The entertainment industry is rife with endless sequels and prequels that look to get as much mileage as possible from well-worn brands and franchises. This is in evidence everywhere you look, be it on streaming platforms like Netflix, at your local movie theatre, or in the music charts.
This is because bean counters at top entertainment conglomerates have worked out that regurgitating old content is the most cost-effective way of turning a profit.
That said, there are some sequels and prequels that do surprise fans, occasionally managing to even surpass the joy that the original brought them. Here we look at those online gaming sequels and prequels that defied expectations to become their franchise’s shining light.
Classic Games That Got Major Upgrades
Some of the online games that have undergone the most drastic changes over time are those classic games of the past that, having been fine-tuned over the centuries, then have the same done to them by online games developers and providers.
Some of the best examples include the likes of chess, 3 card brag, and backgammon, all of which have undergone serious changes. Chess has been sped up for a younger generation who are falling in love with the game all over again despite having shorter attention spans than their predecessors. The casino game 3 card brag has also had many of its key features tweaked so that live gaming studios can offer the game to players in real time. Then there is backgammon which, despite being one of the oldest games in existence, has been given the online treatment, so that players can compete in leader board competitions, gain bonuses for playing flawlessly and connect with people from around the globe. This is a whole lot more than just the classic 1-on-1 version of the game that offline players still enjoy to this day.
Modern Classics Whose Sequels Stole the Limelight
To be considered a classic a game can either have incredible longevity or become so embedded in the consciousness of the public at large that its impact will be felt for generations to come. Such is the case with modern classics like The Legend of Zelda, Street Fighter, and Fallout, all of which boast sequels that changed gaming as we know it.
The best Zelda game ever made was undoubtedly The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, not only because of how expansive and ground-breaking it was at the time but because all future Zelda games owed a debt of gratitude to the iteration that was released all the way back in 1991.
It goes without saying that Street Fighter 2 was and is the best version of this 1-on-1 combat game, that had people all over the world bashing buttons and yanking joysticks at arcades and on home console systems. The game still stands up today, with many new and more graphically impressive games drawing plenty of inspiration from the original, that also happened to be released in 1991. That was a seriously good year for video games!
Finally, there is the Fallout series of games, which began life on the PC. However, it was only when Fallout 3 was released for consoles that the game hit the big time. Like many other groundbreaking titles, Fallout 3 was the basis upon which all subsequent games in the series have been based, as fans hark back to those heady days when they first set eyes on the outrageously imaginative and innovative open world setting of Fallout 3. Indeed, the series is still going strong with Bethesda due to release Fallout 76 Expeditions: The Pitt at some point in 2022. There will no doubt be more Fallout games released throughout the decade and beyond.