10 Best Video Game Sequels You'll Never Play

What happened to FEZ II and Viewtiful Joe 3?

By James Egan /

Any time a gaming company announces one of their biggest IPs is getting a sequel, we get hyped. But because the developing process for any mainstream game takes years, we have to remember to be patient.

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A lot of these projects suffer from multiple interruptions, meaning it might take longer for the game to come out than we first anticipated.

So, we wait. We wait and we wait and then, we wait some more. We wait so long, it starts to feel like this proposed follow-up is never coming out. And thats we realise the cold hard truth - it's never going to.

Whether it's because of a lack of interest, insufficient funding, technical problems, or deals falling apart, some games just don't come together, despising being promised and advertised for years. Even if the game isn't officially cancelled, fans become wary when they notice the developers stop sharing details of their latest project.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. Metroid Dread was delayed for over a decade but finally hit shelves last year. Unfortunately, Dread is considered the exception of the rule. Whether these sequels are considered officially cancelled or not, it's a safe bet we'll never get a chance to play them.

10. Super Mario RPG 2

Even though Super Mario is best-known for his platforming skills, the Italian plumber is always eager to branch out to other genres including fighting (Smash Bros), racing (Mario Kart), and puzzle (Dr. Mario). Nevertheless, Nintendo fans were pretty surprised to see the moustachioed mascot in a role-playing game co-created by Squaresoft.

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What surprised fans more is how Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was AMAZING! Every aspect of this turn-based title was praised. Because of its creative gameplay, hilarious humour, complex story, catchy music, and distinctive aesthetic, Super Mario RPG was regarded as one the most underrated SNES games. Squaresoft were so happy with it, the president at the time, Hiroshi Suzuki, approached Nintendo to make a sequel before SMRPG was released.

But after Squaresoft moved away from Nintendo to work with Sony, that ship sailed. Nintendo still wanted to make a follow-up but hit a snag since Squaresoft owned the copyright to key characters like Mallow, Geno, and Smithy.

As a result, Nintendo devised a spiritual successor called Paper Mario. Even though the Paper Mario franchise and other turn-based games like the Mario + Luigi sold well and received favourable reviews, Super Mario RPG is still the best of the bunch, which is why it's a pity it didn't receive a sequel.

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