Sequels That Scared The True Fans

[Kugyince]

Yesterday 2K Games panicked some gamers with news that the turn-based tactics series X-Com will return as a first-person shooter. What other classic video game franchise have had their genres changed, and how did they weather the transformation?

We're calling the phenomenon genre bending. You take a game known as being one of the best in its original genre, and give it a gameplay facelift, oftentimes modifying the core elements that made it a classic in the first place. To some, this is a refreshing change. To others, it borders on blasphemy.

Let's take a look at how other classic franchise have fared when faced with genre bending.

List here:
Game Changers: Sequels That Scared The True Fans - Classic Games - Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5517302/game-changers-sequels-that-scared-the-true-fans)

[Mareeps]

It worked for Mario, many times, apart from the educational games.

[Kong]

The Mario Educational games were still popular by educational game standards. They should be judged by that, not by mainstream platform standards.

SMB / SMB RPG
Shadowrun
Shining in the Darkness / Shining Force
Zelda / Zelda 2
Sim City / Sims
Bejeweled / Puzzle Quest
Phantasy Star / Phantasy Star Adventure
Dune / Dune II
Wonder Boy / Wonder Boy II
Double Dragon / Neo Geo Double Dragon
Fantasy Zone / Fantasy Zone Maze
Donkey Kong / Donkey Kong Country

Of the ones I can think of most did not disappoint fans.

[samejamesbond]

Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy Adventure is another good example.

[Mareeps]

It's just that i actually own Mario's Time Machine, what a dissapointment that was

[Dudebro]

Shadowrun

Sim City / Sims
The snes/genesis Shadowruns were pretty well received from everything I've heard but the 360 version was a mixed bag. It didn't stay true to the storyline and it was made into a FPS. Personally I think it's an awesome game and it never intended to be true to the details but many fans were very upset by it.

Sims isn't a sequel to Sim City, it's a spin off. They're still making new sim city games alongside of new sims games(you can even put your sim into your city). Either way anything with Maxis makes with sim in the title is an instant classic.
I don't think you were trying to say sims is a sequel but I wanted to clarify it either way.


Another 360 game that strayed from the source is Fallout3. The fallout series has rabid fans and they were unimpressed with the newest game. One site I check occasionally(NoMutantsAllowed) wouldn't even allow discussion of it, they're that against it.

[CatalystiCam]

I want Sim ant 2 :-( All "Sim" games are great, I agree.

[Seahawk]

I know a game that fits this category, Castlevania 2 on NES.

Imagine if Konami actually stopped making Symphony of the Night clones and made an original NES style Castlevania as a mainstream release.

[Dudebro]

@Cam- I wouldn't really say all are great, I was just being dramatic for effect. I think this sim game is probably garbage-
SimAnimals - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Btw I found this interesting one while searching for lame sim games. I think it looks cool and I want to get a copy to try it out-
SimTower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[CatalystiCam]

the ones I've played are cool (Sim City's, Sim Ant, Sim Earth, Sims). Wasn't aware of others really but I love these type of strategy games a lot.

---------- Post added at 10:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:12 PM ----------

Edit: SimTower - Sounds like it MAY be fun...

Simanimals - meh, think I'd prefer Zoo Tycoon.

[Davidizer13MK2]

Btw I found this interesting one while searching for lame sim games. I think it looks cool and I want to get a copy to try it out-
SimTower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SimTower)

I have this game; it's all right, and it's better than the average SimFoo game, but it gets old quickly. It certainly has its share of good ideas: for example, if you put offices or fast food places next to condos, the condo people get upset due to the noise and might move out. (Not that this does much for your cash flow long-term: condos give you a one-time lump sum, while offices pay rent quarterly). It's worth a try, at least.

What I really miss, though, is SimIsle. I gave it away when I found it didn't work on Windows XP, but then I figured out how to make it work some time afterwards. I don't think the person who got it even lives in town anymore, so now I'm really kicking myself over it.

[Dudebro]

There's a lot of sim games I never tried. I'm a recent convert to PC gaming, only about 4-5 years or so. Before that I couldn't afford to play much besides Diablo on a friends PC. :(
Thankfully they ported a few sim city games to various consoles.

[joz]

Mario RPG was an awsome change to the series in my opinion. Dragonball also went from a Street Fighter format, then a Zelda type RPG and then finally with a 3D enviornment fighting format kind of like Megaman Legends. The 3D one is awsome. Megaman has tried a few different formats to which I have mixed feeling about. The Sims was super addictive and I really can't afford to get sucked into that world again.

---------- Post added at 09:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:00 AM ----------

MK also went out of it's fighting format with Sub Zero's Mythology

[samejamesbond]

I know a game that fits this category, Castlevania 2 on NES.

Imagine if Konami actually stopped making Symphony of the Night clones and made an original NES style Castlevania as a mainstream release.

They did:
YouTube - (First Look) Stage 1 - Castlevania ReBirth / ??????? ReBirth

[Slime Slayer]

Alot of these games mentioned dont apply, this guy is taliknig about a series of games, everyone here is talking about spinoffs and stuff.

[jim5cents]

Another 360 game that strayed from the source is Fallout3. The fallout series has rabid fans and they were unimpressed with the newest game. One site I check occasionally(NoMutantsAllowed) wouldn't even allow discussion of it, they're that against it.

i was going to bring up fallout 3. unlike the nomutantsallowed group, i actually like the game as a fps, the vats system, plus the amount of expansion they have put into the game.

that game was going to be made as a fps regardless, i.e. fallout:van buren, aside from the number of bugs, i think it is a really good game.

would it be considered straying for a game like the warcraft series into WoW?

[DrunkN]

Either way anything with Maxis makes with sim in the title is an instant classic..
Even Sim Sandwhich?

The only problem I really have with sequels is when they try to go for the same feel but change the engine entirely. Actraiser II and Mario Bros. II(fami) are good examples.

I like sequels that try to do something new, even if they aren't as good as the original, but I prefer to have both continued on. Zelda II is a good example but I'm bummed Nintendo didn't make another one like it. This also kind of says how I feel about 2D and 3D video games.

[Dudebro]

i was going to bring up fallout 3. unlike the nomutantsallowed group, i actually like the game as a fps, the vats system, plus the amount of expansion they have put into the game.

that game was going to be made as a fps regardless, i.e. fallout:van buren, aside from the number of bugs, i think it is a really good game.

would it be considered straying for a game like the warcraft series into WoW?
I also liked Fallout3 for what it was. I'm a huge fan of the series and the move to 3d and the 360 didn't bother me at all. I'd love to have another old school fallout but the chances of it being made are slim to none. The people at NMA are just die hard purists who can't see past their own nostalgia.

I would consider WoW a spin off of Warcraft. It's in the same universe but the games are so completely different that there's barely any connection besides the name and the backstory/characters. I just hope this doesn't mean we'll never see another RTS warcraft, those games are quality.

[fenrir1887]

I don't know too much about some of these, but even newer series like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty have produced games that scared their diehard fans. In Medal of Honor's case, that goes to Underground since it went straight to GBA.