History Main / StoppedNumberingSequels

* '''3:''' [[OddlyNamedSequel Numbered sequel + subtitle]] (or [[ThirdIs3D 3D]]).

* '''3:''' [[ElectricBoogaloo Numbered sequel + subtitle]] (or [[ThirdIs3D 3D]]).

* ''FinalDestination'' went for the RecycledTitle on it's fourth installment.
* ''NightmareOnElmStreet'' series stopped it's numbering on the fourth film, started it again on the fifth one and dropped it again on the sixth.
* ''TheHowling'' stopped numbering on it's seventh (and ultimately final) installment.

* ''TheExorcist'''s dropped it's numbering for the prequel, [[ExecutiveMeddling which morphed into two separate films]].

** However, ''SuperMario Galaxy 2'' was the first numbered sequel on consoles since the leap to 3D. The general idea seems to be that each console has it's own series of Mario games, and the N64 and Gamecube only had one game each.

* The ''{{Marathon}}'' series' second game had both a number and a subtitle (Marathon 2: Durandal), then the third went BeyondTheImpossible (Marathon Infinity: Blood Tides of Lh'owon)

* ''{{Marathon}}'' series

* ''TheTexasChainsawMassacre'' series stopped its numbering after the third film, which is fitting [[DisContinuity because nobody wants to remember]] the [[SoBadItsHorrible fourth film]].

* The studio might feel that a sequel that is numbered high enough might be avoided as audiences might avoid it due to a perceived ContinuityLockout.

* [[ExecutiveMeddling Somebody]] is worried that [[ViewersAreMorons the audience won't be able to keep track of which installment is which if all that's distinguishing them is a number]].

* The first sequel to ''{{Contra}}'' was titled ''Super Contra'' on the arcades and then [[MarketBasedTitle shortened]] to ''Super C'' on the NES. Since the word "[[SuperTitle64Advance Super]]" was already used for the previous game, the Super NES installment of the series became ''Contra III: The Alien Wars'', which was technically the fourth installment if one counts the Game Boy game ''Operation C''. There were no numbered ''Contra'' sequels afterward until the release of ''Contra 4'' for the Nintendo DS, which was actually the eleventh installment and the second one for a portable platform (not counting the two portable versions of ''Contra III'') and serves as a direct sequel to ''Contra III'' by being set before the events of ''Contra: Shattered Soldier''.

* The first ''Ace Combat'' sequel is simply ''Ace Combat 2'', while ''AC 3'' through ''AC 6'' (including ''AC Zero'' and ''AC X'') add a subtitle (and to further complicate matters, ''04'', ''5'' and ''Zero'' dropped the number for the PAL release), while the upcoming sequel, ''Assault Horizon'', finally dropped numbering altogether while making the subtitle more prominent than the Ace Combat part for the first time in the series. And then there's ''Joint Assault'', which is known as ''X2 Joint Assault'' in Japan...

* The ''{{Rambo}}'' series which has oddest title-evolution of them all, going from ''First Blood Parts I'' and ''II'' to ''Rambo III'' to the 2008 sequel, John Rambo.

* The ''{{Rambo}}'' series which has oddest title-evolution of them all, going from ''First Blood Parts I'' and ''II'' to ''Rambo III'' to the 2008 sequel

** Moreover, ''Peace Walker'' is either the third game in the "Naked Snake series" and the second one for the PSP. Additionally, a [[NoFourthWall comedy short]] implied that [[MetalGearSolidRising Raiden]] would get to star in ''Metal Gear Solid 5''.

* The ''{{Contra}}'' series is another odd case. The first sequel was simply called ''Super Contra'' on the arcades, which was then shortened to ''Super C'' on the NES. When Konami released the third console for the SNES, they [[MarketBasedTitle retitled]] it ''Contra III: The Alien Wars'' in America and it was the only numbered ''Contra'' sequel for years until the release of ''Contra 4'' for the Nintendo DS, a portable system, a decade and a half later. The title was given to the DS game by the producer to establish the fact that it was a throwback to the early NES/SNES games in the series (ignoring the changes made in further sequels like ''Hard Corps'' and ''Shattered Soldier'').

** Besides, Peace Walker is either the third game in the MetalGearSolid3 subseries, or the sixth overall. Additionally, a [[NoFourthWall comedy short]] implied that [[MetalGearSolidRising Raiden]] would get to star in Metal Gear Solid 5.

* ''AdvanceWars'' dropped the numbers for the third game.

** Besides, Peace Walker is either the third game in the MGS3 subseries, or the sixth overall. Besides, a [[NoFourthWall comedy short implied]] that [[MetalGearSolidRising Raiden]] would get to star in Metal Gear Solid 5.

*The ''{{Contra}}'' series is another odd case. The first sequel was simply called ''Super Contra'' on the arcades, which was then adapted to the NES as ''Super C''. When Konami released the third console game in the series for the SNES, they [[MarketBasedTitle retitled]] it ''Contra III: The Alien Wars'' in America and it was the only numbered ''Contra'' sequel for years until the release of ''Contra 4'' for the Nintendo DS, a portable system, almost 15 years later. The title was given to the DS game by the producer to establish the fact that it was a throwback to the early NES/SNES games in the series (ignoring the changes made in further sequels like ''Hard Corps'' and ''Shattered Soldier'').
* ''MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker'' was originally titled ''Metal Gear Solid 5''. It is not clarified why the title was not used, but it is assumed that Kojima was ashamed of downgrading from the {{PlayStation 3}} to the {{PlayStation Portable}} after ''MetalGearSolid4''.

* The ''MortalKombat'' sequels went from ''2'' to ''4'' and after that (when the series no longer had arcade releases) we got ''Deadly Alliance'', ''Deception'' and ''Armageddon''. The upcoming eighth installment (not counting ''Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe'') is [[WorkingTitle tentatively titled]] ''[[RecycledTitle Mortal Kombat]]''.

* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] by the KingOfFighters series, which started off with year-based titles (e.g. ''The King of Fighters '94'') until 2003, after which the games were no longer released annually and picked up a roman numbering system (''XI'', ''XII'' and ''XIII'' so far.)
* AdvanceWars dropped the numbers for the third game.

*''TheFastAndTheFurious'', second film replaced The-word with the number [[Letters2Numbers two]], third film just had a subtitle and fourth film is a RecycledTitle which drops The-words completely.