10 Video Game Franchises That Never Topped The Original

Banjo-Kazooie may not have been the Mario-beater some were anticipating, but it surpassed Nintendo's biggest IP at the time in certain ways. Not only did Rare's cutesy platformer have superior camera controls, graphics, and music remixing, players didn't have to restart levels every time they obtained a collectible.

After the bird-and-bear duo became a hit, Rare released a sequel two years later. Though Banjo-Tooie was praised for its vast levels and clever puzzles, it didn't meet expectations due to the excessive backtracking and constant framerate drops. Also, the power-ups weren't as creative, since most of them were simply variations of eggs. 

Worst of all, the Stop 'N' Swop feature, which was intended to connect the first two games together, was completely abandoned. Excluding this feature felt like a betrayal since it was Banjo-Tooie's biggest selling point.

Then there's Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. (Okay, let's try to be fair.) Even though this threequel is infamous for focusing more on driving than run-and-jump gameplay, the vehicle sections are surprisingly fun. 

Nevertheless, it's mind-boggling how the developers gave the platforming a backseat considering it was the bread-and-butter of the franchise. Nuts & Bolts isn't as bad as its reputation, but it pales compared to what came before.