Best first sequel?

M

Matlock

Banned
So what about it? What games have gone from trash to treasure in the span of a game? What series started off pretty damn shoddily, but became a classic when the second game came out?

My submission to this thread is Street Fighter 2, for obvious reasons.
 
Mega Man 2 would be another Capcom choice.
Although I wouldn't exactly call Mega Man 1 "shoddy". But 2 was just so much better.
 
Darkstalkers, Street Fighter 3, Street Fighter Alpha, Capcom vs SNK, Marvel vs Capcom... pretty much any Capcom fighting series.

For further proof, see Capcom Fighting Evolution.
 
Maximo 2

The sequel skips the OLD SKOOL difficulty (and allows players to save painlessly), and focuses on the success of the series, Ghosts N' Goblins in 3-D!
 
Final Fantasy 2 (us).

Although that doesn't really count.

Otherwise, I'd second Street Fighter 2. 1 was crap. 2 was the most influential fighting game of all time.
 
sureshooting said:
POPWW
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No.

For a second, just a second, we'll forget about the original PoP. And PoP2. And PoP 3D.

The Sands of Time is a far cry from what I'd call shoddy, but it's a far more accurate description than to call Warrior Within a classic.
 
BuddyChrist83 said:
No.

For a second, just a second, we'll forget about the original PoP. And PoP2. And PoP 3D.

The Sands of Time is a far cry from what I'd call shoddy, but it's a far more accurate description than to call Warrior Within a classic.
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But WW had realistic putdowns.
 
Oh yeah, and Splatterhouse 2.

Better graphics, better gameplay, and awesome music.

Can't beat it with a baseball bat!
 
Most of the submissions here had pretty good prequels though.... if you're looking for something that went from crap to gold, I think only Street Fighter, Dark Cloud and ZOE really apply so far.

I'd also suggest Herzog Zwei (the first MSX Herzog was a medicore shooter iirc, the sequel on Genesis was arguably the game that gave birth to the RTS genre).
 
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner

I liked the first game more than most people, but the second one really is leaps and bounds better than the first.
 
Street Fighter II & Fatal Fury 2.
Those two original games were some of the worst playing games (you practically had to pray for special moves to come out when you wanted to pull them off), but both sequels were two of the best playing fighters of that generation.
 
I wouldn't say that the originals were trash but their sequels were better and further expanded the franchise very positvely.

SONIC 2
SUPER METROID
R.B.I. 2
ROAD RASH 2
VIRTUA FIGHTER 2
PANZER DRAGOON DWEI
TOMB RAIDER 2
VIRTUA COP 2
RALLYSPOPT 2
PROJECT GOTHAM RACING 2
HALO 2
MS. PACMAN


Theres more but I can't think ofthem right now.
 
bjork said:
Phantasy Star II
Street of Rage 2
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I agree about Streets of Rage to Steets of Rage 2, but the original Phantasy Star was a classic. one of the all-time best RPGs. the first true console RPG released in the United States.
 
The sequel skips the OLD SKOOL difficulty (and allows players to save painlessly), and focuses on the success of the series, Ghosts N' Goblins in 3-D!
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Funny, that's why I thought it was a poor follow-up. G'n'G games are supposed to be old school hard. Maximo 2 was G'n'G for Dummies.

That's what I've hated about this generation, if it was too old school/fantasy/cartoony the first time, when the sequel comes around it is dumbed down for the people who didn't buy the previous game or cried because it was too hard or lacked a "dark/realistic" image.

Shining Force is too hard/old school as a turn-based strategy game, so Sega makes the new one an action RPG for PS2 noobs. PoP wasn't "edgy" enough, so now he swears, sounds more like Solid Snake and sports some tats. I'm sure Ninja Gaiden 2 is next in line to be struck with the gimp stick, perhaps they'll add a "win" buttton.

Personally, I have great respect for developers who stick to their guns and don't water their games for easier play or marketablity to the casual market.
 
I'm going to have to throw Tekken 2, Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando, and Halo 2 in the fray... And now that I give it more thought (as I type), can't forget Soul Calibur, Mortal Kombat 2, Mario Kart 64, Virtua Fighter 2, and Resident Evil 2.

I'm sure more will come to mind, but I'm gonna cut myself off with those.
 
Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram is one of the most radically different sequels I can think of. Definitely a huge leap.

I'd also suggest Herzog Zwei (the first MSX Herzog was a medicore shooter iirc, the sequel on Genesis was arguably the game that gave birth to the RTS genre).
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Yes
 
Desperado said:
Sonic 2
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... is the game that made me stop playing the main series.

I love Sonic the Hedgehog. It is simply magical everytime. And I'd put it in my top 10 games of all time. Sonic 2, OTOH, bored me to tears and killed my passion.
 
Race Drivin', sequel to Hard Drivin' had me by the balls for years. The greatest arcade driving game EVAR. I still get chills thinking about making the corkscrew and the hill of death in the Stunt Course.

Incredible driving experience, surpassing anything that have come out since, even with it's flat shaded low golygon graphics.
 
I will be trashed, I know, but...

Sonic Adventure 2: It was in another league graphically, it removed the boring-as-hell adventure fields and Amy and Big stages. The gameplay in the Sonic and shooting stages was greatly refined, and only the Knuckles levels were a little worsened. I know many people think otherwise, but they are wrong :)

I would also add:

Space Channel 5 Part 2: Fixed everything which was wrong in the first game. A responseive control, real-time but better graphics, more varied music, etc.
 
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