I know, I know, the answer is probably "most of them" 
(because unlike movies, the second game in a series usually takes the winning formula of the first and tweaks it to perfection; whether that follows for multiple games remains in doubt).
But I was wondering, I guess, which game sequels do you think are among the best at this?
I was inspired to this line of thinking by the realization recently that I think Ms Pac-Man is on the whole a more satisfying game than Pac-Man. It doesn't mess with the fundamentals too much, but it makes improvements (like multiple screen exits) and generally tidies up the gameplay a bit.
Another one that springs to mind is Tomb Raider. The original Tomb Raider was great, but the sequel added exterior scenes and this led to a general widening of what the game world can do. Really, each Tomb Raider was technically better than the last, but it just fell victim to falling further and further behind as technology advanced and they were still using the same game engine five years later.
I remain unsure if Quake II is really better than Quake. I liked the original Quake's gothic/tech mixture in the level design, and found Quake II's antagonists had less variety. Doom 2 on the other hand is generally a better all-round game than Doom, largely because of it's devious levels and vastly expanded roster of enemies. Going back and playing the original Doom after the sequel always made me feel that Doom was like a prototype and that Doom 2 was the real deal.
What say you, fellow gamers?
(because unlike movies, the second game in a series usually takes the winning formula of the first and tweaks it to perfection; whether that follows for multiple games remains in doubt).But I was wondering, I guess, which game sequels do you think are among the best at this?
I was inspired to this line of thinking by the realization recently that I think Ms Pac-Man is on the whole a more satisfying game than Pac-Man. It doesn't mess with the fundamentals too much, but it makes improvements (like multiple screen exits) and generally tidies up the gameplay a bit.
Another one that springs to mind is Tomb Raider. The original Tomb Raider was great, but the sequel added exterior scenes and this led to a general widening of what the game world can do. Really, each Tomb Raider was technically better than the last, but it just fell victim to falling further and further behind as technology advanced and they were still using the same game engine five years later.
I remain unsure if Quake II is really better than Quake. I liked the original Quake's gothic/tech mixture in the level design, and found Quake II's antagonists had less variety. Doom 2 on the other hand is generally a better all-round game than Doom, largely because of it's devious levels and vastly expanded roster of enemies. Going back and playing the original Doom after the sequel always made me feel that Doom was like a prototype and that Doom 2 was the real deal.
What say you, fellow gamers?
