GamesRadar's Lucas Sullivan ranked "Darkstalkers" first on his 2012 list of "obscure" fighting games deserving an HD remake, opining it "offers just as much 2D fighting goodness as the venerable "Street Fighter" series, but it's never gotten the same kind of respect ... and that just ain't right". UGO.com included "Darkstalkers" on their 2010 list of the games that need sequels. "Complex" writers put "Darkstalkers" at number 40 in their 2012 ranking of best video game franchises, adding that they would "love to see a modern incarnation", and listed a hypothetical "Darkstalkers 4" among the 15 games they wished would be announced at E3 2011. The magazine's Andrew Hayward ranked "Darkstalkers" first on his 2011 list of most missed fighting franchises, stating that "every time Capcom announces a new fighting game, the hardcore community gets whipped up about "Darkstalkers" continual absence, and demands a modern iteration. The supernatural 2D franchise wasn't a big hit, but fervent fans have kept its name alive and seem unwilling to let it fade away".