History Main / SurprisinglyImprovedSequel

* While the original ''VideoGame/{{Dragon Quest|I}}'' scores points for being the UrExample for many EasternRPG tropes, it's aged terribly compared to the first installments of ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' and ''VideoGame/PhantasyStar''. ''VideoGame/DragonQuestII'' fares worse since it can't even play the innovation card. ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'' on the other hand takes the basic job class system and expands on upon it. It also most likely contains the UrExample of the MonsterArena and building a new town. The Platform/GameBoyColor [[VideoGameRemake remake]] is even better, adding a new job class, a BonusDungeon, a redone localization, and a whole lot more.

* While the original ''VideoGame/{{Dragon Quest|I}}'' scores points for innovation, it's aged terribly compared to the first installments of ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' and ''VideoGame/PhantasyStar''. ''VideoGame/DragonQuestII'' fares worse since it can't even play the innovation card. ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'' on the other hand takes the basic job class system and expands on upon it. It also most likely contains the UrExample of the MonsterArena and building a new town. The Platform/GameBoyColor [[VideoGameRemake remake]] is even better, adding a new job class, a BonusDungeon, a redone localization, and a whole lot more.

* 'Anime/TransformersHeadmasters'' was usually regarded as a complete slog - despite being a much-prized G1 continuation, it suffered from terribly bland characters, a repetitive structure, and the pacing of a drugged tortoise. Compared to ''The Headmasters'', the cast for ''Super-God Masterforce'' is smaller and hence there is more time to focus on the individual characters, making them more engaging/interesting (heroes in the first half, villains in the second half). In particular, for many Transformers series, fans are often annoyed by human kids being shoehorned into the episodes, but Masterforce for the most part avoided the shoehorn feel by its own premise of humans becoming Transformers. The individual episodes and especially the series' various overarching plots are better written too, with surprisingly more mature themes alluded to (For a kids series). Across the western fandom, it is generally regarded as the best Transformers anime that Japan has offered to date, despite the atypical premise for a Transformers series.

* ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters'' was usually regarded as a complete slog - despite being a much-prized G1 continuation, it suffered from terribly bland characters, a repetitive structure, and the pacing of a drugged tortoise. It was followed by ''Anime/TransformersSuperGodMasterforce'', which was much better-crafted and more ambitious, but suffered from a barely coherent narrative and being a HenshinHero series with few actual Transformers. The third in the series, though, is ''Anime/TransformersVictory'', which struck a balance between the craft of ''Masterforce'' and the approachability of ''Headmasters'', resulting in a decently-paced and entertaining romp with beautiful animation and a likable cast, laying a lot of the groundwork for the ''Anime/BraveSeries'' in the process. It seems third time's the charm.

* ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' is generally considered this. The original ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'' though iconic and full of great moments is still largely an excuse for a load of Marvel heroes and villains to fight and in a greater sense to sell toys. ''ComicBook/SecretWarsII'' is only really known for characterising the Beyonder and giving him a human form (a guy with a mullet in a white suit). The 2015 ''Secret Wars'' has vastly improved writing and is a big WinBackTheCrowd particularly for ComicBook/TheFantasticFour and undos Doctor Doom's years of VillainDecay.

* ''Anime/{{Wz}}'' is the sequel to ''Anime/HandShakers'', an anime largely considered one of the worst ever made and is even downright unwatchable in some cases (the CGI-heavy shots and wild camera movements have been reported to give some viewers motion sickness and headaches), but it managed to clear the very low bar set by it. While it still suffers from many of the same mistakes its predecessor also committed, the fact that it reined in the crazy camera movements and the technology behind its production to make itself watchable was a surprise improvement to viewers.

** Windows 8, while not outright hated like ME or Vista, was a [[BrokenBase very polarizing]] iteration of Windows due to its numerous UI changes, the new Metro apps, and [[ToughActToFollow coming off the heels of the much-beloved Windows 7]] (which it removed several features from). Soon after, Microsoft released Windows 8.1 to address its detractors' complaints. While still not considered as good as 7, it's near-universally considered to be an improvement over 8 for expanding functionality and tweaking the user interface to be more desktop-friendly.

* The first ''VideoGame/{{Frogger}}'' game from Creator/{{Hasbro}}, ''Frogger: He's Back!'', received a mixed-to-negative response from critics due to the game's [[NintendoHard high level of difficulty]], which can largely be chalked up to the gameplay being an awkward mix of the original arcade game's rules (three lives, OneHitPointWonder, [[CheckpointStarvation no checkpoints]]) imposed onto a puzzle platformer (the frogs the player has to collect are scattered in maze-like levels, filled with [[EverythingTryingToKillYou all sorts of deadly hazards]]). Also owing to the difficulty was the game's realistic JumpPhysics controls and occasional bouts of EventObscuringCamera. The sequel ''Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge'', developed by Creator/BlitzGames (the first game was made by [[Creator/SonyComputerEntertainment SCE Cambridge]]), retooled the gameplay into a more conventional platformer (the maze-like levels are now streamlined into a linear direction so players no longer have to search for the frogs) and [[SequelDifficultyDrop toned down the game's difficulty]] (the frogs now act as checkpoints, and lives are easier to obtain). The game also had better controls, a better camera, and added collectible coins, which unlocked more characters and multiplayer modes. The result was ''Frogger 2'' being much more positively received by reviewers.

* ''Film/TheMatrixResurrections'' was considered by many reviewers an improvement over the two {{Contested Sequel}}s of 18 years prior (especially ''Revolutions'').

** Rick Remender's ''ComicBook/UncannyXForce'' run is this to every ''X-Force'' run before it. Previous runs (with the exception of Peter Milligan's, which was deliberately InNameOnly) tend to be criticized as poor attempts to be [[DarkerAndEdgier edgy]] and relevant, often seen as embodiments of everything wrong with UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks. In contrast, Remender's run is praised for its intelligent writing and {{Deconstruction}} of the NinetiesAntiHero concept. It's now regarded not just as the best ''X-Force'' comic, but as one of the greatest ''X-Men'' comics ever.