefine it feels special.

Every one of the Super Mario platformers has made the Mario world more vibrant in what they expel. Whether it was through great mechanics in space in the Super Mario Galaxy Series or by cleaning up the beaches with a high-powered water-fueled jetpack in Super Mario Sunshine the gameplay never disappoints.

4 Mortal Kombat

Shao Kahn
Shao Kahn from Mortal Kombat 

Mortal Kombat started as an arcade game with 7 playable characters. Now the game has become iconic in the gaming scene and has over 70 playable characters in the series. The franchise has also released some movies many of which weren't the best, but the newest one came out to be impressive in its action and delivery.

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Characters are constantly being introduced into the game and the controls are not too difficult to pick up. The addition of new fatalities and a story that keeps on changing and moving forward makes the series one of the best in the fighting game genre.

3 Street Fighter

Chun-Li In Street Fighter 6

Street Fighter has managed to grow and change quite a bit since its 1987 release. The game used to be focused on Ryu. Ryu was the only playable character in single-player mode and Ken was accessible if a second player jumped on. The game was originally an arcade game when it first came about. It then began to get pushed onto different consoles as the series grew.

It wasn't until Street Fighter 2 that the game became a larger experience. Now that the game is heading on to get its sixth rendition, it's expanded largely in playable characters and the density of its story. Street Fighter listens to its audience and grows in accessibility while keeping its difficult allure.

2 God of War

Kratos And Son Overlooking An Area

God of War is a Franchise that people can only see growing in scale. Amazon has already bought the rights to create a show so that should be hitting many televisions when released growing the audience even larger. The evolution of the games is one of the best as there was a time when no one could've told people that God of War would be what it is now.

God of War has been able to reinvent itself into something much bigger than what was going on before. Originally, God of War was gameplay heavy. The gameplay's brutal nature and adventurous spirit pushed players to explore, but there wasn't much substance in its story. Now that the game has been reinvented narratively, God of War has an engrossing story and powerful gameplay to carry it through as a franchise that keeps growing in its potential.

1 Pokémon

A screenshot of the titan Klawf from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Pokémon has managed to make a franchise that's alive and well in more facets than any other franchise on this list. It has made a highly successful card game that's card prices have dramatically skyrocketed and a hit TV show that's been running for over 20 years and this is all on top of its games.

The video games in the Pokémon series are some that have greatly increased in quality since their release. The combat over the years has been cleaned up. On top of that, they keep on adding gameplay elements to their games that make players excited like making the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet variations completely open-world. This is a Franchise that will most likely outlive many of us as there doesn't ever need to be an end to it.

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