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25. Star Fox Adventures
- Rejected title: Dinosaur Planet
Originally known as Dinosaur Planet, this game began on the N64 with a different cast of characters and a unique story. Later, developer Rare cancelled that version and reworked it for the GameCube, giving birth to Star Fox Adventures. | © Rare
24. EarthBound
- Rejected title: Mother 2
EarthBound was created by the team behind Kirby and came out in Japan in 1994 as Mother 2, the sequel to the original NES game. Its quirky style and heartfelt story have won fans around the world. | © Nintendo
23. The Witcher
- Rejected title: Wiedzmin
In its native language, the game was originally titled Wiedźmin, which is the Polish word for Witcher. When the game was localized for international audiences, the title was adapted to The Witcher, although the original name is still used by fans who prefer the authentic title. | © CD Projekt
22. Bloodborne
- Rejected title: Project Beast
Bloodborne began in 2012 under the working title Project Beast. Inspired by horror tales from Bram Stoker and the eerie architecture of places like Romania and the Czech Republic, it evolved into a game with a dark, Dark Souls-like vibe. | © FromSoftware
21. Prey
- Rejected title: Project Danielle
Prey began its journey under the working title Project Danielle, which is a nod to the iconic SHODAN from System Shock. As development continued, the name was changed to Prey, marking its evolution into a unique game. | © Arkane Studios
20. Fortnite
- Rejected title: Project Fortress
Fortnite started out as a cooperative survival game known as Project Fortress; the first official name was Fortnight in early trailers. This was the original product developed by Epic Games before the immensely popular Battle Royale mode was added later. | © Epic Games
19. Hearthstone
- Rejected title: Heroes of Warcraft
Hearthstone began with the subtitle Heroes of Warcraft, drawing on familiar characters and stories from the Warcraft world. Around December 2016, the subtitle was dropped to show new players that the game was free to build its own tale. | © Blizzard Entertainment
18. Mirror’s Edge
- Rejected title: Project Faith
The game started as Project Faith until mid-2007 when it was renamed Mirror’s Edge. The new name hints that the city in the game reflects the lives of its people. | © EA Games
17. Left 4 Dead
- Rejected title: Terror Strike
Initially, Left 4 Dead was known as Terror Strike during its early development by Turtle Rock Studios. Valve writer Chet Faliszek discovered the project and helped it evolve into the cooperative horror experience we know today. | © Valve
16. Star Fox
- Rejected title: Starwing & Lylat Wars
In PAL regions, Nintendo changed the names of Star Fox and Star Fox 64 to Starwing and Lylat Wars to avoid issues with a German company. Later, starting with Star Fox Adventures, the series was released with the same name all over the world. | © Nintendo
15. Portal
- Rejected title: Narbacular Drop
Portal began as a student project at DigiPen Institute of Technology called Narbacular Drop, where its unique puzzle ideas were first born. Valve reworked the game and renamed it Portal, keeping the innovative gameplay that fans love. | © Valve
14. Dragon Quest
- Rejected title: Dragon Warrior
When Dragon Quest first came to North America, trademark issues forced it to be renamed Dragon Warrior. Later, the brand went back to its original name to keep things clear and unified around the world. | © Square Enix
13. Gears of War
- Rejected title: Unreal Warfare
Early on, Gears of War was briefly called Unreal Warfare as it started out as a multiplayer, class-based shooter. Over time, it evolved into the cover-based, single-player experience we now know as Gears of War. | © Epic Games
12. Final Fantasy
- Rejected title: Fighting Fantasy
Final Fantasy was almost called Fighting Fantasy, but trademark issues and tough times at Square forced a change. The game became a huge hit and started one of the most beloved series in gaming. | © Square Enix
11. Street Fighter
- Rejected title: Fighting Street
The original arcade game was called Street Fighter, where players battled it out in classic fighting style. When Capcom released the TurboGrafx-CD version in 1988, they renamed it Fighting Street for the home console port. | © Capcom
10. Devil May Cry
- Rejected title: Karnival
Originally, Devil May Cry was called Karnival and was even planned as a spin-off of Resident Evil. As the game grew and found its style, it was renamed Devil May Cry in November 2000. | © Capcom
9. Pokémon Red and Blue
- Rejected title: Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green
Pokémon Red and Blue launched the world-famous Pokémon series and changed gaming forever. In Japan, they debuted as Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green, followed by the special edition Pocket Monsters Blue. And, yes, "Pokémon" is basically short for "Pocket Monsters." | © Nintendo
8. Mega Man
- Rejected title: Rockman
Known as Rockman in Japan, Mega Man first hit the scene in 1987 on the Nintendo Entertainment System. It quickly grew into a hit franchise with over 50 games, delighting fans for more than 30 years. | © Capcom
7. The Legend of Zelda
- Rejected title: The Hyrule Fantasy
The Legend of Zelda was originally released in Japan as The Hyrule Fantasy. Later, it was renamed The Legend of Zelda and has since found a home on many consoles, winning hearts around the world. | © Nintendo
6. Halo: Combat Evolved
- Rejected title: Monkey Nuts
Before Bungie picked the name Halo: Combat Evolved, the game almost went by many different titles. It started with Blam! and even considered names like The Santa Machine, Solipsis, The Crystal Palace, Star Shield, and Hard Vacuum. | © Gearbox Software
5. Grand Theft Auto
- Rejected title: Race'n'Chase
Grand Theft Auto was first known as Race'n'Chase and was planned for many platforms like Windows 95, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Nintendo 64. The team had to fight to keep the project going, and not all planned consoles eventually got the game. | © Rockstar Games
4. Resident Evil
- Rejected title: Biohazard
Capcom began working on this game in 1993 as Biohazard, taking ideas from an older game called Sweet Home. When it was time for a U.S. release, a company contest led to the name Resident Evil since Biohazard was already taken. | © Capcom
3. Minecraft
- Rejected title: Cave Game
Minecraft started as Cave Game when it was first released for PC on May 13, 2009. After testing it in alpha and beta, it grew into the full game we all love today. | © Mojang Studios
2. Pac-Man
- Rejected title: Puck Man
Pac-Man was originally called Puck Man, and this name came from a Japanese phrase that means "to gobble up". For the North American release, it was changed to Pac-Man because there were worries vandals might turn the P into F. | © Namco
1. Super Mario Bros
- Rejected title: Jumpman
The original name for Super Mario Bros was Jumpman, which comes from the fact that the main character had a knack for leaping over obstacles. Later, the title of the video game was changed to Mario, inspired by the landlord at Nintendo of America, Mario Segale. | © Nintendo
