Konami has a bad reputation these days, but there was once a time when the appearance of its logo at the start of a game meant a great, slick experience. The series listed in the following entries prove this. Konami's games were varied, hearty, and often innovative within the medium.
While some of these series are difficult to access on modern hardware these days, Konami has at least been kind enough to release collections of some of them. Which franchise is the absolute best comes down to personal taste, but there's no denying that there are great games in each of them.
We indicate how many games there are in each series, but only distinguish spin-offs when it is clear that they are spin-offs. Some older franchises do not number their titles or stop numbering after a few entries.
7 Ender Zone
Futuristic mech combat with a focus on history
Because there are only two games and a single spin-off, Enders Zone only qualifies for the highest spot on the list. A plus point is that both entries are immersive action games in which players control mechs in a futuristic environment.
Both the debut entry and the sequel are extremely short, but that just means there's no padding. The sequel, The 2nd runnermakes particularly good use of its mechanics to ensure that each mission feels different.
The first
Enders Zone
As we know, it came with a demo for
Metal Gear Solid 2
that some people played more than the game they bought.
6 Deadly enforcers
Light gun series that has evolved to utilize motion detection technology
- Platform(s): Arcade, SNES, Genesis, Sega CD, PlayStation
- Released: 1992
- developer: Konami
- genre: Light Gun Shooter
Light gun games aren't as exciting as they used to be, but they used to make it easy to form a queue at an arcade. Deadly enforcers took players through urban environments and took down unscrupulous criminals using digitized sprites as graphics.
The console versions featured a special peripheral that looked like a small revolver. As the series developed, Konami released it Police 911which cleverly added motion detection so players' movements are taken into account in the game. Nowadays with VR and similar games it's not impressive Super hotbut it was a nice gimmick 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. The PS1 Cons Games are incredibly clunky, though Shattered soldier on the PS2 is a shining example of updating a classic genre for a new generation.
Related
Every counter-play, counted
Many great Contra games have been developed over the years. Here's a look at them all, sorted by rank.
The intense side-scrolling action gives players countless overtimes, but it's this level of difficulty and trial and error that makes it the best Cons Play so addictive. The only thing that hasn't been around for many years is a proven AAA game.
4 Dance Dance Revolution
Innovative rhythmn gaming peripherals before Guitar Hero
Before Harmonix came along Guitar hero and rhythm games, Konami brought innovation to the genre with games like Beatmania, guitar freakAnd Dance Dance Revolution.
The latter in particular became a phenomenon in its own right. The cabinets had an imposing presence in whatever arcade they were in, and people would gather around the machine to watch when a master was at the helm.
The home console versions featured a peripheral in addition to support for regular controllers. You can look at it Just dance as a follow-up, but nothing beats the physicality of dancing on those trademark boards.
3 Castlevania
Evolved from an action game to innovate the Metroidvania genre
Castlevania began its life on the NES with an extremely difficult side-scrolling action game. The sequel, Simon's Questadded more elements of adventure games to the mix, while the following 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 particular praise for incorporating RPG elements and an interconnected map reminiscent of Metroid. It hasn't had the same luck and praise in the 3D era, but this Lords of the Shadow Game from 2010 remains fondly remembered. Play the classics today Castlevania Collection shows how well the simpler gameplay has aged alongside the art design.
2 silent Hill
Revolutionized the survival horror genre
silent Hill on the original PlayStation was already distinguished from its competitors by its fully 3D graphics. Silent Hill 2 has opened the doors to what is possible in video game storytelling. The third game completes a trilogy, but the franchise isn't finished yet.
Entries after Silent Hill 3 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 famously canceled collaboration between Metal gears Creator Hideo Kojima and director Guillermo del Toro promised to bring some prestige back to the series, but players will never know if it would have been the kick it needed.
Each game changed the formula in some way
Metal gears didn't start in 1998 Metal Gear Solidbut this third game is what many fondly remember as an introduction to the series that would go in so many wild directions. Metal Gear Solid 2 perfected the stealth mechanics while telling a haunting story about the coming digital age.
From then on, each subsequent entry did something different with the genre and never quite gave players what they expected, but they were usually satisfied. Since 2015 The phantom painIt's hard to say whether the series will ever return to its former glory. The series creator, Hideo Kojima, founded his own studio and produced Death Stranding. However, what fans now have is one of the best series of any video game franchise.
