Since the earliest days of the video game industry, sequels have been a divisive topic. Few can take issue with the prospect of playing another helping of their favorite games; and without sequels, many of the industry’s greatest works would not have become the franchises that we love today. But with the increasing reliance on followups, and the annualization of new IPs by many high-profile publishers, at what point do sequels become a detriment to gaming?
That is but one of the questions the Dojo staff will be tackling in our second issue of Volume 2. All week long, we’ll be turning our attention to gaming sequels, from the business behind annualization to what makes some sequels better than others. We’ll even save room for some bonus content as well, like the latest episode of our NintenBros. podcast, in which Sam and Dustin share their thoughts on the recent Smash Bros. Direct (in between their usual randomness). We hope you’ll find our followup issue as compelling as the followups we’ll be discussing this week!
Enjoy,
Kevin
Volume 2, Issue 2: The Sequel
Sunday
- Track of the Week: Witchyworld (Banjo-Tooie) by Kevin Knezevic
We kick off our week of sequels with a track from one of Rare’s best.
Monday
- What Makes a Good Sequel? by Jon Stevens
What is it that separates the best sequels from the rest? - News by Marc Deschamps
Tuesday
- Top Ten: Best Nintendo Sequels by Robin Wilde
Robin ranks Nintendo’s ten best followups. - News by Sam Stewart
Wednesday
- State of the Art: The Business of Annual Sequels by Andy Hoover
A look at the balance between the art and economics of making worthwhile sequels. - News by Robert Marrujo
Thursday
- Strange Seconds: Five Odd Sequels That Changed Their Franchises Forever by Sam Stewart
Sam takes a look at the strange second entries in many of Nintendo’s most prominent franchises, and how they influenced the course of their series. - News by Robin Wilde
Friday
- Gaming’s Forgotten Sequels by Anthony Pershkin
Anthony takes a look back at some of the sequels nobody remembers. - The Best Spider-Man Sequel (So Far) by Marc Deschamps
On the day of The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s theatrical release, Marc reflects on a GameCube classic: Spider-Man 2! - News by Kevin Knezevic
Saturday
- Week: End Game: On 05.03.2014 by Nintendojo Staff
The staff discuss which games they’ve been playing recently. - NintenBros. Episode 005: Super Smash WOAH!! by Dustin Grissom
The NintenBros make some time to talk about Kirby: Right Back At Ya! … Oh, and the Smash Bros. Direct, too!
Coming Up Next Issue…
Volume 2, Issue 3: Power Puff
In honor of the release of Kirby Triple Deluxe, the staff pay tribute to Nintendo’s heroic puffball.