History Main / FirstInstallmentWins

* JamesBond as a whole averts due to being [[{{Goldfinger}} Third Installment]] Wins. But the most well-remembered Dalton, Brosnan and Craig movies are their debuts (''TheLivingDaylights, GoldenEye'' and ''CasinoRoyale'').

* A lot of people have heard of ''{{Myst}}''-- unsurprisingly, since it was the bestselling PC game of all time for nearly ten years before it was displaced. Fewer people picked up the sequel, ''Riven'', and even fewer completed it, probably because of the dramatically increased difficulty level. Outside of the adventure game niche market, however, most people will be rather surprised to learn that ''Myst'' has ''four'' direct sequels, three tie-in novels, and a highly ephemeral spinoff online RPG. When you mention ''Myst'' to most people, they'll immediately think of the first one only; of the 12 million copies of total franchise games sold as of 2007, 6 million were the original.

* Everyone who has played the entire {{Ray series}} regards ''[=RayForce=]'', the first game in the series, is the best ouf of the three games. ''Literally '''everyone'''.'' [[ComplainingAboutPeopleNotLikingTheShow Putting RayStorm or especially RayCrisis above RayForce is a felony.]]
* Mention the RedFaction series, and one will always remember the first one over the second one. This is usually because the second game removed some features, had nothing to do with the plot of the original, and wasn't very compatible with the popular [[StuffBlowingUp Geo-Mod engine]]. The third game, ''Guerrilla'', seems to avert this trope due to it's return to the original narrative and Geo-Mod 2, it's brand new, ultra-realistic building destruction engine.

* {{Tsukihime}}, a VisualNovel, separates different parts of the story by which girl you end up with. But because some information is revealed before others, you have to see every girl's story in a certain order, to its full conclusion. (START Arcueid->Ciel->Akiha->Hisui->Kohaku END.) Since {{Tsukihime}} truly is a novel, with tens of thousands of lines of text, casual players without a lot of time to devote to the game only play the first installment, Arcueid's route, without getting far enough to start on anyone else's. Arcueid is also [[FirstGirlWins the most popular]] of all the main heroines among fans.

* Fan re-dubbed clip-shows, originating from god-knows-where, are generally referred to in their respective forms and themes by the originators of them. Examples include: AMVHell, which has become a catch-all term for any clip show featuring several different Anime series; PhoenixWrong, for Flash-made, "Ace Attorney"-based clip shows.

* Lloyd Alexander's ''ChroniclesOfPrydain'' is a five-book set (with one short-story anthology) but is best known for its second installment, ''The Black Cauldron''.

** Although the 2010 film has almost entirely ignored the first story and gone straight into the sequel - an intelligent choice storywise, but the dance scene - oh that dance scene.

* When you ask a non-fan about ''PowerRangers'', it would be something about ''MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', and every ''Power Rangers'' parody is based on ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers''.

** Usually, it would either be A, MMPR is the best (First show), B, MMPR-PRIS is the best (First era), or C, MMPR-PRTF is the best (First production crew). Either way, it's a case of First wins.
*** Usually being the keyword, since their are those that think of the Disney era shows as best

* Heck, this applies to almost everyone participating in the ''entire genre'' in rap/hip-hop. Most knowledgable listeners are very likely to say that Nas can never top ''Illmatic'', {{Eminem}} can't make an album as good as ''The Slim Shady LP'' or [[YourMileageMayVary The Marshall Mathers LP]](the second installment), any member of the Wu-Tang Clan will never make an album on the level of their first solo records (with the possible exception of Ghostface Killah), and the list goes on and on.
** Slim Shady LP was the second album, Marshall Mathers LP was the third. The Marshall Mathers LP is considered better by most people so it's more Third Installment Wins
** Does ''Infinite'' [[OldShame really count]]?

** Alanis Morissette is the Third Installment Wins version: she had moderate success in Canada with her first two albums of [[OldShame cheesy dance-pop]], but broke into international superstardom with her third album, ''Jagged Little Pill'', which counts as First Installment Wins for non-Canadians.

* [[DisneyAnimatedCanon Every Disney movie with a sequel]], except '''possibly''' ''TheRescuers Down Under''. It helps that all but ''The Rescuers Down Under'' were DirectToVideo.
** and Aladdin. Definitely had better sequels

* ''CardCaptorSakura'' takes this UpToEleven; the most iconic outfit for Sakura is a pink and white one she wears on the cover of the first volume (manga) and the first opening (anime), but never actually appears in the story proper. Despite one gimmick of the series being [[UnlimitedWardrobe not repeating outfits]].

* A LOT of people [[DisContinuity try to forget]] that there are two sequels and a TV spinoff to TheNeverEndingStory.

* ''{{Jaws}}'' had sequels. The second is mostly remembered for the tagline ("Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..."). The other two, for ''intense'' decay (culminating in the VoodooShark and another famous tagline: "[[ItsPersonal It's Personal]]").

* ''Catch-22'' had a sequel.

** Alanis Morissette is the Third Installment Wins version: she had moderate success in Canada with her first two albums of [[OldShame cheesy dance-pop]], but broke into international superstardom with her third album, ''JaggedLittlePill'', which counts as FirstInstallmentWins for non-Canadians.
* Violent Femmes' self-titled album
* IronMaiden is another Third Installment wins. While the first two albums have their fans, ''TheNumberOfTheBeast'' introduced drummer Nicko McBrain and charismatic front-man Bruce Dickenson, establishing the lineup that would see Maiden through their most successful years (1982-1990; 2000-present with [[SixthRanger Janick Gers]]). In addition, it's their best-selling album, and one of the most influential heavy metal albums of all time, and the first thing most people think of when you mention "Iron Maiden".

* One of the most famous of WaltDisney's Silly Symphonies is The Skeleton Dance, the first one ever made.
* Whenever ''{{Transformers}}'' is ever referenced in popular media, the references will almost always be about [[TransformersGenerationOne the original cartoon]] (with occasional mentions of the [[Film/{{Transformers}} AllSpark]]). This may have resulted in a deluge of TheyChangedItNowItSucks sentiments as people who stopped being fans after the original ended came back into the fandom due to the prominence of the [[Film/{{Transformers}} Michael Bay movies]], and started [[{{FanDumb}} whining]] about it [[{{RuinedForever}} "raping their childhood"]].

* The SilentHill franchise now spans seven main games, but the second game is by far the most famous, with memes and parodies based on it frequently showing up in news coverage of later titles to which it has no connection. This even extends to the UFO Endings of Silent Hill 3 and Shattered Memories, both of which feature a cameo appearence from the protagonist of Silent Hill 2 for no real reason.

* Unless there is a very popular theme from later in the game, the Stage 1 themes or the closest equivalent are usually the most well known themes of any given game, like the {{Castlevania}}'s big three: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AZ5XZHIDh0 Vampire Killer]], [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjazC45Qkww Bloody Tears]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC4fYdrfS64 Beginning]].

* ''Fallout''. Oh god. The first two games are hailed by its rabid fanbase as the be-all-end-all of western RPGs, and their hatred of anything bearing the Fallout name that isn't the first two games is well known. Less well known, however, are the small, virulent faction that hate even the second game because it relied too much on humor and cultural references.
* Ragnarok Online is a korean MMORPG, more or less a [[LongRunner Long Runner]]. I bet you didn't know there is a Ragnarok Online 2.

* The original, "0th" edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' has a devoted following to this day, despite being released in 1974 and having (depending on how you count it) 5 versions after it.

** It seems to be subverted lately. Most people seem to remember events from two more so then one.

** Usually, it would either be A, MMPR is the best (First show), B, MMPR-PRIS is the best (First era), or C, MMPR-PRWF is the best (First production crew). Either way, it's a case of First wins.

* Ragnarok Online is a korean MMORPG, more or less a [[LongRunner]]. I bet you didn't know there is a Ragnarok Online 2.

* {{Painkiller}} is one of the examples how the reception of installment went down as the number of them went up.

* Ask a non-''HarryPotter'' fan about the series and they will probably mention the trio, Hagrid, Snape, Quidditch, Gryffindor, Slytherin and Voldemort - all stuff introduced in the first book. They will probably not have heard of dementors, Hogsmeade, Luna Lovegood, Bellatrix Lestrange, thestrals, Remus Lupin or Alastor Moody, all of which are fairly prominent in the overall series, but weren't in the first book. In fact, it's the first few chapters of the first book (when Harry receives his enrollment letter and escapes the Dursleys) which seem to be the best-known part of the whole series.
** This showed up in a [[http://www.fstdt.com/fundies/comments.aspx?q=47512 featured comment]] on FSTDT.com, where somebody (clearly working from a [[SmallReferencePools truly minute reference pool]]) declared the first ''HarryPotter'' book one of ''the three most dangerous books ever published'', despite (given the nature of the series) being the ''least'' likely to contain material that MoralGuardians would find questionable.

* TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles tend to do this across media concerning Shredder's role as antagonist, since [[spoiler: despite his general story arc being resolved by his death in the first issue in the comics, Shredder plays a large role in the 1987 and 2003 cartoons, along with the movies. So it's a case of first issue wins.]]