The 10 Most IMPROVED Video Game Sequels Ever
“Street Fighter II: The World Warrior” (1991)
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These days Street Fighter is one of the premiere fighting game series played in everything from tournaments, to eSports and “friendly competitions” among friends. With the first game’s release in 1987, the series was on the map and players flocked to arcade machines with quarters in hand. Its followup however made the series an arcade and eventual home console mainstay with a major graphical upgrade, more playable characters complete with their own backstories that all felt distinct from one another, and most all the inclusion of combos which turned a bug into a feature and has become a staple of the fighting game genre ever since. It’s almost impossible to imagine what the fighting game landscape would look like without the innovations of Street Fighter 2.
“Super Metroid” (1994)
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While Metroid II: Return of Samus was a step up from the original 1987 Metroid, it was also limited in its scope and reach, only being released on the Gameboy. The series' next official follow-up revolutionized not only the series going forward but also birthed an insanely popular sub-genre of games that continues today. The world of Super Metroid was enormous compared to its predecessors with multiple pathways to explore and secrets to uncover but only after unlocking the appropriate skills or equipment. Not only was Samus also able to finally shoot in multiple directions leaving no enemy out of her reach, but Super Metroid was one of the first games to make use of a mini-map, showing players where they’d already explored as well as areas they had yet to unlock. Despite numerous sequels and spinoffs, Super Metroid remains the gold standard for the series and an icon of the industry.
“Silent Hill 2” (2001)
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The original Silent Hill managed to make a name for itself with its mature and dark psychological horror themes but also became infamous for its fog laden town. What was originally designed to hide the limitations of the PS1 became one of the series’ most iconic features and with Silent Hill 2, not only was the fog designed to be part of the game this time around, but the tale told within the titular town managed to become even more scarring and disturbing and remains the topic of many video essays even to this day. With improvements to combat as well as navigation and a major graphical upgrade, the story of James Sunderland searching for his dead wife within the town took players into the darkest depths of the protagonist’s guilt and psyche, and the creatures within the town, in particular Pyramid Head, became instant series icons.
“Portal 2” (2011)
What was originally just a quickie little experiment packaged into The Orange Box birthed an industry icon (as well as a hit song) and managed to even outshine the almighty Half-Life 2 it came bundled with. Drastically expanding not only on the scope of the game and its puzzles but also its in-universe lore, Portal 2 managed to surpass its predecessor in nearly every aspect. From the brilliantly written characters and humor to some of the most mind-bending puzzles that managed to rewire your brain into thinking with portals along with the inclusion of gels, the game even features a co-op mode that includes its own storyline to further expand on the world of Portal to further challenge you and a friend for GLaDOS’ pleasure. Building off what acted as a prototype, Portal 2 became one of the greatest games of all time and a staple of the Half-Life universe.
“Pokemon Gold & Silver” (2000)
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Pokemon Red and Blue created a pop culture icon the likes of the Mario Bros or even Mickey Mouse and the series’ little pocket monsters have become some of the most recognizable figures in the world. Expectations were understandably high for Red and Blue’s follow-up. Rather than completely rewrite what made the first entries such a hit, Game Freak took everything great about the originals and built upon it, giving players not only brand new Pokemon to catch, as well as legendary Pokemon and an entire new region to explore and new gyms to challenge. An internal clock would track the players progress in real time as well as day/night cycles which would also affect what Pokemon roamed the world at certain times of day. Battles also received major upgrades as Pokemon could learn all new moves, and players could even breed their own Pokemon. For a time, Gold/Silver were the ultimate Pokemon experience.
“Borderlands 2” (2012)
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Arguably responsible for reinvigorating interest in loot-based games as well as popularizing the colored rarity system prevalent in every loot based game since, the first Borderlands was a great start for the series but its follow-up capitalized on the series’ promise of bazillions of guns. With not only a much more rewarding loop of tracking down new and more powerful weaponry, Borderlands 2 also gave us the greatest villain of the series Handsome Jack and all of his instantly iconic one-liners. The world of Pandora also expanded in scope introducing a cast of “colorful” characters as well as more boss and better fights, enemies, fantastic DLC especially Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, as well as guns, guns, and more guns. Borderlands 2 managed to become the fan favorite of the series and set a bar not even its direct follow-up could measure up to. Did we mention it has a lot of guns?
“Super Mario Bros 3” (1990)
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After bringing the world of video games back from the verge of collapse as well as creating an industry icon, the original Mario Bros sequel for the West was a reskin of Doki Doki Panic and likewise was considered a sequel only in name. The true follow-up Super Mario Bros 3 once again completely revolutionized the series but the genre it helped create. Featuring an over world map, players were free to replay levels while Mario himself was also given all new abilities in addition to allowing players to play as Luigi in multiplayer and can also collect items to give them an advantage on tougher stages. Levels featured more verticality and allowed Mario to slide, climb and fly to uncover hidden paths or secrets. Super Mario Bros 3 remains one of the highest ranked entries in Mario’s storied history and created the blueprint for nearly all of his subsequent adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom.
“Assassin’s Creed II” (2009)
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Although the first entry in the Assassin’s Creed series absolutely helped lay the groundwork for the franchise, it certainly wasn’t without its faults. With imprecise controls, a boring protagonist, and a drab, bland world, the second entry had an uphill battle. With the release of ACII, nearly every complaint fans had seemed to be addressed. Ezio remains a fan-favorite protagonist of the series and the move to the Italian Renaissance offered far more diversity than Altair’s journey through the Holy Land. Ezio could swim (trust us it was a big deal), Eagle Vision had been expanded, combat had evolved to allow for more freedom, NPCs behaved like real people and the parkour system was overhauled to finally function as intended. Most of the time. Ezio’s adventures continued in two sequels but even with over a dozen games in the series, sequels and spinoffs, for many fans, Assassin’s Creed 2 remains the pinnacle of the franchise.
“Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” (2009)
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With the release of Uncharted 2, the “Dude Raider” stepped out of Lara’s shadow, and the jungle, to cement the series as a pioneer in the action-adventure genre. The ever-wise cracking Nathan Drake was in top form as he shot and scrambled his way through one of his best adventures that sent him globe-trotting to numerous, gorgeous and often war-torn locales much like the whip cracking adventurer who inspired the series. While in Drake’s Fortune, Naughty Dog were unfamiliar with the new genre they were tackling, Among Thieves displayed just how much the team had evolved in a short amount of time. Nate’s movements were more fluid, and both shooting and close quarter combat was satisfying, all held together by a fantastic script that further endeared us to already fan favorite characters while also introducing new ones that would become integral in future entries.
“Mass Effect 2” (2010)
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Bioware made a name for themselves in the 90s with the Baldur’s Gate series and then became one of the most revered western developers of choice driven RPGs with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, but their magnum opus is undoubtedly the Mass Effect Trilogy. The first game, although instrumental in establishing the world of Mass Effect, had no shortage of technical problems and boring janky combat. With Mass Effect 2, Bioware crafted a masterpiece that not only raised the stakes but overhauled the entire system and game mechanics. Combat was snappier and more precise, players had more choice in how they developed and created their character, the story, relationships, and world managed to feel even more alive and vibrant. And best of all, gone were the elevator loading times. While Mass Effect 3 might have fumbled the landing, the second entry remains one of the best games the developer has ever crafted.