Surprising Sequels

Sequels are a tricky business, considering the fickle nature of gamers. If developers release a follow-up that sticks too closely to the original, they risk being called out for delivering more of the same. At the same time, problems can also arise when sequels stray too far from a game’s original concept.

With that in mind, we’re taking a look at a few sequels that went in wildly different directions from their predecessors. Sometimes these changes worked, and other times they didn’t.

Sonic Adventure
Sonic dipped his red sneakers into free-roaming 3D in this Dreamcast game, which has defined the character ever since. At this point in the series’ life, Sega decided to focus on Sonic’s dizzying speed. Sure, he’s always been a quick little devil, but his early games were excellent platformers as well. With Sonic Adventure, the devs transitioned into simpler levels that had a “press up to win” feel. The sense of exploration and branching paths that earlier games offered was gone, and the series has struggled to regain its footing ever since.

Tony Hawk: Ride
You can’t blame Activision for trying. The Tony Hawk brand had been languishing for some time and Guitar Hero was still red hot, so it made a little bit of sense to release a peripheral-based installment of the skateboarding series. Unfortunately, the gameplay suffered, thanks to the wonky input that the board offered. For a game with a long heritage built on combos and precision, this was unforgivable.

Xenosaga: Episode II
Namco had ambitious plans for Xenosaga, which was originally envisioned as a six-part epic. Fans enjoyed the complicated story and equally complex battle system of the original, but the over-simplified Xenosaga II was targeted at newcomers instead of RPG veterans. Additionally, the characters were redesigned and voice actors for key characters were replaced. Namco Bandai was able to offer some course-correction in the third installment, but by then it was too late. The project ended with Xenosaga III, leaving fans wondering what could have been.

Valkyrie Profile 2
The combat system in Tri-Ace’s Valkyrie Profile encouraged players to experiment with timing and chain attacks to maximize damage. Lenneth’s followers were also given brief introductory vignettes, establishing their personalities and backstories. Those elements were either changed or removed entirely in the sequel; most of the unique, interesting party members were replaced with generic archetypes. In addition, battles had more in common with grid-based tactical games than traditional RPGs.

Devil May Cry 2
Devil May Cry’s Dante was a bit of a smart aleck, but more importantly he was likeable. Capcom decided to take an edgier route for the sequel, turning him into a more tortured hero. That would have been a little more forgivable if he still had the gaming chops to back it up. Regrettably, the dial-a-combo flexibility from the first game was reduced, and more of an emphasis was put on fighting ranged and flying enemies – exposing a weakness in the game’s targeting system.

Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
Castlevania was a fairly standard side-scrolling adventure game with a great setting and set of weapons. The sequel added RPG elements to the mix, such as nonlinear exploration and leveling up, along with a night and day cycle. The result was something that continues to influence the series—and games in general. There’s a reason the “vania” is part of that awful Metroidvania portmanteau.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
The second Zelda game is generally regarded as being the weakest entry in the series, but it’s not a bad game by any means. It’s punishingly difficult – unfairly so, at times – but it has a lot to like. The side-scrolling dungeons are usually cited as being the game’s biggest break from tradition, but the RPG elements deserve more attention. They’re simple by today’s standards, but for many console players of the era, this game was their first brush with leveling up a character.

Star Fox Adventures
Rare’s third-person action game was originally intended to be a completely standalone title called Dinosaur Planet. Nintendo pushed the Star Fox license onto the game, adding some flight sections but largely retaining the game’s story about a planet filled with, well, dinosaurs. A similar strategy had been used several times before, most notably with the Japanese game Doki Doki Panic getting reskinned with Mario characters and renamed Super Mario Bros. 2 in the West. It didn’t work as well with Star Fox. The game was panned for slapping the license on a game that bore little resemblance to its predecessors, even if it was fun. Apparently, people wanted to see more of Fox McCloud, space pilot, and less Fox McCloud, staff-wielding dinosaur helper.

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
The first Street Fighter game featured two playable characters, Ken and Ryu, and a host of AI controlled opponents. For the sequel, Capcom realized the potential with multiplayer fights. The playable roster was increased to a total of eight warriors from across the globe, and a phenomenon was born. The game packed in bonus stages, detailed graphics, and a ton of special moves, spawning a host of imitators.