The tools for making video games are more accessible than ever. We’re not only seeing the rise of amazing indie games, but even entire projects made by a single person. While a lot of these are new IPs that are clearly inspired by the likes of the best Mario and Pokemon games, others are so passionate about their favorite franchise that they create an entire fan game in that series. Because they can’t legally sell a game using a publisher’s IP, these fan games are pure works of passion from the developers. Whether it is a franchise that hasn’t seen the light of day for years or one that has fallen off in terms of delivering what the fans want, fan games are there to deliver a new experience that can even overshadow the real thing. At the same time, a lot of fan games can be a major disappointment due to a lack of experience and oversight. We have picked out only the most impressive fan games of all time that are worth playing alongside the original franchise.
