Sequels That Suck

It happens all of the time. A company gets a huge hit for a video game and they can’t wait to make the same kind of money again as soon as possible. So they release a “new” game that hardly changes anything and isn’t really worth the plastic it’s covered in. Let’s just review a few of these and how their name is now tarnished thanks to all-too-ambitious developers sucking the well of a great game dry by coming out with too many sequels (make that suk-quels).

The number one culprit of running the well dry would have to be Capcom. They’ve made some of the most absurd sequels known to gamer history. One nearly has to name a number and there is a probably a Mega Man associated with it. Was it necessary for Mega Man to keep fighting the same robots after Mega Man 4? Sure, he could charge his cannon and had a bird that would murder things, but it is basically the same old, same old. It got repetitive and the love that was in the first few Mega Man games are nowhere to be found.

Unfortunately, that is not the only series. The Zelda games, while critically acclaimed, do suffer the same fate. The first few Zelda games were revolutionary for their respective eras, and up to Ocarina of Time they took the bar and set it at whatever height they pleased. Now though, Zelda: Twilight Princess game can be boiled down to the same heart pieces, three initial dungeons followed by eight more dungeons then a boss fight against Ganon. There is probably a hook shot or metal boots involved, too. It’s a sad state of affairs, but sequels have run this series as dry as Gerudo Desert.

Yet, these sequels sell no matter how bad they are for the sheer nostalgic factor. Look at the people lined up to purchase the new roster update called “Madden” every August. Not to mention the sheer embarrassment that is Final Fantasy X-2. Finally, a true sequel to a Final Fantasy game and it is full of girls who love to change costumes. Not exactly the dark, serious storyline most are used to, but they gave it a shot. Well, as good a shot as Tidus playing Blitzball with no legs could.

Another fine example of how a sequel sucked the life out of an instant classic is the Perfect Dark series. Perfect Dark was one of the finest games made for the N64, and fans’ clamoring for a sequel was deafening. Rare heard the cries and did what any money-hungry developer would do: create a sequel. It was met with mixed reviews, and the once god-like game of Perfect Dark revealed that, yes, it is just another game and nothing special.

Sequels are part of the media business, but it’s a shame that so many are rushed just for the sake of money. Succubus-like in their own way, poor sequels suck all the love you had for the original game. Sequels are a way to dip into the old well of a successful past; but once a developer runs that well dry, the only thing left to do with is destroy it, fill it in, and bury it forever so babies don’t fall in.