SW VOTE: What is the greatest game franchise of all time?

Remember, your votes are not counted until you at least have three games listed.

1. Metroid
2. Mario
3. Megaman

M is apparently a good letter.

1. Mario
2. Zelda
3. Shin Megami Tensei

I will lose faith in humanity if Super Mario wins..

1. The Legend of Zelda
2. Final Fantasy
3. Fire Emblem

Should be noted that gap between TLoZ and Final Fantasy is much further than a what a single digit could ever represent.

Tallies updated.

Several things happened:

1. Mario became the first franchise to break the 1000 points barrier
2. Zelda became the second franchise to break the 1000 points barrier
3. Zelda overtook Mario. Truly, theirs is an epic contest for the ages

1. Final fantasy

2. Metal gear

3. Zelda

makes me sad to see a couple of franchises so high

Pokemon
Smash Bros
Mario Kart

1 MGS 2 GTA 3 resident evil 4 HALO 5 AC 6 GT 7 uncharted 8 elder scroll 9 batman 10 silent hill 11 mass effect 12 zelda 13 gow 13 gears of war 14 tales 15 demons/dark souls 16 bioshock 17 far cry 18 oddworld 19 driver 20 ninja gaiden 21 mario 22 final

1. Civilization
2. Mario
3. Grand Theft Auto

1. GTA

2. Uncharted

3. Mass Effect

Extremely tricky. Too many good ones. Pokemon, Mario, GOW, unchrted, Souls, AOE, and i could go one. But if i have to narrow it to the ones i keep finding that strange sense of appeal:

1- Half Life

2- Zelda

3- Halo

1. Super Mario

2. Legend of Zelda

3. Final Fantasy

The Legend Of Zelda

Mario

Metroid

Probably Star Wars. There's been a ton of garbage star wars games but also many good ones. I'm not sure how Mario works as a franchise. The property solely exists within nintendo. There's no licensing involved.

1. Zelda

2. Metroid

3. Final Fantasy

TLOZ must win.

Tallies updated.

Yea, same here.....

@charizard1605: Civ looks like it's listed twice...#24 and #42

@bforrester420: Thanks for catching that for me! I fixed it (and Civ also moved up a few places in the process.

Say what you want about the direction of the series lately... but 15 games deep with multiple spin-offs across several platforms deserves a spot somewhere on this list.

there are 25 madden games, should we add those to the top 5?

So you didn't like FF games prior to PS3?

Dude. Yo. Final Fantasy may suck post 13, but goddamn was the series fucking incredible until XII. Definitely one of the all time greats. Nothing can change that.

Are you kidding.... Madden definitely deserves a spot on this list as well, top 5 I dont think so because its an annual sport series with marginal animation changes and new rosters. I am not crazy about the madden games anymore, and I realize sports games are viewed in a negative light here on system wars... but you cant deny its doing something right as a franchise.

And for the record... Final Fantasy has over 25 games with more significant changes between the games than the annual sports series.

Never play any at the time they've come out other than X and 13. Tried to go back and play a few and can't even get halfway. I've played some of FF7, FFX, FF4, FF8 and FF13.

1. Final Fantasy

2. Civilization

3. GTA

Metal Gear

Metal Gear

Metal Gea

Zelda hasn't been good in a lonnnnnnnnnnng time. this poll is pure nostalgia.

Not been good for a long time you say?

Gamespot hasn't been good in a lonnnnnnnnnnng time.

1) Super Mario

2) The Legend of Zelda

3) Metroid

Zelda hasn't been good in a long time you say?

Zelda sucks though. How is it winning?

@Ballroompirate: Why? Ever since its conception on the NES, nearly each core installment has been a top-notch, Game of the Year contender. And I think it is hands-down the most influential, innovative series around. The "New" series may not completely fit that description, but they're still fine platformers.

owned

-GTA

-Super Mario

-Uncharted

Ever since the NES days Mario has barely evolved as a franchise compared to LoZ, each LoZ has a different art style, a different Link/Zelda, a different villain ect ect. While Mario, Toad, Luigi, Peach and Bowser basically hasn't changed at all since they were introduced.

While I admit the jump from 2D Mario to 3D Mario was impressive (loved SM 64), each entry afterwards just felt the same, it was the same looking Mario with slightly better graphics.

Lets look at a quick glimpse of the evolution of the design of Link and Mario

oh, now MC matters!

Did I ever say it doesn't?

In any case, my post was meant more to show you that ALBW did well, well, everywhere as opposed to showing off the Metascore, but hey, the Metascore's good too!

@Ballroompirate: Love Zelda, obviously. But think about the world surrounding Mario in his games--all of the amazing, diverse gameplay mechanics in each Super Mario game. Galaxy (and its sequel) shook-up the industry like the NES, SNES Mario titles and Mario 64. Each Mario game feels like a Mario game while also bringing its own unique experiences. If people say Zelda is the best series ever, I have no issue with that. I would have no issue with Metroid being called that either, actually.

that is true, and I'm glad you like it, but my opinion still stands :)

1. Metroid
2. Fire Emblem
3. Zelda

1) Pikmin (because it's unique and brilliant)

2) Donkey Kong (because Retro Studios)

3) Mario (because no other franchise I can think of right now has as strong a legacy)

Yeah of course! I personally feel Mario has innovated far more and his games have far greater lasting appeal than a Zelda as much as I love those games.

I finally have 50 posts lol, I guess my opinion can be worth something now haha...

1.Super Mario.
2 The Legend of Zelda
3. Final Fantasy.

All of these games deserve the top spot, but Mario inches closer to perfection with each game and I believe hit it with Super Mario Galaxy 2. It's amazing how you think they can't get better, but then you pop in the game, and its like, "well Mario did it again". Zelda's are great and wonderful, but somehow the 2D ones are better lol. Also, I didn't like Twilight Princess and thought Skyward Sword was better. ALBW is the best since Wind Waker however. Final Fantasy will hopefully regain its glory. From 1 to 10 they were the best RPG's out (aside from Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross)

I want to put the Chrono Series number one, but I think they need more than two games in my mind.

@charizard1605: Alright, fair enough.

1. Zelda

2. Dragonquest

3. DUes Ex HR.

My top three game series ever? Here it is

1. Zelda

2. Metroid

3. Dragon quest

The issue for me is that those are my favorite series of games, but there are an abundance of stand alone titles that I love more than say, most Metroid games. For instance, my personal top ten list would likely include several of Atlus's stand alone RPGs.