Ranking the top 10 dormant Capcom game franchises that need to be revived

During the 2024 Game Awards, dreams finally came true as Capcom announced it would be reviving not one but two of its beloved franchises that haven’t seen the light of day in decades – Onimusha and Okami. In addition to Okami 2 and Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Capcom has also declared that it will focus on ‘re-activating’ more of its dormant IPs (intellectual properties) in the future alongside releasing new games (as confirmed on their official website).

As a long-time Capcom fan, I could not be happier to see these old franchises finally come back. Okami and Onimusha were some of Capcom’s coolest titles ever released on the PlayStation 2. This also makes me hopeful that other Capcom IPs that have been benched for years may at long last get a chance to return to the spotlight.

So join us as we at Windows Central count down the top 10 dormant series Capcom should revive in 2025 and beyond.

10. God Hand

God Hand is a third-person beat em’ up released in 2006 on the PlayStation 2. You play as Gene, a wandering martial artist literally strong-armed to save the world from demons after getting his arm chopped and replaced by the titular ‘God Hand’ relic.

The player fought gangs of extremely challenging demons by using an unorthodox combat system that combined old-school Resident Evil-style ‘tank controls’ with immensely in-depth, customizable beat em’ up mechanics. It was strange on paper yet the execution provided immense satisfaction once players figured out how it worked and mastered it.

In addition, it had dynamic difficulty settings that changed in real-time depending on your skill level (i.e. enemies would unlock new moves and hit harder if you were a master of the game).

9. Viewtiful Joe

Viewtiful Joe is a series of side-scrolling beat ’em ups that hasn't seen a new game since Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble! on the Nintendo DS in 2005.

These games followed the comedic superhero exploits of the titular character, Viewtiful Joe, who embarked on madcap, Fourth-Wall-breaking world-saving adventures that lampooned movies, anime, TV Shows, and videogames.

Viewtiful Joe 1 and 2 were touted as cult-classic Gamecube titles that provided satisfying beat 'em up gameplay that rewarded players for skilfully combining moves and time-stopping mechanics at the right time to decimate enemies.

8. Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness

Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness is a 1v1 fighting game released in 1995 for arcades and was later ported onto consoles in the following years.

Players took control of giant mecha and beat the nuts and bolts out of each other. Its combat system was similar to Capcom’s Street Fighter series, except you can customize your chosen mecha’s move-set by equipping it with different body parts to suit your playstyle, and it features a great degree of aerial mobility.

7. Final Fight

Final Fight is one of Capcom’s oldest IPs, and the franchise that revolutionized the side-scrolling beat 'em up genre into what it is today. Although the franchise hasn't seen a new entry since 2010's much-maligned Final Fight: Double Impact. These games had you play as a wide variety of hard-boiled fighters like Cody, Guy, Mike Haggar, and many more on a quest to save Metro City from being taken by evil crooks known as the Mad Gear Gang.

These games (particularly Final Fight 1, 2, and 3) defined beat 'em ups with their simple but effective combat mechanics, challenging and memorable bosses, and fun co-op action.

6. Lost Planet

Lost Planet was a franchise of third-person shooters released during the Xbox 360 era that had players fighting for survival on an alien-infested planet filled with gigantic monsters known as Akrid.

These games were popular back in the day for their intense gameplay in both single-player and co-op multiplayer, where players had to use a gigantic arsenal of weaponry to take giant monsters in a manner similar to Capcom’s Monster Hunter series. However, the series has laid dormant since the release of 2013's Lost Planet 3.

5. Darkstalkers

Darkstalkers is a fighting game series where players assume the role of horror-themed monsters like succubi, werewolves, vampires, beastmen, and undead, among other creatures of the night, and tear each other apart.

Darkstalkers is considered a cult classic franchise among fighting game fans for its gothic atmosphere, memorable fighters, and over-the-top and violent combat system. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a new Darkstalkers game since Vampire Savior 2: The Lord of Vampire was released in 1997. Since then, the characters of Darkstalkers have mostly only shown up in re-releases and guest star appearances in Marvel Vs. Capcom.

4. Mega Man

Mega Man is an iconic series of side-scrolling platformer action games that helped put Capcom on the map of the gaming industry during the 1980s and has inspired countless spin-off titles since its inception, like Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero, Mega Man Legends, and many more.

The mainline Mega Man games followed the adventures of the young robot named Mega Man (a.k.a. Rock) as he battled to save the world from the evil Dr. Wily and his armies of Robot Masters. These titles were considered some of the greatest games in the platformer genre for their extremely challenging and imaginative level design, charming art styles, super tight controls, and bosses that were tough-as-nails to fight but gratifying to beat.

The Mega Man series has been in hibernation since the release of Mega Man 11 in 2018, with no new installment for the mainline series or its numerous spin-offs in sight.

3. Marvel Vs. Capcom

As the name suggests, Marvel Vs. Capcom is a series of fighting games that pits the iconic heroes of Capcom’s videogame franchises against the superheroes and supervillains of Marvel comic books to create epic team battles.

These games are considered by many to be some of Capcom’s finest fighting titles for their over-the-top team-based battle system packed with mountains of combat mechanics, insanely long combos, and gigantic rosters featuring fan-favorite characters like Ryu, Wolverine, Dante, Deadpool, Mega Man, Dr. Doom, and much, much more.

The series has gone on hiatus since the release of Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite in 2017. In fact, some fans have become so hungry for a new title that they have been modding the PC versions of Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite so they can play as characters that never officially made it to their rosters and rebalance the gameplay.

2. Breath of Fire

In an age where turn-based JRPGs are making a massive resurgence, now’s the perfect time for Capcom to revive its answer to Square Enix’s Final Fantasy franchise – Breath of Fire. The Breath of Fire series features grand, epic stories of heroes led by a blue-haired warrior named Ryu (who can transform into dragons) as they travel the world vanquishing monsters and saving the world from evil forces.

Breath of Fire 3 and 4, in particular, are praised by many (myself included) as some of the greatest JRPGs ever released on the original PlayStation for their detailed graphics, likable characters that are fun to control, and in-depth combat systems that offer unique mechanics in each installment. Sadly, after the release of Breath of Fire 5 Dragon Quarter, the series had languished in limbo - releasing a Japanese-exclusive Breath of Fire 6 for mobile devices in 2016 before being discontinued in 2017.

1. Dino Crisis

If there’s one Capcom IP that’s due for a revival IP to take advantage of its massive potential, it's Dino Crisis. It released in 1999 for the original PlayStation and was a spiritual cousin of Capcom's Resident Evil series. Instead of fighting zombies, you were fighting for your life against dinosaurs that have been pulled into the present day thanks to a science experiment gone horribly wrong.

The series went into a more action-oriented direction with Dino Crisis 2 and 3, but sadly, the series didn't take off like Resident Evil and has lain dormant since 2003.

The original Dino Crisis is still fondly remembered as a classic gem in the survival horror genre to this day. For many years, fans have been hoping for a new title or at least a remake of the first game done in the same dark, gritty tone and advanced productions as Capcom’s Resident Evil remakes.

It's time for Capcom to strike nostalgia gold

There are plenty of other dormant Capcom IPs out there that could enjoy a comeback like Asura’s Wrath, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Mega Man Legends, Power Stone, and many others.

However, the titles ranked on this list are some of the most fan-requested, not to mention adventures that could benefit the most from modern gaming innovations, quality-of-life improvements, and the magic of Capcom’s patented RE Engine.

With Okami 2, Onimusha: Way of the Blade, and other major Capcom titles like Monster Hunter Wilds on the horizon, Capcom fans are going to be in for a heck of a ride in the next few years.