Top 15 Games That Need Sequels
Throughout the years, gamers have been blessed with a myriad of classic games. Some have since gone on to become hit franchises that crank out a new installment every single year, while others saw brief success with one iteration and were then never seen or heard of again. There are plenty of excellent games that were never given a second chance, and that's why myself and Game Rant's own Kyle Matthews have teamed up to summarize which games we feel are in need of a follow-up.
With E3 2013 less than a week away, here's a list of the top 15 games that we feel need sequels.
15. Battletoads
Few games have reached the kind of crazy cult following Battletoads has. Since its 1991 release on the Nintendo Entertainment System, countless players have tried to complete it and failed. To this day, I don’t know a single person who has finished the two-player mode. The game is widely known for its staggering difficulty, and has often been the subject of many Internet memes and inside jokes between gamers.
Before Rare was resigned to making Kinect titles for Microsoft, they churned out over 40 games for the NES by the time Battletoads was released. Since then, it’s been nearly 20 years since Super Battletoads in 1994 - and we are well overdue for a franchise update.
14. Commander Keen
Before id Software was synonymous with first-person shooters, they redefined the platformer genre on PC, which for years was struggling to keep up with consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System. Commander Keen changed all that, putting designers like Tom Hall on the map. Before parting ways with id Software in 1994, Hall designed seven games in the series, several of which received an incredible amount of attention.
If you were a kid growing up in the 1990s, chances are you played this game. After 20 years and numerous fan games, we think it’s about time Hall went back and made an honest-to-goodness sequel to the beloved franchise.
13. Jet Force Gemini
Widely regarded as one of the most unique and innovative games on the Nintendo 64, Rare’s Jet Force Gemini drew inspiration from the likes of Star Wars, Super Metroid and Quake. While it didn’t quite live up to the hype leading up to its release in the fall of 1999, it succeeded in amassing a sizable cult following, and is still praised for its ambition and scope.
Unfortunately, Jet Force Gemini is one of those games that could only have been made by Rare, for a Nintendo system, and thus would require a lot of convincing for a proper sequel to be made.
12. Castle Crashers
One of the most revered and critically successful indie games of all-time is Castle Crashers. Whether it's a result of the title's four-player co-op, wacky humor, or depth of unlockables, there's something truly special about The Behemoth's previous title and it's the single most deserving downloadable game worthy of having a sequel. While Battleblock Theatre proved to be a fun distraction, there's something all too alluring about the possibility of Castle Crashers 2.
The game's not completely off the table yet, as the studio's project manager Emil Ayoubkhan said "it’s always a good idea to never say never," regarding a sequel to CC. We don't really care what The Behemoth calls it, but we fear that fans may be waiting a long time for more multi-colored knights to take up their swords to go on a new venture.
11. Primal Rage
There were plenty of good fighting games that hit arcades, but none were more enjoyable in many gamers' eyes than Primal Rage. This action-packed fighter was made so much fun by the fact that users would battle one another as colossal beasts on a mission to conquer the world. The title was later ported to the SNES, SEGA Saturn, and the PlayStation, and was so popular that Primal Rage comic books, action figures, and even a board game made their way to market.
As it turns out a Primal Rage 2 was actually planned by Atari, but was later scrapped despite having a near-finished build almost ready to ship. After all this time, it'd be great to see Diablo the fire breathing tyrannosaurus go head-to-head with Blizzard the snow ape one last time, but with Atari in a state of financial dismay it doesn't look good.
10. Pokemon Snap
In what many still consider the best Pokemon spin-off to-date, Pokemon Snap took fans out of the role of a trainer and made them photographers. While the premise itself sounds incredibly lame, the execution of this on-rails shooter was one of the easiest games in the series to just pick up and play, making for plenty of incentive to try to best previous Pocket Monster photos.
Snapping pictures of recognizable and iconic monsters in their natural habitat gave gamers a better look at what wild Pokemon did other than hangout in waste-high grass awaiting capture. With the gyroscopic capabilities of both the Wii U GamePad and the 3DS, there's little doubt that a sequel would work all too well.
9. Red Dead Redemption
Not many games have been able to pull off the ruggedness of the Wild West like Red Dead Redemption has. Heralded as one of the best games in recent memory, Rockstar managed to hit a home run with the revamped IP when it launched back in 2010, and a return to the world that built John Marston is something any gamer would love to see.
Roaming the countryside on horseback, putting down bandits, and hogtying innocent pedestrians to railroad tracks are only a small number of options in Red Dead. With the next generation of consoles just around the corner, the prospect of a new installment in the franchise on the Xbox One or PS4 has us running for the hills.
8. Space Station Silicon Valley
Many gamers are likely unfamiliar with Space Station Silicon Valley, which is completely reasonable given the lack of relevancy the property has had in the past decade. Developed by Rockstar North (formerly DMA Design) and considered by many to be one of the most unique and enjoyable titles on the Nintendo 64, this is easily one of the most memorable games of all-time.
The basic premise of the game featured a robot capable of jumping into the cyborg bodies of animals that had (over 1,000 years) fused with technology aboard a space-bound zoo of sorts. After assisting an animal in meeting its demise, players could take control of the creature — effectively accomplishing a number of new challenges and tasks. We're not sure where a new entry in the series would end up, but we'd be content even if the original reared its head on the Wii U Virtual Console.
7. L.A. Noire
The detective-centric L.A. Noire managed to impress many a gamer when it released back in 2011, and it left many fans wanting more after its stint with success. While a sequel would be almost a given with any other game this popular, the closure of title's developer, Team Bondi, has brought into question the future of the IP.
With the Xbox One and PS4 set to hit retailers later this year, now is as good of a time as any to bring back L.A. Noire — this time powered by next-gen hardware. Heck, Rockstar could even give the game a new setting (NYC Noire sounds good to us), we just need to dress up in our snazzy 1940's garb and start solving crimes as soon as possible.
6. Conker's Bad Fur Day
Rare's notoriously vulgar red squirrel has been in need of a direct sequel to Conker's Bad Fur Day ever since the original made its debut on the Nintendo 64. The incredibly entertaining dialogue, coupled with rock-solid platforming mechanics, and wide array of locales made for one of the best mature-rated games to ever come from a Nintendo-owned developer.
Now that Microsoft has its claws firmly sunk into Rare and all of its properties, the most gamers have seen of Conker arrived in the form of a remake called Conker: Live and Reloaded. While entertaining, this Xbox-exclusive didn't manage to impress and simply left many longing for a true sequel. With reports of a "historic" Rare IP coming to Xbox One, however, fans may yet see a true sequel to the N64 classic.
5. Super Mario RPG
Leave it to Nintendo to take an existing genre and turn it into something unique and beautiful. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is a standout title that brought the world of Mario to life in a way that was never done before. The unique gameplay helped introduce a generation of young gamers to JRPGs, while also making something fresh and exciting.
Today the game commands outrageous prices among collectors, despite selling well enough to spawn the likes of Paper Mario and similar RPG-style spiritual sequels. However, while Paper Mario is beloved in its own right, a direct sequel to the SNES smash hit would be a dream come true for countless fans.
4. Mirror's Edge
Almost too radical for its own good, Mirror’s Edge set a benchmark in immersion when it leaped onto the scene in 2008. While the innovative first-person platformer didn’t do as well as EA had hoped, developer DICE has been dropping hints and easter eggs, reminding the world that Mirror’s Edge still exists.
Recently there's been some serious development, with several online retailers posting product listings for the game on next-gen consoles, but the best fans can do at the moment is hope that these signs lead to something... and try to beat some of the ridiculous times set by passionate players who still play it competitively. The look and feel of the game hasn’t aged poorly, but many will agree that when it comes to much needed sequels, Mirror’s Edge is a no-brainer.
3. Psychonauts
There are many cult-classic game titles that are viewed as an underdog, something to be cheered on and respected for daring to do something different in the face of its predecessors, and Psychonauts is no different.
Released in 2005 by Tim Schafer’s development house Double Fine Productions, the otherwise typical 3D platformer takes cues from the likes of Banjo-Kazooie, with an interesting plot and fascinating characters that help set the game apart from other titles in the genre. Psychonauts is the patron saint of overlooked game-changers, and has been aching for a sequel for a long time.
2. Beyond Good and Evil
It doesn’t take more than a few minutes for most gamers to realize Beyond Good & Evil is special, if somewhat flawed. Ubisoft released it in 2003, dropping it smack dab into an industry which even then was chock full of first-person shooters, and players stood up and took notice - though, some long after others.
Beyond Good and Evil’s whimsical surface quickly gives way to dark notions, questionable truths, vastly engaging characters and a living, breathing world. It was originally envisioned as a trilogy, but the success of Ubisoft’s other franchises has put it on the backburner, at least for now.
1. Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64 stands as the best single-player Mario title of all-time to many gamers, and very few are likely to dispute that fact. Originally launched alongside the Nintendo 64 in 1996, this game revolutionized the platforming genre — effectively bringing side-scrollers into a 3D realm. The immense success has set a standard for platformers and inspired a number of other games on this list.
Since the release of Super Mario 64, Nintendo has gone on to release several other 3D Mario titles, but these have felt more like spiritual successors rather than true sequels. All fans want is to run around Princess Peach's massive castle and jump through paintings one more time. With a new Super Mario game scheduled to be revealed during this year's E3, the possibility of gamers receiving a true follow-up may finally be in reach for Wii U owners.
Conclusion
There it is, a list of the top 15 games that we feel need sequels. There are certainly more games that have yet to see sequels that are more than deserving of one, but these are ones we felt were the most deserving. Several developers have already hinted that they may reveal a few follow-ups during E3 2013, so stay tuned to Game Rant for updates on any announcements made during the big event.
Which games do you feel need sequels? Which sequel on our list do you want the most?
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You can follow Riley on Twitter @TheRileyLittle and Kyle @superkyol.