Unless absolutely necessary, I aim to ignore reboots and not get bogged down with exploring franchises as a whole, as that will undermine primary theme.
EU - Europe
JPN - Japan
NA - North America
ntbcw - not to be confused with
Sometimes it's down to localisation, and Dynasty Warriors (ntbcw unrelated Capcom arcade Dynasty Wars), is a prime example.
Due to some asshole christening spin-off Shin Sangokumusō as Dynasty Warriors 2, all English titles are a number ahead of their Japanese counterparts, and trend is unlikely to ever fucking change.
That's where sympathy ends.
Rampage 2: Universal Tour is a sequel to World Tour, not original.
Quake II is not a sequel to Quake, as plot wise, Quake 4 is.
EU - Europe
JPN - Japan
NA - North America
ntbcw - not to be confused with
Sometimes it's down to localisation, and Dynasty Warriors (ntbcw unrelated Capcom arcade Dynasty Wars), is a prime example.
Due to some asshole christening spin-off Shin Sangokumusō as Dynasty Warriors 2, all English titles are a number ahead of their Japanese counterparts, and trend is unlikely to ever fucking change.
That's where sympathy ends.
Rampage 2: Universal Tour is a sequel to World Tour, not original.
Quake II is not a sequel to Quake, as plot wise, Quake 4 is.
Doom 64 is actually the sequel to Doom II. Doom 3 rebooted series and received its own sequel in 2016, simply titled Doom (another soft reboot).
Super Bomberman 3 doesn't follow 2, but is actually a remix of PC Engine effort Bomberman '94, which was later republished as Mega Bomberman for Mega Drive.
Bomberman 64: The Second Attack is a sequel to Bomberman 64 (1997), ntbcw 2001 Japanese only game (also called Bomberman 64).
Although never called so, Super Metroid is basically Metroid III. Metroid II: Return of Samus was remade for 3DS in 2017 as Metroid: Samus Returns.
Blood Roar 4 is the sequel to III, but Primal sandwiched inbetween ruined things.
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (ntbcw Red Alert 3), followed Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun.
At least Command & Conquer 4 is a sequel to Tiberium Wars.
Blood Omen 2 isn't a sequel to Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. Instead, it's set after and in an alternate timeline created by Soul Reaver 2.
Errr...
Killzone 2 is a direct sequel to Killzone: Liberation, not Killzone.
The Goonies II is a sequel to Famicom original, not film.
Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood and IV: Amakusa's Revenge are set after original, but before II.
Events in Sam V and controversial update Sam V Special (last ever official Neo Geo game) occur before 1993 original.
The impressive Samurai Shodown (2019) is best described as a soft reboot.
Privateer 2: The Darkening is not a storyline sequel, but spin-off to Wing Commander: Privateer.
Why did they drop WC brand? Who knows?
Shadow Warrior 2 is a sequel to 2013 reboot, not 1997 original.
Gauntlet II is the sequel to Gauntlet (1985), not Gauntlet (1988).
XCOM 2 is the sequel to 2012 reboot/remake XCOM: Enemy Unknown, not 1994 original.
Civilization IV: Colonization is a remake of Sid Meir's Colonization and separate to Civilization IV.
Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear follows Rainbow Six.
Medal of Honor: Warfighter is a sequel to 2010 reboot.
Silent Hill 3 is a bit of an odd one really, as it's assumed either the Good or Good+ ending was achieved in original, otherwise Harry's daughter Heather was never born.
Regardless, it's set 17 years later after Silent Hill.
Battlefield 2 is the follow up to Battlefield Vietnam and Vietnam is the expansion pack for Bad Company 2.
Sounding like the first, the badly titled Battlefield 1 was actually the fifteenth.
Battlefield V continued the WWI theme of its predecessor and is the only game of the modern era to currently have no DLC.
The sequel to Final Fantasy X was not XI: Online or XII, but actually X-2, and the first direct sequel in long-running series.
X-Men 2: The Clone Wars (1993) is the sequel to earlier Mega Drive original X-Men, not 1992 Konami arcade.
There was also another game of same name released in 1994 for Game Gear.
8 bit home computer pickings are slim, but whatever.
Jet Set Willy II: The Final Frontier moonlights as a new game, but just an expanded version of original.
Who Dares Wins is the motto of the SAS, which is also a 1982 film.
In 1985, we got Who Dares Wins II for C64, Speccy et al (predictably, jack shit to do with said film).
But what happened to...
Well it's quite an interesting story.
Original did exist (for literally a matter of days), but Elite (who owned the rights of converting Commando), got wind of WDW and gained an injunction to prevent it from being sold.
'Sequel' was essentially the same game, but with redesigned levels.
Interviews with designer Tomonobu Itagaki indicates the Xbox Ninja Gaiden games prequel NES series.
Rather amazingly, so does Ninja Gaiden Shadow on Game Boy.
The first three Professor Layton games (Curious Village, Diabolical Box and Unwound Future) later got their own prequel series (Last Specter, Miracle Mask and Azran Legacy).
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is the prequel to Quake II and Fire 'n Ice (known as Solomon's Key 2 in EU) is the prequel to Solomon's Key.
Perfect Dark (Game Boy Color) is set in 2022 and Perfect Dark Zero on 360 (remastered in 2010), takes place before GBC game in 2020.
N64 original was set in 2023.
The upcoming Descent (2019) is set in 2136, so prequels 1995 original (2169). Descent II and 3 followed each other.
Before moving on, I need to unload my Heavy Machine Gun.
Metal Slug 4 takes place one year after 3, but 5 occurs one year after 7. 6 is a month after 3 and 7 (and revised PSP version XX), takes place two years after 4.
Metal Slug (2006) is set two years after the original Metal Slug and before Metal Slug 2/X.
1st Mission and Metal Slug Advance are 'first' and 'last' games respectively.
Lovely.
Non-numbered prequels
Turok: Evolution
The Last of Us: Left Behind
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes
Halo: Reach
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Silent Hill: Origins
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
Baten Kaitos Origins
Resident Evil Zero
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Dead to Rights: Reckoning
Divinity: Original Sin
Batman: Arkham Origins
Assault Suits Valken
Super Bomberman 3 doesn't follow 2, but is actually a remix of PC Engine effort Bomberman '94, which was later republished as Mega Bomberman for Mega Drive.
Bomberman 64: The Second Attack is a sequel to Bomberman 64 (1997), ntbcw 2001 Japanese only game (also called Bomberman 64).
Although never called so, Super Metroid is basically Metroid III. Metroid II: Return of Samus was remade for 3DS in 2017 as Metroid: Samus Returns.
Blood Roar 4 is the sequel to III, but Primal sandwiched inbetween ruined things.
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (ntbcw Red Alert 3), followed Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun.
At least Command & Conquer 4 is a sequel to Tiberium Wars.
Blood Omen 2 isn't a sequel to Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. Instead, it's set after and in an alternate timeline created by Soul Reaver 2.
Errr...
Killzone 2 is a direct sequel to Killzone: Liberation, not Killzone.
The Goonies II is a sequel to Famicom original, not film.
Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood and IV: Amakusa's Revenge are set after original, but before II.
Events in Sam V and controversial update Sam V Special (last ever official Neo Geo game) occur before 1993 original.
The impressive Samurai Shodown (2019) is best described as a soft reboot.
Privateer 2: The Darkening is not a storyline sequel, but spin-off to Wing Commander: Privateer.
Why did they drop WC brand? Who knows?
Shadow Warrior 2 is a sequel to 2013 reboot, not 1997 original.
Gauntlet II is the sequel to Gauntlet (1985), not Gauntlet (1988).
XCOM 2 is the sequel to 2012 reboot/remake XCOM: Enemy Unknown, not 1994 original.
Civilization IV: Colonization is a remake of Sid Meir's Colonization and separate to Civilization IV.
Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear follows Rainbow Six.
Medal of Honor: Warfighter is a sequel to 2010 reboot.
Silent Hill 3 is a bit of an odd one really, as it's assumed either the Good or Good+ ending was achieved in original, otherwise Harry's daughter Heather was never born.
Regardless, it's set 17 years later after Silent Hill.
Battlefield 2 is the follow up to Battlefield Vietnam and Vietnam is the expansion pack for Bad Company 2.
Sounding like the first, the badly titled Battlefield 1 was actually the fifteenth.
Battlefield V continued the WWI theme of its predecessor and is the only game of the modern era to currently have no DLC.
The sequel to Final Fantasy X was not XI: Online or XII, but actually X-2, and the first direct sequel in long-running series.
X-Men 2: The Clone Wars (1993) is the sequel to earlier Mega Drive original X-Men, not 1992 Konami arcade.
There was also another game of same name released in 1994 for Game Gear.
8 bit home computer pickings are slim, but whatever.
Jet Set Willy II: The Final Frontier moonlights as a new game, but just an expanded version of original.
Who Dares Wins is the motto of the SAS, which is also a 1982 film.
In 1985, we got Who Dares Wins II for C64, Speccy et al (predictably, jack shit to do with said film).
But what happened to...
Well it's quite an interesting story.
Original did exist (for literally a matter of days), but Elite (who owned the rights of converting Commando), got wind of WDW and gained an injunction to prevent it from being sold.
'Sequel' was essentially the same game, but with redesigned levels.
Interviews with designer Tomonobu Itagaki indicates the Xbox Ninja Gaiden games prequel NES series.
Rather amazingly, so does Ninja Gaiden Shadow on Game Boy.
The first three Professor Layton games (Curious Village, Diabolical Box and Unwound Future) later got their own prequel series (Last Specter, Miracle Mask and Azran Legacy).
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is the prequel to Quake II and Fire 'n Ice (known as Solomon's Key 2 in EU) is the prequel to Solomon's Key.
Perfect Dark (Game Boy Color) is set in 2022 and Perfect Dark Zero on 360 (remastered in 2010), takes place before GBC game in 2020.
N64 original was set in 2023.
The upcoming Descent (2019) is set in 2136, so prequels 1995 original (2169). Descent II and 3 followed each other.
Before moving on, I need to unload my Heavy Machine Gun.
Metal Slug 4 takes place one year after 3, but 5 occurs one year after 7. 6 is a month after 3 and 7 (and revised PSP version XX), takes place two years after 4.
Metal Slug (2006) is set two years after the original Metal Slug and before Metal Slug 2/X.
1st Mission and Metal Slug Advance are 'first' and 'last' games respectively.
Lovely.
Non-numbered prequels
Turok: Evolution
The Last of Us: Left Behind
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes
Halo: Reach
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Silent Hill: Origins
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
Baten Kaitos Origins
Resident Evil Zero
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Dead to Rights: Reckoning
Divinity: Original Sin
Batman: Arkham Origins
Assault Suits Valken
Heroes of Mana
Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero
Not that you'd know it, but The Inpatient is set 60 years before Until Dawn.
Although set in the same universe, Art of Fighting prequels Fatal Fury. This is especially obvious when fighting young Geese (and hidden character) in Art of Fighting 2.
Numbered prequels
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Gargoyle's Quest II
Myth III: The Wolf Age (series is unrelated to 1989 text adventure and Myth: History in the Making)
Dark Reign 2
Sniper Elite III
Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
Lost Planet 3
Driver 76
Five Nights at Freddy's 2
Drakengard 3
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Mortal Kombat 4
Serious Sam 3: BFE
Yakuza 0
Fallout 76
Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir
Red Dead Redemption 2
Dead to Rights II
Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins
Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation
Sequel in name only
Breath of Fire III, IV and 6. Dragon Quarter only retained V in Japan.
Others include:
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented
Slayers Royal 2
Fighting Force 2
Red Steel 2
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 4: The Room
Alundra 2
Dino Crisis 3
King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder!
King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride
Clock Tower III
Layers of Fear 2
Multiple sequels
Perona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! and Spyro 2: Season of Flame
King Kong 2: Ikari no Megaton Punch and King Kong 2: Yomigaeru Densetsu
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8 bits) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive)
Serious Sam: The Second Encounter and Serious Sam 2
Samurai Shodown II and Samurai Shodown! 2
Space Invaders Part II and Space Invaders II
Double Dragon II: The Revenge and Double Dragon II
Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Frogger II: ThreeeDeep! and Frogger 2
Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge is a sequel to 1997 remake.
They also come in threes.
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter and Gauntlet III: The Final Quest
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair and Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap
Mega Drive original Wonder Boy in Monster World was known in Japan as Wonder Boy V: Monster World III.
What?
For once, title makes complete sense, as it's the fifth in main series and third in sub-series.
Unrelated sequels
In layman's terms, each were developed by a different company.
Strider II (1990) and Strider 2 (1999)
Dragon's Lair Part 2: Escape from Singe's Castle (1987) and Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp (1991)
Barbarian II: The Dungeons of Drax (1988) and Barbarian II (1991)
Fairly amusingly, there was another Barbarian in 2002, but wasn't a remake or reboot to either 1987 'original'. Instead, it was a Power Stone-esque 3D fighter.
Also, Strider was rebooted in 2014.
Misleading
After Turrican II: The Final Fight, shit got fucked up.
First there was Super Turrican (SNES) and a few months later, another different game of same name was brought for NES.
Super Turrican 2 was a direct sequel to SNES original (which obviously makes sense), but what the gyroscope?
With some enemy alterations, Turrican II on Mega Drive and Game Boy was re-branded as Universal Soldier.
When ported to Amiga, Mega Turrican was called Turrican 3: Payment Day.
Fourth game in the Double Dragon series was console exclusive Super Double Dragon (Return of Double Dragon in JPN).
Therefore, because previous game was not numbered, title of next game Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls (based on the 90s animated series), makes no fucking sense.
Modelled on NES ports and set shortly after the events of Double Dragon II: The Revenge, we did get a real Double Dragon IV, but not until 2017.
(Sigh).
The original Clock Tower appeared on Super Famicom in 1995.
Remake and/or sequel of sorts was released a year later for PS1 and because EU and NA called it Clock Tower, many thought it was the first game.
And rightly so.
In Japan, it was known as Clock Tower 2.
Clock Tower: The First Fear was a port of Super Fammy game and released for PS1 (1997) and Wonderswan (1999).
Japanese PS1 spin-off Clock Tower: Ghost Head was named Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within in NA and was never released in EU.
The excellent PC-Engine port of R-Type was released on two separate HuCards, awkwardly titled R-Type I (Stages 1-4) and R-Type II (Stages 5-8).
Title screens stating 'R-Type' and 'R-Type Part-2' contradict cover art.
Anyway, in order to play 'second half', one must beat Stage 4 and obtain mission code.
So if size constraints prevented entire game fitting on one card, then why the fuck did Turbo Grafx 16 version beg to differ?
Official arcade sequel Spy Hunter II bombed.
In 1992, things got more interesting.
Sunsoft ported NES version of Spy Hunter and obtained name rights from Bally Midway, leaving door ajar for another game. As it turns out, Super Spy Hunter was more an OTT remake than official sequel.
As a side note, Super SWIV was guilty of the same crime.
SpyHunter (2001) is a remake/reboot and sequel to 1983 original and got its own follow up SpyHunter 2 a year later.
And just for a laugh, series was rebooted AGAIN as just Spy Hunter in 2012.
Choplifter II: Rescue Survive was intially released exclusively for Game Boy in 1991 and Choplifter III came out for SNES in 1994.
One rather large problem exists.
Said Game Boy game was remade for Game Gear and perversely, also for Game Boy in 1994 as Choplifter III.
Air Combat is a 1992 arcade game, and received its own sequel Air Combat 22 (reffing Namco's Super System 22 hardware).
1995 PS1 game was also called Air Combat, but completely separate to arcade game and sequel.
The kick to the bollocks is that it's known as Ace Combat in JPN.
As subsequent games retained Japanese title, it begs the question why PS1 game wasn't called Ace Combat in EU and NA.
Bust a Move was released outside of JPN as Bust a Groove. Only trouble is, Puzzle Bobble went under the name of Bust-a-Move in NA.
Ha ha ha!
Puzzle Bobble 2 was called Bust-a-Move Again (sounding more like an update, rather than sequel).
As for the rest.
Puzzle Bobble 3 adopted several names:
Bust-a-Move 3 DX (EU)
Bust-a-Move 99 (NA)
Japanese N64 and PS1 ports were called Puzzle Bobble 64 and Puzzle Bobble 3 DX respectively.
For whatever reason, Puzzle Bobble 4 (Bust-a-Move 4) kept shit simple.
Super Puzzle Bobble was ported to the Gamecube in 2003 under three different titles:
Super Bust-A-Move All Stars (EU), Super Puzzle Bobble All Stars (JPN) and Bust-A-Move 3000 (NA).
But...
Another Super Puzzle Bobble (completely different to console entry of same name) was released exclusively for Japanese arcades in 1999.
Nine Circles of Hell
Mega Man (Limbo)
NES Game Boy
Mega Man (1987) N/A
Mega Man 2 (1988) Mega Man II (1991)
Mega Man 3 (1990) Mega Man III (1992)
Mega Man 4 (1991) Mega Man IV (1993)
Mega Man 5 (1992) Mega Man V (1994)
Mega Man 6 (1993) N/A
Yep, two different sets of games on two different systems.
In 1992, another Mega Man appeared exclusively for DOS in NA, which was followed by Mega Man 3: The Robots are Revolting.
There was no Mega Man 2 because of some bullshit about Bit Man looking too similar to Top Man on the box art for Mega Man 3 (NES).
Apart from giving licence to Hi-Tech Expressions, Capcom had no involvement with either game.
Metal Gear (Lust)
Ignoring Snake's Revenge, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake is considered the official sequel.
Metal Gear 3 never came to be.
Metal Gear Solid (ntbcw Game Boy Color outing Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, released outside of Japan under same name) set the benchmark.
Initially brought in 2004, MGS 3: Snake Eater prequels original.
Following in the stealthy footsteps of Integral and MGS: Substance, expanded version Subsistence came out in 2005.
Peace Walker snubs Portable Ops and serves as a direct sequel to Snake Eater.
MGS V: Ground Zeroes is set a few months after PW and a stand-alone prologue to MGS V: The Phantom Pain (marking Hideo Kojima's final work at Konami).
MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots is set 5 years after MGS 2: Sons of Liberty.
Aleste (Gluttony)
Original was developed for Master System and MSX2.
When released outside of Japan, MS game (renamed Power Strike), could only be purchased in America via mail order.
It would make sense for EU only Power Strike II to be a port of MSX2 JPN exclusive Aleste 2, but was actually a unique title, with Game Gear effort of same name (in EU at least), also different to console counterpart. In JPN, portable effort was called GG Aleste II: Lance Bird.
Super Famicom entry Super Aleste, (Space Megaforce for EU and NA), is probably what most know.
Contra (Greed)
Apart from North American C64 port, Contra was called Gryzor for home computers.
Many say title change was because of the Iran-Contra affair, but a more plausible theory is that game was named after surname of 'new' protagonist Lance, who has a twin brother Bill, who only appears in Amstrad CPC's title screen.
Weird stuff.
But now, it's all about Nintendo.
To bypass German censorship, NES port was famously renamed Probotector (a portmanteau of 'robot' and 'protector') in EU.
Appleseed-esque robots RC011 and RD008 replaced human sprites.
Arcade sequel Super Contra was renamed Super C for NA and JPN, and Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces (EU).
Irritatingly, first Game Boy outing had a different name for each region.
Operation C (NA), Contra (JPN) and Probotector (EU).
Epidemic spread to 1992 SNES classic.
Contra III: The Alien Wars (NA), Contra Spirits (JPN) and Super Probotector: Alien Rebels (EU).
For EU, Game Boy port was called Probotector 2, instantly confusing it with Super Contra's name in same region.
EU version of Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX on GBA was released under Contra brand without robot friends.
Mega Drive alternative set in 2641 (five years after The Alien Wars) was called...
Contra: Hard Corps (NA), Contra: The Hard Corps (JPN and wait for it, Probotector (EU).
Hard Corps: Uprising served as a prequel.
Final Fantasy (Anger)
1987 Famicom original was only ported to NES for NA in 1990.
But SNES (not Super Famicom) players were dealt a quite brilliant hand.
As sequel and Final Fantasy III remained exclusive to Famicom, Final Fantasy IV was called Final Fantasy II to avoid confusing NA.
Similarly, Final Fantasy VI was called Final Fantasy III.
For reasons unknown, they ignored V.
Subplots
Stand-alone beginners RPG Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (NA) was called Mystic Quest Legend (EU) and for JPN, the mouthful that was Final Fantasy USA Mystic Quest.
Mana
Seiken Dentetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden (JPN) began as a spin-off, so was re-branded as Final Fantasy Adventure in NA.
Game Boy original was remade twice, first as Sword of Mana (2003) and then as Adventures of Mana (2016).
SaGa
First slice of pie was translated as The Final Fantasy Legend for NA and never made it to EU.
For some reason, Final Fantasy Legend II and III (SaGa 2 and 3 respectively), ditched 'The' from title.
In Japan, the SaGa continued on Super Famicom as Romancing SaGa, and after 3, returned to NA as SaGa Frontier for PS1.
Castlevania (Heresy)
Following Vampire Killer and the bizarre Haunted Castle, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest was first true sequel.
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge is the sequel to Castlevania: The Adventure, so separate to NES sequel.
Known as Akumajō Dracula in JPN, Super Castlevania IV (EUR and NA) wasn't a sequel to NES prequel Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, but an all singing and dancing remake of original.
Akumajō Dracula (yet another remake) was released for X68000, and ported to the PS1 as Castlevania Chronicles.
Is there any fucking need?
Also, Castlevania Legends was originally a prequel to Dracula's Curse, but Koji Igarashi later removed entry from timeline.
Gradius (Violence)
Sorry, but the Vic Viper left me no Option.
When ported to numerous home computers (outside of JPN of course), it was called Nemesis.
MSX version (also called Nemesis) got its own sequel Nemesis 2 (unrelated to arcade sequel Gradius II).
Enhanced port Nemesis '90 Kai was exclusive to X68000.
There was more fun to be had on Game Boy, as portable powerhouse hosted another Nemesis, followed by:
Nemesis II (JPN), Nemesis II: The Return of the Hero (EU) and Gradius: The Interstellar Assault (NA).
In Konami GB Collection Vol. 1, Nemesis was called Gradius.
Similarly, sequel on Vol. 3 (Vol. 4 in EU), was named Gradius II: The Return of the Hero.
WHAT?
Zelda (Fraud)
Ignoring remakes and Oracle games, wonderful series isn't just taking the piss, it's having a Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda was followed by direct sequel Zelda II: The Adventures of Link.
But after that.
A Link to the Past - prequel to original.
Link's Awakening - sequel to prequel.
Ocarina of Time - prequel to A Link to the Past.
Majora's Mask - sequel to Ocarina.
A Link to the Past and Four Swords - multi-player only game is a prequel to Ocarina.
The Wind Waker - set in one of the parallel timelines after Ocarina.
Four Swords Adventures - set hundreds of years after Twilight Princess in the 'Child Timeline'.
The Minish Cap - prequel to Four Swords.
Twilight Princess - after Ocarina and Majora's Mask in an alternate timeline from The Wind Waker.
Phantom Hourglass - sequel to The Wind Waker.
Spirit Tracks - sequel to Phantom Hourglass.
Skyward Sword - set before The Minish Cap.
A Link Between Worlds - sequel to A Link to the Past.
Tri Force Heroes - sequel to A Link Between Worlds.
Breath of the Wild - suggested to take place at the end of every storyline branch.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?
I'll bet vital organs that untitled BOTW sequel won't be 'Zelda III'.
Bubble Bobble (Treachery)
My favourite, in a sick, sadistic way.
Arcade sequel was called Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2.
Who knows why, but title of NES game Rainbow Islands: Bubble Bobble 2 was shortened for EU.
But oh, oh BUT... oh.
Parasol Stars sounds like the result of a dangerous trip, but is actually Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands.
The Story of Rainbow Islands 2 (Atari ST, Amiga and NES)
The Story of Bubble Bobble III (PC Engine and Game Boy)
(Punches wall and boots nearest object).
Bubble Bobble Part 2 on NES and Game Boy were COMPLETELY different games, with the latter playing more like The New Zealand Story.
Bubble Symphony aka Bubble Bobble II was released in 1994, suggesting another alternative sequel to Bub Bob.
Next arcade 'sequel' was Bubble Memories: The Story of Bubble Bobble III.
I LOVE IT!
And just for a fucking laugh, Wonderswan got the unique Rainbow Islands: Putty's Party in 2000, with new female star (along with pixie-like creature Naughty) causing mischief.
As a side note, Bubby and Bobby cropped up during storyline.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is out this December on Switch.
Where will that fit in?
I dread to think.
Sequel in name only
Breath of Fire III, IV and 6. Dragon Quarter only retained V in Japan.
Others include:
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented
Slayers Royal 2
Fighting Force 2
Red Steel 2
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 4: The Room
Alundra 2
Dino Crisis 3
King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder!
King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride
Clock Tower III
Layers of Fear 2
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride and VI: Realms of Revelation is dubbed the Zenithian trilogy, due to flying castle Zenithia appearing in all three games, and completely separate to Erdrick trilogy.
VI is a prequel to IV and most recent entry XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, is a fucking prequel to III and chronologically the very first game.
And I'm not even getting into spin-offs and remakes (which contradict originals).
Multiple sequels
Perona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! and Spyro 2: Season of Flame
King Kong 2: Ikari no Megaton Punch and King Kong 2: Yomigaeru Densetsu
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8 bits) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive)
Serious Sam: The Second Encounter and Serious Sam 2
Samurai Shodown II and Samurai Shodown! 2
Space Invaders Part II and Space Invaders II
Double Dragon II: The Revenge and Double Dragon II
Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Frogger II: ThreeeDeep! and Frogger 2
Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge is a sequel to 1997 remake.
They also come in threes.
Gauntlet: The Third Encounter and Gauntlet III: The Final Quest
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair and Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap
Mega Drive original Wonder Boy in Monster World was known in Japan as Wonder Boy V: Monster World III.
What?
For once, title makes complete sense, as it's the fifth in main series and third in sub-series.
Unrelated sequels
In layman's terms, each were developed by a different company.
Strider II (1990) and Strider 2 (1999)
Dragon's Lair Part 2: Escape from Singe's Castle (1987) and Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp (1991)
Barbarian II: The Dungeons of Drax (1988) and Barbarian II (1991)
Fairly amusingly, there was another Barbarian in 2002, but wasn't a remake or reboot to either 1987 'original'. Instead, it was a Power Stone-esque 3D fighter.
Also, Strider was rebooted in 2014.
Misleading
After Turrican II: The Final Fight, shit got fucked up.
First there was Super Turrican (SNES) and a few months later, another different game of same name was brought for NES.
Super Turrican 2 was a direct sequel to SNES original (which obviously makes sense), but what the gyroscope?
With some enemy alterations, Turrican II on Mega Drive and Game Boy was re-branded as Universal Soldier.
When ported to Amiga, Mega Turrican was called Turrican 3: Payment Day.
Fourth game in the Double Dragon series was console exclusive Super Double Dragon (Return of Double Dragon in JPN).
Therefore, because previous game was not numbered, title of next game Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls (based on the 90s animated series), makes no fucking sense.
Modelled on NES ports and set shortly after the events of Double Dragon II: The Revenge, we did get a real Double Dragon IV, but not until 2017.
(Sigh).
The original Clock Tower appeared on Super Famicom in 1995.
Remake and/or sequel of sorts was released a year later for PS1 and because EU and NA called it Clock Tower, many thought it was the first game.
And rightly so.
In Japan, it was known as Clock Tower 2.
Clock Tower: The First Fear was a port of Super Fammy game and released for PS1 (1997) and Wonderswan (1999).
Japanese PS1 spin-off Clock Tower: Ghost Head was named Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within in NA and was never released in EU.
The excellent PC-Engine port of R-Type was released on two separate HuCards, awkwardly titled R-Type I (Stages 1-4) and R-Type II (Stages 5-8).
Title screens stating 'R-Type' and 'R-Type Part-2' contradict cover art.
Anyway, in order to play 'second half', one must beat Stage 4 and obtain mission code.
So if size constraints prevented entire game fitting on one card, then why the fuck did Turbo Grafx 16 version beg to differ?
Official arcade sequel Spy Hunter II bombed.
In 1992, things got more interesting.
Sunsoft ported NES version of Spy Hunter and obtained name rights from Bally Midway, leaving door ajar for another game. As it turns out, Super Spy Hunter was more an OTT remake than official sequel.
As a side note, Super SWIV was guilty of the same crime.
SpyHunter (2001) is a remake/reboot and sequel to 1983 original and got its own follow up SpyHunter 2 a year later.
And just for a laugh, series was rebooted AGAIN as just Spy Hunter in 2012.
Choplifter II: Rescue Survive was intially released exclusively for Game Boy in 1991 and Choplifter III came out for SNES in 1994.
One rather large problem exists.
Said Game Boy game was remade for Game Gear and perversely, also for Game Boy in 1994 as Choplifter III.
Air Combat is a 1992 arcade game, and received its own sequel Air Combat 22 (reffing Namco's Super System 22 hardware).
1995 PS1 game was also called Air Combat, but completely separate to arcade game and sequel.
The kick to the bollocks is that it's known as Ace Combat in JPN.
As subsequent games retained Japanese title, it begs the question why PS1 game wasn't called Ace Combat in EU and NA.
Bust a Move was released outside of JPN as Bust a Groove. Only trouble is, Puzzle Bobble went under the name of Bust-a-Move in NA.
Ha ha ha!
Puzzle Bobble 2 was called Bust-a-Move Again (sounding more like an update, rather than sequel).
As for the rest.
Puzzle Bobble 3 adopted several names:
Bust-a-Move 3 DX (EU)
Bust-a-Move 99 (NA)
Japanese N64 and PS1 ports were called Puzzle Bobble 64 and Puzzle Bobble 3 DX respectively.
For whatever reason, Puzzle Bobble 4 (Bust-a-Move 4) kept shit simple.
Super Puzzle Bobble was ported to the Gamecube in 2003 under three different titles:
Super Bust-A-Move All Stars (EU), Super Puzzle Bobble All Stars (JPN) and Bust-A-Move 3000 (NA).
But...
Another Super Puzzle Bobble (completely different to console entry of same name) was released exclusively for Japanese arcades in 1999.
Nine Circles of Hell
Mega Man (Limbo)
NES Game Boy
Mega Man (1987) N/A
Mega Man 2 (1988) Mega Man II (1991)
Mega Man 3 (1990) Mega Man III (1992)
Mega Man 4 (1991) Mega Man IV (1993)
Mega Man 5 (1992) Mega Man V (1994)
Mega Man 6 (1993) N/A
Yep, two different sets of games on two different systems.
In 1992, another Mega Man appeared exclusively for DOS in NA, which was followed by Mega Man 3: The Robots are Revolting.
There was no Mega Man 2 because of some bullshit about Bit Man looking too similar to Top Man on the box art for Mega Man 3 (NES).
Apart from giving licence to Hi-Tech Expressions, Capcom had no involvement with either game.
Metal Gear (Lust)
Ignoring Snake's Revenge, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake is considered the official sequel.
Metal Gear 3 never came to be.
Metal Gear Solid (ntbcw Game Boy Color outing Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, released outside of Japan under same name) set the benchmark.
Initially brought in 2004, MGS 3: Snake Eater prequels original.
Following in the stealthy footsteps of Integral and MGS: Substance, expanded version Subsistence came out in 2005.
Peace Walker snubs Portable Ops and serves as a direct sequel to Snake Eater.
MGS V: Ground Zeroes is set a few months after PW and a stand-alone prologue to MGS V: The Phantom Pain (marking Hideo Kojima's final work at Konami).
MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots is set 5 years after MGS 2: Sons of Liberty.
Aleste (Gluttony)
Original was developed for Master System and MSX2.
When released outside of Japan, MS game (renamed Power Strike), could only be purchased in America via mail order.
It would make sense for EU only Power Strike II to be a port of MSX2 JPN exclusive Aleste 2, but was actually a unique title, with Game Gear effort of same name (in EU at least), also different to console counterpart. In JPN, portable effort was called GG Aleste II: Lance Bird.
Super Famicom entry Super Aleste, (Space Megaforce for EU and NA), is probably what most know.
Contra (Greed)
Apart from North American C64 port, Contra was called Gryzor for home computers.
Many say title change was because of the Iran-Contra affair, but a more plausible theory is that game was named after surname of 'new' protagonist Lance, who has a twin brother Bill, who only appears in Amstrad CPC's title screen.
Weird stuff.
But now, it's all about Nintendo.
To bypass German censorship, NES port was famously renamed Probotector (a portmanteau of 'robot' and 'protector') in EU.
Appleseed-esque robots RC011 and RD008 replaced human sprites.
Arcade sequel Super Contra was renamed Super C for NA and JPN, and Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces (EU).
Irritatingly, first Game Boy outing had a different name for each region.
Operation C (NA), Contra (JPN) and Probotector (EU).
Epidemic spread to 1992 SNES classic.
Contra III: The Alien Wars (NA), Contra Spirits (JPN) and Super Probotector: Alien Rebels (EU).
For EU, Game Boy port was called Probotector 2, instantly confusing it with Super Contra's name in same region.
EU version of Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX on GBA was released under Contra brand without robot friends.
Mega Drive alternative set in 2641 (five years after The Alien Wars) was called...
Contra: Hard Corps (NA), Contra: The Hard Corps (JPN and wait for it, Probotector (EU).
Hard Corps: Uprising served as a prequel.
Final Fantasy (Anger)
1987 Famicom original was only ported to NES for NA in 1990.
But SNES (not Super Famicom) players were dealt a quite brilliant hand.
As sequel and Final Fantasy III remained exclusive to Famicom, Final Fantasy IV was called Final Fantasy II to avoid confusing NA.
Similarly, Final Fantasy VI was called Final Fantasy III.
For reasons unknown, they ignored V.
Subplots
Stand-alone beginners RPG Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (NA) was called Mystic Quest Legend (EU) and for JPN, the mouthful that was Final Fantasy USA Mystic Quest.
Mana
Seiken Dentetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden (JPN) began as a spin-off, so was re-branded as Final Fantasy Adventure in NA.
Game Boy original was remade twice, first as Sword of Mana (2003) and then as Adventures of Mana (2016).
SaGa
First slice of pie was translated as The Final Fantasy Legend for NA and never made it to EU.
For some reason, Final Fantasy Legend II and III (SaGa 2 and 3 respectively), ditched 'The' from title.
In Japan, the SaGa continued on Super Famicom as Romancing SaGa, and after 3, returned to NA as SaGa Frontier for PS1.
Castlevania (Heresy)
Following Vampire Killer and the bizarre Haunted Castle, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest was first true sequel.
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge is the sequel to Castlevania: The Adventure, so separate to NES sequel.
Known as Akumajō Dracula in JPN, Super Castlevania IV (EUR and NA) wasn't a sequel to NES prequel Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, but an all singing and dancing remake of original.
Akumajō Dracula (yet another remake) was released for X68000, and ported to the PS1 as Castlevania Chronicles.
Is there any fucking need?
Also, Castlevania Legends was originally a prequel to Dracula's Curse, but Koji Igarashi later removed entry from timeline.
Gradius (Violence)
Sorry, but the Vic Viper left me no Option.
When ported to numerous home computers (outside of JPN of course), it was called Nemesis.
MSX version (also called Nemesis) got its own sequel Nemesis 2 (unrelated to arcade sequel Gradius II).
Enhanced port Nemesis '90 Kai was exclusive to X68000.
There was more fun to be had on Game Boy, as portable powerhouse hosted another Nemesis, followed by:
Nemesis II (JPN), Nemesis II: The Return of the Hero (EU) and Gradius: The Interstellar Assault (NA).
In Konami GB Collection Vol. 1, Nemesis was called Gradius.
Similarly, sequel on Vol. 3 (Vol. 4 in EU), was named Gradius II: The Return of the Hero.
WHAT?
Zelda (Fraud)
Ignoring remakes and Oracle games, wonderful series isn't just taking the piss, it's having a Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda was followed by direct sequel Zelda II: The Adventures of Link.
But after that.
A Link to the Past - prequel to original.
Link's Awakening - sequel to prequel.
Ocarina of Time - prequel to A Link to the Past.
Majora's Mask - sequel to Ocarina.
A Link to the Past and Four Swords - multi-player only game is a prequel to Ocarina.
The Wind Waker - set in one of the parallel timelines after Ocarina.
Four Swords Adventures - set hundreds of years after Twilight Princess in the 'Child Timeline'.
The Minish Cap - prequel to Four Swords.
Twilight Princess - after Ocarina and Majora's Mask in an alternate timeline from The Wind Waker.
Phantom Hourglass - sequel to The Wind Waker.
Spirit Tracks - sequel to Phantom Hourglass.
Skyward Sword - set before The Minish Cap.
A Link Between Worlds - sequel to A Link to the Past.
Tri Force Heroes - sequel to A Link Between Worlds.
Breath of the Wild - suggested to take place at the end of every storyline branch.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?
I'll bet vital organs that untitled BOTW sequel won't be 'Zelda III'.
Bubble Bobble (Treachery)
My favourite, in a sick, sadistic way.
Arcade sequel was called Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2.
Who knows why, but title of NES game Rainbow Islands: Bubble Bobble 2 was shortened for EU.
But oh, oh BUT... oh.
Parasol Stars sounds like the result of a dangerous trip, but is actually Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands.
The Story of Rainbow Islands 2 (Atari ST, Amiga and NES)
The Story of Bubble Bobble III (PC Engine and Game Boy)
(Punches wall and boots nearest object).
Bubble Bobble Part 2 on NES and Game Boy were COMPLETELY different games, with the latter playing more like The New Zealand Story.
Bubble Symphony aka Bubble Bobble II was released in 1994, suggesting another alternative sequel to Bub Bob.
Next arcade 'sequel' was Bubble Memories: The Story of Bubble Bobble III.
I LOVE IT!
And just for a fucking laugh, Wonderswan got the unique Rainbow Islands: Putty's Party in 2000, with new female star (along with pixie-like creature Naughty) causing mischief.
As a side note, Bubby and Bobby cropped up during storyline.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is out this December on Switch.
Where will that fit in?
I dread to think.
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