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_{[This is a fun conversation starter from Destructoid reader NinjaSpeed. I can’t believe I waited until Kingdom Hearts III of all games to try the series for the first time, and I’m still working through that mental whiplash. -Jordan]}

Are there any beloved video game series that you’ve completely missed out on?

Resident Evil was one of those series for me. I noticed the positive buzz around Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but didn’t pay too much attention to it as someone who’d never touched a survival horror game before. I wasn’t interested in those kinds of games… or so I thought. Enter: Resident Evil 2.

Upon viewing that glorious E3 2018 trailer, I went from intrigued to hyped within a couple months! Now it’s one of my favorite games of all-time. It made me think ‘How could I have missed this awesome series for so long? What other mind-blowing franchises have been staring me in the face, waiting to be played?’

Remakes have been an integral part of discovering popular IP. Besides the aforementioned Resident Evil 2, Final Fantasy VII Remake introduced me to a truly iconic story, soundtrack, and set of characters I had no experience with beforehand. Guess who’s excited for Final Fantasy XVI now?

Remasters are a huge deal as well. I’m not new to The Legend of Zelda series but I’m excited to try out The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for the first time. The new control options will shape my first impressions of the game differently compared to the players who played the original version.

Updated titles and collections like NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… and Mass Effect: Legendary Edition are ideal entry points. Heck, sometimes the best starting place is the latest game in a series like Monster Hunter Rise or the best game in the series like Super Metroid. You get the idea.

Of course, there are some series I just can’t get my hands on due to a myriad of reasons. Some games are stuck on dead consoles, tied in legal red tape or the source code was lost long ago. The initial announcement of the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita store closure highlighted the uncertainty of a digital future. Property holders need to realize their older titles need to continuously make the jump to current consoles so they aren’t lost to time.

Some property holders own beloved IP and just leave them dormant. At least remaster and port the titles for newer consoles; I probably haven’t played them! I’m happy to hear Sega seems to be interesting in reviving their back catalog at least. Hopefully other companies follow suit with their dormant IP so we can at least play the games that already exist.

Nowadays, you hear people complaining about a lack of new and original games in comparison to all the sequels, remasters, and remakes on the market. However, an undiscovered series is new for someone who has never played them before.

I’m excited to dive into long-running franchises and brand-new titles all the same. Doing so adds a variety I’m often looking for in my gaming experiences. Engaging in new genres, game mechanics and adventures has been eye-opening and I’m looking forward to my next new franchise.