Video game franchises from 1986 to celebrate 40 years in 2026

Several iconic video game franchises originally released in 1986 will celebrate their 40th anniversaries in 2026. These series include influential titles ranging from arcade classics to long-running console sagas.

Notable franchises include Bubble Bobble, featuring the dragons Bub and Bob, which has seen recent releases such as Bubble Bobble 4 Friends and the 2025 PC exclusive Bubble Bobble Sugar Dungeons. The Wonder Boy series, a staple of the Master System, has also seen a resurgence with titles like Wonder Boy Returns and Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World.

Other significant series reaching this milestone include the beat 'em up genre progenitor River City (originally Nekketsu Köha Kunio-kun), the kaiju-themed Rampage, Nintendo’s Kid Icarus, and SEGA’s Alex Kidd, which served as a mascot predecessor to Sonic the Hedgehog.