Feature: Top 10 Games I Would Love to See Get Sequels

Sequels can be a double-edged sword in the gaming industry.  On the one hand, they have the ability to make an already awesome game even better with new ideas and creative designs.  On the other hand, they can cause a series to stagnate in a pile of old mechanics and recycled concepts. 

In case you were wondering, this marks
the 8th entry into the series... 

However, there are those few games out there that, despite their quality or success, have not been given the sequels that they deserve.  Sometimes this is due to a lack of popularity for a certain title, which is a shame.  The following games are ones that I would froth at the mouth for if I ever saw an extra number tacked onto the title...


#10:  Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Sure, Muramasa had some repetitive gameplay, with it's simple combos and basic level design.  Its enemies were about as diverse as your standard audience at a Nascar race, and the story was ludicrous and particularly difficult to follow with its Japanese folklore and traditions.

...But I'll be damned if I didn't say that it wasn't one of the most aesthetically appealing and creative titles I've played on the Wii.

When have you ever seen something like this before?

Muramasa simply gushes style without even trying too hard.  The hand-painted look of the whole game was what kept me playing, encouraging me to find out how the next area was going to take my breath away. 

Not only that, but the RPG mechanics ran much deeper than I had expected for a simple hack-n-slash game.  Sure, they weren't exactly groundbreaking, but having over 100 different swords to choose from in an arsenal, each with its own stats and special abilities, was something that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The combat was also surprisingly satisfying, as I dashed through the air, slicing up baddies while ribbons of color burst into the skies with every strike.  Moments like these were especially memorable during the challenging boss fights, which required much more than just mindless button mashing.

For once, blocking and evading were less of a suggestion,
and more of a necessity.

Mix this all in with a distinctly Japanese setting, and you've got an intriguing title that simply begs to be explored further in a sequel.


#9:  Art Style: PiCTOBiTS (PiCTOPiCT)
I would be surprised if many people have heard of this game.  It was a modest little title that was released exclusively on the DSi's online shop.  Retro in its design, and slightly reminiscent of Tetris, this game took me by complete surprise as I lost hour after hour playing it.

Move blocks around to match colors,
forming a classic NES image on the top screen

Explaining how this game works may take too much time (and I'm not very confident in my ability to do so, anyway).  Suffice it to say, it's like a remixed style of Tetris.  Only with a lot more variety and awesome music.  Just check out a gameplay video to get a sort of gist of it.

So anyway, this game kicks all kinds of ass.  Not only do the blocks slowly chart your progress as you get further in the level, but the music also evolves as you play.  In the beginning you may hear a few incoherent beeps and blips.  Then, as you near the end, you slowly begin to piece together tunes like an 8-bit remixed version of the old-school Mario castle theme.  And it is awesome.

There's no reason why a game like this shouldn't get a sequel.  It has no story it needs to stick to, nor does it really need to change anything.  Just give me some more levels and I'll be one incredibly happy gamer.


#8:  Rayman Origins
I am going to praise this game until I'm blue in the face.  Origins is easily one of the best games I've played in the past year.  From its zany cartoon charm, to its brutal yet fair difficulty curve, it sticks out in my mind as one of those games I can see picking up in a year or two and still getting just as much of a kick out of it.

I'll probably laugh just as hard, too.

If this game ever gets a sequel, I'd pick it up day one, without hesitation.  The amount of creativity and style that was packed into this game leads me to believe that some of it must have been cut out during the development process.  If not, then there's at least enough talented people on the team to make the magic happen again with a new installment.

And words cannot describe how much I would love that.

The developers who made this game have proven that they know how to handle Rayman.  Who's to say that they can't expand on him even further?  I sure as heck wouldn't mind if they attempted to.


#7:  The World Ends With You
I've mentioned before that I've turned into the kind of gamer who craves style and originality in his games nowadays.  Something that's generic and recycled never seems to hold my interest for long.  That's why a game like TWEWY felt like an absolute bliss to play.  The colorful, grafitti-like streets of Shibuya were striking and the characters and enemies were all memorable and dynamic in some way or another.

People who haven't played this probably have
absolutely no idea what's going on right now.

Not only that, but the combat system was something that was utterly unique to the RPG genre.  The player controls two different characters, with two entirely different control schemes, at the same time.  One uses the D-Pad to map out combos and attacks, while the other utilizes the touch screen to use abilities and move around.  Sound confusing?  You betcha it is!  But you get used to it, and you feel incredibly satisfied when you're able to wrap your head around everything.

It's even hard for me to explain everything
that's happening at this moment.

Combined with the surprisingly deep and emotional story, and a positively killer soundtrack, TWEWY becomes a game that is unlike anything else on the market right now.  What I would give to see a sequel...

...Wait a second...Oh. Snap!


#6:  Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
I'm a huge fan of the Phoenix Wright games.  I played through all 3 installments over the course of a few weeks.  Honestly, I just can't seem to get enough of spiky haired lawyers in anime crime dramas.

However, as rabid a fan as I might be, even I'm able to admit that Mr. Wright's story is finished and complete.  But, that doesn't mean that I still can't get some action in the courts!

...And Apollo deserves more than just his 15 minutes of fame.

Sure, I understand that the Ace Attorney series is still relatively alive with the Investigations spin-offs, but I would kill to see another true-to-form, courtroom-based installment in the series.  After all, some of the most intense and surprising twists in the series happened within the courts, and investigating the crime scenes were usually just ways of gathering information in order to set up those twists. 

Ace Attorney Investigations may have tried to simulate a courtroom setting with its interrogations, but it never quite captured the pressure of having an all-powerful judge present as you made every decision.  I'm not saying that Investigations was bad, by any means.  However, if the series wants to improve, it should really consider going back to its roots. 

Apollo Justice is the perfect place to start for such a rebirth.  The characters in AJ are arguably just as dynamic and interesting as previous games', and the trials and investigation sections are as interesting and unique as everything else in the series. 

Whine all you want, I really liked this guy.

The opportunity is there for a sequel.  I can only cross my fingers in hopes that Capcom will take advantage of it.


#5:  Pokemon Snap
Mother of Christ, I want a sequel to this game so bad.

First of all, the original Pokemon Snap captivated me as a child.  Being able to take pictures, and finding new ways to make Pokemon appear and act in certain ways was an incredibly fun and unique experience.  Even after all of these years, I still get a kick out of knocking Charmeleon into the lava to take pictures of Charizard.

This image has been permanently ingrained within my inner child.

What positively baffles me is the fact that a sequel hasn't been made yet.  I mean, there's almost 700 of those little buggers scurrying around now.  There's more than enough material to make another Snap game.  Not only that, but a console like the Wii is practically tailor suited to handle on-rails shooters like this, as Resident Evil, Dead Space, and House of Dead have proven.  Also, the enhanced graphics can only serve to make the activity of picture taking seem all that more exciting and gratifying.  Why doesn't Pokemon Snap 2 exist yet?

As fake as this may be, it makes me positively giddy inside.

The day I see a sequel to this game on the shelves is the day I drop $50 for the sole purpose of nostalgia.  I can see Nintendo raking in some serious cash with a release like this.  And maybe if the fans complain loud enough, the company just might have to cave in.  After all, it's not like it hasn't happened before...


#4:  9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
I've already stated on many occasions how much I adore 999.  I've done more than my fair share of gushing when I've talked about it.  However, I never really stated my one complaint, so I think I owe it to myself to let it out right now...

Future game developers, when you have an awesome, mind-blowing, intensely gripping storyline that's riddled with plot twists and surprise turnabouts, please, for the love of God, don't end it all with a balls tightening and abstract cliffhanger like 999.

Underneath that hood is the face of a man who is laughing
manically at my misfortune...

The moment I saw the words "The End" on my screen, I was absolutely stunned.  They couldn't possibly end it like that!  One huge question remained unanswered as the game neared it's conclusion.  Then, just as a moment of insight was coming into view...Bam!  The end.  Thanks for playing!

...And this is what I looked like as I stared at my DS.

This needs to be fixed right now.  I need a sequel that will give me some closure.  Otherwise, I'm probably going to go absolutely mad...

Thank God, there's a light at the end of the tunnel...


#3:  Donkey Kong Country Returns
I'd be lying if I said this game didn't take me by surprise.  Sure, it piqued my interest at E3, but as a child, I never seemed to play the Donkey Kong games.  Well hey, I thought, it's a side-scrolling platformer.  I'm sure it'll at least be kind of fun, right?

Oh, how silly those words seem today...

Without a doubt, DKCR was the best experience I've ever had with the Wii.  Around every corner it was throwing new mechanics at the player while simultaneously keeping to the basics of running and jumping.  The fact that Retro was able to cram so many ideas into a single game is an accomplishment that I appreciate greatly.

It's games like this that prove that the platforming genre is far from dead.  On the contrary, it's better than it ever was in the past.  Donkey Kong Country Returns is a shining example of why I still play games today.

This is going to be my nostalgia when I'm 60.

I have complete trust in Retro having the ability to make another Donkey Kong game that's just as exciting and unique as this one.  They've proven that they can take a single idea and apply it to a multitude of different scenarios to make a game more fun.  As such, I will be eagerly awaiting a second installment to DKCR, whether it comes or not.


#2:  Jak 3
Alright, I understand that the Jak trilogy was supposed to be just that, a trilogy, and that the story was wrapped up nicely and everything turned out happy in the end.  However, it still really bugs me that I have barely seen anything involving Jak and Daxter for such a long time.  Sure, the duo got a nice little handheld release, but that's pretty much been about it for the guys. 

And that's just a damn shame...

Truth be told, I have fond memories of the Jak series.  It had some of my most favorite games of all time.  The levels were unique, and the combination of platforming and shooting added more than enough variety to make things interesting.  The story was engaging, and the characters were lively and dynamic.  All in all, I just freakin' loved Jak and Daxter.

Yup, I would positively crap my pants if Jak 4 were ever announced.

And I don't see why it couldn't happen!  After all, just because the story in Jak 1-3 has been wrapped up, it doesn't mean that there could still be others.  The series could easily branch out and tell a new tale starring the unlikely heroes, and fans everywhere would love the hell out of it.  Why this hasn't been done yet is completely beyond me.

I mean, doesn't something this just look awesome anyway?
Why not keep doing stuff like this?

In a sea of generic games with cookie cutter settings and flat characters, Jak and Daxter is noticeably unique.  I mean, the main characters are an elf looking thing and some talking orange otter guy.  And they both have guns.  When has that been done before?  The whole premise is completely outrageous, and yet it works. 

I know the folks at Naughty Dog have been milking the Uncharted cow for quite a while, but it probably would hurt for them to look back on what some of their fans would kill to see again.


#1:  Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
Man, this really bums me out...

I'm pretty much certain that a Dark Alliance III will never come to exist any time in the near future.  Or ever, really.  The thing is, before DAII even made it to store shelves, the entire team working on the game was laid off, and Black Isle was dissolved.  Thus, the possibility of making a third installment went down the toilet before the second game even came out.

And that fact could not be more depressing to me.

Unbeknownst to many people, Dark Alliance II is an absolutely fantastic game.  The ability to customize your weapons to do whatever you wanted with them gave the player an enjoyable amount of freedom (care to have a flaming axe that also freezes enemies in place?), and the level up system offered numerous different abilities for each character to take advantage of (lay a mine in the ground to detonate later, summon a flying sword to come fight for you, dual-wield two massive battle axes, etc.).  Everything felt meticulously crafted, and all of the bits and pieces seemed to work to make the game fun.

Plunging into dungeons with a friend is still an enjoyable experience, as both players tackle their enemies using a different approach, based on their character's class.  There is an obvious benefit to having a partner on your team, as you both work together to keep each other alive.

Trying to go through the game on your own
offers a completely different experience.

When I had beaten the game for the first time, I was rewarded with a cliffhanger ending that made me really excited.  However, I wasn't as interested in the story as I was ecstatic about the idea of playing another Dark Alliance game in the future.

8 years later, I'm still waiting for the sequel to my all time favorite game.  And I've become no less comfortable with the fact that it will probably never come. 

I would sure as hell love to be proven wrong.