It’s A Shame These ’90s Console Games Never Led To Anything More (Two Could Use A Reboot)

The 90s had a lot of new and old consoles that survived longer than seemed possible. There was the NES, Game Boy, SNES, N64, PS1, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, and so much more. With so many consoles, there were plenty of games to play across a wide array of genres.

Unfortunately, for the following games, they only had one shot in the dark and were never given a sequel whatsoever. Some didn’t even leave the console they were released on. Let’s go over some of the best games without sequels, along with mentioning a couple that are worth rebooting more so than giving them a sequel.

Little Samson

Switch Between Heroes

Little Samson was released for the NES in 1992, and its big gimmick revolved around four protagonists that players could swap between during the platforming levels.

There was a human boy who was the titular Little Samson, a mouse, a dragon, and a golem, all of whom had different abilities, like the mouse could get into small places and the dragon could fly. It’s one of the rarest NES games of all time, but it’s about to become more available in 2026 via an upcoming port to modern consoles like the PS5, thanks to Limited Run Games.

Shatterhand

Smash Through Robots

Shatterhand was released for the NES in 1991, and it’s actually a reskin of a game in Japan based on a Power Rangers-like show called Super Rescue Solbrain, which started airing in 1991.

The North American version lets players choose levels to jump into as a cybernetic hero who can punch hard. Besides his fists, the hero can also gain robotic power-ups, and overall, it’s one of the best NES games that still holds up.

Yo! Noid

Avoid The Noid

Yo! Noid was released for the NES in 1990, and it’s another example of a game that got re-skinned from another, as it was called Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru in Japan.

For those who don’t remember, The Noid was a mascot for Domino’s in the 80s and 90s, and back then, AdverGames, or advertisement games, like Yo! Noid was all the rage. Players could attack enemies with yo-yos, with the goal of trying to get pizza just like in the Domino’s commercials.

Mech-Based Action

Metal Warriors was released for the SNES in 1995, which was developed by LucasArts and published by Konami, so it was a high-profile item at the time. It still has some of the best cutscenes on the SNES with impressive pixel art that is drool-worthy.

Related

Women Taking Charge: Game Sequels With Female Protagonists Are BIG Now

Switching protagonists is a healthy way to keep a franchise alive.

The game itself is based around shooting enemies in an oversized mech, and in dire situations, players can even leave the cockpit. This gameplay mechanic is similar in design to Blaster Master on the NES, which had a tank and not a mech.

Goof Troop

Resident Gawrsh

Goof Troop was released for the SNES in 1993, which was based on the 1992 Disney cartoon of the same name, but the game’s plot ultimately has nothing to do with the show.

Max and Goofy get trapped on a pirate island, and players will have to help them fight off pirates with various gadgets. It’s mostly a block puzzle game, and Shinji Mikami, the father of Resident Evil, helped design the game, which is why it’s a notable Disney game within Capcom’s backlog.

Secret Of Evermore

Not Quite Mana

Secret of Evermore

• 

Secret of Evermore was released for the SNES in 1995, and even though it has “Secret” in the title, and it was made by Square, it’s not part of the Mana series.

Instead, it was sort of a spiritual spinoff, which was set in 1965, before the boy protagonist gets sent back to the prehistoric era, changing his dog into a more beast-like companion. This action RPG never reached the heights of Secret of Mana, which is probably why it never received a sequel.

Crusader Of Centy

Sega’s Zelda

Crusader of Centy

Systems

Released

June 16, 1994

ESRB

e

Crusader of Centy was released for the Sega Genesis in 1995, which was a year after Japan, and this was Sega’s attempt to make a Zelda clone. For the 90s, this is one of the best Zelda clones around with a great overworld, graphics, music, and item-based gameplay. It’s incredible that the game never saw a sequel since Zelda was such a hot series in the 90s.

There were other top-down action-adventure titles within Sega, like Linkle Liver Story for the Sega Saturn, but none of them were true successors to Crusader of Centy.

Speed Power Gunbike

From Bikes To Mechs

• Developer: Inti Creates
• Publisher: Sony Music Entertainment Japan
• Platform: PS1
• Release Date: 4/23/98

Speed Power Gunbike was released for the PS1 in 1998 for Japan only. It’s notable because it was the first game that Inti Creates designed, which some might know nowadays as the developer behind Mega Man Zero and Azure Striker Gunvolt.

Related

8 Amazing Games With Sequels Everyone Tries to Forget

Whether these sequels or spinoffs are bad games or are just embarrassing, fans would rather pretend they never existed.

The game itself starred action-packed warriors who could chase down enemies while driving a bike, but this bike could also transform into a mech. Thanks to the blocky polygonal designs and the anime-inspired aesthetics, the game still looks great.

Threads Of Fate

Minty Fresh

Threads of Fate

Released

October 14, 1999

• 

Threads of Fate was released in 1999 in Japan for the PS1 and a year later in North America, technically making the cutoff for 90s games. It was released during the height of Square’s experimental phase on the PS1, which featured two separate campaigns in an action RPG adventure.

Rue was a male hero who had an axe sword and the ability to transform into monsters, while a female mage, Mint, used rings and magic to take her opponents down.

Princess Crown

A Forgotten Atlus Game

Princess Crown was released for the Sega Saturn in 1997, the PSP in 2005, and the PS4 in 2020, all versions of which were never released outside of Japan. In this Atlus-developed action RPG, players could fight opponents as a princess in 2D arenas.

With impressive sprites and a decent combat system, it’s a shame it has somehow never been localized or given a sequel in all of these years, but that’s kind of par for the course for many Sega Saturn games.