Sequels You Like More Than The First?

[Drtooth]

And yeah, the theory of it being too hard for Americans just doesn't hold water for me, either. If they had such an issue with that, why not just tone down the difficulty instead of not releasing it stateside?

It's the lack of variety that does it for me. While I actually don't hate the original SMB game, the physics are quite off, making Mario's jumps unwieldy and harder to control. Especially mid-air course corrections or the lack thereof. And a LOT of the Lost Levels' challenges are jumping related. It's not a horrible game, but I don't think anyone would appreciate it if it wasn't for some imaginary insulting controversy. It was a nice what if back in the late 80's, sure.

Continuing with game sequels, while I do agree that Ms. Pac-Man is the better follow up to Pac-Man, I have a soft spot for the unloved sequel, Super Pac-Man. Not only was his character one of the best things about the 1980's cartoon series (too bad he was only on second season), but the game is quite a bit of fun that manages to be the same and different. Not to mention how funny it is to run by ghosts as Super- Pac-Man, and have them distorted with fear.

 

[minor muppetz]

Video game sequels tend to be better than the previous. Most Mario and Sonic sequels are better (though there's a lot of "post-Sega console era" Sonic games I'm not interested in) than the previous. Though my favorite Pac-Man sequels are the ones most like the original (Ms. Pac-Man and Championship Edition). The other ones, which are significantly different (especially visually) are alright, but I prefer the ones that try to look like the first better (as well as better than the first Pac-Man).

On the subject of why the Japanese Mario 2 was replaced with a different game in the states, I've read that it was because it was too difficult but also read that it was because the game was deemed too similar to the previous (and with so many later Mario games being so different, I wonder if we'd be complaining about the similarities if they did release that one here and made future sequels like it).

Aside from the Japanese Mario 2, it seems like until the Super Mario Bros. Super Show Mario didn't have much of a consistent format. Before SMB there were the Donkey Kong games and Mario Bros. then Super Mario Bros. which started the format of Bowser kidnapping the princess, then we got Wrecking Crew with Mario and Luigi, then the American SMB 2 which didn't have any bad guys from SMB (they could have easily replaced some of the villains) and then Super Mario Land which had a different princess as well as a different final boss. I was surprised to see TV Tropes refer to the game as being a very different Mario game, as I thought it was similar to the first... Then I realized that only the first three levels were similar to levels from the first game. Unlike SMB 2, this one did have enemies from SMB, though the instruction book refers to them by their Japanese names.

But after all that came The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, which had Bowser as the big bad, and mixed enemies from SMB and SMB 2, though no Wart or bad guys from Super Mario Land. I think I've read that another SMB 2 enemy didn't appear either, but can't remember who. But I think having Bowser as the main bad guy on the animated series helped make him continue as the main Mario bad guy (as opposed to constantly introducing new bad guys for later games, though Mario land 2 did introduce Wario as a bad guy).

 

[Twisted Tails]

I may have to bump up this thread, but I LOVE MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY. Okay, so it count's as a prequel, but I love this better than Monster's Inc. The plot may sound kind of like "whaaa?", but this brings back nostalgia.

I don't want any negative comments bombarding at me, but I find this movie soooo cooool.

 

[WalterFan1234]

I may have to bump up this thread, but I LOVE MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY. Okay, so it count's as a prequel, but I love this better than Monster's Inc. The plot may sound kind of like "whaaa?", but this brings back nostalgia.

I don't want any negative comments bombarding at me, but I find this movie soooo cooool.

Monsters u was so much better. I was ecstatic. Best Disney movie in decades

 

[Rugratskid]

Rugrats in Paris is a little better than the first movie in my opinion. That's just me though.

 

[WalterFan1234]

I like return of the Jedi best of all the Star Wars movies.
Two towers is favorite lord of the rings
Muppets Take Manhattan is my favorite muppet movie
I like Austin powers 2 best

 

[Drtooth]

On the subject of why the Japanese Mario 2 was replaced with a different game in the states, I've read that it was because it was too difficult but also read that it was because the game was deemed too similar to the previous (and with so many later Mario games being so different, I wonder if we'd be complaining about the similarities if they did release that one here and made future sequels like it).

I'm sure the difficulty thing was a tiny portion of the reason they skipped it, but I'm sure that it was the fact it was essentially the first game with harder jumps. There's so much I really dislike about Mario 1, and the jumping and absolutely stupid "find the correct path" castle stages are the worst. Both exacerbated in the second one.

But after all that came The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, which had Bowser as the big bad, and mixed enemies from SMB and SMB 2, though no Wart or bad guys from Super Mario Land. I think I've read that another SMB 2 enemy didn't appear either, but can't remember who. But I think having Bowser as the main bad guy on the animated series helped make him continue as the main Mario bad guy (as opposed to constantly introducing new bad guys for later games, though Mario land 2 did introduce Wario as a bad guy).

Actually, DIC's version of Koopa was an amalgam of Koopa and Wart, sort of borrowing from Koopa's in game sprite design from the first game. If you could track down the SMBSS Viewmaster Reel, they actually substitute Wart for Koopa. He actually looks similar enough to the cartoon Koopa.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

Video game sequels tend to be better than the previous. Most Mario and Sonic sequels are better (though there's a lot of "post-Sega console era" Sonic games I'm not interested in) than the previous. Though my favorite Pac-Man sequels are the ones most like the original (Ms. Pac-Man and Championship Edition). The other ones, which are significantly different (especially visually) are alright, but I prefer the ones that try to look like the first better (as well as better than the first Pac-Man).

Ms. Pac Man wasn't even an official sequel. It wasn't made by Namco and I think it was made without Namco's permission. But it was so well received that now its part of Namco's library. Don't know the exact specifics of it.

And uh...if Sonic fans are anyone to go by, the sequels to the Sonic games are getting worse Sonic 4 had really really mixed reviews, given how it was supposed to be the successor to Sonic 3. Most people complained about the way the game felt when playing, which I have to agree. Played a demo. Didn't like it.

On the subject of why the Japanese Mario 2 was replaced with a different game in the states, I've read that it was because it was too difficult but also read that it was because the game was deemed too similar to the previous (and with so many later Mario games being so different, I wonder if we'd be complaining about the similarities if they did release that one here and made future sequels like it).

But it was released in the US years later on some compilation game. And actually, I don't really buy that people would be complaining about the similarities because I mean...don't all classic mario games play alike anyway? With the exception of different power ups? Eh. I'm not a Mario fan so I'm not qualified to talk about Mario. I could talk about Sonic all day though XD

Rugrats in Paris is a little better than the first movie in my opinion. That's just me though.

I actually agree with you there. I'd rather watch Paris than the first movie. I dunno...the first movie was good, but it was really really dark for the Rugrats. I think with a show like the Rugrats, you need something a little more cheerful.

 

[WalterFan1234]

Ms. Pac Man wasn't even an official sequel. It wasn't made by Namco and I think it was made without Namco's permission. But it was so well received that now its part of Namco's library. Don't know the exact specifics of it.

And uh...if Sonic fans are anyone to go by, the sequels to the Sonic games are getting worse Sonic 4 had really really mixed reviews, given how it was supposed to be the successor to Sonic 3. Most people complained about the way the game felt when playing, which I have to agree. Played a demo. Didn't like it.


But it was released in the US years later on some compilation game. And actually, I don't really buy that people would be complaining about the similarities because I mean...don't all classic mario games play alike anyway? With the exception of different power ups? Eh. I'm not a Mario fan so I'm not qualified to talk about Mario. I could talk about Sonic all day though XD



I actually agree with you there. I'd rather watch Paris than the first movie. I dunno...the first movie was good, but it was really really dark for the Rugrats. I think with a show like the Rugrats, you need something a little more cheerful.

I agree. The first was was almost depressing, but it was good. The second was awesome

 

[minor muppetz]

Ms. Pac Man wasn't even an official sequel. It wasn't made by Namco and I think it was made without Namco's permission. But it was so well received that now its part of Namco's library. Don't know the exact specifics of it.

I've read that Ms. Pac-Man was originally unauthorized but then Namco ended up buying the rights to the game.

But it was released in the US years later on some compilation game. And actually, I don't really buy that people would be complaining about the similarities because I mean...don't all classic mario games play alike anyway? With the exception of different power ups? Eh. I'm not a Mario fan so I'm not qualified to talk about Mario. I could talk about Sonic all day though XD

It was released as part of Super Mario All-Stars, I assume as an incentive to get people who already had the NES trilogy to buy the release. And it was also included as an unlockable feature on the Game Boy Color release Super Mario Bros. Delux. But it's never been released on its own in America (besides the Wii Virtual Console).

I wouldn't say that all main Mario games are similar, even if most of them involve Bowser kidnapping the princess and Mario needing to rescue her. SMB 3 and SMW are both a lot different from the first SMB, with the ability to go backwards, use of maps, more bad guys, and much better-looking backgrounds and platforms. And while all the power-ups from the first game have been used again and again, very few power-ups introduced in later games have returned (they have only just recently brought back the racoon and tanooki suits from Mario 3).

Okay, so maybe many are similar plot-wise. But considering the Japanese Mario 2 came out early in the success of Mario, they might have thought differently about how similar they wanted the Mario games to be.