Bionic Commando started as a fun Capcom game. You had a bionic arm, fought in espionage missions, and engaged in gameplay akin to Metal Slug meets Contra. The reboot turned this fun adventure into a far more brutal affair. The post-apocalyptic wasteland resulted in brutal combat and a bizarre origin for what at first appeared to be a normal robot arm. It also failed to draw in a new audience.

What if Bomberman -- the iconic hero from those wholesome games where you just use bombs to solve puzzles -- was in a post-apocalyptic hellscape? That is the baffling creative direction behind Bomberman: Act Zero, a game that tried to make a cute nerd like Bomberman into an edgy, cybernetic anti-hero. It is arguably as ridiculous as the time Sega tried making Sonic cool by giving Shadow guns.

Mega Man Zero was a series that tried to breathe life into the by-then stale Mega Man X saga by doubling down on the edgy angst. The games focus on Zero, the popular companion of X, in a new setting that felt detached and similar. It didn't try to reinvent Mega Man's gameplay or aesthetic, but it felt like an odd spin-off franchise, considering.

Dead Rising 1 and 2 were fairly irreverent zombie games where you could use shopping carts, double chainsaws, and CD ROMs to kill zombies. Dead Rising 3 tried to play the zombie antics straight, which removed all the charm fans had grown to love about the series. The third game's attempt to be cool resulted in the game being dead on arrival.

Turok was a classic game franchise from the 90s. Mix up dino hunting with run-and-gun gameplay, and you have a pop culture sensation. 2008's Turok tried to revive the brand. However, by grounding the franchise, the developers robbed the game of its charm. It didn't help that the levels were poorly thought out, the gameplay was clumsy, and the game just wasn't all that fun. It wasn't as bad as Turok Evolution, but it failed to evolve the franchise into the next generation of consoles.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 is, surprisingly, a reboot. It tries to launch Sonic into a new generation, with a more "mature" aesthetic and story. This resulted in an uncanny Eggman and central romance between Sonic and a human girl. It also resulted in an edgy plot about time traveling and the end of the world. However, no one cares about that because the gameplay was horrible. The game was rushed, resulting in an almost unplayable mess.

Space Invaders is a fun, charming game from the arcade era. Their attempt to revive the franchise, Space Raiders, came too late and depended on altering the aesthetics of the old game rather than updating it in any meaningful way. The graphics were weak, the gameplay repetitive, and the entire experience felt superficial. It looked "new" but felt dated upon arrival.

DMC tried to reboot Devil May Cry. A new set of developers tried to alter the demon-slaying joyride into a stiffer, edgier game. In regards to gameplay, the slower pace of the game replaced the fun adrenaline action of prior installments with more technical maneuvering. This wouldn't be awful, if not for the insulting story written for DMC. It is absolute dreck that tries to be edgy and "cooler" than the original game. It only is laughable at best and insulting at worst.

Metroid: The Other M is a sequel to the Metroid saga, but, much like Metroid Prime, functions as a reboot by incorporating a new style of gameplay and storytelling. Other M, however, failed to impress players. The gameplay proved competent enough, but the story resulted in players throwing up their hands, as though slapped in the face by Samus's newfound fragility.

Final Fantasy Origins isn't even out yet, and yet the game has already become memetic due to its baffling creative choices. The game is a remake of the original Final Fantasy made by the same developers behind Other M. Gone are the fantasy aesthetics of the original, replaced by DMC-esque edge with a protagonist so hellbent on killing Chaos it borders on self-parody. Just….why?