History Main / ProlongedVideoGameSequel

* It's somewhat difficult to judge whether ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'' plays the trope straight or inverts it. It has more bosses and levels than the first, but the lack of a HubLevel reduces the amount of extra content, all of which is now accessed through a menu that is extended as the game progresses. The ability to access directly to the bosses' whereabouts for free (in the first game, a fee had to be paid first in each case) contributes to the faster pace, making the analysis of this trope's presence even more difficult to make.

* The ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' franchise also has this. On average, [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga the first two]] [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime installments]] could be completed in about twelve hours of gameplay each, [[SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer not counting sidequests]], while [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory the third]] was only slightly longer by about four hours or so. Meanwhile, [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam the next]] [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPaperJam two]] could take up to thirty hours to be completed (again, without sidequests) on average.

* The ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series did this so often, it should be called [[ZigZaggingTrope "Sequel Longevity Sinusoid"]]. Most games in the series have between 15 and 20 levels, with the exceptions of ''VideoGame/AceCombatJointAssault'' (26 levels), ''VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception'' (29), ''VideoGame/AceCombat2'' (30), ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'' (32), and finally, ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'' with a whopping ''52'' (Japanese) or a still massive 36 (NTSC/PAL) levels, the most of any series title so far. Note, however, that these "prolonged" sequels feature some degree of non-linearity, while the games of default length are mostly linear.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'' has 120 levels in Story Mode, whereas the original's 10 Mario challenge only has 56[[note]]68 in the Coursebot, as neither the 8 sample levels unlockable via making and editing levels nore the 4 NWC courses are available in the 10 Mario Challenge[[/note]] (though the 3DS version rose the amount to 88[[note]]100 in the Coursebot, as World 19 is exclusive to that part of the game[[/note]]).

* ''Franchise/DanganRonpa'' has this as a tendency among the main games, with each game being considerably bigger and longer than the ones prior. This reaches the new peak in the fourth main installment ''VisualNovel/NewDanganronpaV3'', in which the first trial ''alone'' can last up to three hours, not counting the rest of the chapter.

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1g3di_m1jw4qz662ry8bd_g.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350: Reminder: the overworld of the original ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI Legend of Zelda]]'' consisted of only one hundred and twenty-eight screens.]]

!Examples:

* Despite having one level less than ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', ''Banjo-Tooie'' is notoriously longer ([[SequelDifficultySpike and more difficult]]) due to the levels being much bigger (often approaching the gargantuan size of the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' levels), a higher number of minigames, bosses and puzzles, and the necessity of traveling between levels (literally, without going through the HubLevel). For a direct comparison, only the first game's ninth level (Click Clock Wood) can rival the complexity and diversity of the first four levels of the second game, and still lose to the likes of [[{{Prehistoria}} Terrydactyland]] and [[EternalEngine Grunty Industries]]. ''Nuts and Bolts'' is even larger, though that's to be expected considering that it's a vehicle-focused game.

* The ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series did this so often, it should be called [[ZigZaggingTrope "Sequel Longevity Sinusoid"]]. Most games in the series have between 15 and 20 levels, with the exceptions of ''VideoGame/AceCombatJointAssault'' (26 levels), ''VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception'' (29), ''VideoGame/AceCombat2'' (30), ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'' (32), and finally, ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'' with a whopping ''52'' levels, the most of any series title so far. Note, however, that these "prolonged" sequels feature some degree of non-linearity, while the games of default length are mostly linear.

* Despite having one level less than ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', ''Banjo-Tooie'' is notoriously longer ([[SequelDifficultySpike and more difficult]]) due to the levels being much bigger (often approaching the gargantuan size of the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' levels), a higher number of minigames, bosses and puzzles, and the necessity of traveling between levels (literally, without going through the HubLevel). For a direct comparison, only the first game's ninth level (Click Clock Wood) can rival the complexity and diversity of the first four levels of the second game, and still lose to the likes of [[{{Prehistoria}} Terrydactyland]] and [[EternalEngine Grunty Industries]].

* The ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series did this so often, it should be called [[ZigZaggingTrope "Sequel Longevity Sinusoid"]]. Most games in the series have between 15 and 20 levels, with the exceptions of''VideoGame/AceCombatJointAssault'' (26 levels), ''VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception'' (29), ''VideoGame/AceCombat2'' (30), ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'' (32), and finally, ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'' with a whopping ''52'' levels, the most of any series title so far. Note, however, that these "prolonged" sequels feature some degree of non-linearity, while the games of default length are mostly linear.

* The ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series did this so often, it should be called [[ZigZaggingTrope "Sequel Longevity Sinusoid"]]. Most games in the series have between 15 and 20 levels, with the exceptions of''Ace Combat X 2'' (26 levels), ''Ace Combat X'' (29), ''Ace Combat 2'' (30), ''Ace Combat 5'' (32), and finally, ''Ace Combat 3'' with a whopping ''52'' levels, the most of any series title so far. Note, however, that these "prolonged" sequels feature some degree of non-linearity, while the games of default length are mostly linear.

* Early ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed'' games mostly focused on arcade-like gameplay and the fantasy of racing super cars. But with subsequent entries like ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted'' and most recently (at the time of this writing) ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHeat'', this trope comes into play, subversions not withstanding.
** This trope is played straight with Underground and its direct sequel Underground 2; the former introduced the concept of street racing and tuner car culture into the city, but the latter expanded them with more gameplay options such as free-roaming and extensive customization beyond the bodykits and performance parts.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'' has 120 levels in Story Mode, whereas the original's 10 Mario challenge only has 56 (though the 3DS version rose the amount to 100).

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' has a longer main quest than the first two games, which is reflected in the presence of ''two'' overworlds, between which Link can explore up to 12 dungeons, tied with ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToBetweenWorlds'' for having the highest number of any ''Zelda'' game. It also features more sidequests (which, to be fair, were barely present at all in the previous titles), as well as more overworld activity.

* Entries in the ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' series have become progressively longer over the decades.
** The three arcade games, ''Punch-Out!!'', ''Super Punch-Out!!'', and the spin-off ''VideoGame/ArmWrestling'' had only 5-6 opponents apiece.
** The NES game, however, featured a whopping 13 opponents fought in three circuits, with a 14th challenger serving as the final boss; depending on the version, it's either Mike Tyson or Mr. Dream. There's also a fourth circuit, accessible only by code, with the rather uninspired name "Another World Circuit." It doesn't contain any unique fights, but the fight order is different from the original World Circut, and losing to any opponent ''once'' triggers a GameOver.
** In the SNES sequel, there are 16 challengers across four circuits -- the most unique fighters of any ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' game.
** The 2009 Wii version has only 13 regular opponents, but each is fought a second time in completely remixed (and much harder) fights in the newer Title Defense mode. Additionally, a secret 14th challenger can be found in the [[ArrangeMode Last Stand Mode]], making for a grand total of ''seven'' circuits in story mode. Then, of course, there's Exhibition mode, which allows players to challenge any previously defeated fighter individually.

** Furthermore, the single-player "Adventure" modes of the games have likewise grown. ''Melee'' has a 12-stage Adventure mode that can be played with each character. ''Brawl'' has "The Subspace Emissary," a ''huge'', sprawling single-player mode that involves all of the playable characters and features different kinds of gameplay. Finally, ''Ultimate'' has "World of Light," an utterly ''massive'' ''Smash''/board game hybrid that can take hours to complete, but it allows you to unlock characters and Spirits along the way.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' is longer than the first two games ''combined'', having a total of 90 levels. Not even the subsequent ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' has more levels (it appears to have "96", but only because there is more than one goal line in several of the 73 levels).

* At least two ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games were designed with this trope in mind:
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' has a longer main quest than the first two games, which is reflected in the presence of ''two'' overworlds, between which Link can explore up to 12 dungeons, the highest number of any ''Zelda'' game. It also features more sidequests (which, to be fair, were barely present at all in the previous titles), as well as more overworld activity.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' has the same amount of dungeons as ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' (nine), but the main quest is overall longer due to the exploration of the Twilight segments, the horse track battles, bigger landscapes, and other factors.

* The first four ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' games have 4-5 Cups to compete in. From ''VideoGame/MarioKartDS'' onwards, this cranked to 8.
** The ''Mario Kart'' series might have started this before that; the third game, ''[[VideoGame/MarioKartSuperCircuit Super Circuit]]'' included all the tracks from the original and had 40 tracks across 10 cups (compared to 20 across four in ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioKart Super]]'', and 16 across four in ''[[VideoGame/MarioKart64 64]]''), which is the record four games later. Emphasis on 'might', however, because the tracks are usually shorter on the GBA than on the N64, and it lacks the mirror mode.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' is notoriously longer than previous games in the series, having longer dungeons, and a ton more side-quests.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' was slightly more than twice the length of ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'', since it featured the entire region that ''Red'' and ''Blue'' was set in, as well as a brand new one for ''Gold'' and ''Silver''. Although later games tend to be longer than ''Red'' and ''Blue'', they're likely less extensive than ''Gold'' and ''Silver''.

When video games first started coming into their own, how long the game took to finish wasn't much of a concern. In fact, most early games didn't have in-game narratives, or even a defined "end" to the game. Since high scores were the only real "reward" for playing, games tended to loop over and over until players got tired of playing, ran out of lives, or [[VideoGame/PacMan scored so high]] [[KillScreen the game crashed]].

* Developers and players alike tend to feel that a sequel should be longer, more content-rich, and more ambitious than the prior entry of the series -- otherwise, what's the point of a sequel if it's just going to feel like an ExpansionPack of the previous game?

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWildhttps://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1g3di_m1jw4qz662ry8bd_g.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1g3di_m1jw4qz662ry8bd_g.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Reminder: the Overworld of the original ''Legend of Zelda'' consisted of only one hundred and twenty-eight screens.]]]]

** ''Ultimate'' is also noteworthy in that, while the base game has 69 characters, only a paltry ''eight'' are available upon first play. While a handful of characters are available immediately as paid DLC, the other 61 can only be unlocked through play, which isn't a speedy process. While this delighted some fans, others were chagrined that their favorite characters required quite a bit of [[ItemGrind grinding]] to unlock, even in the best-case scenario.

** ''Ultimate'' is also noteworthy in that, while the base game has 69 characters, only a paltry ''eight'' are available upon first play. While a handful of characters are available immediately as paid DLC, the other 61 can only be unlocked through play, which isn't a speedy process. While this delighted some fans, others were chagrined that their favorite characters required quite a bit of [[ItemGrinding grinding]] to unlock, even in the best-case scenario.

** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'': 82[[note]]Counting all three of Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon as separate characters[[/note]] ''and counting'' as of November 2019 (76 in the base game, 5 as DLC)

** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'': 74 ''and counting'' as of November 2019 (69 in the base game, 5 as DLC)

[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Reminder: the Overworld of the original ''Legend of Zelda'' consisted of only sixteen screens.]]]]

** ''Super Smash Bros'': 12
** ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'': 26
** ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'': 39
** ''Super Smash Brothers IV'': 58
** ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'': 74 ''and counting'' as of November 2019

[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild A reminder that the original ''The Legend of Zelda'''s overworked consisted of only ''sixteen screens.'']]]]