History FollowTheLeader / Videogames

## The success of ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheArcadeGame'' led to the rise of the company itself doing arcade adaptions of popular cartoons/cartoons based on comic books, with up to 4 (6 for X-Men) player co-op. Titles such as ''VideoGame/XMen'', ''VideoGame/TheSimpsons'', and ''[[ComicBook/BuckyOHareAndTheToadWars Bucky O'Hare]]'' during the 90s. Konami did face some competition in the 4-player comic book BeatEmUp field: ''VideoGame/CaptainAmericaAndTheAvengers'' and a Creator/{{Sega}} UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame starring Spider-Man, Sub-Mariner, Black Cat and Hawkeye.

** Once ''VideoGame/{{Mortal Kombat|1}}'' made the scene, many of these knockoff fighters began featuring over-the-top gore and/or DigitizedSprites (including, somewhat ironically, ''VideoGame/StreetFighterTheMovie'' in the latter group). Some of the lowlights of this trend included ''VideoGame/SurvivalArts'', ''VideoGame/TimeKillers'', ''VideoGame/KasumiNinja'', ''VideoGame/ShadowWarOfSuccession'', ''VideoGame/WayOfTheWarrior'', ''VideoGame/TattooAssassins'' and the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} game ''VideoGame/CapitalPunishment''.

* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'', which likely took some cues from ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'', has its own following of copycats and parodies where every game always seems to take place in some sort of establishment where you have to avoid robotic animals and are only limited to using whatever you have on hand instead of just getting up and running away. Almost every game trying to ride off the success of ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' just rubs out "Freddy" and use their own name.

* ''VideoGame/LivingBooks'' inspired a whole slew of clones, done in a very similar format (almost all of them had the option to read the story automatically, or read a page and click on everything). The most notable of these is the ''VideoGame/DisneyAnimatedStorybook'' series, although several others had given it a shot too.

* ''VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany 2'' takes several plot elements from ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2 Modern'', but for the most part it's for the purpose of parodying it.

* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' is generally considered the progenitor of the FirstPersonShooter genre, and ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' unleashed a [[StealthPun flood]] of the genre on set-tops. Eventually, the first-person shooter has [[FromClonesToGenre shed the "Doom Clone" image it had during the mid-90s]] and become possibly the most popular genre in all of video games, thanks in no small part to the way games like ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'', ''Halo'', ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/{{GoldenEye|1997}}'' refined and improved upon the classic Doom formula. Thus, the "first person shooter" has lost the Doom Stigma and is now its very own unique genre.

* Whenever a game made in VideoGame/{{Roblox}} gets really popular to the point where Youtubers start making videos of it, there are bound to be so many imitators that [[FromClonesToGenre it creates a whole genre.]]

* ''VideoGame/VampireSurvivors'' was a runaway hit for its easy-to-play but satisfying gameplay loop where it isn't afraid of letting the player get too powerful while packing a lot of replayability for a low starting price tag of 3 dollars. This combined with the game's relatively simple implementation led to the creation of a variety of imitators, from higher-end efforts like ''VideoGame/TwentyMinutesTillDawn'' and ''VideoGame/HoloCure'' to low-effort ripoffs, usually with the words "Survivors" slapped in the title. Other imitators add unique gamplay mechanics to differentiate them, such as ''VideoGame/BountyOfOne'' having a CoOpMultiplayer mode. Some people say it's worthy of going FromClonesToGenre and call these games "horde survival" games, but time will tell if it's just a passing fad or if these games will evolve the genre past imitation. For what it's worth, [[WordOfGod developer poncle]] says ''Vampire Survivors'' itself was based on the little-known mobile game [[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vkslrzm.Zombie&hl=en&gl=US Magic Survival]], right down to the name.

** For ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', it wasn't limited to just the game itself. Many ROM hacks attempt to copy either ''VideoGame/BrutalMario'', ''VideoGame/KaizoMarioWorld'', or both. In particular, the latter went on to codify the PlatformHell subgenre, [[OlderThanTheyThink though there were precedents]] such as ''VideoGame/{{Jinsei Owata no Daibouken}}'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioForever''. Sometimes it's fairly 'subtle' (like how ''VideoGame/ScarletDevilMari 2'' takes many a level idea from the former and recodes them), sometimes it's a deliberate homage (ala ''[[VideoGame/MariosWackyWorlds Mario's Wacky Worlds]]'' copying Kaizo Mario's first level to annoy LetsPlay/ProtonJon) and sometimes it's obvious enough that any commercial publisher would probably sue as a result (''VideoGame/SuperMarioKollision'' and ''VideoGame/HammerBroDemo3'' take entire levels from said games, complete with the graphics, music and level design). For the more general ROM hacks that attempt to copy the success of ''Kaizo Mario World'' or similar hacks, many designers try to be as brutally difficult as the original hacks or cranks the difficulty up to eleven. The massive flooding of ROM hacks that try to be as difficult as possible slowly killed off ROM hacks in general, though their spirit and tropes rejuvenated thanks to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2 its sequel]].

** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'' practically created the EasternRPG, and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' and ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarI'' were only the two most successful of the many imitators springing up in its wake, which also included ''VideoGame/GloryOfHeracles'' and ''VideoGame/MomotaroDensetsu''. ''VideoGame/MOTHER1'' tried hard to be different in terms of setting and aesthetics, though its gameplay was still the same.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' started the "Collect-a-thon" genre of platform games, spawning games like ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', ''VideoGame/SpyroTheDragon'', ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', the latter two ''VideoGame/{{Gex}}'' games, ''VideoGame/TyTheTasmanianTiger'', and the first ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter''.

** There was an obscure UsefulNotes/NintendoDs game called ''VideoGame/BeatCity'' which had you hold the system on it's side like the second game and whose protagonist bears a striking resemblance to the ''Munchy Monk'' character from the series.

** ''Megamix'' had a bootleg mobile port which can no longer be accessed presumably due to [[ScrewedByTheLawyers potentially obvious reasons]].

* While not nearly to the same extent as ''VideoGame/MarioParty'', ''VideoGame/WiiSports'' or even ''VideoGame/WarioWare'', ''VideoGame/RhythmHeaven'' is still a MinigameGame owned by Creator/Nintendo that gets a few clones here and there.

* While not nearly to the same extent as ''VideoGame/MarioParty'', ''VideoGame/WiiSports'' or even ''VideoGame/WarioWare'', ''VideoGame/Rhythm Heaven'' is still a MinigameGame owned by Creator/Nintendo that gets a few clones here and there.

** FollowTheLeader: While not nearly to the same extent as ''VideoGame/MarioParty'', ''VideoGame/WiiSports'' or even ''VideoGame/WarioWare'', ''VideoGame/Rhythm Heaven'' is still a MinigameGame owned by Creator/Nintendo that gets a few clones here and there.
** There was an obscure UsefulNotes/NintendoDs game called ''VideoGame/BeatCity'' which had you hold the system on it's side like the second game and whose protagonist bears a striking resemblance to the ''Munchy Monk''.

** Once ''VideoGame/{{Mortal Kombat|1}}'' made the scene, many of these knockoff fighters began featuring over-the-top gore and/or DigitizedSprites (including, somewhat ironically, ''VideoGame/StreetFighterTheMovie'' in the latter group). Some of the lowlights of this trend included ''[[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/survivalarts/survivalarts.htm Survival Arts]]'', ''VideoGame/TimeKillers'', ''VideoGame/KasumiNinja'', ''VideoGame/ShadowWarOfSuccession'', ''VideoGame/WayOfTheWarrior'', ''VideoGame/TattooAssassins'' and the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} game ''VideoGame/CapitalPunishment''.

* ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' led to a handful of fast-paced run and gunners with a cartoony yet intricate art style. Examples include ''VideoGame/DemonFront'', ''VideoGame/DolphinBlue'', ''VideoGame/CTSpecialForces'', ''[[VideoGame/CommandoStelDisaster Commando: Steel Disaster]]'', and ''VideoGame/AlienHominid''.

* ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' led to a handful of fast-paced run and gunners with a cartoony yet intricate art style. Examples include ''VideoGame/DemonFront'', ''VideoGame/CTSpecialForces'', ''[[VideoGame/CommandoStelDisaster Commando: Steel Disaster]]'', and ''VideoGame/AlienHominid''.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' has many clones/imitations that copy its world map selection and/or diagonal level design, including ''VideoGame/{{Mc Kids}}'', the first ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''[[note]]which, many years later, was noted to have actually been reverse-engineered from ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', copying not only the characters' movements but also the UI and parts of the level design; by today's standards, this would have gotten Konami in legal trouble due to plagiarism[[/note]], ''VideoGame/{{Armadillo}}'', etc. Several of these NES titles would be [[DolledUpInstallment converted back into Mario games]] by bootleggers. Famously, ''VideoGame/CommanderKeen'' combined this with StartMyOwn, since id Software created it after Nintendo declined the idea of porting ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' to the PC.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' inspired the creation of platform games with an emphasis on picking up and throwing objects (whether to attack enemies or to overcome an obstacle), such as ''VideoGame/BibleAdventures'' and the better-received ''VideoGame/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'', ''VideoGame/McKids'', ''VideoGame/TheJetsonsCogswellsCaper'' and ''VideoGame/{{Uurnog}}''.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' has many clones/imitations that copy its world map selection and/or diagonal level design, including ''VideoGame/{{Mc Kids}}'', the first ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''[[note]]which, many years later, was noted to have actually been reverse-engineered from ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', copying not only the characters' movements but also the UI and parts of the level design; by today's standards, this would have gotten Konami in legal trouble due to plagiarism[[/note]], ''Armadillo'', etc. Several of these NES titles would be [[DolledUpInstallment converted back into Mario games]] by bootleggers. Famously, ''VideoGame/CommanderKeen'' combined this with StartMyOwn, since id Software created it after Nintendo declined the idea of porting ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' to the PC.

** Two often-overlooked mechanics that ''Halo'' brought to the table were melee and grenades always being available and having a dedicated button to use them. Many previous games like ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' had grenades and melee, but only as specific weapons in the character's HyperspaceArsenal (the closest example would be rifles with grenade launchers as a secondary fire, like [[HalfLife1 Half Life's]], while Master Chief can use melee attacks and grenades while holding any weapon). Most newer [=FPSs=] incorporate a dedicated melee and grenade button whether they have a traditional hyperspace arsenal or modern two- or three-weapon layout. Some games (like ''[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R.]], VideoGame/GearsOfWar,'' and ''VideoGame/{{Darkwatch}}'') have built explicit melee options or even entire combo systems based on a dedicated melee button.

** Two often-overlooked mechanics that ''Halo'' brought to the table were melee and grenades always being available and having a dedicated button to use them. Many previous games like ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' had grenades and melee, but only as specific weapons in the character's HyperspaceArsenal (for example, Gordon Freeman only hits enemies with his crowbar and has to put away his current weapon to pull out grenades before he can throw them, while Master Chief can club someone with anything he can pick up and toss grenades regardless of what he's carrying). Most newer [=FPSs=] incorporate a dedicated melee and grenade button whether they have a traditional hyperspace arsenal or modern two- or three-weapon layout. Some games (like ''[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R.]], VideoGame/GearsOfWar,'' and ''VideoGame/{{Darkwatch}}'') have built explicit melee options or even entire combo systems based on a dedicated melee button.

* Supersolid Ltd. followed the success of Trailmix Ltd.'s ''VideoGame/LoveAndPies'' by creating ''[[VideoGame/CookAndMerge Cook & Merge]]'', which has the same merging mechanics and a similar story about fixing up restaurants.

** ''VideoGame/BackStab (''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'')

** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' may not have invented the SurvivalHorror genre[[note]]That honor goes to ''VideoGame/SweetHome'', which ''Resident Evil'' was originally created to be a SpiritualSuccessor to[[/note]], but it ''did'' invent the name, and it proved the concept could sell. Cue ''VideoGame/SilentHill1,'' ''VideoGame/FatalFrame'', ''VideoGame/{{Carrier}}'', ''VideoGame/HardEdge'', ''VideoGame/CountdownVampires'', ''VideoGame/MartianGothicUnification'', Capcom's own ''VideoGame/DinoCrisis,'' and so on.

* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' is generally considered the progenitor of the FirstPersonShooter genre, and ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' unleashed a [[StealthPun flood]] of the genre on set-tops. Eventually, the first-person shooter has [[FromClonesToGenre shed the "Doom Clone" image it had during the mid-90s]] and become possibly the most popular genre in all of video games, thanks in no small part to the way games like ''Halo'', ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/{{GoldenEye|1997}}'' refined and improved upon the classic Doom formula. Thus, the "first person shooter" has lost the Doom Stigma and is now its very own unique genre.

* The combined success of ''VideoGame/BionicCommando Rearmed'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' lead to the greenlighting of many revivals to cult series. Examples of this trend include ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster Overdrive'', Konami's short-lived ''VideoGame/{{Rebirth}} series, ''VideoGame/{{Rocket Knight|Adventures}}'' and the cancelled ''VideoGame/{{Bonk}}: Brink of Extinction''.

* ''VideoGame/VampireSurvivors'' was a runaway hit for its easy-to-play but satisfying gameplay loop where it isn't afraid of letting the player get too powerful while packing a lot of replayability for a low starting price tag of 3 dollars. This combined with the game's relatively simple implementation led to the creation of a variety of imitators, from higher-end efforts like ''VideoGame/TwentyMinutesTillDawn'' and ''VideoGame/HoloCure'' to low-effort ripoffs, usually with the words "Survivors" slapped in the title. Other imitators add unique gamplay mechanics to differentiate them, such as ''VideoGame/BountyOfOne'' having a CoOpMultiplayer mode. Some people say it's worthy of going FromClonesToGenre and call these games "horde survival" games, but time will tell if it's just a passing fad or if these games will evolve the genre past imitation.