10 Video Game Spin-Offs That Surpass The Original

Starting off as a traditional fighting title, Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors quickly transitioned into a crowd-combat hack-and-slash. The gameplay centred around securing besieged kingdoms and defeating armies while manoeuvring multiple military units in different locations.

However, what made Dynasty Warriors stand out is how easily the heroes could take on an entire legion. With a single sword slash, our nobles warriors could devastate dozens of soldiers at a time.

Despite a solid start, things eventually went downhill, with the later sequels heavily criticised for their repetitive gameplay. Looking for a fresh angle (or trying to keep things afloat), Koei joined forces with Nintendo to create a Legend of Zelda crossover called Hyrule Warriors.

Not only did this spin-off reinvigorate Dynasty Warriors, it was awesome to watch Link, Impa, Zelda and Tingle cut loose in a way never seen before in the mainstream series. On top of that, getting to play as iconic villains like Zant, Ghirahim, and Ganondorf was fan-service at its best. The success of Hyrule Warriors spawned a follow-up, which was also well-received.

Sure, these instalments had some problems, but Hyrule Warriors was more consistent, refined, and dynamic than the games it spawned from.

With Dynasty Warriors still struggling to find its footing, it's even more apparent the LoZ crossover is the best thing the franchise has ever done.