History OddlyNamedSequel2ElectricBoogaloo / VideoGames

** Creator/{{Rare}}'s answer to ''[[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Ninja Turtles]]'' has its fair share of sidescrolling beat-em-ups, the first of which was the original 1991 ''Battletoads'' game. It's been ported to the [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]], Platform/SegaGenesis, and Platform/GameBoy, with the latter version being [[MarketBasedTitle retitled as]] ''Battletoads in Ragnarok's World'' to avoid confusion with an already existing installment for the handheld that, despite bearing the name of the original, [[ReformulatedGame was a completely different game]].

* The game series now known as ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'' started with the game ''Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain'' with the weighting making it apparent the "Legacy of Kain" part was a subtitle. A few years later the next game came out called ''Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver'' (blood no longer being much of a big deal to the wraithlike new hero Raziel). It was followed by ''Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2''... but then came ''Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2'', which thoroughly confused everyone. The ''2'' sub-series finally converged in the final game, ''Legacy of Kain: Defiance'' -- to everyone's great relief.

* The ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' series goes through several changes in formatting across the series: ''VideoGame/{{Saints Row|1}}'', ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'', ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' and finally ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV''.

** And let's not forget that they're all sequels to a game called ''VideoGame/{{Koudelka}}''.

** The adventures of the quirky heroine started with ''VideoGame/Shantae2002'' for the Game Boy Color. This relatively obscure title got more popular follow-ups called ''VideoGame/ShantaeRiskysRevenge'', ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndThePiratesCurse'', ''VideoGame/ShantaeHalfGenieHero'' and ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndTheSevenSirens''.
** The sixth title, ''VideoGame/ShantaeAdvanceRiskyRevolution'', has quite an interesting story. It was conceptualized as the true follow-up to the original ''Shantae'' game back in [=2000s=]. Thanks to the original [=GBC=] game's mediocre sales, ''Risky Revolution'' was shelved... only to be brought back decades later for the physical release on Game Boy Advance (which is ''way past its prime'' as of 2024) in addition to modern consoles and computers. It now serves as an interquel taking place between the first game and ''Risky's Revenge''.

* The ''VideoGame/SimonTheSorcerer'' series uses a Roman numeral for the second game, "3D" for the third, and then switches to Arabic numerals for titles 4, 5, and 6 (stuck in DevelopmentHell).

* The ''VideoGame/{{Starsiege}}'' RealRobot simulators began with ''[=MetalTech=]: Earthsiege'', then moved to ''[=EarthSiege=] II''. The sequel to [=ES2=] was ''Starsiege''. After ''Starsiege'' came ''[[VideoGame/{{Tribes}} Starsiege: Tribes]]'', which was related to the previous games InNameOnly, dropping the mechs entirely for fast paced infantry combat in which you use {{Jet Pack}}s and [[AbnormalAmmo shoot exploding blue frisbees]] at enemies. The sequel to ''Starsiege: Tribes'' dropped the "Starsiege" tag entirely, simply becoming ''Tribes 2''. The prequel (which actually has a plot!) to ''Starsiege: Tribes'' is ''VideoGame/TribesVengeance''. The latest ''Tribes'' game is ''Tribes: Ascend'', with an [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame MMORPG]] known as ''Tribes: Universe'' currently in DevelopmentHell.

** European policies against depictions of violence forced the publishers to rebrand the games under the moniker ''Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles'', as it was done with 1987 series itself. Unfortunately, ''Hero Turtles 3'' doesn't exist -- ''The Manhattan Project'' was never released in Europe.
** The 2003 era of ''Ninja Turtles'' also has its fair share of confusion, no matter the region. Since [[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 the first game]] came out, it got sequels which were subtitled as ''Battle Nexus'' and ''Mutant Nightmare''. The entire trilogy of these beat-em-ups covers the first three seasons of [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 the show]]. However, the handheld versions of these same games are completely different: they've been remade as side-scrollers in order to circumvent the limitations of the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS.

* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' was followed by ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'', which made an [[MediumAwareness in-game mention]] of a ''Banjo-Threeie'' that led some people to believe that the third game would be called that. The third game instead ended up being a midquel known as ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooieGruntysRevenge'', followed by ([[SequelGap after a five-year gap]]) ''Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts'' -- which [[GenreShift shifted]] from a collectathon platformer to include an emphasis on vehicles. Before ''Nuts & Bolts'', there was also a racing game spin-off for the Platform/GameBoyAdvance called ''Banjo-Pilot''.

** Creator/{{Rare}}'s answer to ''Ninja Turtles'' has its fair share of sidescrolling beat-em-ups, the first of which is the original 1991 ''Battletoads'' game. It has been ported to NES, Sega Genesis and Game Boy. The latter version had been retitled as ''Battletoads in Ragnarok's World'' to avoid confusion with already existing installment for the handheld. ''Battletoads in Battlemaniacs'' came out for [=SNES=] and Sega Saturn. In 1994, an arcade title has been released - it's usually known as ''Battletoads Arcade'' or ''Super Battletoads''.
** Special mention goes to ''Battletoads & VideoGame/DoubleDragon - The Ultimate Team''. Multiple ports were developed for this [[IntercontinuityCrossover crossover]] utilizing the original Battletoads' engine. Despite accompanying NES, Genesis, [=SNES=] and Game Boy versions of the original side-scroll brawler, it's not a "sequel" to any of them.
** Much later, the reboot with hand-drawn style was released for [=Xbox=] One and Windows. It is simply called ''VideoGame/BattleToads2020''.

** Creator/{{Accolade}}'s wisecracking and pun-making bobcat was an attempt to cash in on certain [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Blue Blur]]'s success. Sure enough, his initial line-up of games was moderately successful - the ones being ''Bubsy in: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind'', ''Bubsy II'', as well as ''Bubsy in: Fractured Furry Tales'' (an exclusive for Platform/AtariJaguar). But the leap into the third dimension via ''VideoGame/Bubsy3D'' fared far worse compared to previous titles.
** In the later half of [=2010s=], however, Bubsy was suddenly brought back thanks to ''Bubsy Two-Fur'' collection. Then 2 more titles got released - ''Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back'' and ''Bubsy: Paws on Fire''.

* The ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series of games (at least in the original, pre-''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow Lords of Shadow]]'' continuity) followed an eclectic naming pattern: The direct follow-ups to [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaI the first game]] were called ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIISimonsQuest'', ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse'', and ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevaniaIV''. Of these, only ''Simon's Quest'' was a direct sequel, with ''Dracula's Curse'' being a prequel and ''IV'' being a retelling of the original. In between the releases of these games, there were several more GaidenGame entries, including two remakes of the original called ''Vampire Killer'' and ''VideoGame/HauntedCastle''. A particularly confusing element is the existence of ''two'' games called ''Castlevania II'' -- ''Simon's Quest'', which is a sequel to the original, and ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIBelmontsRevenge Belmont's Revenge]]'', which is a sequel to ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaTheAdventure'' for the Platform/GameBoy. After this point, the major sequels [[StoppedNumberingSequels stopped being numbered]] and followed a varied naming pattern until ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' came out, starting the {{Metroidvania}} era and giving future sequels a TheXOfY naming pattern.

* The ''VideoGame/KingdomRush'' series of TowerDefense games doesn't use numbering, instead relying on the "Version Title" format. The original ''Kingdom Rush'' is followed by ''Kingdom Rush: Frontiers''. The third game, ''Kingdom Rush: Origins'', serves as the prequel of the saga; bonus points for the main antagonist Vez'nan serving as ''a playable hero''. The fourth title, ''Kingdom Rush: Vengeance'', continues the storyline from ''Frontiers'' while also indicating the change of alignment; the players are fighting for the evil side. The fifth title, ''Legends of Kingdom Rush'', retooled the gameplay into the RPG format while also uniting the good and bad guys against a common threat. As of February 2024, Ironhide Games have announced their return to Tower Defense roots through ''Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance'' (which is technically ''the sixth'' game overall).

* After a string of sequentially numbered titles, ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' changed this formula with the arrival of the fourth game, ''VideoGame/BayonettaOriginsCerezaAndTheLostDemon'' - a prequel to the entire saga.

*** Generation VIII - ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Sword and Shield]]''; ''Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl'' (remakes of Gen IV titles); ''[[VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee Legends: Arceus]]''

** Not counting the [[{{Spinoff}} spin-offs]], Sonic seemed to make sense with ''VideoGame/{{Sonic the Hedgehog|1}} [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 1]]'', ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 2]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles 3]]''. Then ''Sonic & Knuckles'' came out which was basically [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo the second half]] of ''Sonic 3''. Things got confusing when they jumped over into 3D; it was ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' and then ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', but the "Adventure" title was dropped when ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' appeared, with ''Heroes'' then followed up by ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006''. After that point, the games have been a series of very loosely connected installments with ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'', ''VideoGame/SonicColors'', ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'', ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'', ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'', [[VideoGameLongRunners and so on]]. There's also the downloadable series ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4 Sonic 4]]: Episode 1'' and ''Sonic 4: Episode 2'', or its alternate universe counterpart, ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', which chronologically comes right after ''Sonic & Knuckles'' but was made decades later. [[spoiler:''Mania'' also happens to be a [[StealthSequel Stealth Prequel]] to ''Forces'', as the Classic Sonic seen in ''Forces'' is the Sonic of ''Sonic Mania'', having been time-displaced by the Phantom Ruby in the game's true ending.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Crazd}}'' has a [[SpiritualSuccessor Spiritual Sequel]] called ''[[VideoGame/{{Two}} 2]]''. Yes, '''just''' ''2'' instead of ''Craz'd! 2''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':

** Creator/{{Bethesda}} explained that ''New Vegas'' isn't a sequel to ''3'', so it doesn't follow in number (if anything, it's more of a remake of the [[VaporWare never-released]] ''VideoGame/FalloutVanBuren'', which is itself an example only ''because'' [[WorkingTitle it wasn't released]]). Bethesda has since released [[VideoGame/Fallout4 a sequel]] numbered ''4''. And then another one named "76". Similarly to "New Vegas" this game is more of a spinoff, and its focus on online multiplayer is the reason why the next game in the series will probably be "Fallout 5".

** The worst offender is, without a doubt, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2: Grimoire of the Rift''. It's a SpiritualSuccessor to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'', which is a spiritual successor to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics''. But because the new game isn't ''on'' the Platform/GameBoyAdvance the way ''[[SuperTitle64Advance Tactics Advance]]'' was, they couldn't call it "Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2," so instead they dropped the "-dvance" but kept the "A," ''[[SerialEscalation AND THEN]]'' added the subtitle "Grimoire of the Rift," leaving us with the absolutely bonkers WordSaladTitle we have today.

** Not to mention all the spin-offs: ''The House of the Dead EX'', ''VideoGame/ZombieRevenge'', ''The Typing of the Dead'', and ''VideoGame/ThePinballOfTheDead''. There's also ''VideoGame/VampireNight'', a {{Light Gun|Game}} SpiritualSuccessor made in collaboration between Creator/{{Sega}} [=AM1=] and [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Namco]] which introduced a handful of elements that'd be included in subsequent ''[=HotD=]'' games starting with ''III'', notably the boss cancel bar.

** ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts02BirthBySleepAFragmentaryPassage 0.2: Birth by Sleep]]'' doesn't just bear the longest title in the series to date (''[[WordSaladTitle Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-]]''); it's also simultaneously an ImmediateSequel to the Secret Episode of the original ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'', an {{Interquel}} set during [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI the first game]], a loose tie-in to ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsX Back Cover]]'', ''[[FramingDevice and]]'' an ImmediateSequel to ''3D'' that puts everything into place for the GrandFinale (of the that particular StoryArc, not the entire series). The game is part of the ''Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue'' {{compilation|Rerelease}}, which makes the odd name [[StealthPun somewhat clever]]: after all, 2.8 + 0.2 = [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII 3]].

** Given how many games have been made in this racing franchise, the Oddly Named Sequel approach was inevitable. The original game's official title is ''[[VideoGame/TheNeedForSpeed Road & Track Presents: The Need for Speed]]''. The main title of ''Road & Track Presents'' comes from the fact that the popular magazine in question shared the necessary info about the featured rides. Starting with ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedII Need for Speed II]]'', that label had been dropped completely - and so was the numbering after the fourth title, ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHighStakes'', came out.
** Only several titles get the proper numbering. Namely, ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUnderground'' and ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedShift'' sub-series. The first one has ''Underground'' and ''Underground 2'', but the second one brings more confusion to the table. The original ''Need for Speed: Shift'' is followed by ''Shift 2: Unleashed'', with the only indication of belonging to NFS franchise being its signature logo (which started to appear since ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUndercover Undercover]]'').
** And yes, only the few games have some sort of common plot between them. Storyline of ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted'' (2005 version) is directly followed by ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedCarbon''.
*** Speaking of follow-ups, there are installments that serve as spiritual sequels to one another. The aforementioned ''Shift'' sub-series is basically an enhancement over ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedProStreet'', thanks to participation in official racing competitions. Same deal goes towards ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedRivals'' - except there are numerous sources of inspiration: game mechanics carried over from 2010 version of ''Hot Pursuit'', Frostbite engine is used for development akin to ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedTheRun'', and several aspects from 2012 version of ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted2012 Most Wanted]]'' are also being featured there.
** During the Black Box era of the franchise (from ''Underground'' to ''The Run''), several titles got the handheld versions. Among these are ''Need for Speed: Underground Rivals'', ''Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0'', and ''Need for Speed: Carbon - Own the City''.

*** Generation I - ''Red, Blue and Yellow.''
*** Generation II - ''Gold, Silver and Crystal.''
*** Generation III - ''Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald''; ''[=FireRed=] and [=LeafGreen=]'' (remakes of Gen I titles).
*** Generation IV - ''Diamond, Pearl and Platinum''; ''[=HeartGold=] and [=SoulSilver=]'' (remakes of Gen II titles).
*** Generation V - ''Black and White'', ''Black 2 and White 2'' (direct sequels to main ''Black and White'' versions).
*** Generation VI - ''X and Y''; ''Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire'' (remakes of Gen III titles).
*** Generation VII - ''Sun and Moon''; ''Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon'' (direct sequels to main ''Sun and Moon'' versions); ''Let's Go! Pikachu & Eevee'' (second set of Gen I remakes).
*** Generation VIII - ''Sword and Shield''; ''Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl'' (remakes of Gen IV titles); ''Legends: Arceus''.
*** Generation IX - ''Scarlet and Violet''; ''Legends Z-A''.
** Of note is that Generations II through IV all used precious materials for their names (''Gold'', ''Silver'' and ''Crystal'' for [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Generation II]]; ''Ruby'', ''Sapphire'' and ''Emerald'' for [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Generation III]]; and ''Diamond'', ''Pearl'' and ''Platinum'' for [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Generation IV]]), which can be very confusing for non-fans. This has only become more confusing with subsequent generations: Gen V went back to colors (''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Black/White]]'', which received NumberedSequels in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2 Black 2/White 2]]''), Gen VI switched to letters/axis coordinates (''[[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY X/Y]]''), Gen VII used celestial bodies (''[[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Sun/Moon]]'', which received [[AlternateUniverse AU]] {{Word Sequel}}s in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon]]'', consistent with the ThemeNaming for the various interdimensional aspects introduced in the original versions [[labelnote:ex.]][[EldritchAbomination Ultra Beasts]], [[EldritchLocation Ultra Space]], [[OurWormholesAreDifferent Ultra Wormholes]], etc.[[/labelnote]]), Gen VIII used combat equipment (''[[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Sword/Shield]]''), and Gen IX went back to colors once more (''[[VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet Scarlet/Violet]]'').

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
** The series had been getting on just fine without the need for any if these fancy subtitles: ''VideoGame/{{Fallout|1}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and... ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''. Oh. There was also a game with different gameplay that didn't fit into the chronology called ''VideoGame/FalloutTacticsBrotherhoodOfSteel'', and another, with yet a different style of gameplay, called just ''VideoGame/FalloutBrotherhoodOfSteel''.
** Creator/{{Bethesda}} explained that ''New Vegas'' isn't a sequel to ''3'', so it doesn't follow in number (if anything, it's more of a remake of the [[VaporWare never-released]] ''VideoGame/FalloutVanBuren'', which is itself an example only ''because'' [[WorkingTitle it wasn't released]]). Bethesda has since released [[VideoGame/Fallout4 a sequel]] numbered ''4''. And then another one named "76". Similarly to "New Vegas" this game is more of a spinoff, and its focus on online multiplayer is the reason why the next game in the series will probably be "Fallout 5".

** Despite the ever-increasing number of entries in the main series, there has never been a ''Pokémon 2'', let alone ''3'', ''4'' or ''5'', despite the fact that [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver the second generation]] was indeed a direct sequel to [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue the first one]]. Instead there's [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo pairs]] (and, usually, eventually trios or quartets), of games with themed names in the format of "Pokémon [Version Title]," with no indication of what falls where. For those wondering, terms like the "second generation" or "Generation V" are non-official designations for groups of games and the Pokémon within them (which also distinguish [[VideoGameRemake remakes]] from the originals).

** The final game released during the Gen VIII era, ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'', is a distant prequel to the entire series which takes place in Hisui region (alternative name for Sinnoh, the main location of ''Diamond'', ''Pearl'' and ''Platinum'' versions). It is slated to be followed by ''Pokemon Legends Z-A'' in 2025. The sequel takes inspiration from Gen VI games - and not just in terms of naming conventions.

* The original ''Franchise/TombRaider'' series consists of ''VideoGame/TombRaiderI'', ''VideoGame/TombRaiderII'', ''VideoGame/TombRaiderIII'', then ''VideoGame/TombRaiderTheLastRevelation'', ''VideoGame/TombRaiderChronicles'' and ''VideoGame/TombRaiderTheAngelOfDarkness''. The Crystal Dynamics ContinuityReboot of the franchise continues this trend, with ''VideoGame/TombRaiderLegend'', ''VideoGame/TombRaiderAnniversary'', and ''VideoGame/TombRaiderUnderworld''. Then it was rebooted ''again'', with just ''VideoGame/{{Tomb Raider|2013}}'', which was followed by ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheTombRaider'' and ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheTombRaider''.