10 Video Game Sequels That Look NOTHING Like The Original
Street Fighter without the punching? Pac-Man without the maze? No thanks.
If a video game is successful, it's clear that consumers want more. However, the next entry can't just be more of the same. It needs to build on the mechanics that made its predecessor special. Otherwise, it'll just feel like the same game repackaged.
The tricky part is making enough changes so the follow-ups feels fresh but still capture the spirit of the original. Fans were skeptical when Metroid Prime discarded the 2D action-adventure set-up and was turned into a first-person shooter. However, this drastic alteration helped Metroid Prime focus on the series' most integral feature; exploration. Despite changing genre, it still felt like a Metroid game.
Unfortunately, this is much harder than it sounds. Usually when a game franchise goes in a different direction, they go too far. Whether it's reimagining characters, adding unnecessary mechanics, or removing key components, there are some sequels that bare little resemblance to the original.
Bizarrely, these changes don't necessarily mean the games are bad. In fact, some of them are great. But they feel so disconnected to their precursor, you wonder why the developers classified them as sequels in the first place.
10. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
For over a decade, Rare made some of the best games for Nintendo including Goldeneye 007, the Donkey Kong Country trilogy, and Banjo-Kazooie. So, when Microsoft purchased Rare in 2002, gamers were worried the proposed Banjo-Kazooie threequel would never come to pass. So when Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts was announced to be released in 2008, fans were thrilled. Even though Rare's games for Microsoft's consoles were disappointing, gamers believed this one would turn everything around.
At a glance, the sequel seems relatively similar to its predecessors. The titular duo start in a hub and travel to different worlds by collecting Jiggies. So, what's wrong with it?
Well, remember all those awesome moves Bottles taught you in the first two games? They're all gone. Instead, Nuts & Bolts centres around collecting vehicle parts and constructing automobiles to navigate around levels.
This idea could work if it was for one or two missions. Instead, this concept revolves around THE ENTIRE GAME! Now, it's not uncommon to throw in a new idea to spice up the gameplay. But building cars and planes feels so out of place in Banjo-Kazoiie, it boggles the mind why the developers it was what the franchise needed.