History GatewaySeries / VideoGames

** In terms of "Rouge-lite" games, ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' is considered to have the quintessential elements of the sub-genre. ''VideoGame/EnterTheGungeon'' plays similarly, so it's also common as a gateway. ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'' has been a popular gateway for less hardcore gamers.

* The entries of the ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' series are all pretty likely ways that various gamers got interested in specific periods of history ([[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers Or]] ''{{TabletopGame/Warhammer}}'')

** In more recent times, the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series has been a popular gateway to turn-based [=jRPGs=].

* Many games designed by Creator/{{Nintendo}} for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS and UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} were intended to be gateway games for people who never tried them before, with ''VideoGame/{{Nintendogs}}'' and ''VideoGame/WiiSports'' being the biggest examples.

** This extends to Nintendo's consoles as well. Thanks to a friendly, easy-to-use appearance for its systems and controllers, the aforementioned broad appeal of its games lineup, and most importantly a cheaper price compared to UsefulNotes/PlayStation and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, Nintendo platforms have been many people's first video games experience since the mid 80s, and especially since the launch of the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} in 2006.

* The ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' titles introduced people to Open-World Third-Person Shooter games in addition to the Crime Drama and ConspiracyThriller genres. For people who wanted to know more about Asia, ''VideoGame/SleepingDogs2012'' and ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' did the same (although we've got two GTA Games having Asian leads).

* The ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' titles introduced people to Open-World Third-Person Shooter games in addition to the Crime Drama and ConspiracyThriller genres. For people who wanted to know more about Asia, ''VideoGame/SleepingDogs'' and ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' did the same (although we've got two GTA Games having Asian leads).

* Most people were likely introduced to {{Platform Game}}s thanks to ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' and ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'', though PC gamers during the 1990s may find themselves thanking ''VideoGame/CommanderKeen'' or ''VideoGame/JillOfTheJungle''.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' and ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' are common introductory (non-MonsSeries) [=RPGs=] for Nintendo fans.

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** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyMysticQuest'' was deliberately designed to be a gateway to [=RPGs=], simplifying the gameplay dramatically. Unforunately, not only did it fail to attract the mainstream as expected, but RPG fans derided the game [[ItsEasySoItSucks for being extremely easy]] [[ClicheStorm and formulaic.]]

* The ''Tony Hawk'' games are a two-way gateway -- they've gotten a lot of skaters into gaming, but it's when they get gamers into skateboarding that HilarityEnsues.

** From the late [=90s=] came ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/CounterStrike''.

* The ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' titles introduced people to Open-World Third-Person Shooter games in addition to the Crime Drama and ConspiracyThriller genres. For people who wanted to know more about Asia, ''VideoGame/{{SleepingDogs}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' did the same (although we've got two GTA Games having Asian leads).

* ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' is a gateway series to shooters, especially outside of the west. Many Nintendo fans are known to be averse to shooters but the simple mechanics, bright colours, kid friendly nature, and general quirkiness of the series has made a lot of gamers more interested in shooters, especially third-person ones.

** The series has a wide variety of Nintendo characters within its character roster, with even more Nintendo history to be found in the various unlockable trophies. As a result, the franchise is a mix of this and ColbertBump, as some players may gravitate to a new franchise after learning about it from the party fighting game, with [[MarthDebutedInSmashBros the appearance of Marth and Roy in Melee]] helping establish the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series outside of Japan. Later entries would even have unlockable demos of the titles its characters originally starred in.
** The ''Smash'' series as a whole serves as a gateway for fighting games, specifically the MascotFighter genre, due to its easy controls.

* If you're huge into modern HackAndSlash[=/=]BeatEmUp games, chances are you got into the genre through either the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series or the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'', the latter especially if you either didn't own a [=PlayStation=] console or weren't allowed to play M-rated games growing up. Older gamers will often cite either the ''VideoGame/{{Onimusha}}'', ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'', or ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes''' series as their introduction to the genre, while younger gamers often get into the genre through ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', especially those who are Nintendo fans thanks to the franchise's exclusivity and the title character's inclusion in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series.

* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' and ''VideoGame/SoulCalibur'' are notorious for [[GuestFighter guest fighters]], but they help gamers get introduced to their original properties such as ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}'' (appeared in both franchises), ''Franchise/StarWars'' (three characters in Soulcalibur IV including Darth Vader and Yoda) and ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' (Kratos appeared in both franchises). ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' is also guilty of this, with many players going onto to try out ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', ''VideoGame/Persona5'', ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'', and ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', as well as franchises owned by Nintendo, like ''Franchise/FireEmblem'', ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'', and ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}''.

* ''Puyo Puyo Tetris'' is intentionally one to ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo''. The series is a CashCowFranchise in Japan but has [[NoExportForYou a shoddy]] [[BadExportForYou record elsewhere]]. ''Puyo Puyo Tetris'' combines the games with the extremely popular and well-known ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}'' series, which grabs the attention of people who otherwise would ignore ''Puyo Puyo''. It features plenty of tutorials for newcomers as well.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' is a a very good introductory RPG too.

** In more modern times, the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series has been a popular gateway to turn-based [=jRPGs=].

** Similarly, ''VideoGame/MapleStory'' is this for long-running eastern [=MMORPGs=].

** Later, both ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' and ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' became insanely popular examples.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}'' is [[CashCowFranchise immensely popular]] with younger children, which the fact the game is low on graphical violence enough for parents to let their kids play a game with gun violence helps. Chances are, if they were born too late to grow up shooting other players online with ''Call of Duty'', they are with ''Fortnite''.

** In terms of "Rouge-lite" games, ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' is considered to have the quintessential elements of the sub-genre. ''VideoGame/EnterTheGungeon'' plays similarly, so it's also common as a gateway. ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'' is also incidentally popular.

* Although two games predate it (in America, at least), ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' was the GatewaySeries to ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' for a lot of Western fans. It being one of the better [=RPGs=] on the [=GameCube=] meant that it drew a lot of attention from people who had previously dismissed the previous games in the series. Also, ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' to an extent, purely because it was for the [=PS2=].

* ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' is a gateway series to shooters. Many Nintendo fans are known to be averse to shooters but the simple mechanics, bright colours, kid friendly nature, and general quirkiness of the series has made a lot of gamers more interested in shooters, especially third-person ones.

** Due to its Disney characters, ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' attracts players who are more interested in non-turn based action [=RPGs=].

* The ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' series, the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series, and the ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series frequently serve as gateways to the WesternRPG genre. ''The Elder Scrolls'' likewise doubles as a WideOpenSandbox gateway.

* New installments of long-time series such as ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' -- espeically ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' -- tend to be gateways for modern players into the world of retro gaming, especially those curious about references to characters from previous games.

*** ''VideoGame/SlayTheSpire'' is this for single-player DeckbuildingGames.

* Part of the reason ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' is so hated by many fans of the older ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' games is that this was an EnforcedTrope for it. Bethesda made little secret of the fact that it wasn't making it for longtime fans, but instead wanted something to bring new people into the world of ''Fallout''.

** Due to its Disney characters, ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' attracts players who otherwise have never been interested in [=JRPGs=].

** For people who are newer to the rogue-like genre, ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor'' and 'VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' have eased people into the generally rather NintendoHard genre of rogue-likes, due to the inclusion of full graphics (that is, it's not text- or ASCII-based).

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' or ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'' are good start for those interested in the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series, seeing how they're generally considered the most accessible of ''SMT'' games (except for ''Persona 3'', whose [=PS2=] versions were very rare for a while, until it was brought to PSN). In fact, the original ''VideoGame/{{Persona 1}}'' was designed to be an easier SMT in hopes of getting more teenagers interested in the main series.

** The series has a wide variety of Nintendo characters within its character roster, with even more Nintendo history to be found in the various unlockable trophies. As a result, the franchise is a mix of this and ColbertBump, as some players may gravitate to a new franchise after learning about it from the party fighting game, with [[MarthDebutedInSmashBros the appearance of Marth and Roy in Melee]] helping establish the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series outside of Japan. Later entries would even have unlockable demos of the titles its' characters originally starred in.

* The ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' series can potentially be a good GatewaySeries for many GiantRobot {{Anime}}, considering that the plot for each game basically takes the plot of every series involved in the MassiveMultiplayerCrossover and shoves them all together.
** The ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'' GBA series can serve as one for the overall ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' games due to being translated to English, and the premise of original characters-only means that newcomers don't need to watch a good portion of the HumongousMecha anime that made up the game to understand the plot completely.

* If you're huge into modern HackAndSlash[=/=]BeatEmUp games, chances are you got into the genre through either the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series or the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'', the latter especially if you either didn't own a [=PlayStation=] console or weren't allowed to play M-rated games growing up. Older gamers will often cite either the ''VideoGame/{{Onimusha}}'' or ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' series as their introduction to the genre, while younger gamers often get into the genre through ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', especially those who are Nintendo fans thanks to the franchise's exclusivity and the title character's inclusion in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series.
* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' and ''VideoGame/SoulCalibur'' are notorious for [[GuestFighter guest fighters]], but they help gamers get introduced to their original properties such as ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}'' (appeared in both franchises), ''Franchise/StarWars'' (three characters in Soulcalibur IV including Darth Vader and Yoda) and ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' (Kratos appeared in both franchises).

* ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' got a lot of players into ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' as a franchise-fandom, rather than cherrypicking favourite individual titles. A lot of people bought it so they could play as [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud]] (who was even designed with being an [[CrutchCharacter easy character for fighting game newbies to use]], on the grounds that he'd be [[WolverinePublicity such an attractant]]), and then realised they liked [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Bartz]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Cecil]] and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII Firion's]] personalities just as much, and had to check out their source material. The fact that the old games were in the process of being rereleased at the time suggests this was partly intentional. ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy'', and the mobile ''Final Fantasy'' games such as ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyBraveExvius'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyRecordKeeper'', are also MassivelyMultiplayerCrossover games; ''VideoGame/WorldOfFinalFantasy'' was designed to be an intro to the series and characters for new players.

* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' and ''Franchise/SoulCalibur'' are notorious for [[GuestFighter guest fighters]], but they help gamers get introduced to their original properties such as ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}'' (appeared in both franchises), ''Franchise/StarWars'' (three characters in Soulcalibur IV including Darth Vader and Yoda) and ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' (Kratos appeared in both franchises).