You know the moment; that moment when you finish playing a game so awesome that you can’t wait for the next entry in the series. You scour the Internet looking for even the slightest rumor of a sequel just to satisfy your craving. Whether it’s a game that deserves a current/next-gen remake or one that simply left us hanging, we all have them. With that said, here are a few that deserve another shot.
Persona
Okay I just had to get this one out of the way. In a sea of JRPGs that follow the same, tired, Final Fantasy formula, the Persona series stands out for being different. The storylines are original and engaging. You are a high school student who must balance schoolwork, clubs, friendships and battles with shadow. Not only that, but the series isn’t afraid to evolve and add new gameplay elements. The series has gone from negotiating with enemies for items to adding a Social Link system to strengthen your Persona. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this series. Atlus has been beating around the Persona 5 bush for years. It’s time for a current-gen release, not Catherine, not Arena (though I love the former and expect the latter to be awesome), but Persona 5. You can’t distract us forever! Ooh shiny things!
Fighting Force
Why does this game deserve a sequel? Co-op mode! These days, local co-op seems to be a long lost relic in gaming. While I love having the ability to play with people all over the world, what about the people right there with you on the couch? Sometimes you just want to play a beat ‘em up fighter with a bunch of friends. It’s about as close as you can come to the old Konami games without having to hunt down an actual arcade.
Fighting Force, which originally started off as Streets of Rage 4, had a sequel, but it went far off the mark as it was a one-player game. The third installment in the franchise was being developed for Playstation 2 and Xbox, but was cancelled. A third game could return the game to its roots. It could mean a return to beating bad guys with crowbars and eating food power-ups off the floor. It could actually have—gasp—a story! In addition, the series is old enough to be recognized, but new enough to garner excitement for another. This is definitely a genre that I would love to see make a triumphant return.
ToeJam & Earl
The latest installment in this series appeared on the Xbox in 2002, but the games were at their best on the Sega Genesis. The games parodied hip-hop and urban culture and featured a funkadelic soundtrack that would make George Clinton jealous. The original games were hilarious, but are now severely dated. The character designs and dialogue are deeply rooted in the ‘90s; a far-away land plagued with parachute pants, backwards hats, and gold medallions.
A modern spin on the game that incorporates today’s hip-hop music/slang and satirizes it would be a stroke of pure genius. Imagine our favorite aliens having to do battle with auto-tuned earthlings or having another alien “teach them how to dougie.” The possibilities are endless and the game could go in a number of directions. Whether it is a treasure hunter, a platformer, or something different altogether; this is one duo that deserves another chance. Note that I said duo, that Latisha chick from the third game needs to go.
Road Rash
Remember Road Rash? You know, that totally sweet motorcycle racing game from the 90’s with a rocking soundtrack that featured licensed music from major recording artists, such as Soundgarden. Yeah I though you did. The original games have the player compete in illegal road races for cash that can be used to buy better, faster bikes. During these races, the player can knock other racers into oncoming traffic or beat them silly with their fists or a myriad of different weapons. Now imagine all that in HD with local co-op and online multiplayer in the style of Mario Kart Wii. A new game could even add the ability to customize your racer, make modifications to the tracks, and to form a crew with your friends—emblem and all! So here’s to hoping for a new entry in the series. In the meantime, I’ll be making some rad custom leather jackets for my crew.
The Legend of Dragoon
The Legend of Dragoon was a RPG developed by Sony Computer Entertainment for the Playstation back in 2000. It was a massive project that was 3 years in the making and had a team of over 100 members. The story spanned across four discs which, back then, pretty much made for a super epic story. The game itself is steeped in lore about dragons, winglies and dragoons; humans who harness the power and soul of dragons. Eat your heart out Skyrim! However, outside of this larger story is a smaller one full of loyalty, revenge, love and friendship. The characters are likeable and full of depth. The developers further added to this rich environment with state-of-the-art graphics (for the time period) and a unique battle system. In order to land special moves you had to press the attack button at the right moment to complete the combo. Similarly, the damage of attack items could be increased depending on how fast you could mash the attack button in a given time frame.
The game was a cult success and fans of the series have been asking for a sequel or prequel for quite some time now. Personally, I would love to see a RPG that relies more on story than on graphics. A prequel would be ideal as it would be familiar territory for older players and less intimidating to newer players.
Sadly, we came so close to having a sequel to The Legend of Dragoon. It was recently revealed that a sequel was in development in Japan, but was cancelled for unknown reasons. It appears that the game’s recent release on the PSN will have to be enough for now for its hungry fans. The chance for another entry is low, but it’s fun to dream.
Well, that concludes our look at games that deserve some current or next gen love. Many of these games are far from perfect, but that’s part of the fun. There are always ways to improve upon even the most enjoyable games. So if you had a precious 1UP mushroom, which game would you give it to?
