History SequelDisplacement / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/Postal2'' is considered one of the most popular yet infamous PC games in history, known for it's dark humor, a charming protagonist that quips all the time and is literally called 'Dude' and loads of offensive jokes. Then you have the original ''VideoGame/{{Postal}}'': A psychological horror game. While the game wasn't horribly received it has been completely overshadowed by it's sequel, to the point new players are constantly baffled by the absolute Tonal Whiplash between the two games. If that wasn't enough, in a strange two way street kind of way, Postal 2's popularity has short of bled in the entire franchise as a whole. With the outsourced ''VideoGame/PostalIII'' receiving a reception so negative, it prompted the original developers to straight up go back and make new DLC content for Postal 2, DLC content that actually retcons Postal III into a fever dream by the Dude, right at the start of the story. ''VideoGame/Postal4NoRegerts'''s marketing became mostly about how the game would function as the 'real' sequel to Postal 2, only to also receive mixed to heavily negative reception. For better or for worse, whenever someone references the ''Franchise/Postal'' franchise in popular culture, chances are they are just talking about Postal 2.

* ''VideoGame/Postal2'' is considered one of the most popular yet infamous PC games in history, known for it's dark humor, a charming protagonist that quips all the time and is literally called 'Dude' and loads of offensive jokes. Then you have the original ''VideoGame/Postal'': A psychological horror game. While the game wasn't horribly received it has been completely overshadowed by it's sequel, to the point new players are constantly baffled by the absolute Tonal Whiplash between the two games. If that wasn't enough, in a strange two way street kind of way, Postal 2's popularity has short of bled in the entire franchise as a whole. With the outsourced ''VideoGame/PostalIII'' receiving a reception so negative, it prompted the original developers to straight up go back and make new DLC content for Postal 2, DLC content that actually retcons Postal III into a fever dream by the Dude, right at the start of the story. ''VideoGame/PostalIV'''s marketing became mostly about how the game would function as the 'real' sequel to Postal 2, only to also receive mixed to heavily negative reception. For better or for worse, whenever someone references the ''Franchise/Postal'' franchise in popular culture, chances are they are just talking about Postal 2.

** As proof that [[HistoryRepeats history does indeed repeat]], the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' series ran afoul of this as well. For many gamers, casual and competitive alike, ''New Generation'' and ''2nd Impact'' are barely a blip on the radar (if noticed at all), with the majority of the focus instead going to ''3rd Strike''. There are many reasons for this (the ''III'' series as a whole being a ContestedSequel to ''II'' '''and''' running concurrently with the much more favorably received ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Alpha]]'', the near complete absence of the ''II'' cast, the earlier games lacking some of the polish and mechanical refinements found in the third installment, etc.), not helped by the fact that the [[TournamentPlay tournament scene]] of ''3S'' provided the UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity with the memetically popular [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzS96auqau0 "EVO Moment #37"]] -- which became a SignatureScene ''for the entire FGC'' and is credited with [[GenreRelaunch renewing interest in the genre]]. It also wouldn't be until 2018's ''[[CompilationRerelease Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection]]'' that a compilation featured ''NG'' and ''2I'' alongside ''3S''; ''3rd Strike'' was the only game in the ''III'' series that saw frequent re-releases while the first two entries only saw home releases on the [[Platform/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]].

** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', much like ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', has had this effect on poor ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil Resident Evil 1]]''. While the first game was still fairly popular, the ActionizedSequel -- which had a much bigger environment, more monsters, more polished graphics with CG cutscenes and voice acting that wasn't terrible -- helped put the franchise on the map compared to the first one. Now, when most people think of ''Resident Evil'', they'll likely picture a ZombieApocalypse in a town rather a monster-filled mansion. It took several more years for ''[=RE1=]'' to receive more recognition, thanks to its cast appearing in other games and getting [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRemake a beautiful remake]] on the [=GameCube=] and [=PlayStation 2=]. Although in a tragic case of history repeating itself, the ''[=RE2=]'' [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake remake]] is now more acclaimed and financially successful than the ''[=RE1=]'' remake was.

** The first five games of the ''Touhou'' series are only available on the long-dead PC-98 machine, making them widely unavailable for many fans, unlike the Windows-based sixth game onwards. It doesn't help that the sixth game itself is when the series found its popularity, ''and'' is also a soft reboot of the series story-wise. Many characters introduced in the Windows games would become recurring characters in later works, while the characters from the PC-98 games [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome are all but forgotten]]. Only four characters are brought over from PC-98 to Windows, two of them being the main characters of the franchise. Barring the occassional ContinuityNod, the only acknowledgement that the first five games exist is that the series keeps its numbering for the games.

** The first five games of the ''Touhou'' series are only available on the long-dead PC-98 machine, making them widely unavailable for many fans, unlike the Windows-based sixth game onwards. It doesn't help that the sixth game itself is when the series found its popularity, ''and'' is also a soft reboot of the series story-wise. Many characters introduced in the Windows games would become recurring characters in later works, while the characters from the PC-98 games are all but forgotten. Only four characters are brought over from PC-98 to Windows, two of them being the main characters of the franchise. The only acknowledgement that the first five games exist is that the series keeps its numbering for the games.

* When thinking of ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'', most will think of either the original NES platformer that's infamous for being NintendoHard, or it's sole sequel, ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', a third-person shooter which revived the series from a long hiatus, redesigned all the characters, and is famous for its quirky characters and even more tongue-in-cheek humor. Expect, ''Uprising'' is the ''third'' game in the series. The second is the Game Boy title ''Of Myths and Monsters'', which not only [[NoExportForYou didn't release in Japan]], but has [[CanonDiscontinuity its existence completely ignored]] by both ''Uprising'' and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', as neither reference the game or its events at all.

* The UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum game ''Abu Simbel Profanation'' was Dinamic Software's first really successful release. It was preceded by two lesser-known {{Maze Game}}s with the same protagonist, ''Saimazoom'' and ''Babaliba''.

* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' on the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube is a very well-known game, but few people know it's an UpdatedRerelease of a [[NoExportForYou Japanese-only]] UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 title.

* The original ''VideoGame/CoolBoarders'' was released very early in the UsefulNotes/PlayStation's lifespan, and was essentially a glorified tech demo that had a handful of tracks, five boards, no competition mode (or anything besides time trial) and next-to-no replayability. ''Cool Boarders 2'' was essentially a remake of the first game, with some of the original levels appearing as well as many more levels, multiple characters/boards and several different modes. Notably, the original ''Cool Boarders'' is the only one of the first four games not to sell over a million copies.
* ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'': While there are many who know that the squirrel's first appearance was in ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing'', and that ''Bad Fur Day'' was originally meant to be a kid-friendly 3D platformer, very few are aware that ''Bad Fur Day'' is actually the second game that has him in the lead role. The first was the E-rated ''Conker's Pocket Tales'' came out on the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor a few years before ''Bad Fur Day'', which was actually well-regarded as one of the best games for the system upon release.

* The first ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' was a standard fighting game for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation called ''Sangoku Musou'' in Japan. When ''Dynasty Warriors 2'' was released and introduced the HackAndSlash formula the series is now known for, it was reintroduced as ''Shin Sangoku Musou'' while the West just called it ''Dynasty Warriors 2''; as such, each installment in the series is now one number ahead of its Japanese counterpart, even though it's the same game.

* So far, only four ''VideoGame/FireProWrestling'' games have made it outside the Land of The Rising Sun: two for UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance ([[BadExportForYou heavily bastardized]]) and one for UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 (known as ''Fire Pro Wrestling Returns''), which is fairly more popular in the U.S. than any other game in the series. Like, about twenty of them, which are also available for such popular consoles as UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, UsefulNotes/PlayStation, UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast and UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn. The new ''Fire Pro Wrestling World'' may get this treatment, as it was released in the US for PC and current gen consoles, and came complete with a Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling license, and was endorsed by Wrestling/KennyOmega.

** If ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' is an actual sequel or just spiritual successor to ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' could be argued, but regardless ''Dark Souls'' by far the better-known game. ''Dark Souls'' was both far more available, being cross-platform rather than a UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 exclusive, and implemented several mechanics which made the game considerably easier and more accessible. Yes, that's right, ''[[NintendoHard Dark Souls]]'' [[NintendoHard is the EASY version]]. Somewhat downplayed once ''Demon's Souls'' was rereleased on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation5, though ''Dark Souls'' still remains the more well-known title.
** ''Demon's Souls'' was, itself, a SpiritualSuccessor to the ''VideoGame/KingsField'' series. Although it was reasonably popular in Japan, the series is considerably more obscure in the west. This even contains another example within the example, as the original ''King's Field'' was [[NoExportForYou never released in the west]] since the sequel had already come out in Japan by the time the UsefulNotes/PlayStation was launching outside of it, so From decided to just skip it. As a result, ''King's Field II'' and ''III'' were released in the west as simply ''King's Field'' and ''King's Field II'', with the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 sequel ''King's Field IV'' being renamed ''King's Field: The Ancient City''.

* The ''VideoGame/GanbareGoemon'' series originally began with a Japan-only arcade game called ''Mr. Goemon'', which the original [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom]] game ''Ganbare Goemon'' was loosely based on. Some gamers even assume that the first UsefulNotes/{{S|uperNintendoEntertainmentSystem}}NES game in the series, the one that came out in America as ''Legend of the Mystical Ninja'', is the first game in the series period.

* ''VideoGame/TheGuardianLegend'' was originally ''Guardic Gaiden'', a spin-off of the UsefulNotes/{{MSX}} game ''Guardic''.

* [[DownplayedExample A selective example]] with ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio''. While both the original and ''Jet Set Radio Future'' have a {{cult|Classic}} following among Creator/{{Sega}} fans, it is ''Future'' that is more well-known to the non-Sega crowd. This is because of two reasons: 1) The first game was released when the [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] was losing its popularity in America and Europe, and 2) ''Future'' and ''Sega GT 2002'' were put together on one disc and packaged with UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}es during the holiday season of 2002, so everyone who got an Xbox for Christmas that year had no choice but to play it. When the first ''JSR'' got an HD makeover in 2012 for download services, a lot of people who only played ''Future'' complained about how different this one was. (And to be fair, the general consensus about ''Future'' is that [[EvenBetterSequel it ironed out a lot of the original's flaws]].)

* Given the commercial failure of the UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy, many ignore that ''VideoGame/MarioTennis'' started on that platform and not on the UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 64}}.

* The first two ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' games were released on the [[UsefulNotes/{{MSX}} MSX2]], a computer platform that was not widely available. While [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 the first game]] did get a bit of exposure thanks to actually being localized, as well as having a [[ReformulatedGame reworked]] [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES port]] that saw a much wider release, [[VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake the second game]] remained only in Japan and came out at the tailgate of the [=MSX2=]'s lifespan (an [[VideoGame/SnakesRevenge unrelated sequel]] for the NES was made for the west instead). As a result, the third game, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', which was released on the more widely successful UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation}}, served as something of a soft reboot for the series and included in-game plot summaries of the two [=MSX2=] games for players who missed out on those games. Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/MetalGearAcid'', where an in-game commercial reminds audiences that "[[OlderThanTheyThink Metal Gear wasn't always in 3D.]]"
* For the ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' series, due to [[SequelGap the long release gaps]] between entries in the mainline 2D games, the 3D ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'' sub-series gradually became the main image of the franchise following the critical acclaim and success of 2002's ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime''. This is to the point that you'll still occasionally see people who are unfamiliar with the franchise believe that the 2002 game is actually the first installment in the series, despite ''Metroid'' originating on the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] sixteen years prior. In addition, around ''Prime'''s release, it was also common for people to think that this "new" series was made to serve as Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s answer to ''Franchise/{{Halo}}''.

* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' is an iconic NES title, but few are aware that the franchise started out as a series of popular arcade titles (which themselves include [[VideoGame/ArmWrestling an oft-forgotten arm wrestling spin-off game]]) before hitting Nintendo's home console a few years later. On top of that, even [[FirstInstallmentWins the SNES sequel]] goes unremembered, resulting in most people assuming the franchise consists solely of the 1987 NES game and its 2009 UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} reboot.

** ''Rayman: VideoGame/RavingRabbids'' (and the Rabbids themselves) has become quite well known, even getting [[VideoGame/MarioPlusRabbidsKingdomBattle two]] [[VideoGame/MarioPlusRabbidsSparksOfHope crossovers]] with the Mario series. However many, particularly younger, people have no idea the ''Rayman'' series dates back to 1995, released for the UsefulNotes/AtariJaguar and Sony UsefulNotes/PlayStation (the [=PS1=] version was one of the best-selling [=PS1=] games ever, especially in Europe). The displacement has died out somewhat, as the classic platforming revival starting with ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins'' has had major critical success.

* ''VideoGame/RhythmHeaven'''s second edition for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS is regarded as the series' first title outside of Japan rather than its Game Boy Advance predecessor.

* ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' is a downplayed example. While it is [[NumberedSequels obviously]] the second game in the ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' series, [[VideoGame/SaintsRow1 the original game]] was exclusive to the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 (while all of the sequels were multiplatform) and was considered a SoOkayItsAverage ''Grand Theft Auto'' clone that probably would've faded into obscurity had a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel not been made. Even though fans of the series are aware that a ''Saints Row'' before ''2'' exists, [[MainstreamObscurity the number that have actually played it is in the minority]]. It was also because of this that ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' [[ContinuityLockout didn't continue any of the plotlines]] from ''2'', since non-Xbox gamers found it hard to follow the story. ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'', however, contains references to all the previous games, including the first.
* ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'', a.k.a. ''Seiken Densetsu 2'', from the ''VideoGame/ManaSeries''. Even in Japan, the first game was released with the subtitle of ''Final Fantasy Gaiden'' and was presented as more of a ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' game than its own entity. In America, it was only released as ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure'', leaving many Americans unaware that it was even a ''Mana'' game at all. In both cases, ''Secret of Mana'' greatly overshadowed it and came to define the series worldwide. A UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance [[VideoGameRemake remake]] of the first game, ''VideoGame/SwordOfMana'', even redid several key mechanics and the entire aesthetic to look more like ''Secret of Mana'' and [[VideoGame/TrialsOfMana its sequel]]. [[MilestoneCelebration To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series]], another remake of ''Final Fantasy Adventure'' was released in 2016 for smartphones and the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation Vita}} and while it sticks much closer to the original version's formula than ''Sword of Mana'' did, it was still [[MarketBasedTitle renamed]] ''Adventures of Mana'' overseas, though Creator/SquareEnix still acknowledges that it's a remake of ''Final Fantasy Adventure''.
* The UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis is a well-known video game console from the early 90s. The UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem is not.[[note]](Unless you lived in [[PopCultureIsolation Europe, Brazil, South Korea, or Australia]], where it was massively popular.)[[/note]] More people know the UsefulNotes/GameGear, and its ports, better than the actual Master System. The SG-1000 is even more obscure.

** The first ''Megami Tensei'' game released in North America was the obscure ''Jack Bros.'', for the even more obscure UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy. Quite ironically, it's considered to be the second-best Virtual Boy game on the handheld (the best game being ''VideoGame/VirtualBoyWarioLand'') and collectors are willing to pay hefty fee for it (around $200, approximately).

* ''Slashers: The Power Battle'' is an indie Weapon based FightingGame that some have heralded as a throwback 2D Fighting games, [[http://fandomfare.com/2018/04/18/the-ottoman-slapper/ such as]] ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'', ''VideoGame/TheLastBlade'' (both by Creator/{{SNK}}), ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', and earlier ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' games (the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' series in particular), but almost no one is aware that it is a sequel to the obscure UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance title ''VideoGame/DualBlades'' [[OlderThanTheyThink released back in 2002]]. The fact that Stun Games, the successor entity to the makers of ''Dual Blades'', have not made mention of the original game in advertising ''Slashers'' when combined with the original games' aforementioned obscurity certainly plays a role in this case.

** While many people are aware of ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soulcalibur]]'', even though it was the sequel that had greater prominence and sales, there are a handful that have even heard of ''Soul Edge[=/=]Soul Blade'', an UsefulNotes/{{Arcade|Game}}/UsefulNotes/PlayStation game that precedes the first ''Soulcalibur''. It doesn't help that the all the games afterwards took the ''Soulcalibur'' title.

** As proof that [[HistoryRepeats history does indeed repeat]], the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' series ran afoul of this as well. For many gamers, casual and competitive alike, ''New Generation'' and ''2nd Impact'' are barely a blip on the radar (if noticed at all), with the majority of the focus instead going to ''3rd Strike''. There are many reasons for this (the ''III'' series as a whole being a ContestedSequel to ''II'' '''and''' running concurrently with the much more favorably received ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Alpha]]'', the near complete absence of the ''II'' cast, the earlier games lacking some of the polish and mechanical refinements found in the third installment, etc.), not helped by the fact that the [[TournamentPlay tournament scene]] of ''3S'' provided the UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity with the memetically popular [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzS96auqau0 "EVO Moment #37"]] -- which became a SignatureScene ''for the entire FGC'' and is credited with [[GenreRelaunch renewing interest in the genre]]. It also wouldn't be until 2018's ''[[CompilationRerelease Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection]]'' that a compilation featured ''NG'' and ''2I'' alongside ''3S''; ''3rd Strike'' was the only game in the ''III'' series that saw frequent re-releases while the first two entries only saw home releases on the [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]].
* ''Summer Carnival'' shoot 'em ups have a really weird case of this. First of all, ''VideoGame/{{Recca}}'' might be ''mistakenly'' considered a sequel displacement because there was a game that was released year earlier, ''Spriggan'', which keeps the same ''Summer Carnival'' brand name. Moreover, the later games in this series, ''Alzadick'' and ''Nexzr'', may also be mistakenly considered follow-ups, but in reality... Not only were ''Recca'' and the remaining SC games released on different platforms and developed by different teams, they have '''absolutely''' nothing in common, save for the genre, the setting and belonging to the same somewhat forgotten gaming event, which is arguably the real example of this trope. Also, have you ever heard about ''Alzadick'' having its own '''sequel''' on UsefulNotes/PlayStation2?

* ''[[VideoGame/TimeCrisis Time Crisis II]]'' is more well-known than the original game; while the original game had unique cover mechanic and was released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation in addition to the arcade with exclusive "Special" mode, it suffers from the lack of 2-player support, lack of power-ups, NintendoHard, and the console port suffers from downgraded graphics, but ''II'' fixes everything and added a two-player support, with the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 port being a PolishedPort with new features and improved graphics and considered the best game in the series.

** Interestingly enough, the ''exact same thing'' has happened to ''II''. Ask any hardcore fan for their opinion of ''The World Warrior'', and you'll most likely get a [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny litany of gripes]]. Horribly unbalanced, tons of cheap tricks (including the infamous "tick throws"), tons of glitches, Guile rules the universe, way too easy to do ridiculous damage, redizzies, infinites, etc. Anyone who just started picking up ''Street Fighter II'' would find ''The World Warrior'' just about unrecognizable.

* The full title of ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' is ''[[ColonCancer Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress]]''. The original ''Slaves to Armok'' [[http://www.bay12games.com/armok/download.html is an actual game]], and is more like an adventure game. In turn, the older 2D version has mostly been displaced by the later 3D one. Except, perhaps, for the handful of popular LetsPlays like LetsPlay/{{Boatmurdered}}.

* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' is an iconic NES title, but few are aware that the franchise started out as a series of popular arcade titles (which themselves include an oft-forgotten arm wrestling spin-off game) before hitting Nintendo's home console a few years later. On top of that, even [[FirstInstallmentWins the SNES sequel]] goes unremembered, resulting in most people assuming the franchise consists solely of the 1987 NES game and its 2009 UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} reboot.

* ''VideoGame/ZeroGunner II'' eclipses the original game in term of recognition, largely because, [[NoPortForYou unlike its predecessor]], it actually got an home console release. Tellingly, while the current owners of the Creator/{{Psikyo}} library bothered to port ''Zero Gunner II'' to modern hardware despite lacking the original development ressources, they have expressed no interest in doing likewise with the original game.

* In the ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' franchise, the wildly popular third instalment of the series (which was the highest-selling FightingGame at the time with 8.3 million copies sold) has immensely displaced the first and second ''Tekken'' games. Most casual gamers will assume Jin was always the protagonist of the franchise, when the original protagonist was actually his father Kazuya, who was absent in ''Tekken 3'' after being thrown into a volcano by his father Heihachi at true end of the previous game. Being mechanically and graphically superior to the 1992 and 1995 entries, a lot of players tend pick up the series with the third game and don't touch the previous titles, considering them too archaic -- if they even consider or acknowledge them at all. Notably, there was some outcry over the fact Kazuya was chosen instead of Jin as the ''Tekken'' rep for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', even though Kazuya was introduced first and was essentially the Ryu of the story before Jin took over.

* In the ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' franchise, the wildly popular third instalment of the series (which was the highest-selling FightingGame at the time with 8.3 million copies sold) has immensely displaced the first and second ''Tekken'' games. Most casual gamers will assume Jin was always the protagionist of the franchise, when it was actually his father Kazuya, who was absent in ''Tekken 3'' after being thrown into a volcano by his father Heihachi. Being mechanically and graphically superior to the 1992 and 1995 entries, a lot of players tend pick up the series with the third game and don't touch the previous titles, considering them too archaic -- if they even consider or acknowledge them at all. Notably, there was some outcry over the fact Kazuya was chosen instead of Jin as the ''Tekken'' rep for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', even though Kazuya was introduced first and was essentially the Ryu of the story before Jin took over.

** After [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'''s release, thanks to its tremendous success, a few who started with that game called ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' "Zelda 2" (something that [[FandomEnragingMisconception if said, tended to get that person into trouble]]).

** Most recently, this has happened with ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom Tears of the Kingdom]]''. Due to being the best selling Zelda game and coming after a long Zelda drought, ''Breath of the Wild'' served as the series introduction to millions of new players. However, with the game abandoning many staple elements such as the green clothes, Triforce (now simply known as the "Zelda logo" to many fans unfamiliar with the previous games), the Golden Goddesses and many gameplay elements, it's not uncommon to find newer fans perplexed or ignorant at the mention of something from before ''Breath of the Wild's'' release. With ''Tears of the Kingdom'' selling just as if not better than its predecessor, it seems old Zelda games are bound to be forgotten for a while before they bounce back from obscurity.

* ''VideoGame/JetpackJoyride'', a third game to star VideoGame/BarrySteakfries. The two games that predate it are ''VideoGame/AgeOfZombies'' and ''VideoGame/MonsterDash''. The first one is a ShootEmUp that doesn't even feature any jetpacks, and the second one is an EndlessRunningGame with enough differences in gameplay comparing to its successor. As far as mainstream recognision is concerned, people are most likely to have memories about ''Jetpack Joyride'', and not so much of its predecessors. The fact that ''Jetpack'' was one of the few games from Halfbrick not to be delisted in 2018 after GDPR laws became active (though ''Monster Dash'' was brought back a few years later), and eventually got [[VideoGame/JetpackJoyride2 a sequel of its own]] probably goes to show how much has it surpassed its older brothers in popularity.

* Generally averted with ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', but for some time after ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'''s release, thanks to its tremendous success, a few who started with that game called ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' "Zelda 2" (something that [[FandomEnragingMisconception if said, tended to get that person into trouble]]). Also, because ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'' introduced many of the elements and tropes that the series is known for, it's not uncommon for people to consider it the "first" real ''Zelda'' game. Or, at the very least, have played it but not the ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI first]]'' ''[[VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink two]]''.

* ''VideoGame/ZeroGunner II'' eclipses the original game in term of recognition, largely because, [[NoPortForYou unlike its predecessor]], it actually got an home console release. Tellingly, while the current owners of the Creator/{{Psikyo}} library bothered to port ''Zero Gunner II'' to modern hardware despite lacking the original development ressources, they have expressed no interest in doing likewise with the original game.
* ''VideoGame/ArmChamps'': the first game from 1988 saw only a limited release outside Japan and is quite obscure, while it's 1992 sequel had a wider release worldwide and is thus far better known than its predecessor.

* ''VideoGame/ZeroGunner II'' eclipses the original game in term of recognition, largely because, [[NoPortForYou unlike its predecessor]], it actually got an home console release. Tellingly, while the current owners of the Creator/{{Psikyo}} library bothered to port ''Zero Gunner II'' to modern hardware despite lacking the original development ressources, they have expressed no interest in doing likewise with the original game.

** The first game to not fall under NoExportForYou, ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]'', is actually the ''seventh'' in the series. Not only that, in an {{inver|tedTrope}}sion of TheForeignSubtitle, it was released as simply ''Fire Emblem'' in the West, practically encouraging this. This causes some issues, as ''The Blazing Blade'' is a ''prequel'' to ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade The Binding Blade]]'', a game that never got released outside of Japan, leaving a lot of players confused by what seem to be a ton of {{Sequel Hook}}s that are actually {{Foregone Conclusion}}s or [[CallForward Call-Forwards]]. The Western fandom later discovered earlier games through {{Fan Translation}}s, but ''The Blazing Blade'' is still far more popular than its predecessor outside of Japan.

** ''Rayman: VideoGame/RavingRabbids'' (and the Rabbids themselves) has become quite well known, even getting a crossover in a Mario game. However many, particularly younger, people have no idea the ''Rayman'' series dates back to 1995, released for the UsefulNotes/AtariJaguar and Sony UsefulNotes/PlayStation (the [=PS1=] version was one of the best-selling [=PS1=] games ever, especially in Europe). The displacement has died out somewhat, as the classic platforming revival starting with ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins'' has had major critical success.

* ''VideoGame/TomodachiLife'' was pretty successful on the Nintendo 3DS, but few people know of ''Tomodachi Collection'' for the original Nintendo DS. This is because [[NoExportForYou it never got a release outside of Japan]] [[WhatCouldHaveBeen (it was supposed to, but there were issues revolving around the voice synth that prevented localization)]].

** ''VideoGame/{{Street Fighter|I}}'', released in 1987, introduced many of the same concepts later used by its sequel ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', namely a six-button configuration and command-based special moves, but the game is merely a cult hit due to its stiff controls and lack of any playable character other than Ryu and Ken. The six-button configuration was an afterthought, created as a cheaper alternative for arcade owners who couldn't afford the deluxe cabinet which used two large mechatronic punching pads for each player that determine the strength of the player's attacks based on how hard they're pushed. ''Street Fighter II'' refined all the mechanics from the original game, keeping the six-button configuration while adding multiple player characters, essentially giving birth to the fighting game boom of the '90s (as pictured above). Also, everyone knew about the player's special moves in ''Street Fighter II'' from the get go because the commands were printed on the instruction card. Because of this, people often forget that Ryu and Ken's three special attacks in the original are secret techniques that the player needed to discover for themselves. The (subsequently unchanged) control sequence was devised so it could be [[{{Pun}} hit on]] by accident, provoking players to spend lots of time (and credits) trying to find out how the hell they'd done it.

* The ''Franchise/SilentHill'' franchise now spans eight main games, but the [[VideoGame/SilentHill2 second game]] is by far the most famous and acclaimed, 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 joke endings of ''VideoGame/SilentHill3'', ''[[VideoGame/SilentHillShatteredMemories Shattered Memories]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/SilentHillDownpour Downpour]]'', all of which feature a cameo appearance from the protagonist of ''Silent Hill 2'' for no real reason.

* The developers of ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'' endorse this officially, encouraging new players to skip the highly dated [[VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheShiftedSpires original game]] (which never saw the light of day beyond Catie Wayne’s fan forum) and jump straight into the sequel instead.

* Few people have heard of ''Earth 2140'', an uninspired 1997 RTS about two robots and cyborgs duking it out AfterTheEnd. Then, 3 years later, ''VideoGame/{{Earth 2150}}'' came out, continuing the storyline but revamping the gameplay to introduce 3 unique sides, day/night change, full 3D, and a timed campaign. Many RTS fans have at least heard of ''Earth 2150'', and the unique naming scheme hides the fact that ''Earth 2140'' even existed. ''2150'' was followed by two {{Expansion Pack}}s and another sequel in 2005, ''Earth 2160'', which largely failed to impress fans.
* ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'' (aka ''MOTHER 2'' [[MarketBasedTitle in Japan]]) is a cult classic JRPG, and those who know of it also speak highly of its Japan-only sequel ''VideoGame/MOTHER3''. ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' (aka ''MOTHER 1'') gets no such love however, due to being host to ForcedLevelGrinding that makes playing it such a frustrating experience that it was half the reason the completed Western localization of the game [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment was stuck in the Nintendo vault]] until 2015.

** Each subsequent ''Elder Scrolls'' game tends to do this to previous games in the series. A major contributing factor is the long (4-6 year on average) SequelGap, meaning each game introduces a massive NewbieBoom that tends to quickly crowd out returning fans.

* A double example: this wiki has a page for ''VideoGame/ElementalWarOfMagic'', but if anyone remembers it at all, it'd probably just be for [[ObviousBeta it being almost completely unplayable on launch]]. Far better known is the 2012 sequel, ''Elemental: Fallen Enchantress'', which promptly dropped the ''Elemental'' from the title altogether when the original was pulled from sale... or at least it ''would'' be better known [[BaitAndSwitch if it wasn't for the the release of its expansion/expanded rerelease]] ''Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes'' half a year later. You could easily be forgiven for believing ''Legendary Heroes'' is a standalone game, especially since the original ''Fallen Enchantress'' was also retired from sale in 2017, while ''Legendary Heroes'' has continued to receive support for years afterwards.

** There's also potentially a {{downplayed|trope}} example among the Japanese fandom. While Marth's saga [[FirstInstallmentWins is definitely most popular there]], ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light]]'' (and its remake ''Shadow Dragon'') seems to lag considerably in popularity behind its direct sequel ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem Mystery of the Emblem]]'' (later remade as ''New Mystery of the Emblem''); the world based on that saga in CrisisCrossover ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes'' is named after the latter rather than the former. Of course, ''Mystery of the Emblem'' actually ''included'' its precursor as part of the game, minus a few characters that were inexplicably cut (''New Mystery of the Emblem'' is a remake of only the second half of ''Mystery of the Emblem'').

** If ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' is an actual sequel or just spiritual successor to ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' could be argued, but regardless ''Dark Souls'' by far the better-known game. ''Dark Souls'' was both far more available, being cross-platform rather than a UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 exclusive, and implemented several mechanics which made the game considerably easier and more accessible. Yes, that's right, ''[[NintendoHard Dark Souls]]'' [[NintendoHard is the EASY version]]. Somewhat downplayed once ''Demon's Souls'' was rereleased on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation5, though ''Dark Souls'' still remains the more well known title.
** ''Demon's Souls'' was, itself, a SpiritualSuccessor to the ''VideoGame/KingsField'' series. Although it was reasonably popular in Japan, the series is considerably more obscure in the west. This even contains another example within the example, as the original ''King's Field'' was [[NoExportForYou never released in the west]] since the sequel had already come out in Japan by the time the UsefulNotes/PlayStation was launching outside of it, so From decided to just skip it. As a result, ''King's Field II'' and ''III'' were released in the west as simply ''King's Field'' and ''King's Field II'', with the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 sequel ''King's Field IV'' being renamed ''King's Field: the Ancient City''.

** In a mix of this and FirstInstallmentWins, many less-hardcore fans of the series don't seem to know that ''Gradius II'' exists, thinking that the series goes from ''Life Force'' (NES) to ''Gradius III'' (SNES), and magically becomes ''Gradius V'' somehow (''Gradius II'' & ''IV'' being nonexistent).
** Just to make things even ''more'' confusing, ''Salamander'' (''Life Force'') received a 1996 sequel in Japan, which, of course, never got an American release and has not been ported to any console.

* ''VideoGame/GrimDawn'' is the SpiritualSuccessor to ''VideoGame/TitanQuest'', sharing the same engine, gameplay mechanics, and game development staff. ''Grim Dawn'' is considered one of the "Big 3" Diablo-clone {{Action RPG}}s alongside ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' and ''VideoGame/TorchlightII'', while ''Titan Quest'' is hardly remembered.

* ''VideoGame/GundamBattleAssault2'' is far better-known compared to its predecessor, but (almost) '''no one''' knows that both games owe their existence to the Japan-exclusive ''Gundam: The Battle Master'' series.

* Amongst non-Sega fans, ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio Future'' for the Xbox is more well-known than the first ''Jet Set Radio'', which was on the Dreamcast. This is because of two reasons: 1) The first game was released when the DC was losing its popularity in America and Europe, and 2) ''Future'' and ''Sega GT 2002'' were put together on one disc and packaged with Xboxes during the holiday season of 2002, so everyone who got an Xbox for Christmas that year had no choice but to play it. When the first JSR got an HD makeover in 2012 for download services, a lot of people who only played ''Future'' complained about how different this one is.

* ''LISA: The Painful'' is technically the second game in the ''VideoGame/{{LISA}}'' series - ''LISA: The First'' was released two years before it (and is notably the only game in the series to feature Lisa herself as a character). However, most fans have only ever heard of ''The Painful'' and its sequel ''LISA: The Joyful''.

* For younger generations, the ''Sands of Time'' trilogy from ''Franchise/PrinceOfPersia'' displaces the previous games in such a way that many of them refer to ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaWarriorWithin'' and ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheTwoThrones'' as ''Prince of Persia 2'' and ''3'' respectively. When ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia2008'' was announced, there were many complains about the game not following the Sands of Time trilogy and [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks "not being a true POP"]], ignoring that those games already are a ContinuityReboot of a series that started in 1989.

* ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' is a downplayed example. While it is [[NumberedSequels obviously]] the second game in the ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' series, [[VideoGame/SaintsRow1 the original game]] was exclusive to the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 (while all of the sequels were multiplatform) and was considered a SoOkayItsAverage ''Grand Theft Auto''-clone that probably would've faded into obscurity had a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel not been made. Even though fans of the series are aware that a ''Saints Row'' before ''2'' exists, [[MainstreamObscurity the number that have actually played it is in the minority]]. It was also because of this that ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' [[ContinuityLockout didn't continue any of the plotlines]] from ''2'', since non-Xbox gamers found it hard to follow the story. ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'', however, contains references to all the previous games, including the first.
* ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'', a.k.a. ''Seiken Densetsu 2'', from the ''VideoGame/ManaSeries''. Even in Japan, the first game was released with the subtitle of ''Final Fantasy Gaiden'' and was presented as more of a ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' game than its own entity. In America, it was only released as ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure'', leaving many Americans unaware that it was even a ''Mana'' game at all. In both cases, ''Secret of Mana'' greatly overshadowed it and came to define the series worldwide. A UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance [[VideoGameRemake remake]] of the first game, ''VideoGame/SwordOfMana'', even redid several key mechanics and the entire aesthetic to look more like ''Secret of Mana'' and [[VideoGame/TrialsOfMana its sequel]]. [[MilestoneCelebration To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series]], another remake of ''Final Fantasy Adventure'' was released in 2016 for smartphones and the UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita and while it sticks much closer to the original version's formula than ''Sword of Mana'' did, it was still [[MarketBasedTitle renamed]] ''Adventures of Mana'' overseas, though Creator/SquareEnix still acknowledges that it's a remake of ''Final Fantasy Adventure''.

** The series suffers terribly from this thanks to the vast majority of the franchise [[NoExportForYou never leaving Japan]]. ''[[SequelFirst Shin Megami Tensei]]: [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne Nocturne]]'' is in fact SMT'''3''', the [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI first]] [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII two]] being released only in Japan on the SNES. Its spin-off series, ''[[VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVSTheSoullessArmy Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army]]'' is also in fact the '''third''' ''VideoGame/DevilSummoner'' game, as the first game never came over to the U.S. and it wasn't until 2013 that any version of the second game, ''VideoGame/SoulHackers'', left Japan. Add in the fact that events in ''[=DS3=]'' reference events in ''[=SMT1=]'' and ''II'', and that [[VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsKingAbaddon the sequel to DS3]] was released as ''Devil Summoner '''2''''' in the U.S. On top of ''that'', the 3DS port of ''Soul Hackers'', the first version of the game to leave Japan, includes a bonus dungeon with Raidou in it, further cementing his duology as the more well-recognized entries of the series.
** When a ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiV'' trailer was shown off at E3 2021, the stream chat was flooded with people thinking it was ''Persona''. The game then went onto sell a million copies worldwide, falling just short of ''Persona 5's'' three million, finally making ''Shin Megami Tensei'' into a household name outside of Japan.
** Not to mention the original ''VideoGame/MegamiTensei'' games on the Famicom, the first one being a sequel to the first two novels from the rather obscure ''Literature/DigitalDevilStory'' trilogy (which has nothing to do with the other Megaten spin-off series called ''VideoGame/{{Digital Devil|Saga}} '''[[VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga Saga]]''''').

** The first ''Megami Tensei'' game released in North America was the obscure ''Jack Bros.'', for the even more obscure UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy. Quite ironically, it's considered to be the second best Virtual Boy game on the handheld (the best game being ''Virtual Boy Wario Land'') and collectors are willing to pay hefty fee for it (around $200, approximately).

* By four games into the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'', only ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'' and ''VideoGame/TalesOfEternia'' had ever [[NoExportForYou crossed the Pacific]], and those were totally under the radar. Then [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Namco of America]] trotted out ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia''. Now some people don't even realize the series started before the [=PS2=], let alone back when the Super Famicom was middle-aged. This is also ''prequel'' first. ''Symphonia'' is a sort of origin story to ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'', the first game in the series.

* In the ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' franchise, the wildly popular third instalment of the series (which was the highest selling FightingGame at the time with 8.3 million copies sold) has immensely displaced the first and second ''Tekken'' games. Most casual gamers will assume Jin was always the protagionist of the franchise, when it was actually his father Kazuya, who was absent in ''Tekken 3'' after being thrown into a volcano by his father Heihachi. Being mechanically and graphically superior to the 1992 and 1995 entries, a lot of players tend pick up the series with the third game and don't touch the previous titles considering them too archaic -- if they even consider or acknowledge them at all. Notably, there was some outcry over the fact Kazuya was chosen instead of Jin as the ''Tekken'' rep for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', even though Kazuya was introduced first and was essentially the Ryu of the story before Jin took over.

* ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders''[='=] success mainly derived from how it drew in fans of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' with a demo of [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty its high-anticipated sequel]] [[PreviewPiggybacking it was packaged with]], and many consider ''Zone of the Enders'' an average game at best. It was successful enough to gain a sequel in 2003, which was a bigger hit with critics and fans of action games alike, so much so that most people forget about the original. This also became the case with the series' HD re-release, with most of the pre-release hype being centered on the second game.