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* ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork1'' was met with praise when it first released, but it was quite experimental and a little barebones. The sequel, ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork2'', rebalanced and improved the basic battle system on top of adding more visual flair to various parts of the world, setting the standards for the rest of the series. The third game, ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork3WhiteAndBlue'', went even further beyond, having one of the best story in the series while further refining gameplay mechanics. The third game holds the reputation of one of the best ''Battle Network'' entries.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' was widely considered to be a great action game, giving a large variety of weaponry, some beautiful scenery, ''[[AwesomeMusic/{{Bayonetta}} incredible]]'' music and fast, frantic gameplay. However, it came with some problems of its own, including split-second PressXToNotDie sequences in unexpected places and an [[PortingDisaster absolutely terrible]] UsefulNotes/Playstation3 port with [[LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading long loading screens]] and inopportune framerate drops. ''VideoGame/Bayonetta2'' came along and did away with all of these negative features, keeping a mostly consistent framerate and removing the maligned [=QTEs=]. Adding on to this, the weapon selection was diversified even further and the JustForFun/{{HSQ}} that the first game brought is cranked up. Many reviewers seemed to agree, with IGN giving a 9.5 and the likes of Edge and Gamespot giving perfect 10s.[[note]]Especially notable in the latter's case, since Bayonetta 2 is only the 8th reviewed game to receive a 10 and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 the last game]] that got a 10 from them was released 4 years prior.[[/note]]

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* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' was widely considered to be a great action game, giving a large variety of weaponry, some beautiful scenery, ''[[AwesomeMusic/{{Bayonetta}} incredible]]'' music and fast, frantic gameplay. However, it came with some problems of its own, including split-second PressXToNotDie sequences in unexpected places and an [[PortingDisaster absolutely terrible]] UsefulNotes/Playstation3 Platform/Playstation3 port with [[LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading long loading screens]] and inopportune framerate drops. ''VideoGame/Bayonetta2'' came along and did away with all of these negative features, keeping a mostly consistent framerate and removing the maligned [=QTEs=]. Adding on to this, the weapon selection was diversified even further and the JustForFun/{{HSQ}} that the first game brought is cranked up. Many reviewers seemed to agree, with IGN giving a 9.5 and the likes of Edge and Gamespot giving perfect 10s.[[note]]Especially notable in the latter's case, since Bayonetta 2 is only the 8th reviewed game to receive a 10 and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 the last game]] that got a 10 from them was released 4 years prior.[[/note]]



** ''Mushihime-sama Futari'': Revamped shot types, a new character, much better (and more original) scoring systems, and a top-notch UsefulNotes/Xbox360 port.

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** ''Mushihime-sama Futari'': Revamped shot types, a new character, much better (and more original) scoring systems, and a top-notch UsefulNotes/Xbox360 Platform/Xbox360 port.



* The original ''VideoGame/CoolBoarders'' was essentially a glorified demo released right near the beginning of the original UsefulNotes/PlayStation's life cycle, and featured a minuscule three courses, two player characters and very little replay value. (Notably, it is the only installment of the series to not sell a million-plus copies and receive a Greatest Hits version.) However, UEP Systems looked at how the original game was received and overhauled everything for ''Cool Boarders 2'' -- many more courses, several skill-based trick modes, training courses, more unlockable characters (with stats that varied wildly)and a glorified tournament mode, along with two-person multiplayer. It became the first installment of the series to crack the million-copy milestone, and led the way for further snowboarding games (and installments of the series) to be released on the [=PlayStation=].

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* The original ''VideoGame/CoolBoarders'' was essentially a glorified demo released right near the beginning of the original UsefulNotes/PlayStation's Platform/PlayStation's life cycle, and featured a minuscule three courses, two player characters and very little replay value. (Notably, it is the only installment of the series to not sell a million-plus copies and receive a Greatest Hits version.) However, UEP Systems looked at how the original game was received and overhauled everything for ''Cool Boarders 2'' -- many more courses, several skill-based trick modes, training courses, more unlockable characters (with stats that varied wildly)and a glorified tournament mode, along with two-person multiplayer. It became the first installment of the series to crack the million-copy milestone, and led the way for further snowboarding games (and installments of the series) to be released on the [=PlayStation=].



*** Oh, you think the next game will be stuck in [[ToughActToFollow the shadow of]] ''[[ToughActToFollow Horizon 4]]''? '''''Nope.''''' With additions such as Eventlab (which allows not only players to create their own routes, but also adding objects to the route the player created), even more character customization choices, increased accessibility and quality-of-life options on the players' side, a world more diverse in biomes, and of course, even more events, Playground is ''[[OverlyLongGag still]]'' [[OverlyLongGag improving upon themselves]] with ''Forza Horizon 5'', which also scored a very solid 92[[note]]for the Xbox Series X|S version; the PC version has a 91[[/note]] on Metacritic, tying with ''Horizon 4'' as the highest-rated game in the series, and, despite [[AwardSnub the GOTY snubbery]], won all three of its jury-voted awards at The Game Awards,[[note]]Best Audio Design, Innovation in Accessibility, and the ''Horizon'' games' perennial Best Sports/Racing Game, which actually saw two other racing games nominated that year[[/note]] ''tying'' with that year's GOTY winner ''VideoGame/ItTakesTwo'' for most wins at the ceremony. With the drop-dead ''[[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome gorgeous]]'' [[SceneryPorn setting]] of Mexico, being the first proper ninth-generation ''Forza'' title to showcase the true capabilities of the [[UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS Xbox Series]], and a better emphasis on customization and self-expression… yeah, you're in for the long haul on this one.
** The elder main series ''Forza Motorsport'' has at least one example, too. ''Forza Motorsport 5'', while seen as a genuinely good launch title for the UsefulNotes/XboxOne and a good entrance to next-gen consoles for Creator/Turn10Studios, suffered from a smaller car list compared to the previous game and a terrible in-game economy plagued by microtransactions (at least, pre-update), and still did not feature neither weather conditions nor night racing. ''Motorsport 6'' added the latter two features - which, despite not being dynamic like in ''Horizon 2'', were still a very welcome addition, made its in-game economy as microtransaction-free and as rewarding as possible, made its car list more than double the size of ''5'', and added a broader list of career events, as well as a League online multiplayer system similar to the one seen in fellow critically acclaimed sim-racer ''iRacing''.

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*** Oh, you think the next game will be stuck in [[ToughActToFollow the shadow of]] ''[[ToughActToFollow Horizon 4]]''? '''''Nope.''''' With additions such as Eventlab (which allows not only players to create their own routes, but also adding objects to the route the player created), even more character customization choices, increased accessibility and quality-of-life options on the players' side, a world more diverse in biomes, and of course, even more events, Playground is ''[[OverlyLongGag still]]'' [[OverlyLongGag improving upon themselves]] with ''Forza Horizon 5'', which also scored a very solid 92[[note]]for the Xbox Series X|S version; the PC version has a 91[[/note]] on Metacritic, tying with ''Horizon 4'' as the highest-rated game in the series, and, despite [[AwardSnub the GOTY snubbery]], won all three of its jury-voted awards at The Game Awards,[[note]]Best Audio Design, Innovation in Accessibility, and the ''Horizon'' games' perennial Best Sports/Racing Game, which actually saw two other racing games nominated that year[[/note]] ''tying'' with that year's GOTY winner ''VideoGame/ItTakesTwo'' for most wins at the ceremony. With the drop-dead ''[[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome gorgeous]]'' [[SceneryPorn setting]] of Mexico, being the first proper ninth-generation ''Forza'' title to showcase the true capabilities of the [[UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS [[Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS Xbox Series]], and a better emphasis on customization and self-expression… yeah, you're in for the long haul on this one.
** The elder main series ''Forza Motorsport'' has at least one example, too. ''Forza Motorsport 5'', while seen as a genuinely good launch title for the UsefulNotes/XboxOne Platform/XboxOne and a good entrance to next-gen consoles for Creator/Turn10Studios, suffered from a smaller car list compared to the previous game and a terrible in-game economy plagued by microtransactions (at least, pre-update), and still did not feature neither weather conditions nor night racing. ''Motorsport 6'' added the latter two features - which, despite not being dynamic like in ''Horizon 2'', were still a very welcome addition, made its in-game economy as microtransaction-free and as rewarding as possible, made its car list more than double the size of ''5'', and added a broader list of career events, as well as a League online multiplayer system similar to the one seen in fellow critically acclaimed sim-racer ''iRacing''.



** ''VideoGame/GodOfWarII'' was received even better than the already very much loved [[VideoGame/GodOfWarI first game]], using the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 to even greater effect. ([[ThatOneLevel Although that doesn't excuse the Phoenix puzzle.]])

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** ''VideoGame/GodOfWarII'' was received even better than the already very much loved [[VideoGame/GodOfWarI first game]], using the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 Platform/PlayStation2 to even greater effect. ([[ThatOneLevel Although that doesn't excuse the Phoenix puzzle.]])



** While ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' was a largely successful next-gen transition for the franchise, a significant amount of players consider it to be largely a step backwards in all but the graphics department, as it did away with a lot of the defining elements that made ''San Andreas'' so beloved and was easily the [[DarkerAndEdgier darkest]] entry in the series to date. Then along came ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', which not only boasted the largest map in the series to date (Rockstart claims it's bigger than all of the previous ''GTA'' maps plus ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'''s ''combined'') but, for the first time in the console games' history[[note]]''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoChinatownWars'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS actually did it first[[/note]], made it entirely accessible from the start. It also introduced the ability to switch between three different player characters on the fly, added in almost everything that went missing between ''San Andreas'' and ''IV'' plus much, ''much'' more, offered a deep multiplayer experience that rivals the single-player mode in terms of content, marked a return to the light-hearted fun that earlier games in the series were famous for... and that's ''without'' touching on the UpdatedRerelease. For those who don't consider ''San Andreas'' their favorite game in the series, it's usually this one.

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** While ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' was a largely successful next-gen transition for the franchise, a significant amount of players consider it to be largely a step backwards in all but the graphics department, as it did away with a lot of the defining elements that made ''San Andreas'' so beloved and was easily the [[DarkerAndEdgier darkest]] entry in the series to date. Then along came ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', which not only boasted the largest map in the series to date (Rockstart claims it's bigger than all of the previous ''GTA'' maps plus ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'''s ''combined'') but, for the first time in the console games' history[[note]]''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoChinatownWars'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS Platform/NintendoDS actually did it first[[/note]], made it entirely accessible from the start. It also introduced the ability to switch between three different player characters on the fly, added in almost everything that went missing between ''San Andreas'' and ''IV'' plus much, ''much'' more, offered a deep multiplayer experience that rivals the single-player mode in terms of content, marked a return to the light-hearted fun that earlier games in the series were famous for... and that's ''without'' touching on the UpdatedRerelease. For those who don't consider ''San Andreas'' their favorite game in the series, it's usually this one.



* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' was a cult classic UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo game. It was full of [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome]] and SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments, excellent characterization for its system, and bright graphics; it was well-received though released too late in the systems lifespan to get any proper love. ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon64'' is considered one of the best video games the ''UsefulNotes/Nintendo64'' had to offer and upped everything that made the first game to eleven. It's also one of the few direct sequels to a previous game in the series.

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* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' was a cult classic UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo Platform/SuperNintendo game. It was full of [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome]] and SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments, excellent characterization for its system, and bright graphics; it was well-received though released too late in the systems lifespan to get any proper love. ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon64'' is considered one of the best video games the ''UsefulNotes/Nintendo64'' ''Platform/Nintendo64'' had to offer and upped everything that made the first game to eleven. It's also one of the few direct sequels to a previous game in the series.



* Sega's cel-shaded skating/platforming/"tagging" hybrid ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' was, and still is, unlike anything gamers were playing at the time. This [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] gem, while having some flaws, is regarded as one of the system's stand-out titles. ''JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future'' blew everyone's mind (and the bar set by the first game) when it was released on the Xbox. Impressive (if a bit flashy) visuals, refined gameplay removing the tagging commands while re-vamping the trick system, an improved story (even if it was a re-telling of the original's), improved character designs (making Gum and Cube HotterAndSexier, and Yoyo a favorite among the female gamers), and a huge world to explore put it leagues ahead of its predecessor. One thing it didn't improve was its music. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Then again,]] [[AwesomeMusic/JetSetRadio not like they needed to anyway.]]'' The music just turns me on'' indeed...

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* Sega's cel-shaded skating/platforming/"tagging" hybrid ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' was, and still is, unlike anything gamers were playing at the time. This [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast [[Platform/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] gem, while having some flaws, is regarded as one of the system's stand-out titles. ''JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future'' blew everyone's mind (and the bar set by the first game) when it was released on the Xbox. Impressive (if a bit flashy) visuals, refined gameplay removing the tagging commands while re-vamping the trick system, an improved story (even if it was a re-telling of the original's), improved character designs (making Gum and Cube HotterAndSexier, and Yoyo a favorite among the female gamers), and a huge world to explore put it leagues ahead of its predecessor. One thing it didn't improve was its music. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Then again,]] [[AwesomeMusic/JetSetRadio not like they needed to anyway.]]'' The music just turns me on'' indeed...



** Then in 1998, Nintendo put out ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', a game that takes the best aspects of the prior installments and manages to make them even better, while undergoing a smoother VideoGame3DLeap than ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''. Years after its release, it's still considered one of the best games (if not ''the'' best) ever made, even after years that included most of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', the real "[[GrowingTheBeard blossoming]]" of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'', the entry of Microsoft [[UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} into the video game business]], and the creation of an untold number of new intellectual properties in gaming. A SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for Nintendo indeed.

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** Then in 1998, Nintendo put out ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', a game that takes the best aspects of the prior installments and manages to make them even better, while undergoing a smoother VideoGame3DLeap than ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''. Years after its release, it's still considered one of the best games (if not ''the'' best) ever made, even after years that included most of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', the real "[[GrowingTheBeard blossoming]]" of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'', the entry of Microsoft [[UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} [[Platform/{{Xbox}} into the video game business]], and the creation of an untold number of new intellectual properties in gaming. A SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for Nintendo indeed.



* ''VideoGame/LufiaAndTheFortressOfDoom'' was considered a pretty decent, if unspectacular, JRPG, held back by some outdated gameplay decisions, average graphics and a rather [[ClicheStorm cliché]] story. The {{prequel}}, ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals,'' massively improved on all the original's flaws, featuring vastly improved graphics, a deeply emotive story, tons of new and improved gameplay mechanics ([[LimitBreak IP techniques]] based on equipment, [[{{Mons}} Capsule Monsters]], [[PreexistingEncounters enemies who appeared on the map and would move with you]]), some of the best puzzles ever seen in a JRPG, and the ''insanely'' addictive [[{{Roguelike}} Ancient Cave]], which was practically a whole game unto itself, making ''Lufia II'' a CultClassic still held in high regard today among JRPG aficionados (it was the installment of the ''VideoGame/{{Lufia}}'' series selected to be remade on the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS as ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals''). If you say "Lufia" to an old-school JRPG fan, it's almost guaranteed that ''this'' will be [[SequelDisplacement the game they immediately think of]], outstripping even the sequels and its own remake.

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* ''VideoGame/LufiaAndTheFortressOfDoom'' was considered a pretty decent, if unspectacular, JRPG, held back by some outdated gameplay decisions, average graphics and a rather [[ClicheStorm cliché]] story. The {{prequel}}, ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals,'' massively improved on all the original's flaws, featuring vastly improved graphics, a deeply emotive story, tons of new and improved gameplay mechanics ([[LimitBreak IP techniques]] based on equipment, [[{{Mons}} Capsule Monsters]], [[PreexistingEncounters enemies who appeared on the map and would move with you]]), some of the best puzzles ever seen in a JRPG, and the ''insanely'' addictive [[{{Roguelike}} Ancient Cave]], which was practically a whole game unto itself, making ''Lufia II'' a CultClassic still held in high regard today among JRPG aficionados (it was the installment of the ''VideoGame/{{Lufia}}'' series selected to be remade on the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS Platform/NintendoDS as ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals''). If you say "Lufia" to an old-school JRPG fan, it's almost guaranteed that ''this'' will be [[SequelDisplacement the game they immediately think of]], outstripping even the sequels and its own remake.



** ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' was an improvement over [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 the original]], and marked the point where the series really started to [[GrowingTheBeard Grow the Beard]], vastly improving the gameplay and establishing many of the storytelling conventions the series would become known for, but was [[LateExportForYou never released in the US for fifteen years]] and was far from perfect. ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' followed it up with a grand epic story, becoming a KillerApp for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation and [[GenreTurningPoint was really the first game that felt like playing a movie, as well as showing that stories in action games could be far more than just an]] ExcusePlot.

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** ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' was an improvement over [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 the original]], and marked the point where the series really started to [[GrowingTheBeard Grow the Beard]], vastly improving the gameplay and establishing many of the storytelling conventions the series would become known for, but was [[LateExportForYou never released in the US for fifteen years]] and was far from perfect. ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' followed it up with a grand epic story, becoming a KillerApp for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation Platform/PlayStation and [[GenreTurningPoint was really the first game that felt like playing a movie, as well as showing that stories in action games could be far more than just an]] ExcusePlot.



** There's also the first ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', which not only was considered a worthy follow-up to ''Super'', but also became the highest-rated game of UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames.
** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' is considered a much improved effort in comparison with Creator/MercurySteam's previous ''Metroid'' entry, ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns''. While ''Samus Returns'' had some great gameplay and quality of life features that [[VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus its source material didn't]], some felt it was held back both by the original game's structural flaws (more linear world design and search-and-destroy gameplay that resulted in some repetitive boss fights) and the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS hardware itself. ''Dread'' uses many of the features introduced in ''Samus Returns'', but in an entirely new game on much better hardware that allows for more creativity and a chance to better flesh out and improve gameplay mechanics like the melee combat.

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** There's also the first ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', which not only was considered a worthy follow-up to ''Super'', but also became the highest-rated game of UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames.
MediaNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames.
** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' is considered a much improved effort in comparison with Creator/MercurySteam's previous ''Metroid'' entry, ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns''. While ''Samus Returns'' had some great gameplay and quality of life features that [[VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus its source material didn't]], some felt it was held back both by the original game's structural flaws (more linear world design and search-and-destroy gameplay that resulted in some repetitive boss fights) and the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS Platform/Nintendo3DS hardware itself. ''Dread'' uses many of the features introduced in ''Samus Returns'', but in an entirely new game on much better hardware that allows for more creativity and a chance to better flesh out and improve gameplay mechanics like the melee combat.



** ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted'' in 2005. Showered with praise from critics and fans alike and can be well considered a killer app for both the then-launched UsefulNotes/Xbox360 ''and'' the older sixth generation consoles (UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, and UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube). It combined the roots of ''Need for Speed'' (luxury cars with a huge price tag starting once you were in the top 10), added in some ''Hot Pursuit'' (police chases were re-introduced) and some ''Underground 2'' (a large free roam map and [though in comparison to its predecessor, limited] customization). The graphics were very nice and scenic to look at as well and the music, tastes and preferences alike, was especially awesome, considered by many to be the best ''NFS'' soundtrack to date. It also is one of EA's most successful games at six million sold copies worldwide. As mentioned above, it is in constant battle for the fan-voted throne of the best game in the ''Need for Speed'' franchise and sometimes even voted the greatest racing game of all time.

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** ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted'' in 2005. Showered with praise from critics and fans alike and can be well considered a killer app for both the then-launched UsefulNotes/Xbox360 Platform/Xbox360 ''and'' the older sixth generation consoles (UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, (Platform/PlayStation2, Platform/{{Xbox}}, and UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube).Platform/NintendoGameCube). It combined the roots of ''Need for Speed'' (luxury cars with a huge price tag starting once you were in the top 10), added in some ''Hot Pursuit'' (police chases were re-introduced) and some ''Underground 2'' (a large free roam map and [though in comparison to its predecessor, limited] customization). The graphics were very nice and scenic to look at as well and the music, tastes and preferences alike, was especially awesome, considered by many to be the best ''NFS'' soundtrack to date. It also is one of EA's most successful games at six million sold copies worldwide. As mentioned above, it is in constant battle for the fan-voted throne of the best game in the ''Need for Speed'' franchise and sometimes even voted the greatest racing game of all time.



* The original ''VideoGame/NFLBlitz'' was already highly-received thanks to being a football game that's digestable for casual players and which features over-the-top violence, particularly in the form of excessively rough tackles and [[BeatingADeadPlayer late hits]]. ''NFL Blitz '99'' would then improve on it in just about every way, increasing the number of players from two to four (for 2v2 play), improving the graphics and UI, adding the option to import plays from the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 port of the original game via a Controller Pak, and even an on-cabinet Create-A-Play mode.

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* The original ''VideoGame/NFLBlitz'' was already highly-received thanks to being a football game that's digestable for casual players and which features over-the-top violence, particularly in the form of excessively rough tackles and [[BeatingADeadPlayer late hits]]. ''NFL Blitz '99'' would then improve on it in just about every way, increasing the number of players from two to four (for 2v2 play), improving the graphics and UI, adding the option to import plays from the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 Platform/Nintendo64 port of the original game via a Controller Pak, and even an on-cabinet Create-A-Play mode.



* ''VideoGame/{{SSX}}'' was widely regarded as the best launch game on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, with incredible graphics for its time, easy to learn but surprisingly deep gameplay, and awesome music. ''SSX Tricky'' added smoother, faster gameplay, much improved load times, a boatload of new characters, tweaked tracks, and more awesome music.

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* ''VideoGame/{{SSX}}'' was widely regarded as the best launch game on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, Platform/PlayStation2, with incredible graphics for its time, easy to learn but surprisingly deep gameplay, and awesome music. ''SSX Tricky'' added smoother, faster gameplay, much improved load times, a boatload of new characters, tweaked tracks, and more awesome music.



** ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheCloneWarsJediAlliance'', an ActionAdventure for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, was fun but had various issues such as a lack of content, lack of variety and [[CheckpointStarvation lack of checkpoints]]. The sequel, ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheCloneWarsRepublicHeroes'' ([[ReformulatedGame not to be confused with the eponymous but completely distinct game on other platforms]]), improved upon (or did away with) everything that was wrong; it did have some issues of its own, but these were relatively insignificant.

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** ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheCloneWarsJediAlliance'', an ActionAdventure for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, Platform/NintendoDS, was fun but had various issues such as a lack of content, lack of variety and [[CheckpointStarvation lack of checkpoints]]. The sequel, ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheCloneWarsRepublicHeroes'' ([[ReformulatedGame not to be confused with the eponymous but completely distinct game on other platforms]]), improved upon (or did away with) everything that was wrong; it did have some issues of its own, but these were relatively insignificant.



* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'' was Sega's successful answer to Capcom's ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis. It had decent gameplay, a memorable soundtrack, and the game even had multiple endings. The second game in the series took everything up to eleven, and would go down in history as not only one of the greatest Genesis games ever made, but one of the greatest video games of all time.

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* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'' was Sega's successful answer to Capcom's ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis.Platform/SegaGenesis. It had decent gameplay, a memorable soundtrack, and the game even had multiple endings. The second game in the series took everything up to eleven, and would go down in history as not only one of the greatest Genesis games ever made, but one of the greatest video games of all time.



* ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' was one of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation's first great [=RPGs=], with a boatload of colorful characters to gather and play with. ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'' retains this aspect, revamps the turn-based war sequences, adds several plot twists and {{player punch}}es, and introduces the player to one of the most deranged villains in all of RPG-land.

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* ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' was one of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation's Platform/PlayStation's first great [=RPGs=], with a boatload of colorful characters to gather and play with. ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'' retains this aspect, revamps the turn-based war sequences, adds several plot twists and {{player punch}}es, and introduces the player to one of the most deranged villains in all of RPG-land.



** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'' greatly expands upon the first ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' which was already one of the most beloved games on the UsefulNotes/WiiU. Highlights include an added game style, features that were frequently requested for the first game (such as slopes, vertical areas and more level themes), new parts and assets that inspire new ideas for gimmicks and contraptions, and technical improvements like shorter codes for levels, not needing to have your levels voted positively in order to upload more levels, and the fact that unpopular levels are no longer deleted. The game's content updates were also more significant than those of the original game, as they not only added new assets for level making but also full new modes like Ninji Speedruns and World Maker (in comparison, the only new mode added in the first game post-release was Super Expert difficulty, which was more like [[AntiFrustrationFeatures a way to alleviate the pool of hard levels in Expert Mode]]). The only points of contention are the online multiplayer mode (due to issues with lag and stability) and the removal of Mystery Mushroom costumes.

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** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'' greatly expands upon the first ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' which was already one of the most beloved games on the UsefulNotes/WiiU.Platform/WiiU. Highlights include an added game style, features that were frequently requested for the first game (such as slopes, vertical areas and more level themes), new parts and assets that inspire new ideas for gimmicks and contraptions, and technical improvements like shorter codes for levels, not needing to have your levels voted positively in order to upload more levels, and the fact that unpopular levels are no longer deleted. The game's content updates were also more significant than those of the original game, as they not only added new assets for level making but also full new modes like Ninji Speedruns and World Maker (in comparison, the only new mode added in the first game post-release was Super Expert difficulty, which was more like [[AntiFrustrationFeatures a way to alleviate the pool of hard levels in Expert Mode]]). The only points of contention are the online multiplayer mode (due to issues with lag and stability) and the removal of Mystery Mushroom costumes.



* ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'' for the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation}} was a great game, but it had its share of flaws. It was easy to crash into walls, all the buildings looked the same, controls felt "slippery." Then ''Twisted Metal 2'' came out and many consider it the greatest VehicularCombat game ever made, as well as being the best-selling game of the series.

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* ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'' for the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation}} Platform/{{PlayStation}} was a great game, but it had its share of flaws. It was easy to crash into walls, all the buildings looked the same, controls felt "slippery." Then ''Twisted Metal 2'' came out and many consider it the greatest VehicularCombat game ever made, as well as being the best-selling game of the series.
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** ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' was an improvement over [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 the original]], but was [[LateExportForYou never released in the US for fifteen years]] and was far from perfect. ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' followed it up with a grand epic story, becoming a KillerApp for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation and [[GenreTurningPoint was really the first game that felt like playing a movie, as well as showing that stories in action games could be far more than just an]] ExcusePlot.

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** ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' was an improvement over [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 the original]], and marked the point where the series really started to [[GrowingTheBeard Grow the Beard]], vastly improving the gameplay and establishing many of the storytelling conventions the series would become known for, but was [[LateExportForYou never released in the US for fifteen years]] and was far from perfect. ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' followed it up with a grand epic story, becoming a KillerApp for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation and [[GenreTurningPoint was really the first game that felt like playing a movie, as well as showing that stories in action games could be far more than just an]] ExcusePlot.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'' was an interesting game that, at the time, looked great, and helped bring point and click adventure games further into the mainstream. However, [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny the game itself can seem a bit dated]]--the plot can be confusing at times, the world feels very empty and dead, the puzzles can be needlessly obtuse, and the visuals don't hold up as well. On the other hand, ''VideoGame/{{Riven}}'' is essentially an improvement over everything that made ''Myst'' good at release--the plot is much more engaging, with the player having a more personal role in it, the world feels alive and interesting, the puzzles (while still fiendishly difficult) are at least somewhat sensible, and most importantly the visuals (even at such low resolutions) still look pretty damn impressive. Many fans wondered how ''Riven'' would be topped--then, along came ''VideoGame/MystIIIExile'', with fascinating and sympathetic characters, much more logical approaches to puzzles, breathtaking environments, a ''hauntingly'' beautiful soundtrack, and visual design that still looks incredible to this day.

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* ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'' was an interesting game that, at the time, looked great, and helped bring point and click adventure games further into the mainstream. However, [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny the game itself can seem a bit dated]]--the dated--the plot can be confusing at times, the world feels very empty and dead, the puzzles can be needlessly obtuse, and the visuals don't hold up as well. On the other hand, ''VideoGame/{{Riven}}'' is essentially an improvement over everything that made ''Myst'' good at release--the plot is much more engaging, with the player having a more personal role in it, the world feels alive and interesting, the puzzles (while still fiendishly difficult) are at least somewhat sensible, and most importantly the visuals (even at such low resolutions) still look pretty damn impressive. Many fans wondered how ''Riven'' would be topped--then, along came ''VideoGame/MystIIIExile'', with fascinating and sympathetic characters, much more logical approaches to puzzles, breathtaking environments, a ''hauntingly'' beautiful soundtrack, and visual design that still looks incredible to this day.



** The original game, albeit suffering from SeinfeldIsUnfunny, started off rather exceptional for its day, being the father of the {{Sim|ulationGame}}, WideOpenSandbox, and strategy genres of games to follow, but was even more improved with its first sequel ''Sim City 2000'', which introduced new transportation options, zoning options, and a whole new isometric view, as well as several other perks.

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** The original game, albeit suffering from SeinfeldIsUnfunny, started off rather exceptional for its day, being the father of the {{Sim|ulationGame}}, WideOpenSandbox, and strategy genres of games to follow, but was even more improved with its first sequel ''Sim City 2000'', which introduced new transportation options, zoning options, and a whole new isometric view, as well as several other perks.



* The even entries in the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' franchise are better received than the odd entries. The first game, ''VideoGame/UnchartedDrakesFortune'' falls into SeinfeldIsUnfunny and EarlyInstallmentWeirdness territory but is seen as an enjoyable, if safe action adventure game with awesome production value and storytelling. The second game, ''VideoGame/Uncharted2AmongThieves'' successfully built on what the first game did well and fixed its problems. It's also held the test of time better than ''Drakes Fortune'' and is still considered one of the best games ever made. The third installment, ''VideoGame/Uncharted3DrakesDeception'' was very well received and is a good game but it never quite hit the highs that ''Among Thieves'' did. When the fourth game, ''VideoGame/Uncharted4AThiefsEnd'', made the jump to the [=PS4=], it came with a lot of new gameplay features that added to the experience. The more emotional, character-driven story is also seen as a better sendoff than what ''Deception'' would have offered if it had been the last game.

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* The even entries in the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' franchise are better received than the odd entries. The first game, ''VideoGame/UnchartedDrakesFortune'' falls into SeinfeldIsUnfunny and EarlyInstallmentWeirdness territory but is seen as an enjoyable, if safe action adventure game with awesome production value and storytelling. The second game, ''VideoGame/Uncharted2AmongThieves'' successfully built on what the first game did well and fixed its problems. It's also held the test of time better than ''Drakes Fortune'' and is still considered one of the best games ever made. The third installment, ''VideoGame/Uncharted3DrakesDeception'' was very well received and is a good game but it never quite hit the highs that ''Among Thieves'' did. When the fourth game, ''VideoGame/Uncharted4AThiefsEnd'', made the jump to the [=PS4=], it came with a lot of new gameplay features that added to the experience. The more emotional, character-driven story is also seen as a better sendoff than what ''Deception'' would have offered if it had been the last game.



* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', despite debates on quality in the trilogy, is considered by many fans to be the culmination of what made both previous games so great with many improvements of its own, minus the [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny dated elements]] of the first game and the [[ScrappyMechanic controversial aspects]] of the second -- especially gameplay-wise, which has been streamlined and improved to the point of fans near-universally considering the gameplay to be the best in the series.

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* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', despite debates on quality in the trilogy, is considered by many fans to be the culmination of what made both previous games so great with many improvements of its own, minus the [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny dated elements]] elements of the first game and the [[ScrappyMechanic controversial aspects]] of the second -- especially gameplay-wise, which has been streamlined and improved to the point of fans near-universally considering the gameplay to be the best in the series.
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** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', the direct sequel to ''Breath of the Wild'', is widely considered superior to its already acclaimed predecessor, to the point that some have claimed ''Tears'' makes the latter look like a ''tech demo''. Not only do the new abilities like Ultrahand, Fuse, and Ascend allow for near-limitless creativity while addressing some of the contentious game mechanics of ''[=BotW=]'' (such as climbing and weapon durability), but the size of the world map has been practically ''tripled'' thanks to the additions of the Sky Islands, the Depths, and the plethora of cave systems littered throughout Hyrule. Add on a more epic, layered story with memorable characters, [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels dungeons]] that mix traditional themes and puzzle-solving with the freedom of the Divine Beasts, [[AwesomeBosses/TheLegendOfZelda exciting bosses]], and even the return of [[HesBack Ganondorf]] himself, and you have a sequel that improves upon the prior entry in almost every way, which is no small feat when the first one was already considered by many to be one of the greatest video games of all time.
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* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRevolver'' was a mid-console-life Western-themed shooter with a surprisingly solid story and decent gameplay, but was overall relatively unremarkable. Capcom started the production, cancelled it, and sold it off to Rockstar, who finished it and polished it as best they could, resulting in a somewhat disjointed but mostly enjoyable game that's popularity is more in the realm of CultClassic than anything else. In fact, most people would probably have never heard of the game if it weren't for the decision to make the spiritual successor ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'', which has been hailed by no less than the New York Times as one of the finest games ever made, and a strong contender for the case for Videogames As Art. Amazingly ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' even managed to follow that up to even greater praise, in particularly for the characters, story, and open world design far exceeding the already high standards set by it's predecssor. The only common complaint about it is for it's under-supported online, which doesn't really destract from the single player game either.

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* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRevolver'' was a mid-console-life Western-themed shooter with a surprisingly solid story and decent gameplay, but was overall relatively unremarkable. Capcom started the production, cancelled it, and sold it off to Rockstar, who finished it and polished it as best they could, resulting in a somewhat disjointed but mostly enjoyable game that's popularity is more in the realm of CultClassic than anything else. In fact, most people would probably have never heard of the game if it weren't for the decision to make the spiritual successor ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'', which has been hailed by no less than the New York Times as one of the finest games ever made, and a strong contender for the case for Videogames As Art. Amazingly ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' even managed to follow that up to even greater praise, in particularly for the characters, story, and open world design far exceeding the already high standards set by it's predecssor. The only common complaint about it is for it's under-supported online, which doesn't really destract distract from the single player game either.
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** ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'' is this to ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies''. While ''Star Allies'' was fairly well-received (especially after the post-launch DLC came out), it was criticized for feeling like a step down from the [[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand previous]] [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe three]] [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot games]] before it, due to its shorter length (there are only five levels, with around half of them being thrown into the final level), unmemorable levels, and the return of multiplayer and co-op making bosses and puzzles too easy. ''Forgotten Land'' was met with a lot of praise for making a grand 3DVideoGameLeap by taking Kirby out of his usual environment, its DarkerAndEdgier aspects, and the new villains of the game, the Beast Pack.
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** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' is widely considered to be better than his predecessor ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' for a number of reasons: the return of Dixie and Funky, Cranky becoming a playable character, David Wise producing the soundtrack, more expansive levels, the difficulty being more manageable while still being quite challenging, and villains with more personality, to name a few.

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** After an era of only remakes and spin-off titles, ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' was a highly acclaimed return to the franchise's roots. Its sequel ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' is widely considered to be even better than his predecessor ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' ''Returns'' for a number of reasons: the return of Dixie and Funky, Cranky becoming a playable character, David Wise producing the soundtrack, more expansive levels, the difficulty being more manageable while still being quite challenging, and villains with more personality, to name a few.
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* ''VideoGame/EndlessOcean: Blue World'' takes the basic gameplay (such as it is) of the original game and expands upon it greatly while streamlining several of the more tedious aspects and applying more structure to the previously random chaos. Judging by reviews, it's been a major success in doing so, although the game is still [[WidgetSeries quite niche in nature]].

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* ''VideoGame/EndlessOcean: Blue World'' takes the basic gameplay (such as it is) of the original game and expands upon it greatly while streamlining several of the more tedious aspects and applying more structure to the previously random chaos. Judging by reviews, it's been a major success in doing so, although the game is still [[WidgetSeries quite niche in nature]].nature.
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* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf'' was considered quite refreshing in comparison to City Folk, complimenting features like the town customization and online aspects with the new mayoral duties, while improving hated mechanics like grass deterioration (which was changed to not happen so often), as well as adding Toys/{{Amiibo}} support via the ''Welcome amiibo'' Update. In fact, it's the only mainline ''Animal Crossing'' game to not be considered a ContestedSequel in any sense.

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* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf'' was considered quite refreshing in comparison to City Folk, ''City Folk'', complimenting features like the town customization and online aspects with the new mayoral duties, while improving hated mechanics like grass deterioration (which was changed to not happen so often), as well as adding Toys/{{Amiibo}} support via the ''Welcome amiibo'' Update. In fact, it's the only mainline ''Animal Crossing'' game to not be considered a ContestedSequel in any sense.



* ''VideoGame/{{Freedom Planet 2}}'', with higher production values, is more polished than the already-acclaimed first game, ''VideoGame/{{Freedom Planet}}''. It not only features superior visuals and grander levels, but also expands upon the best qualities of its predecessor such as the gameplay and combat, while improving on the writing and story. The quality-of-life features especially alleviate any difficulty spikes.

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* ''VideoGame/{{Freedom Planet 2}}'', ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet2'', with higher production values, is more polished than the already-acclaimed first game, ''VideoGame/{{Freedom Planet}}''.''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet''. It not only features superior visuals and grander levels, but also expands upon the best qualities of its predecessor such as the gameplay and combat, while improving on the writing and story. The quality-of-life features especially alleviate any difficulty spikes.



* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' was considered a great game, if a little bland in terms of [[FlatCharacter characters]] (we have TheHero, the funny best friend, the kid SquishyWizard, and the WhiteMagicianGirl) and plot (bad guys stole the MacGuffin! Let's go kill them before they use it to unleash the forbidden power!). ''VideoGame/GoldenSun: The Lost Age'' gave us a fresh perspective, more interesting characters/CharacterDevelopment, a massive plot twist, multi-elemental SummonMagic, a more developed ClassAndLevelSystem, even more SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic..., it improved ''everything''.

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* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' ''VideoGame/GoldenSun1'' was considered a great game, if a little bland in terms of [[FlatCharacter characters]] (we have TheHero, the funny best friend, the kid SquishyWizard, and the WhiteMagicianGirl) and plot (bad guys stole the MacGuffin! Let's go kill them before they use it to unleash the forbidden power!). ''VideoGame/GoldenSun: The Lost Age'' ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge'' gave us a fresh perspective, more interesting characters/CharacterDevelopment, a massive plot twist, multi-elemental SummonMagic, a more developed ClassAndLevelSystem, even more SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic..., it improved ''everything''.



* ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' proved that Creator/NetherrealmStudios (of ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' fame) could do comic book-themed fighting games just as well as [[Creator/{{Capcom}} their competitors]], featuring both a gameplay engine based on ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' with tweaks that allow for environmental interaction, and a DarkerAndEdgier story in the DC universe that was enjoyable to play through. ''VideoGame/{{Injustice 2}}'' further improves upon the gameplay while taking advantage of new technology on the [=PS4=] and Xbox One to make the game look even better, in addition to expanding the roster with fan favorites such as Supergirl, Atrocitus, and Brainiac. The graphics were also improved.

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* ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' proved that Creator/NetherrealmStudios (of ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' fame) could do comic book-themed fighting games just as well as [[Creator/{{Capcom}} their competitors]], featuring both a gameplay engine based on ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' with tweaks that allow for environmental interaction, and a DarkerAndEdgier story in the DC universe that was enjoyable to play through. ''VideoGame/{{Injustice 2}}'' ''VideoGame/Injustice2'' further improves upon the gameplay while taking advantage of new technology on the [=PS4=] and Xbox One to make the game look even better, in addition to expanding the roster with fan favorites such as Supergirl, Atrocitus, and Brainiac. The graphics were also improved.



* ''VideoGame/JustCause'' was an entertaining yet heavily flawed sandbox game and relatively obscure. However, ''[[VideoGame/JustCause Just Cause 2]]'' was an unlikely sequel with breathtaking graphics, incredible gameplay, and adrenaline-rushing stunts. It enjoyed far more popularity and received far better reviews than its older brother.

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* ''VideoGame/JustCause'' was an entertaining yet heavily flawed sandbox game and relatively obscure. However, ''[[VideoGame/JustCause Just Cause 2]]'' ''VideoGame/JustCause2'' was an unlikely sequel with breathtaking graphics, incredible gameplay, and adrenaline-rushing stunts. It enjoyed far more popularity and received far better reviews than its older brother.



* ''[[VideoGame/{{Kirby}} Kirby's Dream Land]]'' was a good game but it was kind of short (only 5 levels plus an unlockable [[NintendoHard Hard difficulty]] with new enemies). ''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure'' and ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2'' (for the NES and Game Boy respectively) addressed this complaint and also gave Kirby his iconic PowerCopying abilities. ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' took it a step further by adding multiplayer co-op, and more than one move per copy ability giving Kirby a completely [[SwissArmyHero different]] power set and appearance for each; it also had a greater emphasis on combat and would go on to serve partly as an inspiration for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros's'' gameplay.

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* ''[[VideoGame/{{Kirby}} Kirby's Dream Land]]'' ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'' was a good game but it was kind of short (only 5 levels plus an unlockable [[NintendoHard Hard difficulty]] with new enemies). ''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure'' and ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2'' (for the NES and Game Boy respectively) addressed this complaint and also gave Kirby his iconic PowerCopying abilities. ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' took it a step further by adding multiplayer co-op, and more than one move per copy ability giving Kirby a completely [[SwissArmyHero different]] power set and appearance for each; it also had a greater emphasis on combat and would go on to serve partly as an inspiration for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros's'' gameplay.



** To quote a [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/08/21/super-metroid-review retrospective review]] by Lucas Thomas from gaming site IGN: "The original ''VideoGame/{{Metroid|1}}'' established the setting and feel. ''[[VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus Metroid II]]'', from the Game Boy, elaborated on the story. But it was this game, ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'', that pulled together all of the series' previously established elements, embellished them, and polished the experience of exploration, retraversal and power-up acquisition into a true masterpiece of game design."

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** To quote a [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/08/21/super-metroid-review retrospective review]] by Lucas Thomas from gaming site IGN: "The original ''VideoGame/{{Metroid|1}}'' established the setting and feel. ''[[VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus Metroid II]]'', ''VideoGame/{{Metroid II|ReturnOfSamus}}'', from the Game Boy, elaborated on the story. But it was this game, ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'', that pulled together all of the series' previously established elements, embellished them, and polished the experience of exploration, retraversal and power-up acquisition into a true masterpiece of game design."



** The original ''[[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot1996 Crash Bandicoot]]'' game started the whole style of gameplay for the games and is widely considered a [=PS1=] classic, but the game was too difficult, the controls were too touchy, and collecting the gems was a chore. ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'' refined the gameplay a lot, and sported better graphics and music. ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot3Warped'' added relics, improved the presentation even further, and is widely considered the game where Naughty Dog perfected the gameplay.

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** The original ''[[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot1996 Crash Bandicoot]]'' ''VideoGame/{{Crash Bandicoot|1996}}'' game started the whole style of gameplay for the games and is widely considered a [=PS1=] classic, but the game was too difficult, the controls were too touchy, and collecting the gems was a chore. ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'' refined the gameplay a lot, and sported better graphics and music. ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot3Warped'' added relics, improved the presentation even further, and is widely considered the game where Naughty Dog perfected the gameplay.



** Despite praise for the mechanics of ''Black and White'', and their respective sequels, some of the [[http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/c/c4/569Garbodor.png Pokemon]] [[http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/4/4b/580Ducklett.png designs]] [[http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/c/c3/519Pidove.png were]] met with incredulity from long term fans in particular. However, ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' has seemed to enchanted both old and new fans alike, particularly due to its inclusion of all generations of Pokemon from the beginning, as well as improving on everything fans liked from previous series (even if the graphics have been criticised).

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** Despite praise for the mechanics of ''Black and White'', and their respective sequels, some of the [[http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/c/c4/569Garbodor.png Pokemon]] [[http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/4/4b/580Ducklett.png designs]] [[http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/c/c3/519Pidove.png were]] met with incredulity from long term fans in particular. However, ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' has seemed to enchanted enchant both old and new fans alike, particularly due to its inclusion of all generations of Pokemon from the beginning, as well as improving on everything fans liked from previous series (even if the graphics have been criticised).



** ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' made its impact with the ''Red and Blue Rescue Team'' series, with fun gameplay and an answer to the age-old question: What if you were a Pokemon? However, it's most noted for its surprisingly powerful story, which seems to be subtly aimed at an older demographic than that of the main series, and its excellent soundtrack. ''Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky'' took everything that was praised about the first series and made it even better, and its story is considered perhaps the best of all Pokémon games.

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** ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' made its impact with the ''Red ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonRescueTeam Red and Blue Rescue Team'' Team]]'' series, with fun gameplay and an answer to the age-old question: What if you were a Pokemon? However, it's most noted for its surprisingly powerful story, which seems to be subtly aimed at an older demographic than that of the main series, and its excellent soundtrack. ''Explorers ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky'' Sky]]'' took everything that was praised about the first series and made it even better, and its story is considered perhaps the best of all Pokémon games.



** ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyoTsu'' is considered a massive improvement over the [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo1992 1992 game before it]], increasing ''Puyo Puyo'''s popularity and viability as a competetive puzzle game while improving the single-player story mode with more characters.

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** ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyoTsu'' ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo2'' is considered a massive improvement over the [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo1992 1992 game before it]], increasing ''Puyo Puyo'''s popularity and viability as a competetive puzzle game while improving the single-player story mode with more characters.



* The even entries in the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' franchise are better received than the odd entries. The first game, ''VideoGame/UnchartedDrakesFortune'' falls into SeinfeldIsUnfunny and EarlyInstallmentWeirdness territory but is seen as an enjoyable, if safe action adventure game with awesome production value and storytelling. The second game, ''VideoGame/Uncharted2AmongThieves'' successfully built on what the first game did well and fixed its problems. It's also held the test of time better than ''Drakes Fortune'' and is still considered one of the best games ever made. The third installment, ''VideoGame/Uncharted3DrakesDeception'' was very well received and is a good game but it never quite hit the highs that ''Among Thieves'' did. When the fourth game,'' VideoGame/Uncharted4AThiefsEnd'', made the jump to the [=PS4=], it came with a lot of new gameplay features that added to the experience. The more emotional, character-driven story is also seen as a better sendoff than what ''Deception'' would have offered if it had been the last game.

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* The even entries in the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' franchise are better received than the odd entries. The first game, ''VideoGame/UnchartedDrakesFortune'' falls into SeinfeldIsUnfunny and EarlyInstallmentWeirdness territory but is seen as an enjoyable, if safe action adventure game with awesome production value and storytelling. The second game, ''VideoGame/Uncharted2AmongThieves'' successfully built on what the first game did well and fixed its problems. It's also held the test of time better than ''Drakes Fortune'' and is still considered one of the best games ever made. The third installment, ''VideoGame/Uncharted3DrakesDeception'' was very well received and is a good game but it never quite hit the highs that ''Among Thieves'' did. When the fourth game,'' VideoGame/Uncharted4AThiefsEnd'', game, ''VideoGame/Uncharted4AThiefsEnd'', made the jump to the [=PS4=], it came with a lot of new gameplay features that added to the experience. The more emotional, character-driven story is also seen as a better sendoff than what ''Deception'' would have offered if it had been the last game.
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* ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresI'' was a decent real-time strategy game. However, ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' upped the population limit, improved the balance, and was generally considered one of the seminal games of the genre.

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* ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresI'' was a decent real-time strategy game. However, ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' upped the population limit, improved the balance, and was generally considered one of the seminal games of the genre. In fact, even to this day the Definitive Edition remake of ''II'' is by far the most popular installment in the series, with significantly more active players than the much more recent ''IV'', and even the outdated 2013 rerelease still has thousands of currently active players of its own.

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* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', despite debates on quality in the trilogy, is considered by many fans to be the culmination of what made both previous games so great with many improvements of its own, minus the [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny dated elements]] of the first game and the [[ScrappyMechanic controversial aspects]] of the second -- especially gameplay-wise, which has been streamlined and improved to the point of fans near-universally considering the gameplay to be the best in the series.
* The original ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' was considered a groundbreaking WideOpenSandbox BeatEmUp with a compelling crime drama story. The gameplay was very rough around the edges, though, and the dubbed voice acting was hit-and-miss. ''Yakuza 2'' improved greatly upon the original, from refining combat and reducing load times to foregoing an English dub in favor of preserving the Japanese voice acting for a more authentic story, which is often held up by fans to be the best in the series and the FinalBoss Kiryu's true WorthyOpponent.
* ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders'' only sold well because of the demo for ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty''. The game was decent but it suffered from repetitive battles, criminal shortness and [[{{Wangst}} whiny]] and cliched characters, leading to a somewhat mixed reaction. As such, many people who liked the original concept were happy to see the sequel, ''The 2nd Runner'', tighten up the controls, give you twice as many options in battle and include a long and interesting plot to follow. They were even more surprised to see whiny and annoying characters in the first game return in style, having [[TookALevelInBadass leveled in badass]] in the intervening time between games.




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* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', despite debates on quality in the trilogy, is considered by many fans to be the culmination of what made both previous games so great with many improvements of its own, minus the [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny dated elements]] of the first game and the [[ScrappyMechanic controversial aspects]] of the second -- especially gameplay-wise, which has been streamlined and improved to the point of fans near-universally considering the gameplay to be the best in the series.
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* The original ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' was considered a groundbreaking WideOpenSandbox BeatEmUp with a compelling crime drama story. The gameplay was very rough around the edges, though, and the dubbed voice acting was hit-and-miss. ''Yakuza 2'' improved greatly upon the original, from refining combat and reducing load times to foregoing an English dub in favor of preserving the Japanese voice acting for a more authentic story, which is often held up by fans to be the best in the series and the FinalBoss Kiryu's true WorthyOpponent.
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[[folder:Z]]
* ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders'' only sold well because of the demo for ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty''. The game was decent but it suffered from repetitive battles, criminal shortness and [[{{Wangst}} whiny]] and cliched characters, leading to a somewhat mixed reaction. As such, many people who liked the original concept were happy to see the sequel, ''The 2nd Runner'', tighten up the controls, give you twice as many options in battle and include a long and interesting plot to follow. They were even more surprised to see whiny and annoying characters in the first game return in style, having [[TookALevelInBadass leveled in badass]] in the intervening time between games.
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** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' is regarded by many as one of the best games in the franchise with its compelling worldbuilding and characters, and is even labeled one of the best [=RPGs=] of all time. Its sequel ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'' however, is a more complex tale. Due to its ChristmasRushed status, it was OvershadowedByAwesome upon its release. However it was eventually VindicatedByHistory through unofficial patches restoring the swaths of DummiedOut content, and the game's expanded combat mechanics alongside brilliant writing with a [[DarkerAndEdgier darker, more mature tone]] as well as the DeconstructorFleet it brought results in it being a CultClassic that still prompts many passionate discussions about its additions to the franchise's lore.

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** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' is regarded by many as one of the best games in the franchise with its compelling worldbuilding and characters, and is even labeled one of the best [=RPGs=] of all time. Its sequel ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'' ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', however, is a more complex tale. Due to its ChristmasRushed status, it was OvershadowedByAwesome upon its release. However However, it was eventually VindicatedByHistory through unofficial patches restoring the swaths of DummiedOut content, and the game's expanded combat mechanics alongside brilliant writing with a [[DarkerAndEdgier darker, more mature tone]] as well as the DeconstructorFleet it brought results in it being a CultClassic that still prompts many passionate discussions about its additions to the franchise's lore.
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pikmin 2 is way too divisive to listed


* ''VideoGame/Pikmin2001'' was a good game, but too simple, and the time limit could be a bit suffocating. ''VideoGame/Pikmin2'' added far more depth to the gameplay and replaced the scramble to collect all the ship parts with a long adventure to find all the artifacts you could find that much better suited the gameplay and overall mood of the game; it also has a much bigger selection of Challenge Mode stages, and introduces multiplayer. ''VideoGame/Pikmin3'' is shorter than ''Pikmin 2'' (as it removed underground caves), but otherwise a vastly enhanced experience with bigger overworld areas, a more intricate story, clever and unique bosses, and impressive music and visuals.
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* ''VideoGame/GundamBreaker'':
** The original was a somewhat simplistic action game built around the concept of breaking parts off your opponent and collecting them for your own use in the assembly phase of the game. While novel, its story proved to be a bit threadbare and the gameplay was slow and hampered by excessive adherence to original suit designs, limiting creativity.
** The sequel, ''Gundam Breaker 2'', was better, with an improved gameplay loop and a story that, while rather silly in its premise (a space war fought using scale model toy robots), could at least said to be interesting enough even if the story apes many bits of existing Gundam lore.
** The second sequel, ''Gundam Breaker 3'' proved to be the apex of the series, with its own original story which acknowledges the Gunpla as toy models and battling as a video game, but has made it into sort of an e-sport which provides a cohesive context. The assembly phase was also improved, with the options for acquiring or building high-ranking parts made ''much'' easier and also allowing for total freedom in customizing a unit, such as taking a MookMobile and covering it with AceCustom weapons; this would previously have been penalized with reduced stats, but ''3'' just shrugs its shoulders and permits players to customize their units without restrictions. This freedom made it ''the'' fan favorite in the series, but unfortunately also made it a ToughActToFollow for ''VideoGame/NewGundamBreaker'' and its smaller, less experienced development team.
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* ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance 2'' surpassed its predecessor in every aspect of gameplay, music, writing, and humour. The game is longer, has more tactical features and weaponry, more mercenaries with a myriad of responses and interactions between each other. It also provides a number of quality of life upgrades, like no longer having to traverse tactical maps when not in combat and allowing auto-collection of dropped and found items.

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* ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance 2'' surpassed its predecessor in every aspect of gameplay, music, writing, and humour. The game is longer, has more tactical features and weaponry, more mercenaries with a myriad of responses and interactions between each other. It also provides a number of quality of life upgrades, like no longer having to traverse tactical maps when not in combat and combat, allowing auto-collection of dropped and found items.items, and letting you swim safely without carrying a knife.

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* ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance 2'' surpassed its predecessor in every aspect of gameplay, music, writing, and humour. The game is longer, has more tactical features and weaponry, more mercenaries with a myriad of responses and interactions between each other.

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* ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance 2'' surpassed its predecessor in every aspect of gameplay, music, writing, and humour. The game is longer, has more tactical features and weaponry, more mercenaries with a myriad of responses and interactions between each other. It also provides a number of quality of life upgrades, like no longer having to traverse tactical maps when not in combat and allowing auto-collection of dropped and found items.
Mrph1 MOD

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As per "No Recent Examples cleanup" thread decision. This rule has already been added to No Recent Examples Please


'''A Administrivia/{{No Recent Examples|please}} rule applies to this trope'''. Examples shouldn't be added until '''six months''' after the sequel is released, to avoid any knee-jerk reactions.




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This violates indentation rules


** ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'' is a fondly-remembered MMORPG that took the series in a bold new direction, being one of the first [=MMOs=] on a console and being a solid hit on the Dreamcast. After the flawed ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse'' and the niche ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarZero'', fans got the true successor for which they were clamoring in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''. Gameplay was streamlined, faster-paced, and more action-oriented; and the game's CharacterCustomization options put others to shame. The decision to make this game FreeToPlay (as opposed to subscription-based like the original ''Online'' and ''Universe'') was initially met with skepticism and worries about the game becoming PayToWin, but ([[BadExportForYou Southeast Asian version notwithstanding]]) those fears have been put to rest.

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** * ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'' is a fondly-remembered MMORPG that took the series in a bold new direction, being one of the first [=MMOs=] on a console and being a solid hit on the Dreamcast. After the flawed ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse'' and the niche ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarZero'', fans got the true successor for which they were clamoring in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''. Gameplay was streamlined, faster-paced, and more action-oriented; and the game's CharacterCustomization options put others to shame. The decision to make this game FreeToPlay (as opposed to subscription-based like the original ''Online'' and ''Universe'') was initially met with skepticism and worries about the game becoming PayToWin, but ([[BadExportForYou Southeast Asian version notwithstanding]]) those fears have been put to rest.

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