# Video Game Sequels that flopped **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 30, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925 "2003-07-30T15:59:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/21 "2003-07-31T03:03:59Z")
Tetrisphere was really bad, IMHO, but I don’t know if it “flopped”. Wasn’t Tetris like one of the best-selling games of all time? ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/22 "2003-07-31T03:12:04Z")
Yes. Tomb Raider III stank. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was a disappointment after the intricate glory and horror that was Resident Evil II. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/23 "2003-07-31T05:31:19Z")
I disagree with Warcraft III. I think it’s better than the two that came before it, and better than Starcraft (which is essentially the same game, but with aliens). All the games are awesome, though. ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/24 "2003-07-31T05:53:11Z")
Syphon Filter 2 was ass. More content, but that game was either too easy or too hard or just plain buggy. Graphical quality was not an improvement at all. Tekken Tag Tournament was a let down Sure the graphics were better, but otherwise nothing much to say for it outher than it was a PS2 launch title. There was a Zelda side scroller that came in a gold cartridge for the NES. It sucked. the gold cart was cool, however. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/25 "2003-07-31T06:13:59Z")
Ah, another series has occurred to me: Turok. Turok was the must-have game on the N64, a first-person shooter that was fast and cool and bloody. It was a massive success. Then came Turok 2: Seeds of Evil. Even with the N64 memory expansion, the animation was needlessly choppy. It had some nice new features, but it was such a pain in the ass that I never even finished it. They released a multiplayer game (Rage Wars) and a third solo campaign (Shadow of Oblivion) toward the end of the N64’s life cycle. I don’t know anyone who bought 'em. The latest game in the series, Turok: Evolution, has been trashed by every critic I’ve read. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/26 "2003-07-31T06:28:22Z")
Pitfall 2 was atrocious. Pitiful. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/27 "2003-07-31T06:43:09Z")
Zelda 2 wasn’t painful, but it was a real letdown as a sequel. “Woman: You have water? Come to my house!” I always forget which FF was which. Was V the one with dragons that you ride, Gilgamesh, and the cool “job” system? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/28 "2003-07-31T07:07:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > Tetrisphere was really bad, IMHO, but I don’t know if it “flopped”. Wasn’t Tetris like one of the best-selling games of all time? I don’t think **Tetrisphere** really counts, since it didn’t start off as an intended sequel of **Tetris.** Rather, it was a wanna-be-the-next-hot-puzzle-game that tried to ride on **Tetris’** coattails. _Obscure trivia:_ The game you now know as **Tetrisphere** was originally developed for the Atari Jaguar, with the then-working title of **Phear** (since it was a knock-off, they couldn’t use the “Tetris” name). At CES, some big-name game developers were wandering through Atari’s Jaguar booths for cheap yuks and got hooked on the game instead. They then bought the rights, slapped a **Tetris** title on it, then retooled it for the N64. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/29 "2003-07-31T07:17:27Z")
Oooh. Custer’s Revenge, the X-Rated game from Swedish Erotica that was a big deal when it came out for the inherent racism and misogyny. You were Custer and had to fuck an Indian maiden while avoiding arrows. Repulsive. ---
**Author:** ![Icebrand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@Icebrand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icebrand)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/30 "2003-07-31T07:42:46Z")
It’s probably a bad idea to get in to the Final Fantasy argument, since so many FF fans seem to really get into their favorite game, but personally, I felt FF6 (FF3 for you English-version SNES players) was completely banal and useless. That might have something to do with when I played it, though. I had already beaten I, played most of IV, beaten VII, got bored by VIII, and trudged through IX before I got around to it. It didn’t seem to have any real allure, and I felt that it, like The Legend Of Zelda, was liked more for nostalgia value and the things it did first, rather than its actual merits. The characterization was awful, the plotline unbearable, and the battles piteously easy compared to the earlier games. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/31 "2003-07-31T07:55:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zen101 \* > \*\*There was a Zelda side scroller that came in a gold cartridge for the NES. It sucked. the gold cart was cool, however. \*\* There were several true side-scroling zelda games, they all came out for the Phillips CD-1 system. ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/32 "2003-07-31T08:10:14Z")
Never owned the Phillips system. The only Zelda side scoller I played was the gold cart for the NES. I maintain that it sucked. [http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3038593112&category=11030](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3038593112&category=11030) Buy it, play it and learn the truth of my words. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/33 "2003-07-31T08:12:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mockingbird \* > \*\*Pitfall 2 was atrocious. Pitiful. \*\* The Mayan one or the 3d one? The 3D one did have a kewl voice for Pitfall Harry, at least. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/34 "2003-07-31T10:56:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wolfian \* > \*\* but still if OoT was a 9 MM would be an 8. I do wish the creators had been a bit more creative though. Other than the masks were there any new items? > \*\* You mean apart from the whole new play dynamic where the world will end in three days, so you have to use magic to restart the three day period, where you remember everythign but everyone else doesn’t. The way this brought a massive added layer of tension to the proceedings? Yeah, they should have been more creative. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/35 "2003-07-31T12:28:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amanset \* > \*\*You mean apart from the whole new play dynamic where the world will end in three days, so you have to use magic to restart the three day period, where you remember everythign but everyone else doesn’t. The way this brought a massive added layer of tension to the proceedings? > > Yeah, they should have been more creative. \*\* Touche. I was refering to items. It bugged me that all the items in the game were the exact same as Ocarina of Time. One of the things I love most about Zelda is finding and being suprised by the new items. In this game I knew what they were before I got them. It was cool to use them in new ways (using ice arrows to make ice platforms rocked), but I still felt a bit cheated. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/36 "2003-07-31T19:52:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Icebrand \* > \*\*It’s probably a bad idea to get in to the Final Fantasy argument, since so many FF fans seem to really get into their favorite game, but personally, I felt FF6 (FF3 for you English-version SNES players) was completely banal and useless. That might have something to do with when I played it, though. I had already beaten I, played most of IV, beaten VII, got bored by VIII, and trudged through IX before I got around to it. It didn’t seem to have any real allure, and I felt that it, like The Legend Of Zelda, was liked more for nostalgia value and the things it did first, rather than its actual merits. The characterization was awful, the plotline unbearable, and the battles piteously easy compared to the earlier games. \*\* I’ve noticed that RPGs in general have been getting a lot easier in the past 10-15 years. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/37 "2003-07-31T20:31:02Z")
Final Fantasy 2(US) will always rock. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/38 "2003-07-31T20:41:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mockingbird \* > \*\*Oooh. Custer’s Revenge, the X-Rated game from Swedish Erotica that was a big deal when it came out for the inherent racism and misogyny. > \*\* Soooooo…what was the original called? ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/39 "2003-07-31T20:59:16Z")
**Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask** is probably one of my favorite games in the entire series (though I absolutely ADORE the Wind Waker). I believe the masks added an incredibly amount of variety to the game, as did the timing issue. The plot is also probably one of the very best for a Zelda game. To be absolutely honest, I believe it is a superior game to OoT. Reusing items in a Zelda game isn’t anything new, they’ve done it from the start of the series. One can look at Wind Waker to see some old favorites with very cool new twists (like the improved boomerang.) My nomination would be Heroes of Might and Magic 4. My god that thing was a waste of my time and money. The AI is one of the stupidest things in the history of gaming. Another nomination would probably be Megaman X6. I am a tremendous Megaman fan, but by all accounts it was horrible (interestingly, I’d disagree that their quality was going down. While 4, 6, and 8 needed some work, as did X3, I really liked both 5 and X5. The Legends and Battle Network series are also both excellent. ) Ultrafilter, have you ever tried Roguelikes? If you want difficulty, THAT is where you need to look for it. ---
**Author:** ![Iacob\_Matthew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Iacob\_Matthew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iacob_Matthew)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925/40 "2003-07-31T21:46:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > \*\*_Star Control 3_ was a mediocre sequel to the nigh perfect _Star Control II_. \*\* And I am of the school who insists that, being made by different people, it is not part of the series but merely stealing the name. SC3 wasn’t bad as a game in and of itself, but it couldn’t hold a candle to SC2. It’s a 7/10 instead of a 12, with jokes that aren’t funny. _Phantasy Star III_, the followup to what is unarguably the best Genesis game ever and considered by many people\* to be the greatest RPG of all time, was similarly a regular flop. It’s something I’d gladly play if i’d never played any other part of the series, but I kinda dropped out about three hours in, played 4, and got around to it a few years later on an emulator to “complete the series.” It’s really a very good game, it just tarnishes the name on average. _Heroes IV of Might and Magic_ is slow, buggy, and the hero system makes everything except multiplayer play for hero & black dragon battles a waste of resources that could be better spent on Potions of immortality. **3DO** , in its ifinite wisdom, released the game without multiplayer activated, and I’d beaten all the campaigns on champion before they finished it. \*Of these people, all of them I have met hate “mainstream” things merely to be “trendy,” or “alternative.” They insist Nintendo and Square are the devil’s work and have built shrines to the Sega Dreamcast in their basement. They like _Command Keen 6_ because it is CK, but insist that any game that’s ever been mentioned in a magazine is “utter \*\*\*\* living on a big name/budget.” Many of them actually enjoyed the story of _Abbadon_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-sequels-that-flopped/191925.md?page=3)