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6%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
7%% And don't forget to explain WHY a sequel is better than previous entries in the series. Entries without sufficient context will be commented out.
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14'''A Administrivia/{{No Recent Examples|please}} rule applies to this trope'''. Examples shouldn't be added until '''six months''' after the sequel is released, to avoid any knee-jerk reactions.
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22* ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars]]'' was a pretty fun strategy game, with a cool campaign mode to go through. Then came ''Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising'', which added onto the already fun gameplay, with more characters, a new unit, and a longer, more in-depth campaign mode with more unique missions. It also provided much-needed CharacterizationMarchesOn for some characters.
23* The ''VideoGame/AdventuresOfLolo'' was a classic NES game, but as the series went along, the games got better and better, expanding upon the concept and adding more puzzles, bosses, and such. In the third game, you can even play as Lala!
24* ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresI'' was a decent real-time strategy game. However, ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' upped the population limit, improved the balance, and was generally considered one of the seminal games of the genre. In fact, even to this day the Definitive Edition remake of ''II'' is by far the most popular installment in the series, with significantly more active players than the much more recent ''IV'', and even the outdated 2013 rerelease still has thousands of currently active players of its own.
25* ''VideoGame/AirCombat'' was a pretty cool game, ''VideoGame/AceCombat2'' was even better, but it was ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'' that really got the ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series going (too bad [[BadExportForYou nobody outside Japan saw the original product]]). ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies'' is the best-rated ''AC'' game to date, while ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'' easily tops it in the story, characterization, and gameplay variety departments. ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'' is generally agreed to equal its predecessor in these areas (the actual fan debate is over which of the three [=PS2=] titles is the better offering), but the trend unfortunately stopped there. ''VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation'', while a decent game on its own merits, is viewed as having taken a step back in everything barring the dogfighting mechanics and [[FractionalWinningCondition the sheer scale of combat ops]] (which has yet to be matched since); most of the other installments were sidestories and spin-offs relegated to handheld consoles and mobile devices; [[AlternateContinuity semi-]]ContinuityReboot ''VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon'' was divisively experimental and featured a more generic "USA vs. Russia" narrative ([[RenegadeRussian sort of]]); and ''VideoGame/AceCombatInfinity'' was a multiplayer-focused [[AllegedlyFreeGame F2P game]] that paid homage to the entire series ([[WholePlotReference the fourth game in particular]]). The [[SequelGap long-awaited]] ''VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown'', while agreed to be [[WinBackTheCrowd a sterling return to form]] (to the point of overtaking ''[=AC04=]'' as the series' best-selling title), is often viewed as falling just short of the lofty benchmark set by the [=PS2=] [[FanNickname "Holy Trinity."]]
26* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf'' was considered quite refreshing in comparison to ''City Folk'', complimenting features like the town customization and online aspects with the new mayoral duties, while improving hated mechanics like grass deterioration (which was changed to not happen so often), as well as adding Toys/{{Amiibo}} support via the ''Welcome amiibo'' Update. In fact, it's the only mainline ''Animal Crossing'' game to not be considered a ContestedSequel in any sense.
27* ''VideoGame/AreaFlat'' was a pretty neat Java ShootEmUp with polygonal graphics but otherwise didn't stand out too much. ''Area Flat 2'' improved on the first by adding in more interesting bosses. ''Area Flat 3'' topped both of them by adding in a background, more new mechanics like a ChargedAttack and {{Smart Bomb}}s, much better (but still polygonal) graphics, and multiple boss fights that were better than the previous two games.
28* While the original ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'' was [[http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/assassinscreed generally liked]] by the gaming community, it was notorious for the somewhat repetitive nature of the missions (even the bonus ones) and its long, simplistic combat. [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII The sequel]], however, [[http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/assassinscreed2 blew it out of the water]] by having improved dramatically in nearly every way from the original with a much wider mission variety, an improved combat system with more options, a more compelling main character and deeper story, more ways to get to your targets (and take care of them), and lots of fun extras for the completionists out there.
29* ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'', while considered a solid title, was also criticized for some of its shortcomings, such as the stage design, lack of weapon variety, ItsEasySoItSucks, and initial BadExportForYou, which made several among the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' fanbase consider it an inferior SpiritualSuccessor. The sequel, ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt2'', addressed nearly all of these complaints with a complete translation from the start, SequelDifficultySpike with more complex levels and more difficult boss battles, and additions and streamlines to several of the game's systems, including equipment upgrades and the Challenges, and the addition of a new playable character ([[TheRival Copen]]) who offers a very different game altogether. Combined with the [[OvershadowedByControversy train wreck that was]] ''VideoGame/MightyNo9'', the ''other'' SpiritualSuccessor to ''Mega Man'' only months prior, ''2'' received much praise and is seen as the [[GrowingTheBeard stepping stone]] for the rest of the ''[[VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvoltSeries Gunvolt]]'' series.
30* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' was a great and incredibly fun game that sold huge numbers and almost singlehandedly saved [[WesternRPG CRPGs]], but was also a flawed game in many ways. ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII: Shadows of Amn'' gave its far more sympathetic characters greater depth (even with such simple characters as Minsc (and Boo!), and the development between the first and second), had more complex and varied maps, an interface update that ran smoother and provided helpful tips like highlighting chests when the TAB button was pressed, pitted players against much better designed and less repetitive combat encounters, topped it all off with stunning graphics accompanied by the most epic soundtrack ever, and removed many of the flaws. It also features Jon Irenicus, easily one of the most memorable [[TheChessmaster Chessmater]] villains in any game, voiced masterfully by Creator/DavidWarner.
31* ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean'' was a cult hit for the Gamecube, and a great RPG for a system sorely lacking in that category, but it suffered from several flaws: bad, ''bad, '''bad''''' voice acting, a battle system that was overly complicated and relied heavily on luck, [[ScrappyMechanic an irritating level up system]], and several infuriating GuideDangIt moments. ''Baten Kaitos Origins'' revamped the battle system to be quicker and simpler while still maintaining the strategic elements that made it fun, replaced the FakeDifficulty with ''[[SequelDifficultySpike real]] [[NintendoHard difficulty]]'', got competent voice actors, and had an even better soundtrack.
32* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'' has been called by many the best superhero game of all time, and a good all-around game in general. Its sequel, ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'', improved on everything that was awesome about the original and added Catwoman as a playable character.
33* ''VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany'' 2 is a much better game than the 1st, and the second was released on PC whereas the first was not.
34* ''VideoGame/Battlefield1'' is considered a superior sequel to the previous main entry ''VideoGame/Battlefield4''. While ''[=BF4=]'' did gain a respectable fan base for its scenery destruction and epic 64 player battles, it suffered from a buggy launch state, the same modern conflict setting as in ''VideoGame/Battlefield3'', and a forgettable single-player campaign. ''[=BF1=]'' significantly improved on its predecessor by keeping keeping the scenery destruction and 64 player battles, while at the same time having a much smoother launch, a refreshing WWI setting, and a single-player campaign that was actually good. Many fans have praised the game as the best installment in the franchise since ''Bad Company 2''.
35* ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}'' in Battlemaniacs, a sequel to the NES game, is a big improvement over the first title. Featuring a more balanced difficulty curve, better controls and graphics, an amazing soundtrack and, best of all, the option to turn friendly fire off. Sadly, it's just not as remembered as the first game (or as infamous).
36* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' was widely considered to be a great action game, giving a large variety of weaponry, some beautiful scenery, ''[[AwesomeMusic/{{Bayonetta}} incredible]]'' music and fast, frantic gameplay. However, it came with some problems of its own, including split-second PressXToNotDie sequences in unexpected places and an [[PortingDisaster absolutely terrible]] Platform/Playstation3 port with [[LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading long loading screens]] and inopportune framerate drops. ''VideoGame/Bayonetta2'' came along and did away with all of these negative features, keeping a mostly consistent framerate and removing the maligned [=QTEs=]. Adding on to this, the weapon selection was diversified even further and the JustForFun/{{HSQ}} that the first game brought is cranked up. Many reviewers seemed to agree, with IGN giving a 9.5 and the likes of Edge and Gamespot giving perfect 10s.[[note]]Especially notable in the latter's case, since Bayonetta 2 is only the 8th reviewed game to receive a 10 and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 the last game]] that got a 10 from them was released 4 years prior.[[/note]]
37* While each ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}} IIDX'' game is, for the most part, better than the last in terms of features and making the songlist bigger, ''beatmania IIDX 20 tricoro'' is seen as a major turning point for the series in terms of quality-of-life features, with crystal-clear 720p video, heavily-revamped options menus, a standardized 4:3 aspect ratio for new videos rather than the oddly-shaped video window of past versions, and improved Hi-Speed functionality (making the Hi-Speed setting a direct multiplier and allowing it to be fine-tuned to up to two decimal places) that lets you play at nearly any combination of scroll speed and lane coverage that you want. ''beatmania IIDX 21 SPADA'' would one-up this by allowing the player to change between Single Play and Double Play between stages in Standard and Free modes, rather than locking the player into either for the duration of their credit.
38* ''[[VideoGame/{{Blinx}} Blinx the Time Sweeper]]'' was an overall average game with somewhat innovative gameplay and a rather generic storyline. ''Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space'' completely revamps the franchise, adding extremely well-designed (but long) levels, better controls, a better storyline, the ability to play a two-sided story as both the heroes and villains and an amazingly-detailed CharacterCustomization system (highly unusual for a platformer). It's unfortunate the series ended when the developer, Artoon, went defunct.
39* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' was little more than an IndecisiveParody with an ExcusePlot. It was GunPorn the Game. ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' is a [[DenserAndWackier full-blown parody]], retains the GunPorn, and has a legitimate plot that takes what little elements the first game gave it and makes it work. The story is much more involved with a BigBad in Handsome Jack, even frequently being flat-out ([[BlackComedy darkly]]) humorous at times. The gun manufacturers all have their own distinct gimmicks that apply to weapons making their own sub-classes that can totally change how guns operate for better or worse. Revolvers, high accuracy shotguns, and machineguns for anyone but the Bandit-manufacturer have been removed or altered, unfortunately. Fights in general, particularly boss fights, are exciting and sometimes frantic. Lastly, the environments are vastly varied; in the first game, you start in a dusty desert-like area and stay there for much of the game. In the second, you start on an iceberg, and go through urban environments, caves, fire-pits, ultra-high-tech areas, etc.
40* ''[=BoxxyQuest=]: The Shifted Spires'' had a certain simple charm, but its sequel, ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'', is generally seen as a much better and more polished game in every way. (Their development times may have had a lot to do with this – ''Spires'' was made in nine months, while ''Storm'' took nearly six ''years'').
41* ''VideoGame/{{Burnout}}'' and ''VideoGame/Burnout2PointOfImpact'' were fun racers with an emphasis on dangerous driving and spectacular crashes. ''VideoGame/Burnout3Takedown'' put the driving and crashes together with the Takedown mechanic and made it even faster than its predecessors. It's regarded by many as the best racing game of its generation.
42* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'':
43** ''United Offensive'' is seen as this on comparison to ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty''.
44** ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty 2'' is a step back from ''United Offensive'', but still an Even Better Sequel of the original.
45** And of course, there's ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty 4: VideoGame/ModernWarfare'', one of the greatest [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Crowning Moments]] in the history of gaming.
46* ''VideoGame/CapcomVs'':
47** Say what you will about its balance, but ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2'' is generally seen as better than its three awesome predecessors, enough to still have a tournament scene. If you're counting sequels in gameplay only, ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'' is also sometimes seen as even better than that.
48** For most people, ''[[VideoGame/CapcomVsSNK2MarkOfTheMillennium Capcom vs. SNK 2]]'' is the best game of the ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom'' series.
49* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars 2}}: The Video Game'' is much more popular than ''[[VideoGame/{{Cars}} Cars: The Video Game]]''. In fact, it’s so popular, that not only did it get [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urHuO7Zbhhw one of the most popular]] LetsPlay videos ever, but ''dozens of entire channels'' have been created just for the sole purpose of playing the game!
50* Opinion on which is the best ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' game mostly depends on whether you prefer the [[PlatformHell Classicvania]] or {{Metroidvania}} style of gameplay. ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse'' featured improved graphics and the inovations of selecting different routes through the game and other playable characters, although it [[NintendoHard was much harder than the already extremely challenging original]] and was more frustrating to play. Not only did ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevaniaIV'' feature improved graphics and sound, but featured better and more fluent controls. ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' is considered a big highlight of the series, as it codified the {{Metroidvania}} style that was first attempted in ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaIISimonsQuest Simon's Quest]]''. After a [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaCircleOfTheMoon few]] [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaHarmonyOfDissonance attempts]] at recapturing the magic of ''Symphony of the Night'' on the Gameboy Advance, Konami finally succeeded with ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow,'' considered by some to be the true ''perfection'' of the formula that ''Symphony'' had laid out.
51* Creator/{{Cave}} shooters tend to follow this trope.
52** ''VideoGame/DonPachi'': A fairly simple VerticalScrollingShooter with few enemies and bullets, and few opportunities to combo things. ''[[VideoGame/DonPachi DoDonPachi]]'': One of the pioneers of BulletHell, and provides more in the way of StuffBlowingUp.
53** ''VideoGame/MushihimeSama'': An insect-themed shooter; fun but plagued by oddball scoring systems.
54** ''Mushihime-sama Futari'': Revamped shot types, a new character, much better (and more original) scoring systems, and a top-notch Platform/Xbox360 port.
55* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' is a successful recreation of the superhero genre in MMO form, featuring exciting combat, an amazing array of choices when it comes to powers and abilities, and a character creation engine that other [=MMOs=] wish they had. Nevertheless, it had problems (repetitive missions, long travel times, unpopulated zones, etc.). The sequel/companion game ''VideoGame/CityOfVillains'' uses fewer zones (thus avoiding underpopulation), has tighter content, and the storylines are much less repetitive. And best of all, it uses the same amazing character creation software. And yet, on many servers, ''Villains'' still has problems with underpopulation, because most people play ''Heroes''. There's also ''Going Rogue'', which sets the bar even higher in terms of zone design and plot, allowing you to actually seem like you're influencing the world. At least until level 20, at which point you go back to the worlds of [=CoH/CoV=] with only a few slight differences.
56* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', specifically ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'' and its expansion, Yuri's Revenge. Red Alert grows beyond being an expy of the Tiberium Saga with this installment and many interesting gameplay additions are introduced. The LighterAndSofter camp elements add charm without completely derailing the game. The invasion of mainland USA scenario is as good as it gets. Stalin is hard to replace as a villain, however.
57** ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals'' could be considered here, as its Zero Hour expansion may as well be a sequel in its own right. It provided a full set of new missions for each of the three major factions, and for multiplayer each faction received a set of three alternative factions, lead by a different general which focused unit attention on a particular thing. USA got a Superweapons, a Laser, and an Air Force general, China got Tank, Infantry and Nuclear generals, and GLA got Demolitions, Toxic and Camoflauge focused generals. Each have some unique units and general changes to the progression of their armies compared with the original three. This includes a new gamemode where you take on each of the new Generals in various, very lopsided 1v1 matches. All this on top of bug fixes, balance tweaks and a wider unit set.
58* The original ''VideoGame/CoolBoarders'' was essentially a glorified demo released right near the beginning of the original Platform/PlayStation's life cycle, and featured a minuscule three courses, two player characters and very little replay value. (Notably, it is the only installment of the series to not sell a million-plus copies and receive a Greatest Hits version.) However, UEP Systems looked at how the original game was received and overhauled everything for ''Cool Boarders 2'' -- many more courses, several skill-based trick modes, training courses, more unlockable characters (with stats that varied wildly)and a glorified tournament mode, along with two-person multiplayer. It became the first installment of the series to crack the million-copy milestone, and led the way for further snowboarding games (and installments of the series) to be released on the [=PlayStation=].
59%%* ''VideoGame/{{Croc}}'' for Game Boy. Quite emphatically so.
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63* The first entry in the ''VideoGame/DarkParables'' series, ''Curse of Briar Rose'', is good but a completely straightforward puzzle game, with very little in the way of plot and almost no cutscenes. The second entry, ''The Exiled Prince,'' is nearly twice as long and much more in-depth with regards to plot, variety of puzzles, and detail. Subsequent entries in the series have been variably received, but the fandom is united at least in believing the second game is far superior to the first.
64* The original ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' mixed SurvivalHorror with a WideOpenSandbox, giving players a large zombie-infested mall a la ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978'' to play in, items to play with, and amusing ways to dispatch the undead. It was regarded as being fun, if flawed: the controls tended to be awkward, [[ArtificialStupidity the survivors had virtually no survival instinct]], the time limit for story missions was very strict, the save system was prohibitive, and the game was [[NintendoHard too hard for some]]. ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'' took the strengths of the previous game and improved upon its flaws: controls were more intuitive, survivors were easier to escort, the time limit for story missions was more relaxed, more save files, and the game was challenging but forgiving. Online co-op made the package all the sweeter.
65* [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry2 The first sequel]] to ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry1'' didn't leave fans with this impression but certainly the second sequel, ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening Dante's Awakening]]'', set the world on fire with a substantially more complex combat system involving both a [[StanceSystem "Style" system]] and RealTimeWeaponChange for all arms for the first time in the series, the original game's notorious NintendoHard difficulty (possibly even more so, prompting a reorganization of the difficulty levels for the UpdatedRerelease), and Dante's ice-cold stoic personality swapped back for the cocky, fun-loving devil hunter everyone remembered from the first game but up to eleven.
66* ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'' was a pretty good game, with a simple, but strategic battle system, interesting characters and MultipleEndings. Then came ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2''. The second game has a [[LighterAndSofter lighter]] story, a slightly larger cast of characters, who are just as interesting as the previous game ''and'' improved the mechanics, as well as added more demons and races than the previous game.
67* ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' was a fun, quirky game that is still an excellent play, but its sequel ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' and its expansion ''Lord Of Destruction'' was so huge that many people are still playing it today, nevermind the number of clones it spawned.
68* ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' was widely considered a good, if at times unpolished, fighting game. The prequel, ''Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy'', received universal praise for its refinement of the original game's mechanics, including an overworld in its campaign mode and assist characters. In addition, they gave expanded roles to characters that [[BreakoutCharacter exploded in popularity]] (namely [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Garland]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Golbez]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Exdeath]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Terra and Kefka]], and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Jecht]]), and had no shortage of {{Ascended Meme}}s and {{Fandom Nod}}s. And on top of all of this, the inclusion of fan-favorite characters like Tifa, Kain, and Gilgamesh sealed the deal for many people that it was just better in every way.
69* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSin'' was already the most polished and most critically acclaimed game that Creator/LarianStudios ever released. Then ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'' came along and smashed every single record set by the previous game, from Website/{{Kickstarter}} all the way to Metacritic.
70* The first ''VideoGame/{{DJMAX}} Technika'' is a great and innovative RhythmGame, breathing new life into the arcade rhythm game scene. Its sequel, ''DJMAX Technika 2'', boasts a streamlined user interface, an unlock system that no longer requires you to complete missions (you simply go onto the Platinum Crew website and make your purchases there), and a less annoying way of unlocking alternate boss songs in Club Mixing sets.
71* ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'':
72** The original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' was a technical marvel at the time, and considered a great platformer. Its sequel, ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'' is considered far superior even to ''[=DKC1=]'', with tighter controls, better graphics, and more varied gameplay. [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble The third game]] is often labeled as a ContestedSequel, and even it got generally above-average scores after it was released. It says something about a series when even the "worst" title is still considered a good game.
73** After an era of only remakes and spin-off titles, ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' was a highly acclaimed return to the franchise's roots. Its sequel ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' is widely considered to be even better than ''Returns'' for a number of reasons: the return of Dixie and Funky, Cranky becoming a playable character, David Wise producing the soundtrack, more expansive levels, the difficulty being more manageable while still being quite challenging, and villains with more personality, to name a few.
74* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' defined the FirstPersonShooter genre even more than its predecessor, ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'', to the point that, for several years, FPS games were called "''Doom'' clones." ''VideoGame/DoomII'' improved on every aspect of the game, with superior level design, more and deadlier monsters, and removing the episode system that was a relic of the first game's shareware origins.
75* ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' takes what ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' did well kicks it up a notch. Combat is even more adrenaline-pumping with more mobility options like dashing and swinging on bars, enemies are faster and deadlier overall and require employing TacticalRockPaperScissors to dispatch efficiently, and resource management becoming more critical with new options like Blood Punch, Flame Belch, and the reworked Chainsaw. Its stages are even bigger with more platforming navigation and hidden secrets and relies less on combat arenas for enemy engagement, and there's more focus on the lore, including the Doom Slayer's origin story. Overall, it adds a lot of improvements on an already great game.
76* The original ''VideoGame/DonPachi'' is a pretty solid ShootEmUp, if [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness a little sparse-looking by the series' standards]]. Then its sequel ''[=DoDonPachi=]'' was released and became a hit with its [[BulletHell high bullet counts]], [[GenreTurningPoint changing the shmup genre forever]].
77* ''VideoGame/DragonballXenoverse'' was a well-received fighting game, combining gameplay that is like an improved and streamlined version of ''VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokaiTenkaichi'' with [[CharacterCustomization the ability to play as your own custom-made character]]. ''VideoGame/DragonballXenoverse2'' improves upon the original game with several tweaks to the game's engine that make fights faster-paced, a faster and smoother framerate, and expanded character customization options (including a unique SuperMode for each custom character race).
78* ''Franchise/DragonBall Z: The Legacy of Goku II'' was a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel to the first game (you can move diagonally, the {{Kamehame|hadoken}}ha extends a reasonable distance, and there are multiple characters so you don't ''completely skip'' the parts of the plot that Goku was absent from in canon). The sequel, ''Buu's Fury'', was built on the same engine and polished it even further (you can block, more than three of the special moves are actually viable, the transformation system is significantly improved, and there's equipment and shops).
79* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestBuilders'' was already a fun story-based ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' clone with a ''Franchise/DragonQuest'' skin, but ''VideoGame/DragonQuestBuilders2'' improves on it in every way. The worlds are bigger, the plot is deeper, there's more items to work with, it's loaded with AntiFrustrationFeatures, and it even throws in multiplayer. The only thing that didn't improve was the combat, which remains mindlessly repetitive.
80* ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' was well-received when it first came out in Japan and sold pretty well, but has attracted some criticism over its flaws, like an insane amount of grinding, unbalanced level design and a battle system ripped straight from ''VideoGame/DragonQuest''. ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' received better graphics and sound capabilities due to the upgrade from the NES to the SNES, cut down on the grinding by implementing an "instant win" maneuver for weaker enemies, polished the design noticeably, and revamped its characters somewhat (truly establishing Giygas as the horror fans know and fear). ''VideoGame/Mother3'' then expanded on this, making several gameplay improvements over ''[=EarthBound=]'' that vastly improved the battle system and greatly separated it from the ''Dragon Quest'' clone it once was. Its story and characters are more well-written overall, with more allegorical plot points, a better mix of comedy & drama, and a more emotionally-driven story, and has received high reverence outside of Japan to the point where it's widely regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made; some even think of it as a work of art! However, since it takes place [[AmbiguousTimePeriod an unknown number of years]] after ''[=EarthBound=]'', it has its own theme and setting rather than the {{Eagleland}} that the first two games were famous for, making it more of a ContestedSequel. In Japan, the majority opinion is that it diverged [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks too much]] from the previous games, but the [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff international fanbase]] loves them both in their own ways without really having a strong opinion on which of the two is better.
81* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''
82** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsArena Arena]]'' was good, ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' was considered even better, and many agree that ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' topped that, in terms of graphics, gameplay, and story. ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion's]]'' combat system is widely considered to be better, and it received a 94% from both Metacritic and Game Rankings, compared to Morrowind's 89%, although many Morrowind fans believe that the latter was still the best game overall. Also, there are quite a few people who think the the Shivering Isles expansion is better than the actual game.
83** Based on the reactions from the public, ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' could be seen as this to Oblivion, having practically taken over every aspect of the gamer community, casual, hardcore, or professional alike, for months after its release, due to the expansive nature of the game. Fans of the series may feel otherwise though, as many consider the older games better for various reasons. On the other hand, the same fans will make the concession that the visuals are a major improvement over what they called "potato faces" in Oblivion.
84* ''VideoGame/EndlessOcean: Blue World'' takes the basic gameplay (such as it is) of the original game and expands upon it greatly while streamlining several of the more tedious aspects and applying more structure to the previously random chaos. Judging by reviews, it's been a major success in doing so, although the game is still quite niche in nature.
85* ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy1'' was nothing special. ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy2'' added save points, some basic customization, and an ExcusePlot. Then along came ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy3'', which quickly became one of the top-rated [=RPGs=] on Kongregate, thanks to a challenging, interesting combat system, excellent graphics, and [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic even better music]]. ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy4'', released two and a half years later, then proceeded to unabashedly top all of its predecessors with a bunch of balance refinements, more customizability, a new player character, and ''more'' pretty graphics and music. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Plus it nerfed]] [[BossInMookClothing Monoliths]].
86* The first ''VideoGame/{{Fable|I}}'' game had an infamous amount of hype during development. When it was finally released in 2004, it received mostly positive reviews, but it ultimately failed to live up to its hype, as others were disappointed by the lack of many promised features, a somewhat small, restrictive game world and other flaws. Along comes ''VideoGame/FableII'' in 2008, with more refined gameplay, a larger, more detailed world with more quests, and deeper sandbox gameplay that implemented many promised features from ''Fable''. It received better reviews from all.
87* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
88** ''[[VideoGame/Fallout1 Fallout]]'' was a landmark in the [=CRPG=] genre, with more freedom of action than any before it. Though you were given a broad goal, you were free to choose where you wanted to go and when, could interact with almost anything, and had numerous means of dealing with challenges based on your skills, abilities, prior knowledge, and personal morality, including [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath defeating the final bosses with dialogue]]. ''VideoGame/Fallout2,'' despite the bugs and cut content thanks to its rushed deadline, is an Even Better Sequel once the cut content is restored (via downloading an easy-to-find patch) and widely considered superior due to the removal of 1's time limit and more open-ended world.
89** When it was released, ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' was a ContestedSequel mostly due to the wide array of {{game breaking bug}}s, but also the change in setting and lack of graphical improvements. On the positive side it featured '' a lot'' more guns, new weapon mods, new ammo types, a more balanced skill system, an improved repair system, and more recorded dialog than not only its predecessors but ''any single player game ever at that point''. Its crowning feature would be the four story [[DownloadableContent DLCs]] in the game which were praised for their unique settings and interconnected story and themes. Still there was a hot debate over if it was truly better than ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' until, ironically, ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' came out and became another contested sequel. After that and the comparisons people started making between the Bethesda era games, [[VindicatedByHistory suddenly glitches that had been patched years ago and slightly outdated graphics didn't seem like such a big deal]]. ''Fallout 4'' is considered better in terms of gameplay and graphics, but ''New Vegas'' is considered far superior in terms of writing and actual RPG elements.
90* ''VideoGame/FancyPantsAdventures'' was a solid platformer, with smooth animations, and a few neat extras. It was a bit short, but that wasn't that much of a problem. Enter ''The Fancy Pants Adventures: World 2'', with even better animations, smooth platforming that had solid controls, with tons of bonus levels, trophies, and pants. Then ''Fancy Pants Adventures'' was released on consoles (alternately called ''World 3''), which upped the quality even more with achievements, [[VirtualPaperDoll headwear and pants]], many, many minigames, and multiplayer.
91* ''VideoGame/{{Final Fantasy|I}}'' was a landmark RPG, marred by certain technical limitations and poor balancing. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII The first sequel]] [[TheyChangeditNowItSucks changed the system completely and wasn't widely liked]] and also wasn't released outside of [[LateExportForYou Japan until much later]], but it did swap out the [[HeroicMime personality]]-[[FlatCharacter less]] player avatar's for actual characters. ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' (released as "II" in the US), however, marked the real GrowingTheBeard moment for the whole franchise. One could argue that there are even better games after that in the series, but considering Final Fantasy's fanbase... that wouldn't be a [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness wise thing to do here]].
92* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2,'' the sequel to the already well-received ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance.'' The graphics are better, the story is darker and more mature, the characters (especially the protagonist) are better-defined and more likeable, the gameplay has been polished and refined, the class system has been expanded, and there's enough content to easily last you over 150 hours.
93* The original ''VideoGame/FormulaRacer'' was good and certainly impressive with its use of 3D, but still felt choppy and making tight turns was close to impossible even when your handling's maxed. Then ''Formula Racer 2012'' improved textures to be less pixely, made controls more responsive, much smoother framerate, and had more content.
94* ''VideoGame/{{Forza}}'':
95** Somehow, Creator/PlaygroundGames became the ''masters'' of this trope with their ''Forza Horizon'' series:
96*** The first ''Horizon'', while suffering heavily from a way too shallow open world and not having much to do after completing the main campaign, was a great game in its own right. ''Horizon 2'' addressed those issues and made the overall experience ''much'' better, with a three-times-larger open world without any invisible walls, a main campaign so extensive the game says you just completed 15% of the game ''after becoming the Horizon Champion'', seamless multiplayer, the introduction of the much-acclaimed Drivatar technology in the ''Horizon'' series, an even larger licensed soundtrack, and vehicle fine-tuning.
97*** While a great game in its own right, ''Horizon 2'' had a rather repetitive career and an open world that was far too catered to higher-end supercars. ''Horizon 3'' does away with these issues by creating a much more varied open world and the Blueprint option, which permits players to create their own events. This also helped with the game's overall reception: on Metacritic, compared to ''Horizon 2''[='=]s 85, ''Horizon 3'' has a whopping score of 91, beating out games like ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' and ''VideoGame/Doom2016'', and on par with games like ''VideoGame/TheWitness'' and ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}''. ''Horizon 3'' even won Best Sports/Racing Game at The Game Awards 2016, and it was the only racing game nominated for the award!
98*** Does Playground Games [[ToughActToFollow ever stop improving upon themselves?]] That answer is a big '''NO.''' With additions such as larger game world, more cars, more events to do, quality of life improvements (such as fast travel that gradually cheaper as you progress), and route creator in addition to the blueprint, ''Horizon 4'' has managed to earn more praise than even ''Horizon 3'' with a 92 on Metacritic, with some calling it a masterpiece and some calling it ''the greatest racing game of all time''. Also, like with ''Horizon 3'' in 2016, this game was also the only racing game nominated for Best Sports/Racing Game at The Game Awards 2018 and won the award.
99*** Oh, you think the next game will be stuck in [[ToughActToFollow the shadow of]] ''[[ToughActToFollow Horizon 4]]''? '''''Nope.''''' With additions such as Eventlab (which allows not only players to create their own routes, but also adding objects to the route the player created), even more character customization choices, increased accessibility and quality-of-life options on the players' side, a world more diverse in biomes, and of course, even more events, Playground is ''[[OverlyLongGag still]]'' [[OverlyLongGag improving upon themselves]] with ''Forza Horizon 5'', which also scored a very solid 92[[note]]for the Xbox Series X|S version; the PC version has a 91[[/note]] on Metacritic, tying with ''Horizon 4'' as the highest-rated game in the series, and, despite [[AwardSnub the GOTY snubbery]], won all three of its jury-voted awards at The Game Awards,[[note]]Best Audio Design, Innovation in Accessibility, and the ''Horizon'' games' perennial Best Sports/Racing Game, which actually saw two other racing games nominated that year[[/note]] ''tying'' with that year's GOTY winner ''VideoGame/ItTakesTwo'' for most wins at the ceremony. With the drop-dead ''[[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome gorgeous]]'' [[SceneryPorn setting]] of Mexico, being the first proper ninth-generation ''Forza'' title to showcase the true capabilities of the [[Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS Xbox Series]], and a better emphasis on customization and self-expression… yeah, you're in for the long haul on this one.
100** The elder main series ''Forza Motorsport'' has at least one example, too. ''Forza Motorsport 5'', while seen as a genuinely good launch title for the Platform/XboxOne and a good entrance to next-gen consoles for Creator/Turn10Studios, suffered from a smaller car list compared to the previous game and a terrible in-game economy plagued by microtransactions (at least, pre-update), and still did not feature neither weather conditions nor night racing. ''Motorsport 6'' added the latter two features - which, despite not being dynamic like in ''Horizon 2'', were still a very welcome addition, made its in-game economy as microtransaction-free and as rewarding as possible, made its car list more than double the size of ''5'', and added a broader list of career events, as well as a League online multiplayer system similar to the one seen in fellow critically acclaimed sim-racer ''iRacing''.
101* ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet2'', with higher production values, is more polished than the already-acclaimed first game, ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet''. It not only features superior visuals and grander levels, but also expands upon the best qualities of its predecessor such as the gameplay and combat, while improving on the writing and story. The quality-of-life features especially alleviate any difficulty spikes.
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106* The first ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' game was a knockout hit with some relatively minor problems. Such as how the story never felt like a complete whole but just a series of things that happens, and it isn't until act four (of five) that anything important gets done. And while that doesn't affect the gameplay much, there were some issues with weapon balance and variety. ''Gears of Wars 2'' openly addresses the concerns and creates a game with a stunning level of scope, a much wider weapon variety (including a supposed shotgun {{nerf}}), and a true sense of a major war going on. While leaps and bounds greater than the first game, it is still with its own problems; the final boss is a joke, although the lead up to it is a lot of fun...
107* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'':
108** ''VideoGame/GodOfWarII'' was received even better than the already very much loved [[VideoGame/GodOfWarI first game]], using the Platform/PlayStation2 to even greater effect. ([[ThatOneLevel Although that doesn't excuse the Phoenix puzzle.]])
109** ''VideoGame/GodOfWarIII'' was even bigger, and is widely considered a KillerApp for the [=PS3=]. Pity that Kratos went from a revenge-crazed but sympathetic ByronicHero to a [[KickTheDog puppy-kicking]], AxCrazy VillainProtagonist who's almost as bad as Ares in that one, though.
110** ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'' was even more well-received than ''God of War III'', receiving universal acclaim in Metacritic with a 94/100 rating, the highest of the series, and being the best-selling entry of the franchise upon its release. The narrative in specific was praised by critics and audiences, especially since Kratos [[TookALevelInKindness became a much more sympathetic character]].
111* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun1'' was considered a great game, if a little bland in terms of [[FlatCharacter characters]] (we have TheHero, the funny best friend, the kid SquishyWizard, and the WhiteMagicianGirl) and plot (bad guys stole the MacGuffin! Let's go kill them before they use it to unleash the forbidden power!). ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge'' gave us a fresh perspective, more interesting characters/CharacterDevelopment, a massive plot twist, multi-elemental SummonMagic, a more developed ClassAndLevelSystem, even more SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic..., it improved ''everything''.
112* ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}} III'' on the SNES is considered a PolishedPort of the arcade version, heavily toning down the excessive difficulty with rebalanced weapons and dramatic revisions to the levels in favor of the player. ''Gradius Gaiden'' came after that and is regarded as one of the best games in the entire series, thanks to an excellent selection of varied yet balanced ships, levels and bosses that combine excellent design with SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome, giving the player the option to edit the order of the powerup meter, and a CoOpMultiplayer mode.
113* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto''
114** While ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' was certainly the breakout hit for the ''GTA'' series and pioneered the WideOpenSandbox genre, ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity'' improved upon ''III'' in almost every way, with more refined gameplay, more elaborate and fun missions, a wider variety of weapons and vehicles to play around with, a deeper plot reminiscent of ''Film/Scarface1983'' with more interesting and varied characters, and all of it doused in the glory of TheEighties.
115** However, that was nothing compared to the huge innovations that ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' brought to the table. The game boasted a map nearly three times the size of Vice City, loaded it with [[SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer a ton of extra stuff to do]], improved upon virtually all of the previously-flaky gameplay aspects (especially the aiming and the plane controls), added some light RPG elements, gave us one of the most diverse casts of characters to date, and did for TheNineties what ''Vice City'' did for TheEighties. It's telling that, to this day, it remains many players' favorite ''GTA''.
116** While ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' was a largely successful next-gen transition for the franchise, a significant amount of players consider it to be largely a step backwards in all but the graphics department, as it did away with a lot of the defining elements that made ''San Andreas'' so beloved and was easily the [[DarkerAndEdgier darkest]] entry in the series to date. Then along came ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', which not only boasted the largest map in the series to date (Rockstart claims it's bigger than all of the previous ''GTA'' maps plus ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'''s ''combined'') but, for the first time in the console games' history[[note]]''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoChinatownWars'' for the Platform/NintendoDS actually did it first[[/note]], made it entirely accessible from the start. It also introduced the ability to switch between three different player characters on the fly, added in almost everything that went missing between ''San Andreas'' and ''IV'' plus much, ''much'' more, offered a deep multiplayer experience that rivals the single-player mode in terms of content, marked a return to the light-hearted fun that earlier games in the series were famous for... and that's ''without'' touching on the UpdatedRerelease. For those who don't consider ''San Andreas'' their favorite game in the series, it's usually this one.
117* ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' made for a popular and well-received MMORPG that didn't have a monthly fee whatsoever, in part thanks to dividing the world up into instanced zones. However, this had the effect of making the game feel sparsely populated, as each map could only support a limited number of players. ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' upped the ante in every conceivable way. It played more akin to a traditional MMORPG, with a seamless and persistent world that could support thousands of players at once, five races to play as, and multiple crafts to take up. It replaced the traditional quest system with cyclical dynamic events that would unfold in real time and could result in small changes on the world depending on if they succeeded or failed. World vs World [[PlayerVersusPlayer PvP]] was added to allow for hundreds of players to duke it out. And it was also released without the need to pay a monthly fee.
118* While the original ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' was a success, the hammer-ons and pull-offs had a hopelessly tight timing window, forcing most folks to ignore them entirely and strum every note. ''Guitar Hero II'' fixed this, giving the gameplay a much more natural and fluid feeling. Add to this the second game's co-operative game mode (where one player plays lead guitar and the other can play either bass or rhythm guitar) and practice mode (where players could play any individual part of a song as slowly as they wanted until they got it right), and you're set. And now that the same team has made ''VideoGame/RockBand'', it's doubly true for them.
119* ''VideoGame/GundamBreaker'':
120** The original was a somewhat simplistic action game built around the concept of breaking parts off your opponent and collecting them for your own use in the assembly phase of the game. While novel, its story proved to be a bit threadbare and the gameplay was slow and hampered by excessive adherence to original suit designs, limiting creativity.
121** The sequel, ''Gundam Breaker 2'', was better, with an improved gameplay loop and a story that, while rather silly in its premise (a space war fought using scale model toy robots), could at least said to be interesting enough even if the story apes many bits of existing Gundam lore.
122** The second sequel, ''Gundam Breaker 3'' proved to be the apex of the series, with its own original story which acknowledges the Gunpla as toy models and battling as a video game, but has made it into sort of an e-sport which provides a cohesive context. The assembly phase was also improved, with the options for acquiring or building high-ranking parts made ''much'' easier and also allowing for total freedom in customizing a unit, such as taking a MookMobile and covering it with AceCustom weapons; this would previously have been penalized with reduced stats, but ''3'' just shrugs its shoulders and permits players to customize their units without restrictions. This freedom made it ''the'' fan favorite in the series, but unfortunately also made it a ToughActToFollow for ''VideoGame/NewGundamBreaker'' and its smaller, less experienced development team.
123* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' expanded on [[VideoGame/HalfLife1 its predecessor]] in every way. The original was revolutionary in its use of storytelling techniques in a first-person shooter game, with superb level-design and gameplay insuring it would become regarded as a classic for years to come. The sequel featured a better graphics engine, with realistic physics and lighting granting a whole new level of immersion, and the same attention to polished level-design and fun, intuitive and balanced gameplay made ''Half-Life 2'' live up to the legacy of Valve's debut title.
124* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'': ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'' was the Xbox's killer app. ''VideoGame/Halo2'' was it on awesome, rock, more Elites, and a hotter Cortana. ''VideoGame/Halo3'' has a bit of a BrokenBase on this subject, but the side that thinks this way normally cites the MP as being better (a fully fleshed campaign instead of the CutShort one from ''2'' that basically has NoEnding so the third could finish it is also a plus). ''VideoGame/Halo3ODST'' was a return to the ''Halo 1'' awesomeness mixed with the ''Halo 2'' awesomeness. And it had [[GameBreaker the Halo 1 Pistol.]] And ''VideoGame/HaloReach'', the last ''Halo'' game Creator/{{Bungie}} made before they handed the franchise off to Creator/ThreeFourThreeIndustries, was praised by many as exemplifying the phrase "saving the best for last".
125* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' was a cult classic Platform/SuperNintendo game. It was full of [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome]] and SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments, excellent characterization for its system, and bright graphics; it was well-received though released too late in the systems lifespan to get any proper love. ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon64'' is considered one of the best video games the ''Platform/Nintendo64'' had to offer and upped everything that made the first game to eleven. It's also one of the few direct sequels to a previous game in the series.
126* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic: A Strategic Quest'' was regarded as having good gameplay, but lacking in the story department (IE, it didn't ''have'' much of one in the actual game). ''Heroes II'' corrected that (it might not have been the world's most ''original'' story, but it was well presented), enhanced the graphics but kept the same style, added two more towns, more creatures, the creature upgrading concept, skills learned as the hero gained levels...
127* ''Hexagon'' is a great game in and of itself, but ''VideoGame/SuperHexagon'' makes it even better with the addition of more stages and more music.
128* ''Franchise/{{Hitman}}'' series fits this trope quite nicely:
129** ''[[VideoGame/HitmanCodename47 Codename 47]]'' was a nice stealth shooter with a great basic premise of kill target, get out quietly.
130** ''[[VideoGame/Hitman2SilentAssassin Silent Assassin]]'' greatly improved the controls and allowed the player to play as an actual assassin in every single mission by including new options and assessment of performance (and allowed the player to save in mid-mission).
131** ''[[VideoGame/HitmanContracts Contracts]]'' is basically ''Codename 47'', but with ''Silent Assassins'' mechanics. Half of its contents is a pack of refurbished missions from ''Codename 47''., serving as a semi-remake of that game.
132** ''[[VideoGame/HitmanBloodMoney Blood Money]]'' introduced "accidents", the notoriety meter and a more captivating, all-encompassing story.
133** And then we have ''[[VideoGame/HitmanAbsolution Absolution]]'', considered to be the furthest thing a Hitman game should be. It's a decent game in its own right, and even has stealth and disguising in Hitman-style, and it did bring in some nice features, such as the ability to throw weapons at people's heads, getting disguises from bodies hidden in containers, Crowd / Grass blending, and also a graphics overhaul.
134** ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'' improved upon ''Absolution'' massively by reverting back to the roots of Blood Money and brought back the WideOpenSandbox that ''Blood Money'' was known for, as well as retaining some of the above features from Absolution.
135** ''VideoGame/Hitman2'' goes one step further and brings back working mirrors, improves the AI, brings back ''more'' Absolution features, and also [[EmbeddedPrecursor bundles in the previous game (for free if you own the first game!)]]
136** And to cap off what is now recognized as the ''World of Assassination'' trilogy, ''VideoGame/Hitman3'' was ''even more'' acclaimed, featuring some of the best and most adventurously-designed levels to date (from a mission straight out of a Creator/AgathaChristie-esque [[MurderMystery whodunnit]] to [[AssassinOutclassin finding and fighting off assassins after you in a crowded night club]]), as well as even better AI and fun new gadgets. It also made the bizarrely astounding accomplishment of being not just a sequel that [[EmbeddedPrecursor contains all content from the previous two games]], but one whose install size was ''shrunk by over half'' (from the bloated 155GB of ''2'' to a very respectable 60GB), making it objectively the best of the three games to pick up.
137* ''VideoGame/{{Hulk}}'' was more well-received than the film by Ang Lee because it showed a more intricate story that takes place after the film.
138* ''VideoGame/{{inFAMOUS}}'' was considered a solid, fun sandbox game for the [=PS3=] with an interesting premise. ''VideoGame/{{inFAMOUS 2}}'' upped the ante with more and varied powers, a more versatile city to run around in, bigger differences between the good and evil paths (as well as two separate endings), improved graphics (now utilizing facial mocap), improved physical combat, and had a more emotional and dramatic story.
139* ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' proved that Creator/NetherrealmStudios (of ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' fame) could do comic book-themed fighting games just as well as [[Creator/{{Capcom}} their competitors]], featuring both a gameplay engine based on ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' with tweaks that allow for environmental interaction, and a DarkerAndEdgier story in the DC universe that was enjoyable to play through. ''VideoGame/Injustice2'' further improves upon the gameplay while taking advantage of new technology on the [=PS4=] and Xbox One to make the game look even better, in addition to expanding the roster with fan favorites such as Supergirl, Atrocitus, and Brainiac. The graphics were also improved.
140* ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance 2'' surpassed its predecessor in every aspect of gameplay, music, writing, and humour. The game is longer, has more tactical features and weaponry, more mercenaries with a myriad of responses and interactions between each other. It also provides a number of quality of life upgrades, like no longer having to traverse tactical maps when not in combat, allowing auto-collection of dropped and found items, and letting you swim safely without carrying a knife.
141* Sega's cel-shaded skating/platforming/"tagging" hybrid ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' was, and still is, unlike anything gamers were playing at the time. This [[Platform/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] gem, while having some flaws, is regarded as one of the system's stand-out titles. ''JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future'' blew everyone's mind (and the bar set by the first game) when it was released on the Xbox. Impressive (if a bit flashy) visuals, refined gameplay removing the tagging commands while re-vamping the trick system, an improved story (even if it was a re-telling of the original's), improved character designs (making Gum and Cube HotterAndSexier, and Yoyo a favorite among the female gamers), and a huge world to explore put it leagues ahead of its predecessor. One thing it didn't improve was its music. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Then again,]] [[AwesomeMusic/JetSetRadio not like they needed to anyway.]]'' The music just turns me on'' indeed...
142* ''VideoGame/JustCause'' was an entertaining yet heavily flawed sandbox game and relatively obscure. However, ''VideoGame/JustCause2'' was an unlikely sequel with breathtaking graphics, incredible gameplay, and adrenaline-rushing stunts. It enjoyed far more popularity and received far better reviews than its older brother.
143* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' is considered an improvement over ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' at least in terms of gameplay, due to streamlining the combat and trimming other bits of fat and making for a faster-paced and more enjoyable and accessible game overall. The ''Final Mix'' rerelease is widely considered the best game in the franchise, and the story (while still [[BrokenBase highly debated]] compared to the first game) became more well-regarded over time as the series' KudzuPlot became increasingly confusing with further sequels.
144* ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'' was a good game but it was kind of short (only 5 levels plus an unlockable [[NintendoHard Hard difficulty]] with new enemies). ''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure'' and ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2'' (for the NES and Game Boy respectively) addressed this complaint and also gave Kirby his iconic PowerCopying abilities. ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' took it a step further by adding multiplayer co-op, and more than one move per copy ability giving Kirby a completely [[SwissArmyHero different]] power set and appearance for each; it also had a greater emphasis on combat and would go on to serve partly as an inspiration for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros's'' gameplay.
145** ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'' is this to ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies''. While ''Star Allies'' was fairly well-received (especially after the post-launch DLC came out), it was criticized for feeling like a step down from the [[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand previous]] [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe three]] [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot games]] before it, due to its shorter length (there are only five levels, with around half of them being thrown into the final level), unmemorable levels, and the return of multiplayer and co-op making bosses and puzzles too easy. ''Forgotten Land'' was met with a lot of praise for making a grand 3DVideoGameLeap by taking Kirby out of his usual environment, its DarkerAndEdgier aspects, and the new villains of the game, the Beast Pack.
146* ''VideoGame/KlonoaDoorToPhantomile'' was a decent platformer, but ''VideoGame/Klonoa2LunateasVeil'' made it even better. Better story, better level design, better soundtrack, better graphics, etc.
147* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
148** The original ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI'' was considered a masterpiece of its time. The second game (''[[VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink The Adventure of Link]]'') was something of a divisive deal. Then on Super Nintendo, ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'', returned to the style of the first game, improving the graphics, gameplay and story, as well as making it a lot easier to work out where to go next.
149** Then in 1998, Nintendo put out ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', a game that takes the best aspects of the prior installments and manages to make them even better, while undergoing a smoother VideoGame3DLeap than ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''. Years after its release, it's still considered one of the best games (if not ''the'' best) ever made, even after years that included most of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', the real "[[GrowingTheBeard blossoming]]" of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'', the entry of Microsoft [[Platform/{{Xbox}} into the video game business]], and the creation of an untold number of new intellectual properties in gaming. A SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for Nintendo indeed.
150** Following ''Ocarina of Time'', most of the ''Zelda'' games released after it were largely considered great, but [[ToughActToFollow not quite exactly being able to live up to it]] in terms of establishing a similar legacy of acclaim. That changed with the release of the [[DevelopmentHell long-awaited]] ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', which stripped the formula of the series back to its fundamentals, and then adapted it into [[WideOpenSandbox an open-world sandbox setting]]. The result has been universal praise far and wide from critics and consumers, with ''Breath of the Wild'' widely cited as not only a new standard set for open-world video games, but also as one of '''''the''''' games of its generation.
151** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', the direct sequel to ''Breath of the Wild'', is widely considered superior to its already acclaimed predecessor, to the point that some have claimed ''Tears'' makes the latter look like a ''tech demo''. Not only do the new abilities like Ultrahand, Fuse, and Ascend allow for near-limitless creativity while addressing some of the contentious game mechanics of ''[=BotW=]'' (such as climbing and weapon durability), but the size of the world map has been practically ''tripled'' thanks to the additions of the Sky Islands, the Depths, and the plethora of cave systems littered throughout Hyrule. Add on a more epic, layered story with memorable characters, [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels dungeons]] that mix traditional themes and puzzle-solving with the freedom of the Divine Beasts, [[AwesomeBosses/TheLegendOfZelda exciting bosses]], and even the return of [[HesBack Ganondorf]] himself, and you have a sequel that improves upon the prior entry in almost every way, which is no small feat when the first one was already considered by many to be one of the greatest video games of all time.
152* ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar'' was a charming if somewhat derivative [=JRPG=] with memorable characters and a fun story. The sequel, ''VideoGame/LunarEternalBlue'', improves upon the game in almost every way with a more mature storyline, better developed characters, a better soundtrack, and an improved menu system that does away with the more cumbersome aspects of Silver Star Story's system.
153* ''VideoGame/LufiaAndTheFortressOfDoom'' was considered a pretty decent, if unspectacular, JRPG, held back by some outdated gameplay decisions, average graphics and a rather [[ClicheStorm cliché]] story. The {{prequel}}, ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals,'' massively improved on all the original's flaws, featuring vastly improved graphics, a deeply emotive story, tons of new and improved gameplay mechanics ([[LimitBreak IP techniques]] based on equipment, [[{{Mons}} Capsule Monsters]], [[PreexistingEncounters enemies who appeared on the map and would move with you]]), some of the best puzzles ever seen in a JRPG, and the ''insanely'' addictive [[{{Roguelike}} Ancient Cave]], which was practically a whole game unto itself, making ''Lufia II'' a CultClassic still held in high regard today among JRPG aficionados (it was the installment of the ''VideoGame/{{Lufia}}'' series selected to be remade on the Platform/NintendoDS as ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals''). If you say "Lufia" to an old-school JRPG fan, it's almost guaranteed that ''this'' will be [[SequelDisplacement the game they immediately think of]], outstripping even the sequels and its own remake.
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157* ''[[VideoGame/MacrossFrontierTrilogy Macross Ace Frontier]]'' was a pretty good game, though it sorely lacked many things (like ubiquitous {{Mecha Expansion Pack}}s and missing a lot of songs). ''[[VideoGame/MacrossFrontierTrilogy Macross Ultimate Frontier]]'' picked up the slack, kept most of the things that was in ''Ace'' and added ''tons'' of new stuff. For example: giving ''Anime/MacrossZero'' a full scenario, split the original ''Anime/{{Macross}}'' between series and movie, the various packs were added, more characters and mecha, and added a shop which allowed people to buy some of the harder-to-get items (like some of the titles).
158* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfSuperHeroes'' was a well-received fighting game, but ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2'' has become a hallmark of the entire fighting game genre. Gameplay was streamlined and faster-paced, the roster was expanded to well over fifty characters, and players could assemble teams of three characters at a time. Since its release, it has become one of the most popular and competitive fighters in the entire genre.
159* ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' is seen as a landmark RPG, [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstructing]] eighties-style space operas and combining epic storytelling with Third-Person-Shooter combat and a fluid choice system that allowed players to tell their story any way they want. The game wasn't without its share of problems, mostly in the combat department. It was hampered with such things as an ineffectual cover system, a dice-roll damage calculator, and tedious exploration segments, making it was a gem with a few noticeable flaws. ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' came along and embraced its Shooter side, creating a far better cover system, a more straightforward damage system, and an even deeper choice system (in fact, all of the choices in the ''FIRST'' game count in this one). The story is darker and more mature, and the soundtrack got an epic makeover. Of course, some fans [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks dislike the changes for good reasons]], but most enjoy the game, and find it hard to deny the combat was much improved from the original.
160* ''VideoGame/MasterOfOrion'' was considered an excellent strategy game for its time. Its sequel, however, is considered one of the quintessential [[FourX 4X]] games.
161* The first ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' could be described as 'all right,' even for its time. It had a good SpaceOpera type plot (which was only fitting), but gameplay and art were both rather primitive, due to the game geometry being a rough collection of unshaded polygons. However, with the advent of ''Mechwarrior 2'', the series exploded into the massive popularity that made it the defining mech-sim for a decade. Everything was improved--controls were tighter and more intuitive, graphics ''considerably'' improved to the point that 'Mech models could be discerned immediately, the popular customization function was included, and the game finally had some good music. It was somewhat lacking in story (being very linear and unfocused as opposed to the original's open ended setup with an overarching plot) but the sequels, ''Ghost Bear's Legacy'' and ''Mercenaries'' quickly remedied this with, respectively, a story arc which genuinely centers around the player and more freedom in choosing one's path through the game.
162* ''VideoGame/MegaMan1'' was a revolutionary combination of solid graphics, gameplay and soundtrack, widely regarded as a great game. ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' improves on every aspect of the original, removes the unnecessary point system, garnering it universal praise typically referring to it as at the very least "better than the original." ''2'', 20+ years and four generations of console gaming after its release, remains securely entrenched as the best-selling installment of the Classic series. And then, of course, you have ''VideoGame/MegaManX'', which is another good example of DarkerAndEdgier done right.
163* ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork1'' was met with praise when it first released, but it was quite experimental and a little barebones. The sequel, ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork2'', rebalanced and improved the basic battle system on top of adding more visual flair to various parts of the world, setting the standards for the rest of the series. The third game, ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork3WhiteAndBlue'', went even further beyond, having one of the best story in the series while further refining gameplay mechanics. The third game holds the reputation of one of the best ''Battle Network'' entries.
164* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
165** Say what you will about the [[{{Squick}} bisexual knife-throwing Romanian vampire]] and [[AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent the protagonist bait-and-switch]] and [[RomanticPlotTumor said protagonist's relationship with his girlfriend]] and [[GainaxEnding that ENDING]], but from a purely Tactical Espionage Action standpoint, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' absolutely trumped [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid its]] predecessor in every single category. It had ridiculously upgraded graphics, tons of new weapons including the nonlethal M9 tranquilizer gun for those who wanted a hardcore StealthRun, a much more realistic damage system, first-person aiming for more precise gunplay, the ability to hold up enemy soldiers for items, vastly improved A.I., and much-needed variety in the game's escort and sniping missions. While ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater MGS3]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots 4]]'' later proved to be superior titles, they were really just perfecting the huge number of beneficial changes that ''[=MGS2=]'' made to the series.
166** ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' was an improvement over [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 the original]], and marked the point where the series really started to [[GrowingTheBeard Grow the Beard]], vastly improving the gameplay and establishing many of the storytelling conventions the series would become known for, but was [[LateExportForYou never released in the US for fifteen years]] and was far from perfect. ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' followed it up with a grand epic story, becoming a KillerApp for the Platform/PlayStation and [[GenreTurningPoint was really the first game that felt like playing a movie, as well as showing that stories in action games could be far more than just an]] ExcusePlot.
167* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
168** To quote a [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/08/21/super-metroid-review retrospective review]] by Lucas Thomas from gaming site IGN: "The original ''VideoGame/{{Metroid|1}}'' established the setting and feel. ''VideoGame/{{Metroid II|ReturnOfSamus}}'', from the Game Boy, elaborated on the story. But it was this game, ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'', that pulled together all of the series' previously established elements, embellished them, and polished the experience of exploration, retraversal and power-up acquisition into a true masterpiece of game design."
169** There's also the first ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', which not only was considered a worthy follow-up to ''Super'', but also became the highest-rated game of MediaNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames.
170** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' is considered a much improved effort in comparison with Creator/MercurySteam's previous ''Metroid'' entry, ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns''. While ''Samus Returns'' had some great gameplay and quality of life features that [[VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus its source material didn't]], some felt it was held back both by the original game's structural flaws (more linear world design and search-and-destroy gameplay that resulted in some repetitive boss fights) and the Platform/Nintendo3DS hardware itself. ''Dread'' uses many of the features introduced in ''Samus Returns'', but in an entirely new game on much better hardware that allows for more creativity and a chance to better flesh out and improve gameplay mechanics like the melee combat.
171* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'':
172** ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter2Dos'': The game greatly improves upon the first-generation games by adding brand-new monsters and weapon classes, a new type of hunting area based on snow and ice, several quality-of-life improvements to make the experience less frustrating, and a more interesting story ([[ExcusePlot at least by the series' standards]]).
173** ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterPortable3rd'': The game is beloved for succesfully following up both its PSP predecessor ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterFreedom2'' (by virtue of having more quests, introducing more new monsters and retaining the gameplay innovations and quality-of-life improvements seen in ''Freedom Unite'', despite not having G Rank) and its third-gen predecessor ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter3Tri'' (by virtue of bringing back the weapon classes removed in that game, plus some of the old monsters not present there such as Bulldrome, Tigrex and Nargacuga, and granting unique, inventive subspecies to the monsters that debuted there).
174* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'':
175** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatII'' has more content, including characters that became series mainstays, improves both the gameplay issues and the production values, and has better home ports compared to how the original had an infamously censored SNES version (along with a [[PortingDisaster laggy and shallow Game Boy one]]).
176** The fate of the series was called into question following a slew of games with lukewarm receptions that underwent a VideoGame3DLeap and the subsequent closure of Midway. The series still found a way to live on with ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', a ContinuityReboot that brought the game back to its 2D roots and helped bring the series back into relevance. ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'' took the improvements its predecessor made and incorporated gameplay elements from ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'', combined with a roster of characters old and new (including {{Crossover}} DLC with the Franchise/{{Alien}}, Franchise/{{Predator}}, [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason Voorhees]], and [[Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre Leatherface]]) and a compelling continuation to the rebooted story started in ''9''.
177* The original ''VideoGame/MotorStorm'' was a great game, but plagued with LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading, punishing RubberBandAI and a general lack of content. ''Pacific Rift'' improves on everything that was problematic with the first while enhancing what was already good.
178* ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'' was an interesting game that, at the time, looked great, and helped bring point and click adventure games further into the mainstream. However, the game itself can seem a bit dated--the plot can be confusing at times, the world feels very empty and dead, the puzzles can be needlessly obtuse, and the visuals don't hold up as well. On the other hand, ''VideoGame/{{Riven}}'' is essentially an improvement over everything that made ''Myst'' good at release--the plot is much more engaging, with the player having a more personal role in it, the world feels alive and interesting, the puzzles (while still fiendishly difficult) are at least somewhat sensible, and most importantly the visuals (even at such low resolutions) still look pretty damn impressive. Many fans wondered how ''Riven'' would be topped--then, along came ''VideoGame/MystIIIExile'', with fascinating and sympathetic characters, much more logical approaches to puzzles, breathtaking environments, a ''hauntingly'' beautiful soundtrack, and visual design that still looks incredible to this day.
179* Creator/NaughtyDog is known for always seeking this type of achievement with their games:
180** The original ''VideoGame/{{Crash Bandicoot|1996}}'' game started the whole style of gameplay for the games and is widely considered a [=PS1=] classic, but the game was too difficult, the controls were too touchy, and collecting the gems was a chore. ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'' refined the gameplay a lot, and sported better graphics and music. ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot3Warped'' added relics, improved the presentation even further, and is widely considered the game where Naughty Dog perfected the gameplay.
181** ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxterThePrecursorLegacy'' was a fairly respectable and appealing collect-a-thon that could have been the [=PS2=]'s answer to ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''--but like that game, it also suffered from very low difficulty and short length, and a [[ExcusePlot pretty thin story]]. But ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade'' took the series in a completely new direction after that, and it turned out all for the better--the story became a million times better, the overworld system of the original was altered to be suited around mission based gameplay rather than just grabbing as many objects as possible, the difficulty was considerably beefed up (for better or [[NintendoHard for worse]]), you had a new power-up where you could turn into a raging killer monster if you collected enough Dark Eco that only gets stronger as it gets more powers, you got to use cool gun weapons, you could hijack vehicles ala ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'', you could compete in races, you got a hoverboard, the levels and bosses were much more elaborate and fun, and the whole game is an example of a DarkerAndEdgier turn done ''right''. And Jak actually became a [[CharacterDevelopment real character]], [[SuddenlySpeaking and learned how to talk, too.]]
182** Naughty Dog repeated the same feat ''again'' with ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' [[ShapedLikeItself in a way that even trumped their past sequels]]. Put it this way: ''VideoGame/UnchartedDrakesFortune'' was considered a great action-platformer-shooter, a compelling-but-not-perfectly-persuasive reason to get a [=PS3=]. ''VideoGame/Uncharted2AmongThieves''? By the time [=GameRankings=].com was taken offline in 2019, ten years after the game's release, [[https://gr.blade.sk/#/ it still ranked]] as the eleventh best-reviewed game ''of all time''.[[note]]The still-active aggregate site Metacritic, meanwhile, ranks ''Among Thieves'' at a still-impressive 29th on their All-Time Best list.[[/note]]
183* ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed'':
184** ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUnderground'' was a huge success (80's to 90's across the board) and introduced the entire idea of tuning and customization as one of the main components to the games. Admittedly, it had its flaws (lots of RubberBandAI, a sudden spike in difficulty, most cars handled the same, there were some glitches where you dropped through the floor and so on), but it was loved by fans and critics alike - which was also helped by the fact that it (in)directly was promoted by ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' and vice-versa. It's not universally agreed with, though, considering that there were ''six'' installments before it, and they are nothing like this game.
185** While ''Underground'' was a success, it got stomped by its younger sibling, ''Underground 2'' in 2004. ''Underground 2'' took everything from ''Underground'' and made it better (though, admittedly, it still had many of the bugs and iffy things the first one had). The races were still quite tough. The cars were mostly the same, some were dropped but in the end there were ten more rides available (including three [=SUVs=]). It had vastly extended options for visual tuning. Hell, you could even take your ride to the dynamo and fine-tune the ECU, turbochargers, gear ratios, etc. to be perfect for you. But the best thing about it, aside from the epic soundtrack was the possibility to roam a decently-sized city. Actually, you ''had'' to roam the city to find all the stores to shop, events to enter, and racers to outrun. Not for nothing is ''Underground 2'' in constant battle with its successor of the title of "best NFS" or sometimes even "best racing game ever".
186** ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted'' in 2005. Showered with praise from critics and fans alike and can be well considered a killer app for both the then-launched Platform/Xbox360 ''and'' the older sixth generation consoles (Platform/PlayStation2, Platform/{{Xbox}}, and Platform/NintendoGameCube). It combined the roots of ''Need for Speed'' (luxury cars with a huge price tag starting once you were in the top 10), added in some ''Hot Pursuit'' (police chases were re-introduced) and some ''Underground 2'' (a large free roam map and [though in comparison to its predecessor, limited] customization). The graphics were very nice and scenic to look at as well and the music, tastes and preferences alike, was especially awesome, considered by many to be the best ''NFS'' soundtrack to date. It also is one of EA's most successful games at six million sold copies worldwide. As mentioned above, it is in constant battle for the fan-voted throne of the best game in the ''Need for Speed'' franchise and sometimes even voted the greatest racing game of all time.
187** ''Need for Speed: Shift'' was considered a good-but-not-great semi-sim racer in 2009, and helped the franchise recover from the disasters that were ''[=ProStreet=]'' and ''Undercover''. ''Shift 2: Unleashed'' managed to fix many of its flaws while refining gameplay and is considered better than its predecessor. It helped that EA Black Box, who assisted Slightly Mad Studios in the first ''Shift''[='=]s development but had fallen from grace at the time, did ''not'' work on the sequel.
188** ''Need for Speed'' itself didn't get much attention until the third game dropped the simulation aspects of the first two games for arcade action and focused on the police pursuits that the first game had.
189* ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'', was generally well received, with a lot of variety in character options and was highly praised for its. However, its story was seen as unmemorable by some. Then came the ''Shadows of Undrentide'' expansion, which was markedly better, and finally ''Hordes of the Underdark'', which completely blew the previous two away.
190* ''Mask of the Betrayer'' was an Even Better Sequel for ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', containing a smaller band of more developed characters, a much better overarching story, and such complicated literary devices as symbolism and foreshadowing, as well as focusing on a less cliched mission.
191* Rare FanSequel example: ''VideoGame/NexusWar'' took everything good about ''VideoGame/UrbanDead'' and made it better.
192* The original ''VideoGame/NFLBlitz'' was already highly-received thanks to being a football game that's digestable for casual players and which features over-the-top violence, particularly in the form of excessively rough tackles and [[BeatingADeadPlayer late hits]]. ''NFL Blitz '99'' would then improve on it in just about every way, increasing the number of players from two to four (for 2v2 play), improving the graphics and UI, adding the option to import plays from the Platform/Nintendo64 port of the original game via a Controller Pak, and even an on-cabinet Create-A-Play mode.
193* Creator/NinjaKiwi's games often fall under this (notably, ''VideoGame/BloonsTowerDefense'' and ''[[VideoGame/SasZombieAssault SAS: Zombie Assault]]''): For ''Bloons Tower Defense'', the first game had a common tactic to complete the game with Dart Monkeys only. The second game changed that by adding difficulty levels, more towers, lead and rainbow bloons, monkey glue, and road spikes. The third added some more tracks, with difficulty selections on each track, a bit more towers alongside more upgrades, a [[BossInMookClothing M.O.A.B.]], [[AntiFrustrationFeatures removing the frustration of only placing one set of road spikes at a time]], and freeplay mode. The fourth is given music, redesigned art for towers, a title screen, a login system, more towers, premium upgrades, more tracks, and different game modes. The fifth topped it all off with highly detailed art, the return of the upgrade paths, keeping the login system, more music, sounds, and towers (plus upgrades), stronger mooks, a daily reward system, daily challenges, special missions, and '''much''' more. Then the sixth game blows that over with ''three'' upgrade paths for each tower, hero towers, [[AllYourPowersCombined Paragon]] towers, a [[VideoGame3DLeap graphics upgrade]], boss bloons, even harder game modes, cosmetics, and many more...
194* ''VideoGame/{{NieR}}'' was a brilliant tragedy game. However, it fraked over the players too much, the gameplay itself was ultimately boring, it wasn't well balanced, and the game doesn't really get good until you've already beaten it once, and have to replay the exact same levels again. ''VideoGame/NierAutomata''? Is by Platinum Games, giving their skilled gameplay a combination with Yoko Taro's brilliant storytelling. The end result? Pure perfection.
195* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' helped the Wii stand apart from its competitors with its unique art style, violent action, thrilling boss battles, and Creator/{{Suda 51}}'s signature quirkiness. ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'' improves upon this base by focusing on the action. While the decision to remove the original's WideOpenSandbox proved divisive, the tweaks and improvements to the gameplay, the new bosses, the CharacterDevelopment, and side-jobs being retooled into {{Retraux}} NES-style minigames were met with nigh-unanimous praise.
196* ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'' earned applause for its novel combat, excellent soundtrack, and for pioneering the "HD-2D" art-style that became its signature. However, the story received mixed reviews. It was also sharply criticised for its formulaic structure in both story and world-design. The playable characters barely interacted with each other, and the end-game was panned for being so brutally unfair that most players never bothered beating it, if they even knew it existed because of the baffling decision to hide it behind a chain of optional side stories. ''VideoGame/OctopathTravelerII'' retains the excellent soundtrack, further develops the art-style, and introduces a raft-load of new features that smooth out and polish the experience. All the character-arcs now vary wildly in pace and tone and pack in much smarter writing, the world is diverse and beautiful, and the conclusion that ties everything together is fleshed-out and challenging without being a needless chore. Plus, the characters even cheer each other on by name in battle, and the aforementioned conclusion has them interacting with and working together, letting them come across as TrueCompanions even more than the first game's travelers. Overall, the sequel makes a great game even better by fixing its flaws and improving on its strengths.
197* ''VideoGame/{{Oddworld}}: Abe's Oddysee'' was an excellent game, but its sequel ''Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus'' is generally agreed to be better, with more interesting maps and areas, new features that only served to improve the gameplay (such as flying Sligs and being able to have multiple Mudokons follow you), more challenging puzzles, and a quick save feature that addressed the CheckpointStarvation that made ''Oddysee'' so [[NintendoHard difficult]].
198* ''VideoGame/OneFingerDeathPunch'': The original game was a WhiteSheep for its developer, Silver Dollar Games, who up until then had only produced cheap throwaway games (usually about [[ToiletHumor farting]] or cats). The sequel takes everything the original did up to eleven, making an incredibly fun, easy to play rhythm/brawler. Has everything from greatly improved graphics and music, to new skills to learn, lots of new more interesting maps and levels, while keeping the StylisticSuck stick figure aesthetic. It even has options to texture the characters and put faces on them for those so inclined (the stick figure aesthetic is the default).
199* ''VideoGame/{{Overlord}}'' introduced novel gameplay features and a likable cast of extras, but never really developed the third-person slasher beyond a few puzzles to be solved by those novel features. ''Overlord II'' shipped with the mandatory visual and audio upgrades. It also expanded the cast of personalities and the personality of the cast, upgraded the previous features seamlessly with new, presented maps that put them to ingenious use, and most ballsy and brilliant of all, let the minions (the fan favorite) take the spotlight in gameplay and story without taking away control or credit from the player.
200[[/folder]]
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202[[folder:P-R]]
203* ''VideoGame/PacMan'':
204** ''Pac-Man: Championship Edition'' received positive reviews, praising the successful reimagination of the franchise. ''Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX'' received even more positive reviews. Eating a ''train of 30 ghosts'' for a massive score jump, anyone?
205** How could the original ''Pac-Man'' get even more addictive? How about randomized mazes, ghosts with unique movement patterns, and more power-ups? Slap a bow on it and you've got ''Ms. Pac-Man''.
206* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
207** ''VideoGame/Persona3'' was an excellent, intelligent game combining tried and true RPG devices with an intriguing social simulation system. ''VideoGame/Persona4'' greatly improved the battle system, provided even better artwork, smoothed out the pacing and writing, and generally provided a more cohesive gaming experience.
208** ''VideoGame/Persona5'' cherry-picks many of the best aspects from past ''Persona'' games (including the first two). In tone, it's much closer to ''VideoGame/Persona2'' and ''3'', but keeps from being as depressing. Battles are much faster with many animations and menus streamlined, and all sorts of new features such as two new elements, the return of negotiations and guns for all party members, and commands such as passing extra turns to other party members or switching out party members mid-battle. Social Links (called Confidants in this installment) have also been improved gameplay-wise, which each one now providing additional benefits beyond the fusion EXP boost and additional Personas.
209* The first two ''VideoGame/PhantasyStar'' games were important as some of the earliest examples of JRPG's, however, they also have a lot of grinding, punishing difficultly and are quite light on story, making them difficult to get into. 3 was rushed and a ContestedSequel. Phantasy Star 4 is styled much more after modern JRPG's with plenty of story and character interaction, a lighter difficulty curve and faster pacing, such that it is still cited by many as one of the best JRPG's ever.
210* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'' is a fondly-remembered MMORPG that took the series in a bold new direction, being one of the first [=MMOs=] on a console and being a solid hit on the Dreamcast. After the flawed ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse'' and the niche ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarZero'', fans got the true successor for which they were clamoring in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''. Gameplay was streamlined, faster-paced, and more action-oriented; and the game's CharacterCustomization options put others to shame. The decision to make this game FreeToPlay (as opposed to subscription-based like the original ''Online'' and ''Universe'') was initially met with skepticism and worries about the game becoming PayToWin, but ([[BadExportForYou Southeast Asian version notwithstanding]]) those fears have been put to rest.
211* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
212** ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' were already popular and still are, but ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' are still claimed by fans as the best ''Pokémon'' games ever, chiefly due to the staggering amount of cool new features it introduced. ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'' were even criticized for getting rid of several of those features.
213** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' (and [[VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2 its sequel]]) earned a lot of acclaim, finally changing the formula a bit by having only new Pokémon until you beat the game, a much more fleshed out plot, and a very expansive postgame. It can be said that ''[=HeartGold=] and [=SoulSilver=]'', the ''Black and White'' games, and ''X and Y'' form a trio of modern-era Pokémon games released in the same timespan that are regarded as some of the best games in the series, receiving less flak and far more unanimous praise from reviewers and fans than previous games after Generation II.
214** Despite praise for the mechanics of ''Black and White'', and their respective sequels, some of the [[http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/c/c4/569Garbodor.png Pokemon]] [[http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/4/4b/580Ducklett.png designs]] [[http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/c/c3/519Pidove.png were]] met with incredulity from long term fans in particular. However, ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' has seemed to enchant both old and new fans alike, particularly due to its inclusion of all generations of Pokemon from the beginning, as well as improving on everything fans liked from previous series (even if the graphics have been criticised).
215** Debilitating graphical and performance issues aside, it's widely agreed that ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'' is a step above ''Sword and Shield'' for its ambitious, open-world design and willingness to truly shake up the ''Pokémon'' formula, along with a surprisingly good storyline (especially during the final route). Almost all criticism of ''Scarlet and Violet'' has been focused on how said graphical/performance issues can ruin one's experience with the game (alongside the debate surrounding Game Freak and the Pokémon Company's decision to release the game in such an obviously unfinished state), yet [[https://www.pokebeach.com/2022/11/pokemon-scarlet-violet-is-now-nintendos-biggest-launch-in-history many fans agree]] that there's a genuinely great game hidden underneath all that mess.
216** ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' made its impact with the ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonRescueTeam Red and Blue Rescue Team]]'' series, with fun gameplay and an answer to the age-old question: What if you were a Pokemon? However, it's most noted for its surprisingly powerful story, which seems to be subtly aimed at an older demographic than that of the main series, and its excellent soundtrack. ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky]]'' took everything that was praised about the first series and made it even better, and its story is considered perhaps the best of all Pokémon games.
217* ''VideoGame/Portal2'' is considered by many to be even more awesome than ''VideoGame/Portal1'', as the second game vastly expanded upon the first, giving us new characters, a new story, and more gameplay features. It all adds up to about 6 or 7 hours of gameplay as opposed to the first game's 3 to 4 (or around 30 minutes if you've already beaten it), plus a co-op mode that's about the same length and filled with all-new puzzles.
218* The original ''VideoGame/PowerStone'' was a delightfully chaotic 3D fighting game. ''Power Stone 2'' took the chaos and cranked it up: more characters, four players fighting at once, [[FreeFloorFighting danger-filled stages that changed over time]], and in the home console versions, a veritable armory of weapons to craft and brandish, from such classics as lead pipes and pistols to the bizarre and outlandish like [[LaserBlade lightsabers]], [[DragonTamer pet dragons]], and [[Franchise/MegaMan the Mega Buster]].
219* ''VideoGame/{{Prehistorik}}'' was a nice but very short and easy SoOkayItsAverage Euro-platformer starring a caveman who attacks dinosaurs and animals with his club. The sequel ''Prehistorik 2'' expands the levels adding lots of hidden areas and hundreds of bonuses scattered around, and gives the protagonist new weapons. Then came ''Prehistorik Man'' that became bigger than ever, with more than 20 levels packed with secrets, faster and more challenging gameplay, better music and graphics, added vehicles and even more weapons, plus had new helper characters and an actual plot. The only reasons it was ignored were that it came out in a period (1995) when 2D gaming was thought to be obsolete, plus it was a Super Nintendo game, a console already overloaded with platformers. The 2013 ''Prehistorik'' remake was hot garbage, though.
220* ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'' was a critical success with excellent atmosphere, storytelling and platforming, but with rather simplistic combat (especially once you learned you could [[GameBreaker vault over almost everyone]].) ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaWarriorWithin'' took one step forward and another step back with improved combat and a more open world, but a very jarring and divisive DarkerAndEdgier tone. ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheTwoThrones'' is widely considered to have combined the best of both worlds, with the second game's combat and a Prince that's back to his DeadpanSnarker ways from the first game, while his [[MemeticMutation smouldering with generic rage]] self from the second game metamorphosizes a darker SplitPersonality that he has to wrestle with throughout the game.
221* The first installment of the ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' series, ''[[VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage Curious Village]]'' was a revolution in gaming, opening up a whole new genre. The sequel, ''[[VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheDiabolicalBox Diabolical Box]]'', built on top of it, with better, more elaborate mini games, a very interesting plot and [[SceneryPorn a wider variety of backdrops]], making the game's world seem bigger. It also introduced the Memo function, which was a big help when it came to puzzle solving. Then ''[[VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheUnwoundFuture Unwound Future]]'', which not only retained all improvements seen in the second game, but also wrapped up very well the story with an emotional narrative. Since then, every installment would aim to outdo its predecessors in some way, succeeding for the most part (though the seventh game was more divisive for various reasons).
222* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'':
223** The series started with two arcade games (''Punch-Out!!'' and ''Super Punch-Out!!''), whose unique boxing gameplay and detailed graphics (by arcade standards) were well-received. Then ''Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!'' came for the NES, with polished game mechanics, more opponents to fight against, as well as special attacks and in-game dialogue that gave said opponents more character. Additionally, a major selling point was the fact that players got to fight Creator/MikeTyson himself as the final boss [[note]] Later editions replaces him with Mr. Dream, however, due to Nintendo's license with Tyson expiring[[/note]].
224** The following game, ''Super Punch-Out!!'' for SNES, was a bit more [[ContestedSequel divisive]] (mostly due to its gameplay changes and almost completely new cast of characters) while still having an overall good reception. Years later, ''Punch-Out!!'' for Wii was released, and praised for having the same basic gameplay as the NES game, with the added opportunity of using motion controls. Additionally, it introduced new game modes like "Title Defense" and "Mac’s Last Stand", and gave the opponents (where all but two were returning from earlier games) more character through voice acting, between-rounds cutscenes and personalised remixes of the game's soundtrack. In general, the Wii game is seen as an improvement over the SNES game, and many players find it superior to the NES instalment as well.
225* ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'':
226** ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo2'' is considered a massive improvement over the [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo1992 1992 game before it]], increasing ''Puyo Puyo'''s popularity and viability as a competetive puzzle game while improving the single-player story mode with more characters.
227** ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyoFever2'' is seen as much better than [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyoFever its predecessor]], a {{retool}} to the ''Puyo'' franchise that was contested from the start due to having the entire Compile era's shoes to fill. The writing and general presentation are vastly improved, the story mode is longer, and this was the game that introduced the characters Sig, Lemres, and Feli, who would go on to become popular enough to be made mainstays of the series.
228** From a purely gameplay standpoint, ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo20thAnniversary'' is seen as a fine improvement over ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo15thAnniversary 15th Anniversary]]'' and a massive improvement over the divisive ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo7''. In the eyes of a number of fans, especially those not fond of the artstyle of its spiritual successor ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyoChronicle'', ''20th'' is still seen as the ''Puyo'' game that all others are measured against.
229* ''VideoGame/QuestOfYipe''. The first game is very simplistic, has a ridiculous amount of LevelGrinding, and has only two tasks to complete. The next game has slightly better graphics and further advances the gameplay. With the third game, the graphics improve massively (by late-90s Macintosh standards at least), and the game introduces a much, ''much'' larger world with far more side quests.
230* ''VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy'' was a CultClassic action-RPG, well liked for its real time combat, classic ''Shin Megami Tensei'' demon designs, likable characters, and fun setting. However, gameplay was rather clunky and a bit repetitive and the designers made some truly baffling choices in development. The sequel, ''VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsKingAbaddon'' went out of its way to fix and streamline the game. Combat was ''much'' faster pace, classic demon negotiation replaced a button mashing minigame for recruiting demons, healing was now a reasonable price (the healing NPC even mentions that she's lowered her prices, as if to tell fans of the first game that she's actually viable now), and players can fuse demons at any save point rather than waiting between missions. It led to players having a very hard time going back to the original after playing the sequel.
231* Creator/InsomniacGames did this with ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank''. [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002 The first game]] was a fun platformer with cool weapons, but had a few complaints about Ratchet being an [[TheScrappy unlikeable]] JerkAss. ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando Going Commando]]'' was a fun platformer with cool weapons that upgraded with use and were modifiable, Ratchet's health increased with enemies defeated, the incredible Charge Boots were added, there was fun space combat, there were all new gladiator-esque arenas, the "Quick Select" menu paused the game while it was up, and the NewGamePlus (instead of just letting you restart with all your gear as it was in the first game) turned into "Challenge Mode" wherein there were new weapons and upgrades to be purchased, with a MoneyMultiplier, and tougher enemies. Plus, Ratchet was RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap and became a DeadpanSnarker. ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal Up Your Arsenal]]'' cranked up the weapon upgrading features from one upgrade to four in the main game (and two upgrades to three in the NewGamePlus), added the "Lock-Strafe" control mechanism, added a new and improved weapon-switching mechanic, allowed two rings on the Quick Select rather than just one, and best of all, added a very good online (and offline) multiplayer mode, while retaining all the pluses from the previous game. Then, the Future trilogy made things even better with a more in depth story and some of the best graphics on the [=PS3=].
232* ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'', considered good already, underwent a ''massive'' upgrade for ''VideoGame/Rayman2TheGreatEscape'', adding a better plot, many interesting or funny characters, extra action, a ton of SceneryPorn, a neat soundtrack, and more well-designed levels.
233* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRevolver'' was a mid-console-life Western-themed shooter with a surprisingly solid story and decent gameplay, but was overall relatively unremarkable. Capcom started the production, cancelled it, and sold it off to Rockstar, who finished it and polished it as best they could, resulting in a somewhat disjointed but mostly enjoyable game that's popularity is more in the realm of CultClassic than anything else. In fact, most people would probably have never heard of the game if it weren't for the decision to make the spiritual successor ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'', which has been hailed by no less than the New York Times as one of the finest games ever made, and a strong contender for the case for Videogames As Art. Amazingly ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' even managed to follow that up to even greater praise, in particularly for the characters, story, and open world design far exceeding the already high standards set by it's predecssor. The only common complaint about it is for it's under-supported online, which doesn't really distract from the single player game either.
234* ''VideoGame/{{Repton}}'':
235** ''Repton 2'', in spite of its difficulty, is better regarded than the first game, because its puzzles can get much more intricate. This carries through to the PC remake, which allows the player to save progress at designated points (usually on return to the HubLevel), bringing the difficulty down to a reasonable level.
236** ''Repton 3'' is by far the most popular game in the series, even though its most significant new gameplay element (fungus) is widely disliked. Levels are more compact than those of ''Repton 2'', and each level is self-contained. In addition, this was the first game to include a LevelEditor, and the themed scenarios are popular with fans.
237* The pinnacle of the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' franchise is almost universally thought to be ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 The second game in the series]] was considered the franchise's high mark before ''4'', since ''2'' did away with a lot of the NarmCharm voice acting while expanding on what made the first one work. The fourth game, however, totally reworked the series to perfection. More ThirdPersonShooter than SurvivalHorror, it set the standard for third-person action games in its console generation and the next, inspiring such works as ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' and the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries''. And every ''RE'' game since ''4'' has tried to emulate it.
238** The [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake 2019 remake]] of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' was widely and massively received as "a return to what made Franchise/ResidentEvil great", scoring highly favorable ratings amongst both professional critics and fans. [[ContestedSequel Whilst it hardly pleases everyone]], the complaints about it are mostly limited to older fans more familiar with the original version, and they are largely drowned out in the sea of positive reception.
239** Ironically, both times that Capcom attempted to build upon their "winning formula" games, with ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'' in the 2010s and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake'' in 2020, the reception was far less inherently positive, to the point that all three games are {{Contested Sequel}}s.
240[[/folder]]
241
242[[folder:S]]
243* ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'': The original ''VideoGame/SaintsRow1'' was a fairly blatant ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' clone that is generally considered decent, but nothing special. However, when ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' decided to go down a DarkerAndEdgier route, ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' instead headed in a slightly DenserAndWackier direction, which gave it its own identity separate from ''GTA'''s. It was also more fun as a game compared to the first one, with much more varied activities, vastly improved CharacterCustomization (including the ability to change your gender), and a surprisingly well-written story including multiple very effective {{Player Punch}}es, and then ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' cranked its humor up-to-eleven, and despite still suffered from BrokenBase, it considered to be the best game from fans and critics. In contrast, later installments of ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' and ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2022'' are {{Contested Sequel}}s, especially the latter.
244* ''VideoGame/{{Scribblenauts}}'':
245** ''Super Scribblenauts'' by far, for improving on the clunky controls of the original, adding more flexibility with the ability to add adjectives to creations and nerfing some of the more [[GameBreaker exploitable]] objects (like the black hole or Death).
246** ''Scribblenauts Unlimited'' got even more praise thanks to its story mode and the mechanic to customize objects.
247* ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'':
248** The SNES game was great, but was sorely lacking in replay value. Its sequel, ''VideoGame/TrialsOfMana'', improved tremendously on this aspect with three different potential final bosses, each with their own set of endgame [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon dungeons]] and [[TheDragon Dragons]], as well as six unique characters to build a team of 3 out of. The addition of the class change system (4 final classes per character) meant that there were hundreds of different party combinations to try out. (This does make the fact that it was never formally released outside of Japan until 2019 an ''enormous'' sore spot for ''Mana'' fans.)
249** The same can be said of their 3D remakes. The remake of ''Secret'' had very few gameplay updates, it retained the overhead camera, about half its soundtrack got remixes that were widely considered inferior to what was in the SNES version, and it had no real bonus content of any kind. The remake of ''Trials'' updated the game's mechanics to a more modern outlook, updated the maps to make them easier to navigate while placing treasure all over them to encourage exploration, it had a moveable 3D camera, its remixed soundtrack was closer in style to the original, it had new difficulty modes, and added a bunch of postgame bonuses. Needless to say, the remake of ''Trials'' was much better-received than the remake of ''Secret''.
250* Original ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts1'' was altogether an excellent game, held back only by its [[MovedToTheNextConsole PlayStation 1 roots]]. The sequel, ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsCovenant'', ironed out the flaws, revamped the battle system, doubled the gameplay length (a two-disc game on the [=PS2=] was a rare thing), and improved every aspect of the game. Reviews will tell the same story.
251* The first campaign for ''VideoGame/ShadowrunReturns'', ''Dead Man's Switch'' was decent enough, but it was short, linear, didn't give the player much flexibility to solving their runs outside combat. Meanwhile, ''Dragonfall'' offered a longer campaign that allowed for more branching, had side quests to tackle, more varied missions, moral quandaries to face, and gave the player a crew of well-rounded characters to fight alongside from beginning to end. And then Harebrained Schemes made the Director's Cut of ''Dragonfall'', which added even ''more'' content, cleaned up the interface, and tweaked the base mechanics to make combat even more tactical.
252* ''VideoGame/{{Shenmue}}'' was well-received and gained a large cult following. The follow-up ''VideoGame/ShenmueII'' treated fans to a much bigger and far more interesting array of locations, more diversionary and moneymaking activities, and a better-paced story packed with much more action.
253* ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'' is widely considered superior to its [[VideoGame/SilentHill1 predecessor]] due to its more original and complex narrative, which to this day is regarded as a great achievement in video game horror stories, and one of the greatest for video game storytelling in general. It also has an excellent soundtrack.
254* ''VideoGame/SimCity'':
255** The original game, started off rather exceptional for its day, being the father of the {{Sim|ulationGame}}, WideOpenSandbox, and strategy genres of games to follow, but was even more improved with its first sequel ''Sim City 2000'', which introduced new transportation options, zoning options, and a whole new isometric view, as well as several other perks.
256** It was then somewhat topped by ''Sim City 3000'', which kept the same isometric view (but a little more realistic than previously) and added more realistic features such as waste management, aging infrastructure, and neighbor deals. The ''Unlimited'' version of ''3000'' also added [[ThirtySecondsOverTokyo an Asian]] and [[BritainIsOnlyLondon Euro]][[TheOldCountry pean]] tile sets.
257** However, despite what some say about ''2000'', all fans agree that ''Sim City 4'' (and its [[ExpansionPack Rush Hour expansion pack]] which then led to ''Sim City 4 Deluxe'') is by far the greatest game to be made of the ''VideoGame/SimCity'' franchise for its deeply challenging gameplay and the boosted shelf life thanks to countless {{GameMod}}s, despite being possibly one of the earlier users of the RealIsBrown trope.
258** After suffering some {{Sequelitis}} with the [[ContestedSequel contested sequels]] ''[=SimCity=] Societies'' and ''VideoGame/SimCity2013'', the series has seen something of a return to its former glory with the [[FanSequel fan]] SpiritualSuccessor ''VideoGame/CitiesSkylines'', which, thanks to its vibrant modding community, many say is probably as good as, if not better than, ''Sim City 4''.
259* While ''VideoGame/TheSims1'' may have been the best-selling PC game of all time, ''VideoGame/TheSims2'' delivered everything the fans loved about the original while adding a bunch of features that had been on players' wish-lists for years: greatly improved graphics, more attractive neighbourhood backgrounds that can also be customised to an extent, fully 3D animation as opposed to isometric, the ability to zoom right in to the room with the characters, an in-depth character creator as opposed to a choice of pre-created skins, days of the week and weekends/days off work, more realistic life stages, ageing, family relationships, a proto same-sex marriage option... and that was just the base game. Nearly twenty years after its release, it's still generally agreed to be the best game in the series: many players have long since uninstalled ''The Sims'' (with even those who can forgive the clunky graphics and relatively simplistic game-play are put off by its ever-increasing list of compatibility issues with newer operating systems), and ''VideoGame/TheSims3'' improves more by having a WideOpenSandbox and of course create-a-style. ''VideoGame/TheSims4'' is ContestedSequel due to its downgraded content at launch.
260* ''VideoGame/SinAndPunishment'' is a great rail shooter, only marred by the analog stick controls (although the game is designed around it). ''VideoGame/SinAndPunishmentStarSuccessor'' takes full advantage of the Wii's pointer functionality for more refined controls, succeeds in being significantly longer and more epic without resorting to FakeLongevity (an impressive feat considering [[ShootEmUp the genre of the game]]), cranks up the intensity of enemy combat and boss battles, and boasts smoother visuals and framerate.
261* The general consensus among Steam reviews is that ''VideoGame/SlimeRancher2'' is better than the first due to its gorgeous scenery and quality-of-life improvements, especially to the ItemCrafting mechanics.
262* ''VideoGame/SlyCooperAndTheThieviusRaccoonus'' was a well-liked game, albeit very linear, straightforward, and simplistic. Then ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'' comes along and completely ''nukes'' the original with its "job-based" game play and much more emphasis on the GreyAndGrayMorality of a game where both the heroes and villains are thieves.
263* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
264** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'' was a fun platformer for the Genesis that featured the novel concept of rolling into a ball and smashing into enemies at high speeds. Unfortunately, the game required you to accelerate for lengthy periods before you were allowed to do this, and many of the levels were standard platforming affairs, with few of the rollercoaster-esque slope and loop designs the series later became known for. [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 The sequel]] added Sonic's [[KidSidekick best friend Tails]], more varied bosses and enemies, better music, multiplayer, streamlined level design, Sonic's trademark Spin Dash ability and [[SuperMode Super Sonic]]; which critics and the general public have not only praised as the best ''Sonic'' game in the franchise, but is also what some critics consider one of the best games ever.
265** ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'' is widely considered by many as an even better game than ''Sonic 2'', namely for [[SequelEscalation its large expansion of the formula]] that is comparable to that of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (mentioned below). Three playable characters (Sonic, Tails, and [[EnsembleDarkhorse new foe-turned-rival Knuckles]]), each with their own gameplay abilities; levels that were absolutely ''giant'' in size and filled with secret paths and character-exclusive routes, new shields with special powers and protections, "bonus stage" minigames, a save mode, and another set of emeralds that unlocked [[SuperForm Hyper forms]] [[PurposelyOverpowered even more overpowered than the preceding Super forms]]. The presentation was essentially superb as well, with richly detailed graphics and excellent music[[note]]It helps that some of the music was at one point worked on by ''the'' [[Music/MichaelJackson King of Pop himself]][[/note]], zones that changed in appearance and sound between acts (or in some cases, ''during the act itself''), and a story that emphasized ShowDontTell, with cutscenes that conveyed the narrative without any use of dialog. The only reason it's not indisputably considered a better game than ''Sonic 2'' is because didn't get as much exposure, due to the game [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo being split into the following]] ''Sonic 3'' and ''Sonic & Knuckles'' respectively. Thankfully, the latter game's "[[OldSaveBonus lock-on technology]]" --which allows the two games, when connected together, to be played as the intended singular title-- has helped ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' [[VindicatedByHistory grow in stature in the years following its release]].
266** After a string of controversial games with varying degrees of quality and value, along came ''VideoGame/SonicColors'', a game that surprisingly received critical acclaim. [[note]][[BrokenBase For a while, anyway.]][[/note]] The following game, ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'', took the gameplay from ''Colors'' and improved upon it while adding gameplay reminiscent of the classic Genesis games and taking players on a trip through Sonic's history.
267* ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soulcalibur]]'' was quite an improvement on ''Soul Edge/Soul Blade'', [[SequelDisplacement to the point that most younger people think the series began with]] ''Soulcalibur''. In turn, ''Soulcalibur II'' would fine-tune the gameplay formula of the first ''Calibur''; it is widely seen as not only the pinnacle of the ''Soul'' series but a masterpiece among the fighting game genre. ''Soulcalibur III'' and ''IV'', while by no means bad, had a ''very'' ToughActToFollow and don't quite measure up to the high standards of ''II''. This is also the point in the series where {{Sequelitis}} began to seep in, culminating with the [[ContestedSequel extremely polarizing]] ''Soulcalibur V''. With all of that said, there are fans who believe that ''Edge'' did certain things better than its sequels (Edge Master Mode, the more Asian feel of the story and setting) and see the original game's BreakableWeapons as a good tactic that was unfortunately shafted in later games. ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'', on the other hand, is largely concidered a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel to ''V''.
268* ''VideoGame/SpaceChannel5'' was an awesome game. Then ''Part 2'' came out, and took everything in the game and made it even better. Some people consider it to be "The near perfect sequel." The main improvements were larger variety of songs and better control response.
269* The original ''VideoGame/{{Spyro the Dragon|1998}}'' is a creative platformer, with a unique premise and decent challenge. The sequel, ''VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage'', however, managed to take everything good about the first and build on it. Spyro could swim now, instead of [[SuperDrowningSkills dying on repeated contact with water.]] New moves were available, power-ups were invented, levels were expanded and made less linear, and the controls got tightened up considerably. Mini-games became important, there were secrets scattered all over the world, and the game rewarded exploration and innovation. There was also introduced a cast of memorable [=NPCs=], when the original game was mostly only Spyro. The third in the series, ''VideoGame/SpyroYearOfTheDragon'', managed to make it ''even better.''
270* ''VideoGame/{{SSX}}'' was widely regarded as the best launch game on the Platform/PlayStation2, with incredible graphics for its time, easy to learn but surprisingly deep gameplay, and awesome music. ''SSX Tricky'' added smoother, faster gameplay, much improved load times, a boatload of new characters, tweaked tracks, and more awesome music.
271* ''VideoGame/StarControl'' was a fairly good TurnBasedStrategy[=/=]ShootEmUp game based on ''VideoGame/SpaceWar''. ''VideoGame/StarControlII'' took the combat mechanics and the AllThereInTheManual backstory and added an extremely well-written ActionAdventure story mode, and quickly became a beloved CultClassic.
272* ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' took a fun SNES shooter (''VideoGame/StarFox1'') and increased the variety of missions, balanced out the weapon power-ups, actually made your teammates useful for something other than anthropomorphic shields, and just seems to run better. Notably, it was ''intended'' as SequelDisplacement, since the designers considered it the definitive remake of the first game.
273* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
274** The original ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefront'' was a excellent mix of strategy combat and shooter game, blessed with complex but recognisible maps and splendid sound effects. [[VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefrontII The sequel]] took all that, and added an achievement system which actively rewarded players, as well as a much wider collection of maps, units and game modes. And playable Jedi. Taken even further in the PSP games where they let you customize your unit's load-out and stats, before joining battle, and while the battlefields aren't quite as expansive and complex as the [=PS2=] games, (at least in ''[[VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefrontEliteSquadron Elite Squadron]]'') they combined both planet-side and space combat into one battle rather than making them be separate battlefields like Battlefront 2 had done while greatly improving the fighter controls in the process.
275** ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheCloneWarsJediAlliance'', an ActionAdventure for the Platform/NintendoDS, was fun but had various issues such as a lack of content, lack of variety and [[CheckpointStarvation lack of checkpoints]]. The sequel, ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheCloneWarsRepublicHeroes'' ([[ReformulatedGame not to be confused with the eponymous but completely distinct game on other platforms]]), improved upon (or did away with) everything that was wrong; it did have some issues of its own, but these were relatively insignificant.
276** ''Franchise/StarWars: VideoGame/DarkForces'' was an innovative, successful shooter on its own merits. But the [[VideoGame/JediKnightDarkForcesII sequel]] was markedly better, with the apex in terms of story quality coming with ''VideoGame/JediKnightIIJediOutcast''. The final game, ''VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy'', suffers from a somewhat lackluster story in comparison with its immediate predecessor, but ''Academy''[='=]s gameplay and mechanics are the best in the series and are often said to involve the best lightsaber combat out of any game in the franchise.
277** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' is regarded by many as one of the best games in the franchise with its compelling worldbuilding and characters, and is even labeled one of the best [=RPGs=] of all time. Its sequel ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', however, is a more complex tale. Due to its ChristmasRushed status, it was OvershadowedByAwesome upon its release. However, it was eventually VindicatedByHistory through unofficial patches restoring the swaths of DummiedOut content, and the game's expanded combat mechanics alongside brilliant writing with a [[DarkerAndEdgier darker, more mature tone]] as well as the DeconstructorFleet it brought results in it being a CultClassic that still prompts many passionate discussions about its additions to the franchise's lore.
278* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' and ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' both have this. The original ''VideoGame/StreetFighterI'' was a somewhat popular, if RIDICULOUSLY hard fighter that was a nice change from ''VideoGame/KarateChamp''. ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' came out, and launched the fighting game craze of the 90's and has been the inspiration for every fighter made since. For ''MK'', the first one was popular [[FinishingMove (for obvious reasons)]] but the second game introduced the series' signature dark tone, and is widely considered to be the best 16-bit MK game, and possibly the best of the series.
279* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'' was Sega's successful answer to Capcom's ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' for the Platform/SegaGenesis. It had decent gameplay, a memorable soundtrack, and the game even had multiple endings. The second game in the series took everything up to eleven, and would go down in history as not only one of the greatest Genesis games ever made, but one of the greatest video games of all time.
280** ''Streets of Rage 4'' is competing high in this regard. Not only do you have a new art style, graphics, and characters, but a revamped combat system that encourages juggling and wall bouncing enemies. A combo mechanic and ranking system that incentives the player(s) to do better and add replay value. ''4'' has the most bonus content out of any game, ports included. You have the story mode with accessibility options, Arcade Mode (1 continue run. run) Boss Rush Mode, unlockable characters from each iteration of the series, online co-op multipayer (2 player only)[[note]]Through Steam Remote Play or Parsec, it is possible to do 4 player co-op online.[[/note]], and a first for the series: local 4 player co-op.
281* ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' was one of the Platform/PlayStation's first great [=RPGs=], with a boatload of colorful characters to gather and play with. ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'' retains this aspect, revamps the turn-based war sequences, adds several plot twists and {{player punch}}es, and introduces the player to one of the most deranged villains in all of RPG-land.
282* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
283** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' was a great game. While its immediate sequel, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'', wasn't as well-received in either [[MissionPackSequel the Japanese version]] or [[DolledUpInstallment the American version]] (though both certainly have their fans), ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' took the already superb gameplay and level design from the original game, and added all kinds of great new features, such as more power-ups, the overworld map, new abilities, and a much greater variety of enemies and levels. It is universally considered one of the greatest --if not ''the'' greatest-- video games ever made, and went on to become one of the highest-selling video games of all time. History repeated once again with the fourth installment of the series, known in the West as ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', which introduced novelties like Yoshi, the Ghost Houses, and a non-linear overworld map. It also stands as one of highest-selling games of all time (actually outselling ''Mario 3'' by a couple million units), and is usually contested with ''Mario 3'' as the best (2D) Mario title.
284** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' was also an improvement over the original ''VideoGame/MarioBros''.
285** ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' was also a great game, and the first real 3D platformer to get the gameplay in general right and be the codifier for many future games. ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' topped ''Super Mario 64'' in the 3D Mario series. It got better reviews from many critics, brought back the airships, had more epic everything and with its 97%+ reviews, even was ranked higher than ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' for a while, currently ending up being the ''second best game of all time'' review wise on many review aggregate sites.
286** Later on, ''Galaxy'' got [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 a sequel itself]], which might have scaled back on the depth of the story somewhat, but more than made up for it with several gameplay-updates (most notably the return of [[PowerUpMount Yoshi]]) and absolutely phenomenal level-design. It is forever {{contested|Sequel}} as to whether the game is truly better, but it's at least on par with the original.
287** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'' was an decent Mario platformer on the Game Boy, but it was rather simple and short. ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand2SixGoldenCoins'' was even better, getting better review scores, having more levels, more interesting enemies and bosses and far better graphics and music. ''VideoGame/WarioLandSuperMarioLand3'' might be even better than that, getting some reviews of the Virtual Console version saying it's even better than the games starring Mario.
288** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'' was a good, if relatively unambitious, game. ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' took all the best elements of its predecessor and ran with them, taking the platforming action of ''Land'' and placing it in bigger, more exciting and adventurous levels on a more expansive and open level map (as well as some other things, like the Captain Toad mini-stages and slot machine bonuses), on top of doubled the number of playable characters to four [[spoiler:later five]]. It received almost unanimously better reviews.
289** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'' greatly expands upon the first ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' which was already one of the most beloved games on the Platform/WiiU. Highlights include an added game style, features that were frequently requested for the first game (such as slopes, vertical areas and more level themes), new parts and assets that inspire new ideas for gimmicks and contraptions, and technical improvements like shorter codes for levels, not needing to have your levels voted positively in order to upload more levels, and the fact that unpopular levels are no longer deleted. The game's content updates were also more significant than those of the original game, as they not only added new assets for level making but also full new modes like Ninji Speedruns and World Maker (in comparison, the only new mode added in the first game post-release was Super Expert difficulty, which was more like [[AntiFrustrationFeatures a way to alleviate the pool of hard levels in Expert Mode]]). The only points of contention are the online multiplayer mode (due to issues with lag and stability) and the removal of Mystery Mushroom costumes.
290** ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon'' fixed the flaw that was most complained about in the [[VideoGame/LuigisMansion1 first game]], [[ItsShortSoItSucks the short length]], and was met with acclaim. ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion3'' was further praised for improving on all of the elements so the game felt closer to the original, while also praising the game for its own elements that make it its own thing, like superb character animations and creative puzzles.
291** ''VideoGame/{{Paper Mario|64}}'' was a great game for the RPG-starved N64, particularly thanks to its semi-action battle system. ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' took that battle system and cranked it to eleven, adding Stylish Moves, the audience mechanic, and Action Commands for the special moves, among other things.
292** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'' is already considered a classic in the JRPG community, but ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' is considered superior by some people for a few reasons. Some of those reasons being that Fawful is the main villain and ''you can play as Bowser''.
293** While ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart'' was a huge success, catapulting the genre of go-kart video games, it was ''VideoGame/MarioKart64'' which amplified the popularity by offering an addictive multiplayer mode and memorable tracks like Moo Moo Farm, Sherbet Land and Yoshi Valley.
294** The original ''VideoGame/MarioParty1'' was a good, successful game bogged down by some odd design choices. ''VideoGame/MarioParty2'' took the best parts of the first game, refined them, cut the fat, and added more variety to the gameplay with battle mini-games, duels, and items. To some, it remains the best in the series even above its many sequels.
295* The original ''VideoGame/SuperMonkeyBall'' game for the Gamecube had 118 stages in the addictive main mode and had 6 high-quality minigames, making it well-received by critics all around. Then comes ''Super Monkey Ball 2'', which throws in 150 new stages, a playable story mode, brings back all 6 minigames from the original game, plus 6 more. The result had even ''higher'' ratings and was what many fans say is the highest point the series has ever made.
296* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'':
297** The classic series was merely a massive excuse to throw a ton of mecha series into the same plot for the lulz, and the plot was not very thick at all (though F/Final subverts this). ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha'' was when the storywriting really took off, and the series attained fans for its story, not just its novelty. It also helped that the attack animations from ''Alpha'' onward actually looked like, you know, ''animations''. As opposed to static sprites sliding around with some hit effects thrown in.
298** VideoGame/SuperRobotWars has gone through this numerous times even from game to game. The original NES game had a clunky (and practically worthless) upgrade system, the inability to select your mission lineup, no limits to overpowered attacks (more of a hindrance than a help, really) and you ''always'' had to counter enemy attacks. 3 changed things up for the better though still had a long ways to go. All in all, each game in the Classic Timeline built on the engine of the previous one, and Alpha brought it all together. Alpha Gaiden finally gave it that little extra polish by finally discarding a few gimmicks that didn't work (double movement) and including new ones (support), and then Advance brought in team attacks.
299* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'':
300** The [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros64 first game]] was already awesome despite its low budget. It's a satisfying crossover that takes twelve iconic Nintendo characters and puts them together in a great PlatformFighter, which combines great fanservice and frantic yet fun gameplay. Its sequel ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee Melee]]'' takes that base and improved on it in absolutely every way; it has a much bigger playable roster, more stages, more music, more gameplay modes, collectible trophies for that extra layer of fanservice, and a tighter, faster-paced gameplay that's further enriched from the original by adding side special moves, among other elements. It was such a huge hit that it became the Nintendo [=GameCube's=] best-selling game, and is largely credited for introducing the then-Japan-exclusive ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series to Western players.
301** Although ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Brawl]]'' is a bit more divisive among the fanbase because of controversial changes, it's nonetheless seen as a vast improvement upon ''Melee'' in most regards. The gameplay was further enhanced by the inclusion of a LimitBreak system, an expansive story/adventure mode was added, the music was unbelievably expanded with not only genuinely great musical tracks, but also a much, ''much'' vaster number of tracks to choose from, and the series introduced its first two {{Guest Fighter}}s: [[VideoGame/MetalGear Solid Snake]] and Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog. The critics also liked ''Brawl'' more than ''Melee'', giving it such positive scores as 93% on Metacritic, and awards such as "Fighting Game of the Year" of 2008 by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
302** ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate Ultimate]]'' is known to have the most content out of any game in the series, not only having another expansive story mode and a large amount of collectible Spirits alongside a number of other single-player features, but also bringing back every fighter from the previous games and introducing a number of surprising new ones that won over a lot of fans.
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306* ''Team Fortress'' (and its pseudo-remake ''VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic'') was very innovative and created a FPS sub-genre, but was very lacking thematically. After 9 YEARS in development out comes ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', with 9 distinct characters recognizable by silhouette or voice alone each with their own nationality, personality and unique weapons, plus the hats and the constant patches and fixes both major and minor valve keeps handing out. For free! Unless you own the Xbox version, in which case you don't get them at all. [[ExecutiveMeddling You can thank Microsoft for that.]]
307* ''VideoGame/TecmoBowl'' was a hit in the arcades and NES, but come 1991, ''Tecmo Super Bowl'' would earn the hearts of many. While there were only a handful of playable teams in the original ''Tecmo Bowl'', every NFL team (and most of the players) were playable in ''Tecmo Super Bowl''. ''Super'' took the gameplay of the original and made it more lenient, even adding different modes of play, making it the ideal football video game of its time.
308* While ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheArcadeGame'' was no doubt a great game, ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime'' improved on it in every conceivable manner: Gameplay, music, setting, artwork, etc. Not only is ''Turtles in Time'' the best TMNT game by Creator/{{Konami}}, it's also widely considered the greatest Beat 'Em Up game of all time. Then came the spiritual sequel ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesShreddersRevenge'', which improved even further on all aspects, added a story mode, more playable characters and (on a later patch) a custom menu with settings that allow to adjust the difficulty in the arcade mode.
309* The first ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' was not a particularly remarkable game, and was seen as a Virtua Fighter clone, featuring blocky graphics, cheap music, and boss characters who were direct clones, as well as not many special moves. The home versions did not have any extra modes apart from Versus and Options modes. ''VideoGame/Tekken2'' addressed all the issues and added a lot more cool characters and many modes. ''VideoGame/Tekken3'' then established the series as a force to be reckoned with, but Tekken Tag Tournament took all the great things about ''Tekken 3'' and improved the graphics, music, gameplay and character selection. So great was the reaction to ''Tag'' that Namco were criticised for the pared down roster in ''Tekken 4'', and quickly reintroduced most of the older characters in ''Tekken 5'' (which is also a very popular game in the series).
310* ''VideoGame/TetrisTheGrandMaster'' is a great ''Tetris'' game sure to challenge those who think they're good at ''Tetris''. Then there's ''Tetris: The Grand Master 2'' (and ''[[ExpansionPack TGM2 PLUS]]''), which pushes the challenge even further for a more intense game.
311* There are many reasons why the ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis'' sequels are better and [[SequelDisplacement more well-known than the first]], as they are now co-op as opposed to single player, protagonists now have dialogue as opposed to being a HeroicMime, Wild Dog is now the second-to-last boss with the BigBad of every game now being the FinalBoss, the connection between the villain and Wild Dog being implied as opposed to being shown outright starting from the third game, Crisis Sightings made for easier bullet dodging, time resets after every scene, only one life is lost when time runs out, ScoringPoints, no Timed Mode, bosses being fought in the third area of each stage while the FinalBoss of the fifth game has his own area, your handgun has nine bullets as opposed to six and reloading is much easier, alternate weapons, bonus enemies awarding extra ammo or points, and stages set on some sort of transport, such as a train in the second game, an ATV and another train in the third, helicopter in the fourth, and another road vehicle in the fifth.
312* ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy'', a playable musical tribute to a quarter-century of ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games, got a big upgrade in ''Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call.'' More than just a MissionPackSequel, ''Curtain Call'' triples the size of the original game's soundtrack and character roster, made the main single-player mode more engaging (''Curtain Call[='=]s'' Quest Medleys offer a wider selection of playable songs than the Chaos Shrine from the first ''Theatrhythm''), offered the option to play with any combination of the stylus/buttons and Circle Pad, and added online play. It even incorporates songs and characters from several of the spinoff and sequel games (''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2 X-2]]'', ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics Tactics]]'', ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyCrystalChronicles Crystal Chronicles]]'', etc.).
313* ''VideoGame/{{Tobal}} No. 1'' was an interesting, creative attempt by Squaresoft and Dream Factory at making a wholly original fighting game, but the graphics and the included Quest mode were on the simplistic side. ''Tobal 2'' increased production value across the board, having much better-textured characters while maintaining its rock-solid 60 frames per second, fighter movesets were rebalanced and given projectiles, and the Quest mode evolved into a very thorough and lengthy experience, and its roster was ''magnitudes'' larger as you could eventually unlock over '''200''' characters to use!
314* ''VideoGame/TombRaiderII'' is this to some fans of the series, as it managed to add in several little things to make platforming faster and more creative (namely, ladder-climbing, more fluid jumping and the ability to make Lara do a 180-roll mid-jump), doubled your arsenal for taking {{Mook}}s apart with, and pushed past the graphical limitations of the original -- while maintaining the difficulty and fun-factor, the resulting game not feeling "archaic" like the first one might. Then ''VideoGame/TombRaiderIII'' is sometimes considered the best game in the series, as it greatly improved on graphics, sound, and controls (adding integral new moves like crawling and sprinting), but featured a ridiculous difficulty level. Finally, ''VideoGame/TombRaiderTheLastRevelation'' is easily the most ambitious classic ''Tomb Raider'' game, a massive sprawling adventure set entirely in Egypt. After the first four games, the series lost its footing.
315* ''Videogame/TonyHawksProSkater 2'' improved on an already great game with better graphics, larger levels and more gameplay elements (including character customization), and ''Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3'', being wholly developed for a new console generation (as opposed to the upscaled ports of the first two games for the Dreamcast and Xbox) made for the most polished and ambitious of the series that far.
316* The ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' games for Windows are generally considered an improvement on the PC-98 games, but many Touhou fans still agree that the PC-98 games weren't exactly shabby to begin with. A lot of fans are still hoping for [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome certain PC-98 characters]] to return in future Windows installments.
317* The NES version of Konami's ''VideoGame/TrackAndField'' was a well-received [[ReformulatedGame conversion of the early 1980s arcade game]]. ''Track & Field II'', released the following year to coincide with the Summer Olympic Games in [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea Seoul]], was a huge improvement, with better music and more realistic (for the time) graphics, and the addition of several new events such as fencing, the high dive, and the pole vault. It also included a password function to save the player's progress after every three events in Olympic Mode ("Championship Mode" in the North American release).
318* ''VideoGame/TransformersWarForCybertron'' is a decent third person shooter, taking the concept to a beloved 80's franchise and doing well enough by taking it through a path very similar to the comic books, revolving around deep political intrigues amid the firefights. As a game, it's mostly known for its interesting boss fights and the fact that, well, you're [[Franchise/TheTransformers Transformers]]. Then came ''VideoGame/TransformersFallOfCybertron'', regarded as one of the best Transformers-based games ever, with a strong central plot traveling through the viewpoints of both factions and a dozens of well-known characters, including fan favorites like Optimus Prime, Megatron, Soundwave, Starscream, Jazz, Grimlock, Bumblebee, and more. It offers enjoyable sections for everyone, including big brawling fights, (optional) stealth gameplay, and high-speed vehicle combat sections to bring it above its predecessor. The final level even goes as far as to play like an episode of the 80's cartoon, complete with the faction-symbol transition as players switch viewpoints from Autobots to Decepticons and back again. Between Generation One inspired visuals, well known names providing voice acting, and many, many nods to famous moments the franchise's history, the game pays off the anticipation of fans in a big way.
319* ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'' for the Platform/{{PlayStation}} was a great game, but it had its share of flaws. It was easy to crash into walls, all the buildings looked the same, controls felt "slippery." Then ''Twisted Metal 2'' came out and many consider it the greatest VehicularCombat game ever made, as well as being the best-selling game of the series.
320* The original ''VideoGame/TitanFall'' reviewed well, but was generally considered a somewhat lackluster shooter. [[VideoGame/TitanFall2 The sequel]], on the other hand, is generally considered to be much improved over the original, [[AcclaimedFlop but suffered from very poor early sales]].
321* The even entries in the ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' franchise are better received than the odd entries. The first game, ''VideoGame/UnchartedDrakesFortune'' falls into EarlyInstallmentWeirdness territory but is seen as an enjoyable, if safe action adventure game with awesome production value and storytelling. The second game, ''VideoGame/Uncharted2AmongThieves'' successfully built on what the first game did well and fixed its problems. It's also held the test of time better than ''Drakes Fortune'' and is still considered one of the best games ever made. The third installment, ''VideoGame/Uncharted3DrakesDeception'' was very well received and is a good game but it never quite hit the highs that ''Among Thieves'' did. When the fourth game, ''VideoGame/Uncharted4AThiefsEnd'', made the jump to the [=PS4=], it came with a lot of new gameplay features that added to the experience. The more emotional, character-driven story is also seen as a better sendoff than what ''Deception'' would have offered if it had been the last game.
322* ''VideoGame/VermintideII'' was considered to be a better game than its [[VideoGame/TheEndTimesVermintide already well-received predecessor]], owing to the fact that it greatly expands on the class system (three classes for every character as opposed to just one), includes more enemy variety with the addition of the Rotblood Tribe, expands the environments to be far more open and changes the loot system to be less reliant on the RandomNumberGod. The game's sales seemed to agree, as it managed to sell half a million copies in the first week of launch, a feat that its predecessor took ''half a year'' to accomplish.
323* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'':
324** ''Warcraft: Orcs and Humans'' was a somewhat imaginative and creative RealTimeStrategy game. ''Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness'', built on that: it added naval and air combat, better graphics, more easy-to-use controls, a more original story, cooler units, and removed [[ScrappyMechanic the need to build roads in order to build your towns]]. The work paid off, and ''[=WC2=]'' was Creator/BlizzardEntertainment's first game to win the "Game of the Year" awards from several publications. ''Beyond The Dark Portal'', the ExpansionPack, was one of the first expansion packs, particularly for a real time strategy game, to feel more like its own game as opposed to a campaign cobbled together from random missions.
325** Years later, ''Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos'' and its expansion pack ''The Frozen Throne'' added RPG elements that differentiated it from ''VideoGame/StarCraft'', the company's earlier super-popular hit RTS. The story was one of the best told in a strategy game and the very powerful [[LevelEditor Map Editor]] allowed the creation of custom maps that are still being made and played today, and it also became a titan of [[UsefulNotes/ProfessionalGaming competitive gaming]].
326* ''VideoGame/WiiSports'' was a solid pack-in game for the Wii showcasing what the system could do and being extremely accessible to the general public. In turn, ''VideoGame/WiiSportsResort'' would not only serve as an excellent demonstration of the Wii [=MotionPlus=]'s improved control, but it went beyond that by having more than twice as many games, even more individual game modes, more depth, if subtle, to several of the games, and the inclusion of in-game achievements.
327* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'' was a game based on a series of niche Polish fantasy novels that was relatively well-received for its story and world, but criticized for its gameplay. Its sequel, ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2AssassinsOfKings'' was generally regarded as an improvement though hit for its shorter length. The third game, ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'' is almost universally regarded as the best game in the series and one of the best games of its decade. Widely praised for its story, characters, ''massive'' open-world with tons of intricate, well-thought-out sidequests and [[DownloadableContent DLCs]] that rivaled some standalone games in terms of length and content.
328* The second expansion pack of ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' (''Wrath of the Lich King'') makes significant improvements over the first (''Burning Crusade''), especially in the way it gets players involved in the plot and makes them feel like they are having an impact in the world (something that's particularly hard to pull off in an {{MMORPG}}). Other improvements include significant revisions to class balance, a return to the high fantasy roots of the game (many considered Outland to be too {{Magitek}} for the game's theme), and a main villain who's tightly integrated into the story. In ''Burning Crusade'', Illidan makes a few brief appearances, but otherwise seems content to sit in the Black Temple and wait for players to come kill him.
329* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', despite debates on quality in the trilogy, is considered by many fans to be the culmination of what made both previous games so great with many improvements of its own, minus the dated elements of the first game and the [[ScrappyMechanic controversial aspects]] of the second -- especially gameplay-wise, which has been streamlined and improved to the point of fans near-universally considering the gameplay to be the best in the series.
330* The original ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' was considered a groundbreaking WideOpenSandbox BeatEmUp with a compelling crime drama story. The gameplay was very rough around the edges, though, and the dubbed voice acting was hit-and-miss. ''Yakuza 2'' improved greatly upon the original, from refining combat and reducing load times to foregoing an English dub in favor of preserving the Japanese voice acting for a more authentic story, which is often held up by fans to be the best in the series and the FinalBoss Kiryu's true WorthyOpponent.
331* ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders'' only sold well because of the demo for ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty''. The game was decent but it suffered from repetitive battles, criminal shortness and [[{{Wangst}} whiny]] and cliched characters, leading to a somewhat mixed reaction. As such, many people who liked the original concept were happy to see the sequel, ''The 2nd Runner'', tighten up the controls, give you twice as many options in battle and include a long and interesting plot to follow. They were even more surprised to see whiny and annoying characters in the first game return in style, having [[TookALevelInBadass leveled in badass]] in the intervening time between games.
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