Blinx
Ironically, Blinx the Cat was originally created in Microsoft’s desperate attempt to quickly create a brand during their first venture into the console wars. Blinx is far from perfect, but the title’s emphasis on unique time-shifting mechanics make it a fertile ground for growth and expansion in a modern iteration. However, the time-manipulating cat never appeared again after his first two titles on the original Xbox, and his legend now remains more attached to his games’ commercials than anything else.
A more open world approach could certainly function with the Blinx universe. While the desire for linear platformers is still alive, Blinx’s time-shifting abilities lend themselves to a world of puzzle solving and exploration. Much of Blinx’s movement around time in the first game was around combat, but a shift away from this would be a fresh new approach. Alternatively, a simple retread of what made Blinx good, along with reasonable improvements, also seems like a slam dunk for the Xbox One. A $40 package, like Sony’s most recent take on Ratchet and Clank, would be a safe exploration of Blinx’ potential. The Xbox One is starved for character-centered experiences, and Blinx would be a perfect bone to throw to console owners.