History Main / GaidenGame

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* ''Higurashi Daybreak'', a doujin game for ''VisualNovel/HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi'' that's literally [[WordOfDante become a canon side story]].

** FreshlyPickedTinglesRosyRupeeland is either this or a spinoff.

* ''SuperMarioLand'' and ''SuperMarioLand2'' share the same basic platforming elements like SuperMarioBros, but take some liberties with the story, settings and items. Instead of rescuing Peach from Bowser like usual, Mario takes a trip to a neighbour country of the Mushroom Kingdom to save a different princess from an evil alien in the first game. In the sequel, Mario has to take back his private island from his evil counterpart, Wario. The [[WarioLandSuperMarioLand3 third game]] distances itself completely from Mario and gives birth to the WarioLand series instead. Notably, none of the games were designed by ShigeruMiyamoto, but were well-received nonetheless.

* ''MeltyBlood'', the rather popular 2D Fighter Gaiden Game to ''Tsukihime'', which follows a plotline that didn't quite make it into the actual visual novel.

* Most of ''MedalOfHonor: Frontline'', except for the D-Day prologue, is set in between the third and fourth missions of the original game. ''Allied Assault'' also has a few {{continuity nod}}s to that.

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* Webcomic/StrangeSchool is one of Webcomic/AwfulHospital.

* ''{{Gradius}} Gaiden'', the only ''Gradius'' title that allows the player to rearrange the power meter, and the second non-''VideoGame/{{Parodius}}'' game to have multiple selectable ships (the MSX title ''Nemesis 3'' being the first). And for that matter, the MSX version of ''Salamander'', and MSX exclusives ''Nemesis 2'' and ''3''. The MSX ''Salamander'' plays more like a ''Gradius'' title, and has several new features such as a powerup that temporarily stops the screen scrolling. ''Nemesis 2'' is an original title with the ability to fly into about-to-be-destroyed boss ships and obtain new powerups such as an upward-firing laser, at the cost of having a longer power meter. ''Nemesis 3'' is a retelling of the more mainstram ''Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou'' with ''Nemesis 2''-style gameplay. Also, the ''Salamander'' series is a gaiden series to ''Gradius''.

* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' has three Gaiden games with each of them a part of the three major continuties ("Classic", [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha Alpha]], and [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Original Generation]]). The first Gaiden game ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsGaiden Super Robot Wars Gaiden: Lord of Elementals]]'' told of the origins of the Masou Kishin characters, a group of [[OriginalGeneration Banpresto-created originals not seen anywhere else]]. ''Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden'' focused on TimeTravel and wasn't necessary for players to enjoy the previous Alpha game (most likely because Banpresto wanted an excuse to show off obscure mecha series, since it was full of them). ''Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden'' fits this trope because it was shorter than the average [=SRW=], including several extras such as a battle viewer and a card game. It's also downplayed, though, since all three are essentially ''sequels'' that happen to have the word "gaiden" in their name. ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha'' depends on the player having some foreknowledge of the events set in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsEX'' or ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsGaiden'' for background on the Masou Kishin characters, otherwise one can get too confused at the references they make to Alpha's back story. ''Alpha Gaiden'' is heavily referenced in the proper sequel ''Alpha 2'', where the [[GetterRobo Dinosaur Empire]] is defeated for the third time, and the finale ''Alpha 3'' assumes the player knows of Sanger Zonvolt's role at the Earth Cradle, despite the fact it was supposed to be highly secretive. Hell, the fact the [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Titans]] are more or less liberally screwed and [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Char Anzable's]] disillusionment with humanity DEPENDS on the events of Alpha Gaiden. In short, Banpresto's definition of "gaiden" means a game that provides story details bridging the gap and answering the EpilepticTrees present in the other games in continuity. In fact, there's very little an "Original Generation 3" couldn't reference the events of ''Original Generation Gaiden'', considering both the effects on existing characters and all the {{EarlyBirdCameo}}es present in that game.

* ''[[VideoGame/JakAndDaxter Daxter]]'' takes place before the main events of ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade''. The game is ADayInTheLimelight for the sidekick, Daxter, without Jak having a playable role.

** ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' was originally supposed to be this, creating an all-new SpaceMarine chapter, the Blood Ravens, to avoid stepping on continuity's toes. The fans liked them so much Games Wrokshop [[AscendedFanon went ahead and canonized them, the games, and the events therein.]]

* Despite being a small series (In terms of the number of entries, at least), ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' has one of these: ''Arm Wrestling''. It used the same two-screen arcade cabinet style of the original 2 games, its art style was similar to the ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' series at the time, the main character resembled the arcade version of Little Mac (who had green hair), and arm wrestler Mask X, once his titular mask is removed, is revealed to be [[spoiler:Bald Bull]].

A game which takes place in or refers to another video game, but isn't really a sequel. It can be a simple side story, a PerspectiveFlip, or a chance to [[ADayInTheLimelight give a liked character background they didn't get in the original game]]. The major stipulation is it is not usually ''required'' to canonically fit into the main game or require having played it to enjoy.

** DawnOfWar was originally supposed to be this, creating an all-new SpaceMarine chapter, the Blood Ravens, to avoid stepping on continuity's toes. The fans liked them so much Games Wrokshop [[AscendedFanon went ahead and canonized them, the games, and the events therein.]]

* ''DestroyAllHumans! Big Willy Unleashed'' is a Gaiden Game in the ''Destroy All Humans!'' series.

* WarriorsOrochi is a gaiden crossover between SamuraiWarriors and DynastyWarriors

* The spinoff games to the ''VII'' universe could be considered Gaiden Games, including the PS2 sequel ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'', and two prequels, ''VideoGame/BeforeCrisis'' for mobile phones and ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'' on the PSP. Fans are divided how much material has been stapled on as a cash grab and how much was simply cut for time.

* ''VideoGame/EVEOnline'' has an MMO FPS spinoff titled ''VideoGame/DustFiveOneFour''.

* ''SuperMarioLand'' and ''SuperMarioLand2'' share the same basic platforming elements like SuperMarioBros, but take some liberties with the story, settings and items. Instead of rescuing Peach from Bowser like usual, Mario takes a trip to a neighbour country of the Mushroom Kingdom to save a different princess from an evil alien in the first game. In the sequel, Mario has to take back his private island from his evil counterpart, Wario. The [[WarioLandSuperMarioLand3 third game]] itself distances itself completely from Mario and gives birth to the WarioLand series instead. Notably, none of the games were designed by ShigeruMiyamoto, but were well recieved nontheless.

* FunOrb's "Armies of Gielinor" is a TurnBasedStrategy based on the history of the world of ''{{Runescape}}''.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' had an action-RPG, ''An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire'', and an action-adventure, ''The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard'' (another Elder Scrolls Adventures, ''The Eye of Argonia'', was planned but never made, though the Eye itself is mentioned in the main games). (Those who don't know this often erroneously assume that it's a reference to ''TheEyeOfArgon''.) There's also the ''Elder Scrolls Travels'' side-series, consisting of ''Dawnstar,'' ''Stormhold,'' and the [[CanonDiscontinuity mostly not-canon]] ''Shadowkey,'' for the ill-fated NGage system. Finally, ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsOnline'' will be an {{MMORPG}} set several hundred years, minimum, earlier than ''Arena''.

** As well as ''Anime/{{Zoids}} Legacy'', which is like a MegaCrossover {{fanfic}} of all the series continuums in video game form.

* The ''DJ MAX'' series has primarily been a ''{{beatmania}}''-like game, but the newly-released arcade game ''DJ MAX Technika'' is a much different game, with touchscreen-based gameplay combining elements of ''OsuTatakaeOuendan''/''EliteBeatAgents'' and ''{{Lumines}}''. Due to its similarities to the former and its harsh LifeMeter, it's a very NintendoHard game; you can easily fail a song in the first 10 seconds.

* Back in the 1990's many PC and Amiga titles were made into a ChristmasSpecial Gaiden Game, usually released in some gaming magazine's cover disk as a present for fans. The games that got this treatment included ''VideoGame/CannonFodder'', ''VideoGame/{{Dizzy}}'', ''VideoGame/FireAndIce'' (coverdisk for the Christmas 1992 issue of ''Magazine/AmigaPower''), ''VideoGame/{{Lemmings}}'' and ''VideoGame/JazzJackrabbit'' (the latter of which actually got two separate Christmas editions, the 1994 "Xmas Edition" and the 1995 "Holiday Hare"). This also happened in the 1980s with ''Moley Christmas'', a ''VideoGame/MontyMole'' game exclusively distributed with a ZXSpectrum magazine with a self-referential plot.