When the sequel was better.

[watkinzez]

It's a bit depressing when all that can be heard from a sequel's reception is disappointment; for whatever reason, it didn't live up to its name. Could be hype, nostalgia, or perhaps it just plain sucked. But there are the times when a game, film etc truly tops its predecessor. What sequels do you think deserve such a claim?

(Of note, I only intend immediate sequels to be of discussion- saying FF7 is better than FF1 isn't a surprising conclusion, nor a very fair one. Even something like FF7> FF6 isn't really applicable- they only share a name and little else, not including battle system or RPG structure. Having an opinion that Majora's Mask bested Ocarina of Time is a fairer claim- immediate games in the series, same characters (or at least a different view of them), familiar dungeon/town formula. Not to mention it is the correct opinion ;))


Some of my favoured sequels-
-Pikmin 2- pretty much eliminated the flaws that were present in the original and worked on the strengths. Much longer quest, removal of time limit, creative dungeons and bosses and a rather cool multiplayer mode.
-Burnout 3- and I thought 2 was a leap in quality. This one really excelled both technically (some of the best sound design I've heard in a game) and design wise. The only thing that disappointed me was the direction taken in Crash mode, but I'm willing to forgive that.
-Majora's Mask- as mentioned before, I've come to realise this being the perfect follow up to Ocarina. Instead of just going the 'bigger, better' route, it made an experience all its own.

And some others..
-Resident Evil 4
-Spiderman 2 (films as well)

Oh, and even though I haven't played Shenmue, it would have to be a pretty amazing game to best its sequel.

[FiremanJoe]

Pikmin 2 seconded. I can't wait to see what Miyamoto's got up his sleeve for the future of this series.

RE4 is one of my favourite games, but it wouldn't be fair for me to judge it against it's predecessors as I've only played bits of REmake and RE2.

Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land - Great game, but a little short by today's standards. Loved it way more than SML1 and 2.

I won't even comment on the Zelda series, as WW is the only game I've completed. I trust your opinion though, watkinz =P

If we're talking movies, the Harry Potter ones keep getting better, but is that saying much? =P

Albums... Hybrid's latest, I Choose Noise was better than their previous, Hybrid Present YK4.

[Ray Falling]

Well, if Lord of the Rings movies count as sequels, then I'd say Two Towers was better than the first.
But maybe you should count all movies as one story?
In terms of epicness though, I do believe that the second movie topped the first.

As for games: Baten Kaitos: Origins (though be it a prequel) is in some ways better than the first Baten Kaitos game. It sure as heck wasn't bad, which is something you usually expect from sequels.

To be honest I can't name many more. I either haven't played enough games or sequels really just were a dissapointment.

:) Just wanted to name these two things though.

[Cerrax]

SoulCalibur III really hooked me unlike any of the previous "Soul_" games. Lots of new content (gameplay and characters/items) and extremely high-quality work on all artistic fronts.

Even though I miss alot of things from Morrowind that Oblivion lacks, they're minute and every important aspect of the Elder Scrolls series has been greatly improved by Oblivion.

I know Final Fantasy games don't count, but I really think FFX really nailed turn-based battles so well that Ihave yet to see a system so easy and so engaging.

As far as pure shit games that slightly lifted out of the toilet, for what its worth Path of Neo fixed a lot of the crap that made Enter The Matrix so horribly utterly unplayable. It still sucks major donkey dingle though.

I think its a no-brainer that Vampire Hunter D:Bloodlust pwns its predecessor in every way.

[Czar Diego]

The Jak and Daxter series.

[Sega.]

I have to disagree with the Soul Calibur comment, the original SC is the clear front runner in that series, the additions only seem to serve to weaken it slightly, and im not sure why.

3rd Strike is definately a better sequel to the past SF3's, and with most fighting series, some sequaels are better, and some worse.

Quite often, if the sequel actually makes an effort to build on the original, it is on some level better. But the most common type of sequel, which is put the same game into some poorer level design, doesnt usually work.

[Rexy]

The Jak and Daxter series.

Seconded. ^_^ Jak II didn't go down the "bigger and had more stuff" route, but instead re-invented the series to the state it is today.
I would also mention Crash 2/3 but I don't want to sound like a PlayStation fangirl. Nevertheless, they improved so much on the forumulae by use of the free-roaming warp room route, re-establishing the way it could even be played by move/crate additions, and in the case of the third title adding time trials - I think that was one of the first adventure games that even utilised that concept.

(Great, now I'm going to sound like I'm serenading Naughty Dog. Oh well...)

[Ab56 v2 aka Ash]

I enjoyed Seiken Densetsu 3 much more than Secret of Mana.

[SirChadlyOC]

On NES, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game was leaps and bounds better than its predecessor. For more information, go here (click) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjUz8IT0CYg).

[Cecilff2]

I liked Streets of Rage 2 more than 1.

Someone mentioned SML3: Wario Land, and I'll agree there. Way way better than 1 and 2.

[Shadow Wolf]

Need for Speed Underground 2.

Also, every Metroid game is better than the first one. Especially Super Metroid.

[Emanon]

Seeing as no one's said it yet, I'll just go ahead and officially say that The Empire Strikes Back is probably the greatest sequel to anything ever.

As far as video games... Oblivion is an obvious choice. Also, Halo 2 far and away outdoes the game play of Halo: Combat Evolved. The story left something to be desired though. An ending, for example.

[Back_Lit]

For me MM was an improvement from OoT. MM isn't the classic Zelda story, its something new and different, which is probably the BEST improvement from OoT. So to me MM is the better of the two.

I think the Castlevania series just keeps getting better with time, the 2D games anyway.

[Wipomatic]

Monkey Island 2 was better than 1 but it was better than 3 or 4 too, so I guess too many sequels can ruin it.

[RealFolkBlues]

Seeing as no one's said it yet, I'll just go ahead and officially say that The Empire Strikes Back is probably the greatest sequel to anything ever.


I was wondering why that hadn't already been said. When you take the prequels into account, the original trilogy really is laughably better.

Back_Lit brought up Castlevania, and I actually really like Curse of Darkness. It's a huge improvement over the other 3D Castlevanias.

Yoshi's Island. 'Nuff said.

Twilight Princess rocks my socks.

Austin Powers.

Gulf War 2. ;)

BTW, isn't this a favorites thread? Pretty novel one, but still...

[Ab56 v2 aka Ash]

No, because a favorite requires a "best". This thread asks for a "better".

Each Mario Party game is better than the ones before it. Mega Man X3 was better than 1 and 2.

[Penfold]

Mega Man X3 was better than 1 and 2.

Hell yeah.

No one said how much better Super Mario Bros 3 was to the original Super Mario Bros yet, so I'll go ahead and throw that out there.

Seems like there should be a lot more, just can't think of any others at the moment.

[Sinewav]

I'm gunna have to disagree with you on some of these. I really liked OoT a lot better than MM, and Halo 2 absolutely sucked.

Max Payne had an excellent sequel... the gameplay was almost exactly the same, but the storyline was unique and definately went down an uncharted path as far as most games go.

[Decoy Octopus]

No one said how much better Super Mario Bros 3 was to the original Super Mario Bros yet, so I'll go ahead and throw that out there.
Hmm... I suppose SMB3 is better... but it seems weird to say. It's like the difference between perfection and perfection+1.

[Penfold]

Hmm... I suppose SMB3 is better... but it seems weird to say. It's like the difference between perfection and perfection+1.

lol, yeah it felt like an odd comparison for some reason :P.

Oh, and Megaman 3 is better than the first 2. I'd personally say Megaman 4 was better than 3, just because of the charged shot.

[Chickenwarlord]

Monkey Island 2 was better than 1 but it was better than 3 or 4 too, so I guess too many sequels can ruin it.
In my opinion, the pinnacle of the series was the third one (possibly due to the addition of spot on voice talent). The fourth one was definitely a letdown and can possibly be labeled what happens when there are too many chefs in the kitchen. Let's just hope that Gilbert gets the go ahead to script #5 when it comes out.
How about Gabriel Knight or Broken Sword? Both excellent adventures with great sequels.

[Ffej]

Excite Truck is better then Excite Bike, but I'm not sure that counts. :-P

Link's Awakening was the direct sequel to A Link to the Past, and it was ages better in design, fun, and especially translation.

How about some sequels that fell short? Like the GBA/DS Castlevanias after Symphony of the Night.

Or Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire after Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal. The monster design is just continuing downhill ever since Ken Sugimori stopped designing them himself.

[Katsurugi]

Actually, in the video game industry, it's usually the case where the sequel is better than the original... very unlike the movie industry. Usually, the creators know what works and builds upon that. However, this can work both ways. The creator can also make a sequel that requires some sort of "jump" that the fans may not appreciate. But the "jump" can be good if it weeds out all of the bad from the previous game and makes the sequel even better.

Consider Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA), this game was totally unlike the previous game. It was not a bad game, but I believe it to be a bad sequel since it carries the name of Super Mario.

I'll throw out... original Street Fighter and Street Fighter II.

[Bahamut]

Mega Man X3 was better than 1 and 2.

Pass me that joint you're smoking.

[Arek the Absolute]

lul
How did I figure Baha was going to say that.
Lufia two is far better than lufia one. Best example I can think of where a dev team took a game and completely 100% made it better.

[Shadow Wolf]

Pass me that joint you're smoking.

Q.
F.
E.

Don't you dare diss on MegaMan X. I will hunt your ass down and beat it with a nail studded bat. That's shit is my favorite game of all time.

[OverCoat]

The Rescuers Down Under ( ﾟ ヮﾟ)

As for videogames, obviously FF2 [speaking from an American standpoint. I'm talking about FF4 here, you weaboos] was a huge improvement over Final Fantasy 1, which is probably the most boring game I have ever played. I tried to be cool and shun the Final Fantasy games though. I still think all Japanese RPGs are boring as hell, but I've really warmed up to Nobuo's music, at least for the SNES Final Fantasies.

I also found Toejam and Earl 2 to be very fun. It's really nothing like the first game, but it still contains [and in a way enhances] the funk of the characters. Its music is also some of the highest quality you can find for the Genesis. The FM brass is so good.

[Ramaniscence]

I have to disagree with the Soul Calibur comment, the original SC is the clear front runner in that series, the additions only seem to serve to weaken it slightly, and im not sure why.

Soul Calibur was a sequal to Soul Edge, and a good sequal at that.

Soul Calibur 2 was an improvement on SC adding a lot of much-needed new moves, better strategies and timing, characters and levels. Lots of good stuff came out of SC2...

...then came SC3. Some stuff was good, some stuff was bad, a lot of stuff was broke as hell. New graphics? Nice. New elements? Cool. New characters? Ehh. New moves? ...bleh.

Apparently Soul Calibur III arcade fixed a lot of that, but I've only seen a machine once in my life (Monday, actually) and I didn't have any change to play it =\.

[Penfold]

Don't you dare diss on MegaMan X. I will hunt your ass down and beat it with a nail studded bat. That's shit is my favorite game of all time.

lol. Cuz, you know, someone actually said something bad about Megaman X.

Right, and back on track, Sonic 2 was way better than the first Sonic IMO (especially given that you couldn't connect Sonic The Hedgehog with Sonic and Knuckles).

[Ab56 v2 aka Ash]

No one's dissing Megaman X. I think the general consensus is that it was an awesome game. X3 just improved on it; tell me how it's worse.

And Bahamut smells.

[Jimmy Jazz]

Right, and back on track, Sonic 2 was way better than the first Sonic IMO (especially given that you couldn't connect Sonic The Hedgehog with Sonic and Knuckles).

Yes you could. You'd play the Blue Orbs special stages.

But yeah, I guess Sonic 2 was an improvement on the Original Sonic. Spin Dashes, Better Bosses and improved level layouts. Although you did have to put up with tails....

I suppose he wasn't really that annoying until sonic 3, though.

Oh, and Phantasy Star 2 > Phantasy Star.

[TaVeRnErO_RuDd]

i liked sonic 3 and knuckles more than all the previous sonic games

and sonic the hedgehog 1 holds a special place in my heart for being the first game i ever played

[NZman]

In many ways Donkey Kong Country 2 surpassed the original DKC.

[parasoul]

In many ways Donkey Kong Country 2 surpassed the original DKC.

DKC2 is also one of my favorite games for SNES, much more so than 1 or 3.

[Bahamut]

No one's dissing Megaman X. I think the general consensus is that it was an awesome game. X3 just improved on it; tell me how it's worse.

And Bahamut smells.

eyel keel yooooou!

Well, I don't disagree with X3 being better than X, but not X2 IMO. X3 is still a great game though.

[The Mac Attack]

In my opinion, the pinnacle of the series was the third one (possibly due to the addition of spot on voice talent). The fourth one was definitely a letdown and can possibly be labeled what happens when there are too many chefs in the kitchen. Let's just hope that Gilbert gets the go ahead to script #5 when it comes out.
How about Gabriel Knight or Broken Sword? Both excellent adventures with great sequels.

Yes - out of the Monkey Island series I have to say that I enjoyed third the most as well. My opinion on this may be somewhat inaccurate though, as three was actually the first one I played; thus making it a sort of 'first in the series' to which the rest are sequels, if that makes sense.

Regarding the relationship between the original and the second game, I felt that the end of the second game was just too much of a let down by comparison.

Gabriel Knight was a great example as well - I really got into the second much more than the first. The live-action elements seemed to mostly work, and I found the story to be much more interesting (mostly because I'm into classical music).

Some other examples which I think are generally accepted:

Super Smash Bros. Melee > Super Smash Bros.
Day of the Tentacle > Maniac Mansion

[Jimmy Jazz]

i liked sonic 3 and knuckles more than all the previous sonic games

Sonic 3 and Knuckles was amazing and probably the best sonic game ever, as long as you didn't go sonic and tails.

Firs game I ever played was Master System Sonic. Or maybe Alex the Kid.....

[Fire in the Hole]

DKC2 is also one of my favorite games for SNES, much more so than 1 or 3.

3 was actually pretty bad.

[NZman]

The Jak series has already been mentioned, but all three of Sony's major PS2 platformers really hit their stride by the second game.
-Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
-Sly 2: Band of Thieves
-Jak II

[Antipode]

As incredibly great of a game Wario Land was, I think 2 was honestly an improvement in every way. I loved the system where you take different "forms" from enemies like flat wario, on-fire wario, fat wario, and all of those and figure out what to do based on those. 3 honestly was a slight stepdown from 2 even though it was technically a better game simply because it didn't quite have the style right. The style and overall feel in 1, VB, and 2 was just excellent. 4 and wario ware is where they lost it and they haven't quite gotten it right since. Master of Disguise looks very promising and I hope they get back to that feel the old games had.

[TheLeviathan]

As Arek said, Lufia 2 was far superior to the first.

Also, although I haven't finished the 2nd yet, Shadow Hearts Covenant seems like it will be a better game than the first.

The 3rd Xenosaga also kicked it's predecessors asses big time, although I did enjoy the first 2 a lot.

[Gollgagh]

GTAIII was infinitely better than its predecessors.

[parasoul]

GTAIII was infinitely better than its predecessors.

I also believe that Liberty City Stories was better than GTA3, even though that's a prequel.

[Specter]

Um, Metal Gear to Metal Gear Solid, anyone? And of course MGS2 was better than 1, though I think MSG3:S is probably the best.

[bucky o'hare]

Um, Metal Gear to Metal Gear Solid, anyone? And of course MGS2 was better than 1, though I think MSG3:S is probably the best.
Within the first series too-
Metal Gear 2 MSX > Metal Gear (1) MSX/NES, by a longshot. ;)
Solid Snake, not to be confused with Snake's revenge, made the subsistence release all the more worth it.

[Ab56 v2 aka Ash]

eyel keel yooooou!

Well, I don't disagree with X3 being better than X, but not X2 IMO. X3 is still a great game though.

Ew sick, nobody said X2 was better than X.

[FiremanJoe]

Mario Party?
I've played all up to and including 5 - 4 had the gameplay sorted, but had too few minigames. 5 was shit. Overall, I give the prize to 1 and 3.
Donkey Kong Country?
1 was the best. Yes, 2 had some nice features and additions, but it doesn't quite beat 1 imo. 3 was quite poor tbh.
Worms series.. I'm not sure which I'd choose between Armageddon and World Party.

[Ab56 v2 aka Ash]

Eh? I've never heard anyone say that DKC is better than DKC2.

[OptimusShr]

Star Wars Rogue Leader was a HUGE improvement over Rogue Squadron.

Also MegaMan 2 had much easier difficulty, and started the formula that worked the best and has been done ever since.

[Bahamut]

Ew sick, nobody said X2 was better than X.

It is in almost every way though, except *maybe* the overall soundtrack.

[Gollgagh]

And of course MGS2 was better than 1,I politely contest that! though I think MSG3:S is probably the best.
but not this.

[lady zelda]

Mario Party?
I've played all up to and including 5 - 4 had the gameplay sorted, but had too few minigames. 5 was shit. Overall, I give the prize to 1 and 3.
Donkey Kong Country?
1 was the best. Yes, 2 had some nice features and additions, but it doesn't quite beat 1 imo. 3 was quite poor tbh.

I liked 1, but I personally thought 2 was better, though 3 topped it. Ultimately, I liked 4 the best. And then it all went downhill with 5, so I didn't bother with 6 and 7.

[Gamelore]

A fun question, as sequels are rarely better than the original due to the "cash-in" factor.


As for videogames, obviously FF2 [speaking from an American standpoint. I'm talking about FF4 here, you weaboos] was a huge improvement over Final Fantasy 1, which is probably the most boring game I have ever played. I tried to be cool and shun the Final Fantasy games though. I still think all Japanese RPGs are boring as hell, but I've really warmed up to Nobuo's music, at least for the SNES Final Fantasies.

I also found Toejam and Earl 2 to be very fun. It's really nothing like the first game, but it still contains [and in a way enhances] the funk of the characters. Its music is also some of the highest quality you can find for the Genesis. The FM brass is so good.

Totally disagree with FFIV > FF. FFIV was waaay more contextually restrictive. And why even bring up Toe Jam & Earl 2? It's not even in the same league as Toe Jam & Earl.

Sonic 2 was way better than the first Sonic

Huge Sonic 2 fan, but I have to disagree.

Oh, and Phantasy Star 2 > Phantasy Star.

Mildly disagree. Phantasy Star 2 had better music and a better interface, but the top-down dungeons were total mazes and mind-numbingly repetitive.

GTAIII was infinitely better than its predecessors.

Thank you. Finally something I agree with.

Herzog Zwei > Herzog
Warrior of Rome II > Warrior of Rome
Road Rash II > Road Rash
Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight > Dark Forces
Descent2 > Descent
Duke Nukem 3D > Duke Nukem 1 & 2

And as a controversial contribution:
Deus Ex: Invisible War > Deus Ex.

All of the problems with Deus Ex were fixed in the sequel. No more worrying about performing every task for "skill points" in a given area. No more worrying about ammo types. No more enemies that you aren't allowed to kill for no reason. Excellent grahpics and physics -- I must have spent half my time just stacking objects around for fun.

[Ajax]

I'd say that Seiken Sensetsu 3 was better than Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2) In terms of more interesting gameplay and a better game engine. Though the massibe nostalgia factor of SoM is nearly enough to put it on top of the list. I'd also take a gander to say that Both of those game were better than Seiken Densetsu 1 (Didn't it make a US release on the GB under the title of Final Fantasy Adventure?) Well despite their various US release titles, they are sequels...

[Bahamut]

I went back to Secret of Mana, and wow that was tedious shit. It definitely wasn't as good as I remembered though :( .

[Ajax]

I went back to Secret of Mana, and wow that was tedious shit. It definitely wasn't as good as I remembered though :( .

It's the nostalgia factor. According to my memory, I actually enjoyed casting the same spells over and over for hours to level up my magic to make all the bosses a peice of cake.

Funny how things are distorted through the lens of time like that...

[KWarp]

Kirby Superstar, 3rd of the traditional platform Kirby games, is by far the best Kirby game in the series. It had great length, variety, and fantastic copy abilities.

Kirby and the Amazing Mirror I would rate higher than Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland for similar reasons that KSS takes top honors of all Kirby games.

I prefer Sonic 2 to Sonic 1.

Smash Melee of course.

Mario Kart 64 > Super Mario Kart

[I-n-j-i-n]

I don't know. I generally regard most sequels as being much superior than their original.

Sure, we can have nostalgic twinges here and there, but I think that's the majority rule.

Though for something like Rare, where its glory days truly were in the past (not to diss them now, since they are still there and trying), or even for Nintendo when Miyamoto and crew were at their full swing where the past games were definitely better than their modern counterparts.

As for the reason why a lot of sequels don't live up to our expectations, it's because the same developers don't make the sequels. Actually, the FF6 -> FF7 argument is a good one. Not because of the battle system alone, but because just about ALL the major developers for FF6 made FF7. Though after that, a lot of development changes started happening and people started faulting FF games since FF8 more and more. Even with FFXII, a lot of gamers don't acknowledge it because the core FF development team did not make it, but the storied Tactics Ogre team.

I mean look at Nintendo games now. Miyamoto barely even touches any of them now, if at all. Koji Kondo only does "musical supervision" and not much of actual compositions. And the level designers, the artists, the actual programmers have hit the revolving door and they are now in other companies or have different roles in development now. That's why a lot of modern Nintendo games were really good games due to the influence of older development talent, or hit a snag because they were completely outsourced.

Then look at Bioware, which basically had the same core development personnel since the beginning. Similar could be said of Epic Games, Blizzard and a few others. But smaller American game development teams seems to stick to the few knowable development talent compared to the corporate atmosphere of Japanese game development.

And oh yeah, Sega used to be the best gaming company back in the day. When it actually existed as a venerable company.

[Atomic Dog]

As for games: Baten Kaitos: Origins (though be it a prequel) is in some ways better than the first Baten Kaitos game. It sure as heck wasn't bad, which is something you usually expect from sequels.


I don't know if it was "better" per se - but it was different, in a very very good way. They both had great, but unique qualities, which made them (imho) equally awesome.

BK and BKO are hands down my two favorite games for the Gamecube.

[Razumen]

As for the reason why a lot of sequels don't live up to our expectations, it's because the same developers don't make the sequels.

This is true, and also why I'll probably never see a good, Hexen 2 sequel from Ravensoft ever - even if Activision let them make one.

[weggy]

Ew sick, nobody said X2 was better than X.

I am damnit. I love X2 - I think its the best one.

As for my nomination? The X-Wing series. I think every reincarnation gets better and better (though XWvsTF had great multi, I did kinda miss a story mode)

[Cyanide cr MK]

Donkey Kong Country 2
SF3:3S
Every Zelda sequal
SSX Tricky

[Paratha]

I am damnit. I love X2 - I think its the best one.

Seconded.

Also, it's pretty safe to say that X5 is better than X4. Unless some people actually liked Iris or Double. X6 made Zero broken with his Z-buster and had even less story than usual. If the series wanted to make any real sense, it should have ended at X5.

[JoeFu]

I don't know if it was "better" per se - but it was different, in a very very good way. They both had great, but unique qualities, which made them (imho) equally awesome.

BK and BKO are hands down my two favorite games for the Gamecube.

Wow... I thought most people here hated that game other than me...

I really liked Baten Kaitos and I actually beat it. I usually don't beat my games because they get boring, but the battle system was awesome.

BK:O's battle system was really different, but I liked how much faster it was and the voice acting was like fifty times better than the first one.

I do like BK:O more than BK, but I still need to beat it.

[KeeSomething]

Donkey Kong Country 2
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Super Mario Bros. 3
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Final Fantasy X

Great sequels are rare, but even so, there are still a surprising ammount.

[watkinzez]

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

How did I forget this one? <3

[Arek the Absolute]

Maybe you guys should cut the X discussion.....before it gets into a "favorites" style thread.
Anyhow, agreed on everything KWarp said.

[parasoul]

I am damnit. I love X2 - I think its the best one.

As for my nomination? The X-Wing series. I think every reincarnation gets better and better (though XWvsTF had great multi, I did kinda miss a story mode)

Good point. To this day the best flight game I've played was TIE Fighter. It was far superior to X-Wing.

[Arek the Absolute]

That reminds me...I miss the lucas arts of old...the one that made so many bad ass games.

[Chickenwarlord]

Civ 2 was totally shown up by Alpha Centauri, which I still think is the best game in the Civ universe.
Eye of the Beholder 2 outshone its predecessor.
I miss the LucasArts that didn't cancel Full Throttle 2 and cast aside any attempt at adventure gaming as well.

[parasoul]

That reminds me...I miss the lucas arts of old...the one that made so many bad ass games.

They still make lots of good ones. Jedi Knight and KOTOR are 2 of my favorite series (been waiting like 4 years now for another Jedi Knight). Battlefront and Lego Star Wars 2 are also good. Of course, Galaxies and Empire at War are garbage...

I guess I wouldn't mind a big 3D version of Maniac Mansion though. Speaking of which, Day of the Tentacle was a sequel that was better than the original.

[bouncerboy15]

-Guitar Hero II
-Warcraft II
-Street Fighter II

Damn, I can't think of anymore.

[Chickenwarlord]

Lords of the Realm 2 was more fun (for me) than the first.
Star Control 2 as well.

[linkspast]

PS2



extra char

[AarowSwift]

Hmm. Devil May Cry 3 was better than Devil May Cry 1 (DMC 2 does not exist). Even if the younger Dante' does seriously need a backhand into a wall.

[Broken]

TI 83> TI 82, and I say that from experience, haha.

It's kind of hard to find an instance where one game in this series was head and shoulders above its sequel, but I'd say Tekken tag was the plateau in the series that Tekken three reached for, but couldn't attain.

I can't say much about four or five, however becuase I haven't really played either of them at all.

[Triad Orion]

Someone mentioned the X-Wing series, and I would have to agree. X-Wing was a phenomenal game for its time, and amazingly, TIE Fighter succeeded it in every way. As far as I'm concerned, TIE Fighter is still the definitive space-combat flight simulator.

X-Wing Vs. TIE Fighter was actually a bit of a step backwards. Multiplayer and Melee fights were a great deal of fun, but the lack of a story mode without Balance of Power (Which I sadly never found) really, really hurt the game. X-Wing Alliance fixed a lot of that nonsense though, thankfully. Lots of ships to fly, a really good story mode with challenging and fun missions, and a likeable cast of characters. One of the games greatest flaws was its lack of a real ending. TIE Fighter had a real ending, and I doubt it could've been more fufilling.

That being said, I was impressed with the step forward Civ4 was over Civ3. They took out everything that annoyed me and made the game even more like digital crack.

...And don't get me started on Blizzard. I'll never shut up.

[Gamelore]

...And don't get me started on Blizzard. I'll never shut up.

Hahahah... agreed. I never shut up about how WarCraft was a better game than WarCraft II. Then it just got crazy ridiculous with WarCraft III and World of WarCraft. *barf*

And the soft classes of Diablo I were vastly more enjoyable than the strict classes of Diablo II.

[Cyanide cr MK]

I wanted to post Mario World 2, but seriously. Super Mario World? Ive played that game through seriously over 50 times. That was the first game I got.

[I-n-j-i-n]

Hahahah... agreed. I never shut up about how WarCraft was a better game than WarCraft II. Then it just got crazy ridiculous with WarCraft III and World of WarCraft. *barf*

And the soft classes of Diablo I were vastly more enjoyable than the strict classes of Diablo II.

Ho, I disagree. Warcraft was like Dune 1. Great novelty, and amazing for its time. Play it now, and it's so pixelated, it's actually hard to see anything. Then came Dune 2 and Warcraft 2 which improved upon everything.

People bash Warcraft 3, but the whole four-side dynamic worked really well. And the hero aspect was interesting since you can do all sorts of crazy ambushes with a single unit. I mean, that hero unit thing was what made Total Annihilation so great with the commanders. Then it gets bashed by people. Maybe it was too complex a game for its own good. It's definitely not as easy to get into compared to the other Warcraft and Starcraft games. More nuances with the resource and hero leveling.

[KWarp]

They still make lots of good ones. Jedi Knight and KOTOR are 2 of my favorite series (been waiting like 4 years now for another Jedi Knight). Battlefront and Lego Star Wars 2 are also good. Of course, Galaxies and Empire at War are garbage...

They're also too stupid to develop a Wii lightsaber game despite massive consumer interest.

Super Bomberman 2 > most Bomberman games
F-Zero GX

[watkinzez]

They still make lots of good ones. Jedi Knight and KOTOR are 2 of my favorite series (been waiting like 4 years now for another Jedi Knight). Battlefront and Lego Star Wars 2 are also good. Of course, Galaxies and Empire at War are garbage...

I guess I wouldn't mind a big 3D version of Maniac Mansion though. Speaking of which, Day of the Tentacle was a sequel that was better than the original.

I get the feeling LucasArts doesn't have an in house development studio anymore. All their titles seem to have been outsourced (Bioware, Traveller's Tales, Raven). Is there any of the old talent left?

[Sega.]

Mario Party?
I've played all up to and including 5 - 4 had the gameplay sorted, but had too few minigames. 5 was shit. Overall, I give the prize to 1 and 3.
Donkey Kong Country?
1 was the best. Yes, 2 had some nice features and additions, but it doesn't quite beat 1 imo. 3 was quite poor tbh.
Worms series.. I'm not sure which I'd choose between Armageddon and World Party.

Armageddon is more updated thanks to Team17, so Armageddon

[Nario]

Chrono Cross > Chrono Trigger (even though the gameplay in CT is better)
Xenogears > Xenosaga (XS's story was drawn out oh-so unnecessarily, even though it's awesome when all placed together)
Kingdom Hearts II > Kingdom Hearts (even though the Synthesis Shop in KH1 was more enjoyable)
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door > Paper Mario (even though PM is nostalgic, has better music, and has more memorable locations)
Donkey Kong Country 3 > Donkey Kong Country 2 > Donkey Kong Country (even though DKC2 has one of the best soundtracks ever)
(film) Toy Story 2 > Toy Story

[Arek the Absolute]

lolololol
xenogears came before xenosaga

waaaay before

[andyjayne]

F-Zero GX
I have to disagree. That game is a landmark in my gaming upsets. F-Zero X is one of my all time favourite games and so F-Zero GX's new style of controls, gameplay and direction really upset me. I have given it enough chances but whenever I play F-Zero X it reminds me of what an amazing game it is in comparison. Most people I know that have both games prefer F-Zero X by far yet F-Zero GX was so well received.

Edit: Also F-Zero X's soundtrack is one of my all time favourites.

[Jimmy Jazz]

Xenogears > Xenosaga (XS's story was drawn out oh-so unnecessarily, even though it's awesome when all placed together)

As well as xenogears comming out way before Xenosaga (as Arek said), Xenosaga wasn't even an official sequel (or prequel) to Xenogears.

[Bahamut]

I used to have F-Zero X, GX, and GX simply blows it away in almost every way (excepting the soundtrack, and that X had the death race mode).

[andyjayne]

I used to have F-Zero X, GX, and GX simply blows it away in almost every way (excepting the soundtrack, and that X had the death race mode).
What about the X-Cup?

Maybe it's because I rarely play any single player games but I really found that the multi player in F-Zero GX wasn't fun and often resulted in people getting frustrated with the controls. I can't really say anything about the single player as I only did the first mission.

[Bahamut]

What about the X-Cup?

Maybe it's because I rarely play any single player games but I really found that the multi player in F-Zero GX wasn't fun and often resulted in people getting frustrated with the controls. I can't really say anything about the single player as I only did the first mission.

Well, my friends and I found multiplayer great, but it's more for the people who have got into the one player mode - it really rewards the hardcore players of the game since they're used to all the nuances of the difficulty. If you go straight into multiplayer, and face someone who beat the Diamond Cup, it's like going into Guitar Hero playing for the first time and playing someone who beat Bark At The Moon on the hardest difficulty - it's complete rape.

[Bobwillis]

Saturn Bomberman >Super Bomberman 2 > most Bomberman games

I mus fill out the reqested leetttterz

[Raziellink]

Double Dragon 2 for NES....The original wasen't bad at all, but the moves were improved, sound/graphics were better, and best of all, the simultanious two-player mode. Awesome. Can't count the amount of time i spent with that with my brother.

[CE]

I used to have F-Zero X, GX, and GX simply blows it away in almost every way (excepting the soundtrack, and that X had the death race mode).

Death Race was fucking amazing. I wish GX had it :[

[Effef]

Kingdom Hearts 2 > Kingdom Hearts 1

[Global-Trance]

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner :D

[Speaker for the Dead]

What about Mega Man 2 (since I'm forcing myself not to bring up the MMX debate again)? Kenji Inafune himself said it was the best Mega Man game he made, and he's constantly striving to make one that was as good, if not better. Greatest of the Mega Man Original series music, most popular boss weapon (Metal Blade), and usually is the one game that other Mega Man fanatics play that hooks them to the series

I also think Mega Man Zero 2 was better than the first, though the 3rd and 4th weren't quite as good.

And whoever said Spider-Man 2 (the movie) was better than the first needs to watch the two again. The first was better.

[Jimmy Jazz]

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner :D

Ahh... good point. Forgot about that one.

[Jimmy Jazz]

I also think Mega Man Zero 2 was better than the first, though the 3rd and 4th weren't quite as good.

And whoever said Spider-Man 2 (the movie) was better than the first needs to watch the two again. The first was better.

*politely disagrees with you*

I preffer Zero 3 to any of the other megaman zero games (although I haven't played 1).

Spiderman 2 was better, but I can't say why just now.

[OptimusShr]

most powerful boss weapon (Metal Blade),

Fixed.

Most people think Spider-Man 2 was better because the movie took what the first did right, and did it better. Same with the game. It took elements from the first game and improved upon it.

[CE]

And whoever said Spider-Man 2 (the movie) was better than the first needs to watch the two again. The first was better.

No it wasn't.

[MisterBiggler]

Guitar Hero 2 over Guitar Hero as far as game features and mechanics are concerned. I think the track list is better overall in the first game, but GH2 still had a lot of great songs.

[Triad Orion]

I prefer Zero 3 to any of the other megaman zero games (although I haven't played 1).


Yeah, that's what I felt about the series too. Zero 3 eliminated the annoying function of leveling up your weapons, and the chip system just felt more intuitive for upgrades than the Form System from Zero 2 or the Junk System from Zero 4. I felt Zero 3 was the most streamlined of the games, the least irritating, and overall presented the greatest performance. In my opinion, I felt Zero 4 was a major step backwards for the series after Zero 3.

And personally, to make my point about Blizzard earlier, I personally felt that WarCraft III was the best entry into that particular series. It added a StarCraft-like balance between the races that I very much enjoyed over the virtual mirror images of Orcs and Humans from WarCraft II.

As for Diablo, part of me likes elements from the original more than the sequel, but I'd largely consider Diablo II to be the better game in most respects. My greatest irritation with Diablo II was how hard it was to play on higher difficulties on Single Player and that you couldn't retrain your skills if you hit a wall. If you could refund your Skill Points for a fee, I think it would've done a lot for the game. It definitely would've made the late game more accessible.

[Cerrax]

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner :D

I have to disagree. I felt that the throw ability in ZOE2 was gimmicky and not really a step up. Obvious boosts in graphics and sound aside, the core gameplay was pretty much the same. The addition of the sub weapons actually doing something was nice, but it still was just a hack-and-slash mech game. You can beat the whole game with Square and R2. Plus the multiplayer actually felt slower than ZOE1. I much prefer ZOE over ZOE2.

[Blackwinged Saron]

i've been relatively disappointed with a lot of sequels:

Halo 2
all the DDR's
Star Wars (even though they are PREquels)
Exitebike
Mariokart
Zeldas for gameboys
the Bourne tilogy
Mission Impossible 2&3
most Disney sequels

but some i have found extremely well done:

City Slickers 2
the Terminator trilogy
original Star Wars
Harry Potter
Mario 3&World
DKC 2&3
3D Zeldas
Metroid
Soul Calibur 2&3
the Wii

[FiremanJoe]

DKC 2&3
Get off my forum.

...=P


the Wii
Hmm, do consoles count as 'sequels'? Personally I don't see the Wii as a 'sequel' to the GameCube, nor is the DS a sequel to the GBA.
Also, imo it's yet to truly prove itself. Needs to be out for about 12 months, get some really good games released, hardware pushed harder, etc.

[I-n-j-i-n]

DKC2 is probably the best platformer I ever played, ever. Even more so than any Mario game ever. Challenging, with lots of things to collect, lot of fast paced techniques, ridiculously great music, visuals that doesn't age, etc etc. Not to mention some of the most memorable level design in any game. Just ingenious.

[Secret Agent Man]

the Terminator trilogy
The second one was really great, but the third one pretty much threw the plot from the first two movies out the window; while it had a decent action scene or two, it was a really long, boring movie overall.

"But Mr. Arnold, didn't we stop Judgement Day from happening by destroying that lab and--"

"Judgement Day is unavoidable; there's nothing you can do to stop it!!!1"

[Nutritious]

They still make lots of good ones. Jedi Knight and KOTOR are 2 of my favorite series (been waiting like 4 years now for another Jedi Knight).

I agree on the Jedi Knight Series
Dark Forces < Jedi Knight < Jedi Outcase (JK2) - which had great online competitive play.

Then Jedi Academy came out which was basically a graphics upgrade (with a few new moves) to JK2 and should've been an add-on IMO. It even had some of the same bugs in the gameplay from it's predicessor. I don't consider it an improvement. Haven't heard if they'll ever make a new game in the Jedi Knight series either...

[Xbob42]

The Zelda series as a whole. I don't care what anyone says, each one continually claims my all time favorite Zelda game. I loved Wind Waker more than OoT, but I guess I owe it to the fact that I was like, one out of the five people in the universe who absolutely adored the Great Sea. I found sailing to be epic and awesome. Shut up. I liked it.

Then came Twilight Princess and stole that away from me and made Zelda even more awesome. And although it was close, Wind Waker still holds my favorite boss battle (and boss battle finisher) of all time for any game. Though for actual ending, the original Kingom Hearts still wins there. But KH2 is definitely better than the first for me.

Here are my sequels that do beat their predecessors:

Zelda > Zelda before it.

Kingdom Hearts 2 > Kingdom Hearts

Resident Evil 4 > Resident Evil (Remake, 0 and 3) Though I disagree with everyone about the tank controls being bad. I love those controls in the old REs, the ACTION is what made RE4 better, not the controls. Again, shut up. (I said shut up!)

Pikmin 2 > Pikmin

Final Fantasy XI and XII > X and X-2, but not IX. Though none of them best 2/3 (American 2/3. I don't give a shit what the real numbers are, the first Japanese 3 were boring as hell anyway.)

Super Smash Bros. Melee > Super Smash Bros.

Super Mario 64 > Super Mario World

Super Mario Sunshine > Super Mario 64 (Once again, shut up! I thought Sunshine did everything right and loved F.L.U.D.D. Jetpack > All.)

Girls Gone Wild: Slutty Prom Whores > Girls Gone Wild: Slutty Whore Migets

[avaris]

Lufia2 and Zone of Enders 2 are prob the best sequels(Lufia2 is obviously a prequel) in terms of improving 100% on every aspect of the game.

I def agree with Cerrax about Vampire Hunter D.

End of Evangelion > The ending for the TV series (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Suikoden 5 > Suikoden 4

Ogre Battle 64 > Ogre Battle

Also Reason 3.0 is def better than 2.5...:) I can't believe everyone forgot about all the music software!

[DiLEWSKI311]

Super Mario 64 > Super Mario World




r u teh srs?

[SargeSmash]

Dragon Warrior 2 was much better than Dragon Warrior.
Dragon Warrior 3 and 4 were better than Dragon Warrior 2.
Dragon Quest 6 was better than Dragon Quest 5.

Also, Shadow Hearts: Covenant IS much better than Shadow Hearts. Haven't finished the first, have finished the second, so that speaks volumes for me.

Tecmo Super Bowl was better than Tecmo Bowl.

Mega Man 2 was better than Mega Man. It was NOT, in my opinion, bested by 3. My favorites in that series were 2 and 5. There's almost a trilogy aspect going there, with the pre- and post-charge shot era of the original NES games. The second in those sets were the best to me.

Thanks to whoever said Link's Awakening beat Link to the Past!

Star Ocean 2 was better than Star Ocean.

Lufia 2, heck yeah! WAAAAAY better than the first.
Breath of Fire 4 was better than BOF3.
Castlevania 2 was better than Castlevania.
Dawn of Sorrow was better than Aria of Sorrow.
Dodanpachi was better than Donpachi.
Capcom vs. SNK 2 was better than CvS.
Ditto for MvC2.

I'm sure there's some good ones I'm leaving out, and some of these have probably already been mentioned.

Sarge out.

[Petara]

Also, Shadow Hearts: Covenant IS much better than Shadow Hearts. Haven't finished the first, have finished the second, so that speaks volumes for me.

Sarge out.

Yeah, man.

Shadow Hearts: meh
Covenant: Hooray!
From the New World: Woohoo!

Judge those last two responses however you will.

[linkspast]

Starwars 4,5,6 is much better than 1,2,3.

[lady zelda]

Kill Bill Vol. 2 > Kill Bill Vol. 1 (though I love both)

[Raziellink]

Girls Gone Wild: Slutty Prom Whores > Girls Gone Wild: Slutty Whore Migets


Alright, cool.


Wait, wut?!