Summer Games Challenge 2016

[Michi]

Alas. Yet another franchise that sounds like it suffered from the dreaded "sophomore slump."

Yep. I am now coining the phrase:

"More disappointing than the second entry in a JRPG franchise."

I approve.

[Sarge]

A notable exception being Shadow Hearts: Covenant.

[prfsnl_gmr]

A notable exception being Shadow Hearts: Covenant.

You got one! I was trying to think of some, but I drew a lot of blanks. Are there any others (i.e., JRPG franchises where the second game in the series is better than the first)?

[Exhuminator]

Some would argue Phantasy Star II trumps the first.

Some would argue Suikoden II trumps the first.

Some would argue Mother II trumps the first.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Ooohhhh the original Phantasy Star is so much better than the sequel.

Here's the dreaded number 2:

[prfsnl_gmr]

Some would argue Suikoden II trumps the first.

Some would argue Mother II trumps the first.

I might with these if I had played any games in the Mother or Suikoden series.

Phantasy Star is drastically better than Phantasy Star II, IMO, however.

Ooohhhh the original Phantasy Star is so much better than the sequel.

Here's the dreaded number 2:

I am one of the few people who likes Final Fantasy II, but even I admit that it is inferior to its predecessor.

[Sarge]

Mother 2 is absolutely better.

Hmm, I thought of another while I was posting, and now I've forgotten it. (Oh, wait, no I didn't!)

Let's see... second games that are potentially better than the first:

Lunar: Eternal Blue - The Sega CD version is one of my favorite RPGs of the era.
Shining Force II - I think it's better overall, but both are fantastic.
Arc the Lad II - Absolutely spectacular Shining Force-like. Blows the first out of the water.
Phantasy Star II - Yeah, I liked this one better.
Lufia II - Far superior to the first game, even if I did enjoy the original.
Final Fantasy Legend II - Wow. My favorite Game Boy RPG for sure. Big step up.
Breath of Fire II - Iffy localization aside, a splendid game in the series. The first is solid but unspectacular.
Persona: Innocent Sin / Eternal Punishment - Definitely more user-friendly than the first game.
SaGa Frontier 2 - This one is a little debatable, but I liked the sequel better as it felt more complete. SF1 is notoriously unfinished. (Also, this technically might not count, since it's part of the larger SaGa series.)
Star Ocean: Second Story - The best game in the entire series.
Dark Cloud 2 - Fun, but it does get old after a while. Still better than the original.
King's Field 2 - For Exhuminator. I'm sure he'd agree!
Summoner 2 - A fun action-RPG that has some KOTOR-ish elements.

Other stuff...

Shining the Holy Ark - If we want to make this count as a sequel to Shining in the Darkness, then it could work.
Golden Sun: The Lost Age - I question including this one, because it's basically Golden Sun: Second Chapter, kind of like Trails in the Sky.
Kingdom Hearts II - Assuming it counts, of course.

And I left a few off the list that are kinda dicey, or very close in quality. Looking through the games, though, it's really quite clear there is a sophomore slump effect, as I saw tons when I was flitting through lists that were real disappointments. Stuff like Chrono Cross ( @pierrot: ), Valkyrie Profile 2, KOTOR 2, and so on. (Even if I did like all those games I just listed!)

[Ack]

But what about Secret of Mana versus Final Fantasy Adventure?

[alienjesus]

But what about Secret of Mana versus Final Fantasy Adventure?

I like the first game more.

[Sarge]

I debated that one a lot, actually. I like both of them, and personally I think it's close enough for myself that I didn't include it. Most would probably say Mana is far superior, though.

Kinda like Grandia vs. Grandia II. Ask me on a particular day and I'll likely change which one I prefer.