A good while back, I wrote a list about some forgotten cartoons that were really good. Like with most lists on this site, I was limited to really writing about five of them, even though there were so many more who deserved to be there. Honestly, there were many more I could have included on the list but I had to cut out some of them to make it more manageable to write up.

Well, a good amount of time has passed since I made that list. So, now seems like a good enough time to mention five more cartoons from the past that should have been on that list, too! While this list is still focused on cartoons that were pretty awesome, this list will be more on cartoons that lasted for only 65 episodes, which is just around a single season. So, let’s get on with the list!

#1 Centurions

With so many people being scared of AI running amok, you would think a show such as the Centurions would be talked about more. After all, it is a cartoon where a mad scientist fused himself with a computer and has plans to turn the human race into his robotic slaves. Close enough. Our heroes a regular beings who don Exo-Frames which allow the users to don special equipment to take out Doc Terror, the main villain of the show.

Like with most cartoon in the ’80s, the main purpose of the Centurions cartoon was to sell toys. Unfortunately for Centurions, they came in a little late to the 30-minute toy commercial party. The Centurions came in at around 1986, a year or so after trendsetters like He-Man, GI Joe, Transformers and even MASK had already hit the airwaves. By this time, it was harder to get a kid’s attention when they already have their hands and heads full of, well, He-Man, GI Joe, Transformers and MASK. Centurions kind of got lost in the shuffle because of this.

It also didn’t help that the toys were very expensive. The base figure, the titular Centurions, were much larger than the aforementioned figures from those cartoons so they were much more pricey. And there were no “cheaper” versions so this also was another likely reason why the cartoon only lasted one singular year in broadcast.

#2 Dragon’s Lair

Just before the Video Game Crash of 1983, arcades were still raking in the quarters but there was a decidedly lack of innovation from them. This was understandable as the technological limitations of the time couldn’t produce the same type of detailed sprites modern audiences are used to. That is, until the Dragon’s Lair arcade game was released.

The game showed off beautifully fluid animated scenes just like right out of a TV show! They managed to overcome the graphical limitations by using Laserdisc technology, which is basically like a super big looking DVD/Blu-Ray and stored all of the animations on it. Of course, this did limit the gaming experience as the gameplay was just you pushing the joystick of pressing the attack button at the right time. Basically, Dragon’s Lair was the very first quick time event game.

With the success of the arcade game, fans wanted more of Dragon’s Lair. In order to sort of meet this demand and to keep people interested in the franchise while they make the next arcade game, an animated series was developed. This still involved the hero from the game, Dirk the Daring, going through all sorts of adventures. What made the show unique is, before the commercial break, the viewer is given choices of what Dirk the Daring should do next, with the outcomes of each choice shown after the break. While the Dragon’s Lair cartoon was pretty good and the central gimmick of watching “what if” scenarios was pretty fun, the show only lasted for 13 episodes.

While it does seem like a rather average cartoon for its time, there was something special about Dragon’s Lair. A lot of it does deal with the gimmick of making choices. While they don’t really impact the story since the viewer’s choices don’t really matter, as a kid, it was pretty awesome to actually give some input and see if the decisions you made were right or wrong.

#3 Mighty Orbots

There was a time in the early ’80s, specifically 1984, when robots ruled the cartoon world. After all, this was the time when Go-Bots, Transformers and Voltron were all the rage. Well, this did lead some producers to try to come up with their own robot cartoon. And one of them was a show called the Mighty Orbots.

Mighty Orbots is kind of a cross between Voltron and Transformers as, while it is all about five separate robots combining into one giant robot, all six of them (yes, there are six Orbots) are sentient and think for themselves. Although this was a Western produced cartoon, the animation, character designs and directing was all done in Japan, making it kind of like an anime in a way. You can see it’s anime roots with how detailed and dynamic the animation goes!

Honestly, the Mighty Orbots is a very cool show because of how gorgeous it looks and the characters are pretty good. There are a couple of things that do make the show stand out among the rest of the robot cartoons of the time. For one, the Mighty Orbots actually had an ending with the heroes vanquishing the main bad guy by the end of its series run. Two, the show only lasted for 13 episodes because of a lawsuit with Tonka. It short length does make it easily bingeable if you can find a way to watch them. Hint: all the episodes are on YouTube.

#4 Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light

In the ’80s, companies were looking for all sort of ways to incorporate “holograms” to their products. Comic books would have “hologram” covers for special issues. The Transformers would have little holograms of the Autobot or Decepticon insignias embossed somewhere on the figure. Visionaries: Knight of the Magical Light went one step further and fully incorporated it as a part of the play feature for their figures. The holograms were placed on the action figure’s chest to show what they can “transform” into and some were given staffs that granted them summoned beings.

Of course, when there’s a toyline in the ’80s, you gotta have a 30-minute cartoon to promote your toyline. And Visionaries was also a pretty cool cartoon as the premise was really good. The planet Prysmos was blasted back to the Stone Age wherein all technology stopped working and magic became prevalent. A group of people who passed several tests by the wizard Merklynn and were granted magical abilities with them splintering into two groups: the Spectral Knights and the Darkling Lords. The former wishing to use the magic to help the world while the latter using their new power for their own selfish reasons.

As cool as Visionaries was, both the toys and the cartoon, it simply never caught on with kids for one reason or another. The toys simply didn’t sell well and, without a toyline to promote, the cartoon series also died out.

#5 Spiral Zone

This might be the most obscure entry on this list. Sure, a lot of people remember Centurions and they probably remember the Dragon’s Lair arcade game, at the very least. Visionaries and Mighty Orbots may be harder to remember as they only lasted for 13 episodes each. But Spiral Zone? I’ve tried talking to my geek friends about the cartoon. I tried describing the wonky one-wheeled motorcycles they all drive. I tried talking about the plot of the bad guys who want to rule the world by planting things called “zone generators” which makes everyone in the vicinity mindless slaves. They always look at me as if I’m making it up.

But here it is! I didn’t make it up! See? Here’s the very first episode of Spiral Zone! I told you I’m not crazy!

What made Spiral Zone pretty cool was it did feel like it wasn’t exactly meant for kids. The show had darker themes and the good guys wouldn’t be able to destroy the zone generator and would just have to retreat. Also, those one-wheeled motorcycle, although highly impractical, are just super cool looking.

BONUS: Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future

Yes, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future isn’t a cartoon. But I will take any opportunity to let people know about this awesome show.

This was one of my favorite shows growing up. While it does look goofy by today’s standards, all of the costumes, sets and computer graphics were state of the art when it was released in 1987. Probably inspired by movies like The Terminator, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future has our titular heroes fighting against a completely robotic force, led by Lord Dredd and Overmind. This show was special as, during its 13-episode run had overarching stories, a mature tone and good worldbuilding. If you can get pass its dated look, you would be able to see what a gem this show was and how disappointing it was it never got a second season.

What other retro cartoons do you think have become forgotten? Let me know in the comments section below!