Successful sequels that were still overshadowed

[alphex]

What are some games that did get sequels, some of them even highly regarded, but for one reason or another, the one game that people think of, that the developers try to recreate, the one that they keep referencing is the debut or a very early title? Or did the developers seem to be stuck in a rut very early on?

The two most obvious titles for me would be Double Dragon and Battletoads - they even got a crossover game of their own. The arcade sequel for Double Dragon had pretty much the same level layouts as DD1 even, it just reskinned it all (for the better IMO), added a new move (and took one out) and changed the controls a bit. I mean, I love Double Dragon 2 in the arcade, but it's pretty much the same game again. 3 is pretty much disowned, and Return already referenced Double Dragon 1 again (level set in the slums, same track playing). Afterwards, there were THREE remakes of part 1 (GBA, Zeeboo and iOS). It's really kinda tragic how Technos (or the license holders, rather) always seem to think that a DD game has to contain elements from part 1 in order to sell.

Another tragic one, especially since it was basically retconned and IMO wasn't always that way, is classic Mega Man. Capcom for some reason decided that Mega Man 2 was the be all, end all when Mega Man 9 was being developed, and along with the "Wily 2 is the best track in the whole series!" meme kinda became the de facto opinion. It was also somehow decided that Mega Man 7 and 8 were mistakes and the games were in need of 8 bit demakes which... I can't say I was aware of before. I liked the demakes, but the original games were certainly the more interesting statements.

The highway stage of X1 is also paid hommage to in ZX, ZX Advent and X7... so I guess Capcom feels it's really iconic?

There's also Street Fighter 2, where Capcom always seems to feel obliged to put in as many from the SF2 universe as possible. They tried to do the oppossite with vanilla III and people hated it, so I kinda get why they'd do that, but man. Speaking of Capcom, Final Fight 1 also seems to be the only game in the series people are supposed to remember, which is a huge loss, especially since 3 is so damn good.

I'm sure there's also titles where the developers didn't really know what to do with the concept after the first game. Battletoads is basically just the same game over and over, with the exception of the first Game Boy game and the arcade sequel. Other than that, if you buy a Battletoads game, it's gonna be the one with the Turbo Tunnel and shit (hell, that level's even in the Double Dragon crossover game!). There's also games like Lode Runner, which got new levels and all but I don't think people really remember the sequels more than "remember that old game", but I'm sure there's some more of that.

[GamerL]

Hmmmmm, that's an interesting question.

The first thing that pops to my mind is Left 4 Dead, the first game was a big hit but the sequel rubbed people the wrong way because it came out only a year later, even though it was very good, but from that point on the series just kind of flamed out, it gets way overshadowed by Valve's refusal to make Half-Life 3, which is understable, but it's also a shame Left 4 Dead has been.... left for dead, because those games were by far the most fun I've ever had playing online.

[Bumpyroad]

Oct 3, 2017 20:48:17 GMT -5 alphex said:

I'm sure there's also titles where the developers didn't really know what to do with the concept after the first game. 

Is there a clear definition how the sequels should be worked on? Surely you can make more of the same, change something or completely reinvent the thing, but in most cases - it sold well, so they made more of it. Who can be blamed, that in the meantime, some players discovered - roasted bread with melted cheese on top tastes better or they like it better than just bread without it and moved on to that  . Buying potential is quite hard to determine, games become 'underrated' or 'hidden gems' over time, just because someone decided to buy a bicycle instead of a game, not what it was bad at release to begin with. You can do some research before release, but still, it wouldn't guarantee anything.

I'd say Diablo 3 is under the shadow of Diablo 2, but it could be pretty controversial .

[Arale]

Donkey Kong Country 3. It was my favorite DKC as a kid, so I was really surprised when I learned that people online thought 2 was way better.

[edmonddantes]

HG101's own article on the Myst series mentions how Myst seems to totally overshadow Riven, despite most fans considering Riven the best game in the series.

[Owlman]

The Japanese Super Mario Bros 2. Even if we ignore that it didn't reach the rest of the world before All-Stars, it will forever be in the shadow of SMB1 even in Japan, despite being a major hit there that sold millions of copies.

[dsparil]

Leisure Suit Larry 1 - There's 5 total versions between Softporn, Las Vegas, the original LSL and the 2 remakes. I'd rank it towards the middle overall, and 2 is the on most badly in need of a remake.
—
With Myst, the original was such a huge phenomenon and for so long that'd it'd be impossible for any sequel to match that. Magazines were much nicer to the original than there were to Riven. Computer Gaming World called the Mac version "An Instant CD Classic" (#113/p146) for example. PC Gamer gave Riven ~40%; I'm going from memory for the score but it was unreasonably bad. CGW gave it 3.5/5 (#162/p254) and also took some time to trash Myst as was trendy in non-adventure circles at that point. There's also so many remakes of the original and they're still getting made. RealMyst: Masterpiece Edition came out in 2014 and got a big update in 2015. Riven just has the original release and a mobile port from 2011.  

Edit: I do think Riven is better, but it didn’t get as much of an opportunity to plant itself in the public consciousness. The worst part is that Riven sold very well too.

[ommadawnyawn2]

Will update later, just saving the post from my own clumsiness.

Very innovative and/or iconic games:
Shinobi - While I like the sequels better in several ways, the style and intensity of the arcade original is still unmatched in a way.

Solomon's Key - Actually I don't think the sequel was that successful and I like it a lot but it's a pretty different thing, and the series died after a GB version. Edit: Apparently there is a newer sequel, thanks Rey. 

Splatterhouse - While 2 and especially 3 are cool in their own ways they didn't quite get the pacing and balance right after the first, and the new one is something very different. I love WG for NES but it's more of a parody.

Final Fight - I do prefer how 3 plays though.

TMNT (NES) - Yes. While the gameplay aged poorly I've always wanted an update or remake with the same structure and presentation.

Metroid 1-3 - As much as I like the new 2D ones, I don't get why they need to be so cartoony and busy looking. I would also be interested in seeing a less game-y approach to gameplay and visuals with environments and puzzles that are more dynamic, kinda like in Ico for lack of a better example at the moment. 

Eggerland/Lolo - I think it could be interesting to go back to an action adventure approach for this series, keeping what's good about the NES ones. 

Metal Gear 1-2 - While still good, I don't like how brutal regular encounters are in the GBC game, and obviously the 3D ones are very different. Even MGS1 which mostly plays like a 2D game since it's so zoomed in you have to look at the radar all the time. 

SotN - While Aria etc are still solid and I like their settings I think there's waaay too much focus on collecting stuff you don't need and on crappy storytelling. CotM got things mostly right in terms of gameplay and is even preferable in some ways, with some sequence breaking opportunities and rewarding exploration, while SotN is still the best overall package with its great atmosphere. 

Gargoyle's Quest 1-2 - DC didn't sell but it seems well regarded. I prefer the world building and story progression of these, and I think DC's metroid-like elements felt tacked on without that much planning - some items are placed kind of randomly and you don't even need some forms and spells to beat it normally. While the music is fantastic it's also quite different in tone throughout. 

Series that didn't really go anywhere (at least after a certain point):
2D Bomberman - Peak is probably '94 or Saturn.
Space Harrier
Choplifter
Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Golden Axe
Boulder Dash
2D Mario - Not much new about the "new" games, really they copy the first one the most. Yeah the gameplay doesn't really need more than new gimmicks and minor variations but some new settings would be nice, remember when each new game felt different?

[ReyVGM]

Oct 4, 2017 9:52:24 GMT -5 ommadawnyawn2 said:

Solomon's Key - Actually I don't think the sequel was that successful and I like it a lot but it's a pretty different thing, and the series died after a GB port.

The GBC had a new one called Solomon in Japan, and Monster Rancher Explorer everywhere else. It was pretty good.

And Solomon's Club (the GB one), is NOT a port of Solomon's Key. It has completely new levels, and it's actually a much better game too.

[ommadawnyawn2]

Fair enough, edited my post.

[spanky]

Oct 4, 2017 9:52:24 GMT -5 ommadawnyawn2 said:

TMNT (NES) - Yes. While the gameplay aged poorly I've always wanted an update or remake with the same structure and presentation.

I feel like TMNT has the opposite problem outlined in this thread. The original is rarely talked about except in a negative context. (The AVGN effect maybe?). The sequels however, are praised pretty highly.

Most of the sequels are arguably better and more on brand, but I really appreciate how weird the original TMNT is. I think most of the difficulty issues are exaggerated as well(seriously, the dam level isn't that bad). It's pretty good! And with a few tweaks to the game mechanics, it would probably be considered more of a classic.

[ommadawnyawn2]

AVGN effect plays a part for sure, though it is a legitimatelly flawed game. But it was very popular at the time just like Zelda 2, SMB 2, CV 2 etc.

I disagree that the beat 'em ups are more on brand, the sense of adventure in the first feels more TMNT. 

[alphex]

Come to think of it, wouldn't Command & Conquer qualify? Everything after Red Alert was considered disappointing to varying degrees (personally, I liked Red Alert 2, but it was a far cry from the huge hype and overall acclaim the first two games got). Going up against Starcraft and being the big daddy of a genre that had already peaked by that point probably didn't help, either.

[ommadawnyawn2]

I agree, well, the first disappointment was Tiberian Sun (which is an improvement purely from a controls and mechanics standpoint but with mostly subpar music, visuals and story as well as worse balance than SC). RA2 was fun but not a big step forward and I thought they took the silliness too far in the cutscenes.

An article would be cool though.

[Owlman]

Oct 4, 2017 14:35:43 GMT -5 alphex said:

Come to think of it, wouldn't Command & Conquer qualify? Everything after Red Alert was considered disappointing to varying degrees (personally, I liked Red Alert 2, but it was a far cry from the huge hype and overall acclaim the first two games got). Going up against Starcraft and being the big daddy of a genre that had already peaked by that point probably didn't help, either.

It's not perfect data, but currently, Red Alert 2, Generals, and Tiberium Wars/Kane's Wrath are the most popular C&C games in multiplayer. I'd only call Red Alert 3 the overshadowed sequel (though I personally love it).