Great game. Where’s its sequel?

There are so many forgettable games out there, that surprisingly, are remembered by a lot of people, it’s weird – the other day I was thinking about Haze, the much delayed first person shooter. And I spoke to someone recently that said Too Human was one of their favorite games! It felt like I took a trip to Bizarro world, you’re ass backwards if you think Too Human was even remotely a good game.

Games like Haze and Too Human won’t get sequels, and frankly we’re all the better for it. Still there’s a crop of titles that surely should be given another shot. Tim Schafer’s Psychonauts is one that comes to mind. For those unfamiliar with the game (It sold poorly, as if it was packaged with herpes or something), Psychonauts is a twisted little platformer, with a quirky sense of humor and somewhat off putting art-style.

As Raz (short for Razputin) you’re trying to become a Psychonaut or a Psychic agent: a special group with strong mental powers. It’s all very kooky; instead of a world map where you pick which area to visit next, you instead go around throwing a tiny door onto people’s foreheads, which allows you to enter their minds. Once inside you’re faced with all the crazy things that person dreams about in physical form.

While it doesn’t stray far from the platforming motif -- running, jumping, and collecting, that type of thing – it still leaves an impression because of it’s unique design and humorous story. None of Tim Schafer’s games sell though, so I’d be shocked to see a sequel, which, for lack of better term, sucks.

Psychonauts was an odd game in more ways than one.

Let’s go with another, Okami that beautiful adventure game from now closed studio Clover. Okami and the license are now in the hands of Capcom. I can’t say there’s not something of a sequel with the DS game Okamiden, but a true HD sequel on this generation of consoles or the next would be a sight. That classic Japanese art and the vibrant watercolor milieu would be so amazing in HD. I only hope it will happen. It's not like Capcom churns out sequels very often…

Here’s one that’s all my own. Diddy Kong Racing. Anybody remember that game? Oh, it was a joy. Stop, don’t say it, “It’s just a Mario Kart clone.” Of course it’s going to be similar to Mario Kart, how can a game were you drive miniature cars with cute animals and sling power-ups at one another not be considered a Mario Kart-like game? Diddy Kong Racing hooked me with the Adventure Mode, where you actually had to complete challenges and defeat bosses in order to progress.

DKR, as I like to abbreviate it, wasn’t just about cart racing. You had hovercrafts and planes to mess around with. It added a nice dimension and extended the game since each race felt very different depending on which vehicle you chose to tackle a course with. Will we see another [shrugs] I don’t know? But at this stage of the game Nintendo is scraping the barrel for nostalgia to package up and sell anew to people, so I wouldn’t rule it out.

A vey recent game I’m flabbergast (don’t get to use that one much) not to see get a sequel is Shadow Complex. This side scrolling Metroid/ Castlevania style shooter is one of the best titles available on Xbox Live. It would be in my top 5…if I had a top five. With a wide-open ending; it seemed like a no brainer that we’d see something announced. It certainly sold well, great even. Nope, nothing. I thought maybe at this years E3, but not a word. I don’t know if it’s Epic’s call or Chair the creator – another Shadow Complex would be something I’d be all for.

Let me kick more ass in my super-suit.

There’s still a few other games I’d like to see get proper follow-ups. Lost Odyssey, the Xbox 360 exclusive Japanese RPG, and the Prince of Persia from 2008 (I seem to be the only person that actually liked that game) are two I wouldn’t mind seeing resurface with another go.

Hope isn’t always lost. Maybe someday we’ll get to see more from the aforementioned titles…it’s just…damn there isn’t a thing to play this summer!