Spinoff games more popular than the main series

[Jmustang1968]

I was with you until PSO and Phantasy Star...

[BogusMeatFactory]

I was with you until PSO and Phantasy Star...

Well now...I wouldn't personally say that it was true, but others would. I am a traditionalist in that sense... although Phantasy Star Online Episode III C.A.R.D. Battle is spectacular!

[casterofdreams]

With all this Megaman talk I want to suggest the Megaman Battle Network Series. I am a bit confused with the whole genre requirements as I've read the previous posts, but at one point Capcom was throwing out a bunch of these games in a short amount of time compared to more traditional Megaman games. We are looking at six games on the GBA (3, 4, and 6 we're dual version releases; 5 was dual released on the GBA and a third on the DS I think). Then that spun off into the Megaman Starforce series on the DS.

We're these games more popular than the main series? I don't know. I've played a couple of games in the series and when I think of Megaman on the GBA, I think of BN over Zero and Bass.

[Xeogred]

With all this Megaman talk I want to suggest the Megaman Battle Network Series. I am a bit confused with the whole genre requirements as I've read the previous posts, but at one point Capcom was throwing out a bunch of these games in a short amount of time compared to more traditional Megaman games. We are looking at six games on the GBA (3, 4, and 6 we're dual version releases; 5 was dual released on the GBA and a third on the DS I think). Then that spun off into the Megaman Starforce series on the DS.

We're these games more popular than the main series? I don't know. I've played a couple of games in the series and when I think of Megaman on the GBA, I think of BN over Zero and Bass.

No way they're more popular. But yeah, it's the one branch I still need to check out for Mega Man!

I think most here know me well enough by now, but to clarify about my joke a few posts ago I just love ALL Mega Man. NES Mega Man is my favorite overall. But you're basically just comparing equal bricks of gold.

[emwearz]

While I am sure most people here would hold Rayman to a much higher standard than the Rabbids series, there is no doubt it is more "popular" in both sales and titles (well over 10 games) with the latest release on Switch being the highest selling 3rd party game.

While it has little to do with Rayman now, the first few games were called Rayman Raving Rabbids and featured Rayman, once the series outgrew the need for the Rayman name (and character) to draw attention, they dropped it all together.

[PartridgeSenpai]

While I am sure most people here would hold Rayman to a much higher standard than the Rabbids series, there is no doubt it is more "popular" in both sales and titles (well over 10 games) with the latest release on Switch being the highest selling 3rd party game.

While it has little to do with Rayman now, the first few games were called Rayman Raving Rabbids and featured Rayman, once the series outgrew the need for the Rayman name (and character) to draw attention, they dropped it all together.

That's a very interesting point! By that same token, perhaps Skylanders would also fulfill the requirements of this thread? It was originally Spyro's Skylanders after all, but it was realized pretty quickly that they just didn't need his branding, so Skylanders it became and Skylanders it stayed.

[Segata]

Isn't Metal Gear Solid series a spinoff of the original Metal Gear series? They are numbered as their own. Metal Gear series still counts in the canon of the Solid games.

[emwearz]

I would consider Metal Gear Solid the next progression in the series / a sequel, it was just the game that had the biggest hit in the market, so they stuck to its name.

Like Super Mario Bros is a sequel, not really a spin off. Though I guess Mario Bros. could be considered a spin off.

[noiseredux]

I would consider Metal Gear Solid the next progression in the series / a sequel, it was just the game that had the biggest hit in the market, so they stuck to its name.

yeah. Like Demon Souls - Dark Souls - Dark Souls II. Or Soul Blade - Soul Calibur - Soul Calibur II.

[isiolia]

yeah. Like Demon Souls - Dark Souls - Dark Souls II. Or Soul Blade - Soul Calibur - Soul Calibur II.

Dark Souls is more a spiritual sequel to Demon's Souls. While there are a lot of similarities between the two, and even shared assets and character references, they are technically unrelated IPs published by different companies.

Metal Gear Solid really is just a continuation of the Metal Gear series though, and apparently was called that instead of Metal Gear 3 for a variety of reasons.