When a game does well, it launches a franchise (usually), and when the franchise does well, it can lead to spinoffs. These are games related by their characters, settings, or overall mechanics, and sometimes they outshine their predecessors. It doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, it’s notable. A superior spinoff doesn’t necessarily mean the OG isn’t a great title — it is, or the spinoff would never have been developed. That said, a superior spinoff tends to refine the formula, improve in several ways, and offer an overall better playing experience than whatever came before. These spinoffs certainly fit that description, and they’re arranged in no particular order.
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1) The Sims
Back in 1989, Will Wright developed and released his city-building simulation game, SimCity, and a franchise was born. The games were incredibly popular throughout the 1990s and continue to be available today on numerous devices. It didn’t take long for spinoffs to come out, and among them, The Sims, released in 2000, is easily the most successful. After a very short time on the market, The Sims rose in popularity, overshadowing its successor, and nowadays more development has gone into the new franchise than into the older one. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, seeing as The Sims is basically reality TV in computer game form, and that format of television began taking off around the same time.
2) Mega Man X
When Mega Man launched on the Nintendo Entertainment System, it bombed. Fortunately, Capcom allowed for a sequel, and Mega Man 2 became the franchise’s biggest hit for many years. There have been several spinoff series released after the initial mainline Mega Man games, and of the many out there, Mega Man X is arguably better than its predecessor. The spinoffs featured better graphics, more movement options with better controls, a well-constructed plot, and better music. Mega Man X essentially took everything great about Mega Man and dialed it up to 11, ensuring it continued for years and entertained millions of players worldwide.
3) World of Warcraft
There’s no denying that the original Warcraft game, 1994’s Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, is one of the most important RTS games ever made. It’s fun, innovative, and addictive. Blizzard Entertainment released several sequels but ultimately moved into a different direction with its massively popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft, first released in 2004. From there, the Warcraft franchise no longer needed RTS gameplay, as the MMORPG continued to receive updates, expansions, and tweaks for decades. It’s one of the most important games of the 21st century, and has been highly influential over the genre, not to mention it’s far more complex and popular than its predecessors.
4) Donkey Kong Country
The original Donkey Kong, released in 1981, is one of the most important video games in the industry’s history. It legitimately saved Nintendo from bankruptcy, created the platformer genre, and launched a franchise. The game is a classic and outstanding, but its spin-off series, Donkey Kong Country, is so much better. While it’s also a platformer, Donkey Kong Country reinvented its lead into a hero, not a villain. It also includes a stellar story, excellent gameplay mechanics, cutting-edge graphics, and is one of the best games ever made. It’s easily the best Donkey Kong game, and it left its predecessor in the dust long ago.
5) Portal
The original Half-Life games are incredibly innovative and important in video game history, launching Valve as an industry leader and producing some of the best games ever made. While excellent, their spinoff series, Portal, is better refined, edgier, and offers gameplay mechanics that set it apart from its predecessor. It features better controls and intricate puzzles that require a portal gun to navigate its complex 3D world. Unfortunately, like Half-Life, Valve isn’t in the habit of adding new titles to its franchises, so there aren’t many games, but what is available is absolutely outstanding.
What’s your favorite spinoff that is better than the original? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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