Top Ten: Disappointing Sequels

The biggest sequel disappointments that have ever hit Nintendo consoles!

By Robert Marrujo. Posted 08/13/2014 12:00 7 Comments     ShareThis

1) Metroid: Other M

Released: Wii, 2010

A lot of the sequels featured on this list missed the mark in numerous ways, but Metroid: Other M is distinct from the rest in that its biggest failing was its portrayal of Samus Aran. The tough as nails bounty hunter had spent the better part of twenty years as a force to be reckoned with. She was no-nonsense, intimidating, and utterly cool. What was more, she was one of the greatest female characters in the video game industry. Of all the things to tweak in a video game sequel, characterization is usually at the bottom of the list. When Nintendo set to work on Other M with Metroid creator Yoshio Sakamoto and Team Ninja in tow, no one knew how big of a blunder the company was going to make.

Retro Studios had firmly established Metroid as a viable first-person experience, but Nintendo wanted to court casual players by introducing a simplified control scheme and a switch to third-person. Other M succeeded in simplifying the controls, for the most part, but the game would have benefited greatly from the addition of an analogue control stick. While certainly playable, it was when the cinema scenes started to roll that the real issue crept up. Samus had devolved into an unsure and timid hero, and fans balked. In a single game, Nintendo pulverized Samus as a character, and the franchise has been in the shadows ever since. It’s probably one of the most disappointing sequels to ever grace a Nintendo console.


Any sequels that left you high and dry? Disagree with any of the choices on this list? Speak and be heard in the comments!

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7 Responses to “Top Ten: Disappointing Sequels”

  • 819 points
    Toadlord says...

    Warrior Within SO HARD. I’ve blasted the game on here before, so I won’t retread my old posts, but I completely agree with its inclusion. Their desire to go “hardcore” with the sequel ultimately hurt the final product.

  • 745 points
    OG75 says...

    Warrior Within is pathetic! At least “Two Thrones” was an attempt to right the ship.

    Great list Robert! I completely agree with number 1. While I enjoyed the gameplay, I wasn’t a fan of the story.

    My own personal list would look quite similar. However it would include Phantom Hourglass in place of Spirit Tracks as my personal tastes lean toward the rails rather than the sails.

    Besides Other M and Warrior Within, the sequel that let me down the most was New Super Mario 2. Your description of “autopilot” is spot on.

    I might also include Kid Icarus: Myths & Monsters (yeah, I’m old school.)

    Also, I’d definitely put Paper Mario: Sticker Star on there.

    I would also put Zombi-U2 on here (This game only exists in my fantasy, but there’s no way it lives up to part one!)

    Some others (sorry I’m veering out of Nintendo territory here)
    Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2
    Metal Gear Sons of Liberty (still not a Raiden fan)
    Any Resident Evil after 4
    Any Final Fantasy after 12
    Mass Effect 3 (the ending “ended” my enthusiasm)
    Any Splinter Cell after Chaos Theory
    Rygar: Battle of Argus (NES Rygar is one of my favorites.)

    Lastly, I might include the story about Conduit 2’s twist ending….if I were making a list of my top ten favorite moments in gaming!

  • 784 points
    Marc Deschamps says...

    Some great picks on this list. Agreed so much on DKC3. Also, I intentionally skipped Return to Dreamland and NSMB2 for exactly the reasons you stated. Loved NSMB and Epic Yarn, but felt no real tug towards the follow-ups.

  • 1291 points
    Robert Marrujo says...

    Thanks, everyone; Toadlord, totally agree, OG75, haha, Zombi-U2, and Marc, I can’t do the skipping, man, I suffer through it all, lol. NSMB2 always makes me sad, though I definitely don’t hate it.

  • 3 points
    Link555 says...

    It is a crime against humanity that Act Raiser 2 was not on this list.

    Act Raiser was one of my favorite games on the SNES. Part 2 eliminated the overworld strategy part and was a huge flop. Never has there been a worst sequel to such a great game.

  • 267 points
    decoupage says...

    The coin thing was a bit of a cheap gimmick, but I enjoyed NSMB2; my only other difference of opinion is Spirit Tracks, which I enjoyed all the way until the end (the last bit of the tower was obnoxious). My main reason for liking both of those games was they made me smile; between the fun, familiar platforming of NSMB2, and the toot toot of the train whistle (I’m in my 30s, but still a child at heart), I enjoyed almost every minute with those two games.

  • 690 points
    KisakiProject says...

    I gotta disagree hard on 2 of these. I actually liked Conduit 2. It felt like a throw back to Halo 2 and early 2000s console FPS. I spent a lot of time online with it.

    Spirit Tracks is one of my favorite Zeldas. First off the incredible interaction between Zelda and Link is unmatched in any other Zelda. Secondly, the dungeon puzzles were some of the coolest in the game. Third, the music is probably the best in the series. That tribal pan flute does it for me. Also I am a sucker for model trains.

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