History Main / SamePlotSequel

** Bowser invades the Mushroom Kingdom and kidnaps Peach, so Mario has to travel around the country/island/world/galaxy to save her. In most scrolling games he just has to get from point A to point B. In most 3D games he has to collect about 70 [[MacGuffin MacGuffins]] of power to find Bowser's true hiding spot, and can keep going to collect all 120 for 100% completion.

* ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' also has many of the same story beats as the original ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''. One of the Parr parents is given the opportunity to relive their glory days as a superhero while the other parent stays at home raising the kids. [[spoiler:The benefactor, or in this case, his sister, turns out to be evil and the whole thing is a scheme to discredit superheroes.]]

* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'': Earth is being invaded by aliens and you and the friends you make along the way must travel around the Earth collecting portions of a special melody. In fact Earthbound's plot is so similar to that of ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' that it could be considered a stealth remake.

* ''Film/HomeAlone2LostInNewYork'' is basically ''Film/HomeAlone1'' again. Complete with traps, MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold, being out in a city rather than at his house, and so on.

* ''WesternAnimation/Sing2'' is largely ''WesternAnimation/{{Sing}}'' in a new setting. Buster wants to put on a spectacular show and engages in lies and illegal activities to make it happen. There's a humorous audition scene, then the individual character arcs kick in: Rosita faces a crisis of confidence, Johnny needs to learn a new skill while suffering under an overbearing authority figure, Meena must overcome her crippling shyness, someone (Ash/Clay) is profoundly shaken by the cheating/death of a loved one, a selfish jerk (Mike/Porsha) causes a disaster that wrecks the show and nearly gets people killed, a reclusive retired star (Nana/Clay) comes in at the last minute to save the show after the team resort to criminal trespassing and more illegal activities to perform it, and an antagonist (Judith/Jimmy) tries to stand in their way at every turn. But the show is a smash hit and all is forgiven.

* ''WesternAnimation/Sing2'' is largely ''WesternAnimation/{{Sing}}'' in a new setting. Buster wants to put on a spectacular show and engages in lies and illegal activities to make it happen. There's a humorous audition scene, then the individual character arcs kick in: Rosita faces a crisis of confidence, Johnny needs to learn a new skill while suffering under an overbearing authority figure, Meena must overcome her crippling shyness, someone (Ash/Clay) is profoundly shaken by the loss of a loved one, a selfish jerk (Mike/Porsha) causes a disaster that wrecks the show and nearly gets people killed, a reclusive retired star (Nana/Clay) comes in at the last minute to save the show after the team resort to criminal trespassing and more illegal activities to perform it, and an antagonist (Judith/Jimmy) tries to stand in their way at every turn. But the show is a smash hit and all is forgiven.

* ''WesternAnimation/Sing2'' is largely ''WesternAnimation/{{Sing}}'' in a new setting. Buster wants to put on a spectacular show and engages in lies and illegal activities to make it happen. There's a humorous audition scene, then the individual character arcs kick in: Rosita faces a crisis of confidence, Johnny needs to learn a new skill while suffering under an overbearing authority figure, Meena must overcome her crippling shyness, someone (Ash/Clay) is profoundly shaken by the loss of a loved one, a selfish jerk (Mike/Porsha) causes a disaster that wrecks the show and nearly gets people killed, and a reclusive retired star (Nana/Clay) comes in at the last minute to save the show after the team resort to criminal trespassing and more illegal activities to perform it. But the show is a smash hit and all is forgiven.

* ''Film/TopGunMaverick'' hits all the same beats as [[Film/TopGun its predecessor]]: Both open with a brief text about the history of TOPGUN, complete with the Top Gun Anthem and Danger Zone playing back-to-back, Maverick disobeying orders from a major superior before being sent to TOPGUN, the trainees being introduced in a bar, not knowing their instructor is involved, one of the pilots having [[DarkAndTroubledPast personal issues]] [[DisappearedDad due to having lost his father at a young age]], a rivalry between two trainees, a fun time at the beach, a near tragic accident involving the trainees halfway through the film, [[spoiler:a close friend of Maverick's passing away]], and during the climax, one of the pilots having a [[HeroicBSOD confidence problem]] before getting a HeroicSecondWind. The ending also involves a triumphant return to an aircraft carrier in which the rivalry becomes a friendship, and also ends with Maverick reuniting with the LoveInterest and a plane [[RidingIntoTheSunset flying into the sunset]] over the end credits.

* ''Film/TopGunMaverick'' hits all the same beats as [[Film/TopGun its predecessor]]: Both open with a brief text about the history of TOPGUN, complete with the Top Gun Anthem and Danger Zone playing back-to-back, Maverick disobeying orders from a major superior before being sent to TOPGUN, the trainees being introduced in a bar, not knowing their instructor is involved, a rivalry between two trainees, a fun time at the beach, a near tragic accident involving the trainees halfway through the film, [[spoiler:a close friend of Maverick's passing away]], and during the climax, one of the pilots having a [[HeroicBSOD confidence problem]] before getting a HeroicSecondWind. The ending also involves a triumphant return to an aircraft carrier in which the rivalry becomes a friendship, and also ends with Maverick reuniting with the LoveInterest and a plane [[RidingIntoTheSunset flying into the sunset]] over the end credits.

* ''Film/TopGunMaverick'' almost feels largely the same as [[Film/TopGun its prequel]]: Both open with a brief text about the history of TOPGUN, complete with the Top Gun Anthem and Danger Zone playing back-to-back, Maverick disobeying orders from a major superior before being sent to TOPGUN, the trainees being introduced in a bar, not knowing their instructor is involved, a rivalry between two trainees, a fun time at the beach, a near tragic accident involving the trainees halfway through the film, [[spoiler:a close friend of Maverick's passing away]], and during the climax, one of the pilots having a [[HeroicBSOD confidence problem]] before regaining a HeroicSecondWind.

* ''Film/TopGunMaverick'' almost feels largely the same as [[Film/TopGun its prequel]]: Both open with a brief text about the history of TOPGUN, complete with the Top Gun Anthem and Danger Zone playing back-to-back, Maverick disobeying orders from a major superior before being sent to TOPGUN, the trainees being introduced in a bar, not knowing their instructor is involved, a rivalry between two trainees, a near tragic accident involving the trainees halfway through the film, [[spoiler:a close friend of Maverick's passing away]], and during the climax, one of the pilots having a [[HeroicBSOD confidence problem]] before regaining a HeroicSecondWind.

* Had it gone into production, the Circle 7-produced ''Script/ToyStory3'' would have been a blatant rehash of ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' - one of the main toys (Woody/Buzz) would have been forcibly taken to another location (Al's Penthouse/China), forcing the other main toy (Buzz/Woody) to form a team of other toys (Mr. Potato Head, Rex, Slinky and Hamm, with both Jessie and Bullseye tagging along in the latter) to save them. The captured toy would have befriended a group of similar toys (Jessie and Bullseye/Jade and Cozy Rosey) during their efforts to escape and become enemies with another toy from their line (Stinky Pete/Daxx Blastar), all of the toys would have had to deal with a delusional Buzz, and Andy's toys would have returned to his room without Andy realizing anything was amiss.

* ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' has many of the same story beats as ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo''. In both films the title character gets captured and put in an aquarium (a dentist's aquarium tank in the original, a public aquarium in the sequel), while two other characters (one being Marlin) try to find them. There's an opening flashback, a school field trip where things go wrong, a scene set on a shipwreck, a glow-in-the-dark predator (an AlluringAnglerfish in the original and a giant squid in the sequel), some predators (sharks in the original, sea lions in the sequel) who are friendly to the protagonists, a goofy bird, a gruff character who tries repeatedly to escape the aquarium, a reunion with lost parents, and a climax in which dozens of fish perform an unlikely escape.

* ''Film/HomeAlone2'' is basically the first ''Film/HomeAlone'' again. Complete with traps, MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold, being out in a city rather than at his house, and so on.

* In an ingenious twist, Creator/DavidEddings made this a ''plot point'' of ''The Malloreon'', the sequel to his first fantasy series ''Literature/TheBelgariad''. He even has the characters lampshading it! Both series are in the form of a travelogue: Garion and company visit every land on the map as they follow the villain and a MacGuffin to a final confrontation at a prearranged place, with their quest guided by prophecy and marked at intervals by encounters with very specific types of people.

* Both ''VideoGame/{{Dishonored}}'' games have the same basic plot; the empress is removed from her throne[[note]]Thankfully, Emily isn't killed like her mother was[[/note]], and the player finds and (potentially) kills everyone involved in the conspiracy. Taken UpToEleven as you can even play the second game as Corvo, the protagonist of the first game, who even spends most of it trying to rescue the same person as last time. The Outsider even lampshades the similarity if you play as Corvo.

* There are pretty much two {{Excuse Plot}}s that the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' series has used. The first is that someone has stolen DK's Bananas. The second is that someone has kidnapped the other Kongs. ''VideoGame/{{Donkey Kong 64}}'' managed to do both.

* ''film/TheThing2011'' is officially a prequel to ''Film/TheThing1982'', but recycles its whole plot, beat-for-beat, to the point that many reviews refer to it as a remake.

* ''VideoGame/GunstarSuperHeroes'' while formally a sequel to ''Gunstar Heroes'', recycles almost every level, boss fight, plot point, and music track from the original game.