spin-offs you prefer over a main series

[UltraDolphinRevolution]

I mean with regards to gameplay (i.e. DoA Beach Volleyball is different from the main series of Dead or Alive), but you can interpret the question differently, if you like.

Are there any spin-offs you prefer over the main series of a franchise? If so, why?

For example I prefer "Dragon Quest: Swords" and "Samurai Warrior: Katana" over their main series. I am neither the biggest fan of turn-based RPG (Dragon Quest) nor Musuo/Warrior games. Both games were turned into first-person games with Wiimote pointing, shooting and slashing. Quite unique and somewhere between a rail shooter and their respective franchises.

[warning: very technical Wiimote-related stuff ahead]
Both games also gave me ideas for alternative Wiimote controls in FPS: In Dragon Quest Swords camera turning is down via D-pad. D-pad or Stick turning should have been an option in FPS because a significant part of gamers were bad at turning via pointer (just to clarify: DQ Swords does not even use a Nunchuk). And in Samurai Warriors Katana there are free roaming stages in which you walk and turn with the Nunchuk. This control method was present in many old console FPS, i.e. strafing and looking up and down was done with the other stick/buttons. Just to clarify: there is no strafing or looking up and down in SW Katana.

 

[Hayato213]

Persona over Shin Megami Tensei

 

[hippy dave]

Bubble Bobble and its main series are solid classic co-op platforming, but I'm much more into the Puzzle Bobble spin-off series, both for solo puzzling and for versus human/CPU competition. Payonpa!

 

[subcon959]

Is Super Mario considered a spin off from Donkey Kong?

 

[FAST6191]

Demi Kids over Persona/SMT.

Handheld Zelda (at least to the GBA) over home console Zelda.

I could see Zombie Army over Sniper Elite, and would do that over replaying the xbox original at this point. That said I really like Sniper Elite.

Summon Night Swordcraft Story over Summon Night, though I have not played the most of those.

Dragon Quest Monsters over mainline Dragon Quest, though I am unlikely to be caught playing either much these days.

There are a fair few handheld efforts I enjoy over the console versions, or at least as much as the console versions -- Max Payne GBA for instance is great, though I do also really like the main series, same for Prince of Persia GBA and the equivalent console games. So many times the handheld version, especially if the handheld was already dead and this was just to say they did, was given over to teams that presumably either used it as an advertisement for the next game, were given no oversight (no studio meddling sort of thing), or simply went with "just because we don't have to do a good job doesn't mean we shouldn't".

Many Star Wars games over Star Wars films if that counts. I can't even tell you where one film starts and another ends these days. Can recount the entire Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series though.

On the flip side I would rather play Metroid Prime again than any of the early Metroid titles, though I will say I do like some of the stuff they did for the GBA.

Baldur's gate dark alliance and its sequel over the main games/usual bundle of games there (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Planescape:Torment, and DLC/expansion packs and sequels for various of those). Possibly the more controversial of my picks here, and I fully recognise all those games in the bracketed section as legend class games. The Dark Alliance games are however in the big three of my top co-op dungeon crawlers along with the older Diablo and Dungeon Siege titles, with Sacred and Fate rounding out the top 5, the bracketed games being more dialogue based affairs (though plenty of action for those wanting it) that games today still wish they could capture even a fraction of the magic of (though some get right up there).

I don't know if I am counting Lost and Damned over GTA 4 as a spinoff as it was technically DLC (albeit DLC I played as a standalone game). Still had a great time with that, played the story, was invested in the story, motorbikes was a good mechanic... can't say the same about the main game.

Heroes of Might and Magic (2, yes 2 so fight me now 3 fanboys) over Might and Magic, however I really like Might and Magic as well.

Tetris. I like Tetris 2 and Japanese tetris is different enough if you are the sort of person that can write a basic overview of tetris gravity and there is something there.

Anyway at this point I would probably start trolling and say Need for Speed shift over the rebooted series (want to but simulation racing has never really been my thing, will say though that I did like the originals more than the reboot), Resident Evil spinoffs (code veronica was a mainline game is all but name/would have been a mainline but for a quirk of contract law. Nobody likes any other spinoff over the mainline games with the possible minor exception of some tank controls is best controls maybe going in for outbreak) so I will leave it there.

 

[Deleted member 568468]

Mario Party over mainline Mario games tbh, more fun

 

[Chary]

Persona > SMT is the easy choice

Given Crystal Chronicles and Tactics, I'd also say I prefer the spinoff FF games, too.

Pokemon's mainline games haven't caught my attention in years, but I'm still a sucker for the spinoffs like Mystery Dungeon and Ranger.

And Harvest Moon is entirely ruined for me, because Rune Factory is just so much better imo.

 

[Alexander1970]

Frasier over Cheers.


Sorry.....I had no Game Example....

 

[Homlet]

Birds & Beans instead of Warioware
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon over mainline Pokémon
Paper Mario and Mario&Luigi RPGs instead over most Mario games

 

[UltraDolphinRevolution]

Persona over Shin Megami Tensei

Why, if I may ask. I didn´t know they were related.

 

[Hayato213]

Why, if I may ask. I didn´t know they were related.

Persona is more popular among fans.