Street Fighter II
Street Fighter. The franchise that has so many sequel-babies it probably deserves a trashy reality show on TLC. When one considers fighting games, many gamers agree that the Street Fighter franchise is the absolute pinnacle. While the original Street Fighter started that fighting formula, it was the sequel, Street Fighter II (and it’s numerous iterations) that really put fighting games on the map. With a diverse cast of characters, solid fighting mechanics, easy-to-perform special moves, and so on – Street Fighter II really is a perfect sequel. Well, until Street Fighter II: Turbo, and then Super Street Fighter II… ad nauseam.
And that concludes our perfect list with honorable mentions from our Press X To Podcast team. But while I was writing this piece, I couldn’t help but think of some of the sequels that I thought were better than their predecessors. And while I’m in full agreement with many of the choices our podcast team put together, I figured I’d share five of my own picks.
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem 3D is the only sequel on this list that actually changed genres from its predecessor. The first two Duke Nukem games were side-scrolling action games but then Duke Nukem 3D came along and the franchise entered the first-person shooter realm. Duke Nukem 3D gave the first-person shooter genre a huge injection of much-needed personality and attitude. The future for Duke Nukem is a mystery after the critically disappointing Duke Nukem Forever. But who knows, maybe Duke’s next big moment will be on the silver screen… Come get some!
Resident Evil 4
The Resident Evil franchise delivered scare after scare throughout its first handful of titles, but it soon grew stagnant. Resident Evil 4 broke the franchise free from the confines of fixed camera angles and gave us a horror game with a huge dose of action. While it might not have induced the same level of fear the previous titles provided, it was still an intense game filled with some memorable moments. I still run away from people with chainsaws…
Quake 2
The first Quake was a mish-mash of odd, early generation, 3D character models, and environments. It was fast and fun but really felt more like an experiment with some silly story tacked on. Quake 2 changed that approach, featuring substantially improved visuals, a more focused story, and awesome weapons. It also included some gut-wrenching moments where you witness the evil Strogg experimenting on fellow soldiers. Gamers got one more story-infused Quake game with Quake 4, but since then, it’s been relegated to an online arena-shooter franchise.
Red Dead Redemption
The first game in the franchise, Red Dead Revolver, was a bit of an obscure title. Fortunately, Rockstar Games went back to the drawing board and delivered Red Dead Redemption, the best western adventure game ever made (sorry, Gun – you’re a close second though!). Even better, we’ll be getting a sequel to Red Dead Redemption later this year and we can hardly contain our hype about it!
Dead Space 2
The first Dead Space created a game that felt like Resident Evil 4 in space, and it was stellar. Dead Space 2 expanded on its predecessor in every way by delivering a deeper story, more scares, cooler weapons, and a far larger environment to explore. In every way, Dead Space 2 was better than the first. It’s also home to one of the most disturbing scenes in gaming history involving a very long needle…
And that concludes our Perfect List featuring the top 10 game sequels as suggested by our Press X To Podcast crew along with some honorable mentions and five writer’s picks. The Perfect List has become a staple of our Press X To Podcast weekly show, so be sure to tune in each week for more great lists!
By now, you’re probably ready to tell us what sequel we missed or which of the games we picked above shouldn’t be there – so comment below and let us know! Also, be sure to come visit us on social media too. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube!