Another Top 10 Most Cloned Video Games!

Released during the massive arcade scene of the mid-80s, Taito’s two-player platformer found the right formula to stand out. Traveling through 100 stages no bigger than the size of the game screen, our heroes Bub and Bob blew bubbles to trap and then burst the bubbles to defeat their enemies. With colorful graphics, catchy music and memorable characters in addition to the solid gameplay and the game became a massive hit. Its popularity resulted in not only bootlegs of the game but also rival companies making titles with similar gameplay and stages. These games were all fun in their own right, but with several sequels and the spin-off Bust-a-Move series, no copycat could bust its bubble.

Blizzard Entertainment’s track record of making fantastic gameplay experiences is long and fruitful. Take the case of Diaboa hybrid of the RPG and hack-and-slash genres. With simple but fun combat, the action taking place in real-time, and randomly generated dungeons to explore, Diablo revitalized the PC RPG market. After its success, games that played like Diablo, labeled “Diablo clones” came out of the woodwork. Three of these clones, Torchlight, Hellfire: London, and Mythos were created by teams comprised of the staff of the first two Diablo games, Blizzard North. Diablo’s contributions made it the forefather of the Action RPG sub-genre, which many clones are currently identified as and influenced modern western MMORPGs.

When gamers think of the Action-Adventure genre, they think of the classic Nintendo franchise. Who doesn't want to have adventures, battling monsters, and saving an entire kingdom? Link’s various weapons and inventory system are iconic as he traverses Hyrule battling monsters and exploring dungeons. Other developers said, “I want some of that” and made their own take of the Zelda game. These games ranged from somewhat unique to blatant cloning in their execution. As Link’s adventures keep going, so do the clones. In fact we already have a Top 10 list on the best Legend of Zelda clones, so be sure to check that out.

One of the most successful mobile game in recent memory, Clash of Clans has seen tons of MMO strategy titles stealing its style. Basically these clones keep the same game elements, micro transactions included for the most part and change who is the focus of the game. Take the creatively titled Vikings: War of Clans, its Clash of Clans with more of a focus on Vikings. Then there’s ninja version, the Call of Duty version, the Star Wars version. Considering Supercell makes millions of dollars a year with the in-app purchases made through Clash, other developers see that system as a gold mine and they wanted to cash in.

Nothing says fun like a video game where gamers are playing a board game. If that board game is loaded with dozens of enjoyable mini games and has the charm only the Mario franchise can deliver then that last statement is most certainly true. As a game that offered many different experiences in multiplayer and E rated material, this game proved to be a perfect fit for families and friends. As such, clones also try to capitalize on the family friendly dynamic by adding cute looking characters or using kid-friendly franchises from Sonic to Shrek. Even Nintendo cloned themselves by making the spin-off, Wii Party.

Created bygaming and PC royalty Nolan Bushnell, Steve Wozniak, and Steve Bristow, Breakout offers gameplay that’s simple, yet addictive. With a paddle and a ball, players had to knock down all the walls without the ball going out of bounds. A financial windfall and a huge influence in gaming’s progression, clones were almost inevitable. Many of these clones decided to add to the gameplay by changing the shapes of what the ball hit to adding various weapons and power-ups. In Japan, most Breakout clones are considered a gaming genre called the Block Kazushi or Block Destruction. To add to the clone feel, most of these games are also at least partially titled Block Kazushi even though they are unrelated.

From one simplistic game to another, Tetris got people’s attention in the Arcade. With the objective to make horizontal lines using the shapes given, the puzzle game would take the world by storm as a game bundled with the original Game Boy. Helping to shape the Puzzle game genre, Tetris’ success saw a huge wave of clones. While some added new shapes or gimmicks to set themselves apart, most were just cheap knock-offs. The Tetris Company, who own licensing rights to the game, are aware of the latter and are taking legal action against games that are too much like Tetris.

In our first video on cloned games, we talked about how the first Call of Duty was a clone of the first Medal of Honor game. Modern Warfare, the fourth installment popularized military-based FPS games, would gain clones of its own. Set in 2011, Modern Warfare’s popularity resulted in a host of other modern military shooters released in a short period of time. One of these shooters was, ironically enough, was the Medal of Honor reboot, which brought their setting into 2002. With so many clones out in the market, it was inevitable that Modern Warfare would start receiving parody games too.

After it’s debut, World of Warcraft would go on to popularize the MMORPG that no other MMO prior would. With its robust world, endless opportunities for adventure, and ability to join guilds, WoW has made it mark on gaming and pop culture as a whole. While the game itself certainly wasn’t the first MMO, after its success MMO of all kinds made their way to PC. As expected most of these MMORPGs tried to capitalize on what made Warcraft a household name from it’s fantasy setting all the way to it’s gameplay and interface. Making a MMO is pricey and most clones die out in a few years. Warcraft, however is still going strong.

While not the first endless runner game, Temple Run popularized it. As a mobile game with a simple objective of running as long a possible while collecting items, the game couldn’t outrun its imitators. Each clone has its own wrinkle to the formula changing where the character is running and who the character is. Everyone from secret agents, to high-speed hedgehogs, to every other Tom, Dick and Pitfall Harry has gotten in on the act. With how addictive endless runners are the cloning process shows no signs of slowing down.