10. "Donkey Kong" (franchise)

Release date: July 9, 1981

Platform: Every Nintendo platform

Buy it here.

Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the "Super Mario" and "Legend Of Zelda" franchises, is also the creator of the red-tie-wearing great ape named Donkey Kong. He first started off as a bad guy throwing barrels at Nintendo's little red plumber, but he really grew up in Rare's "Donkey Kong Country" series, which featured three-dimensional playable characters Donkey and Diddy Kong in a mostly 2D side-scrolling world of jungles, oceans, and more. He is one of the most iconic characters in gaming, and his difficult side-scrolling adventures continue to attract new fans on Nintendo's platforms.