Dream Sequels

Sometimes a killer sequel comes out and totally blows away your expectations because it expands and enhances on what made the original game so great. For example, look at Super Mario Bros. 3. On the other hand, a sequel can be very disappointing (Super Mario Bros. 2). But the worst kind of sequel there is - is no sequel. Here is a list of my "dream sequels" that I don't think will be made anytime soon, but I will always have a little place in my heart on reserve for their arrival.

NiGHTS Into Dreams: This old Saturn game is screaming to be sequelized into a modern day game. Even though it was a somewhat simple rail shooter, it was still unique in many ways. Come on, SEGA. If you won't give us a sequel, at least give us a remake (or even a port!).

Eternal Darkness: This under-appreciated GameCube game had such a thick plot and such eerie environments that once you start to go insane, the game becomes an experience not easily forgotten. If you haven't played it, there's an insane meter that rises every time you see an enemy, and it can only be lowered by performing a finishing move on that enemy. Silicon Knights has said they want to re-visit this franchise in the future, but don't expect it anytime soon, as they have to make the lukewarm Too Human trilogy first.

Legend of Zelda - The Wind Waker: Those of you who never played GameCube's Wind Waker are probably rolling your eyes right now, but that's merely a sign of your sheer ignorance. The Wind Waker is one of my favorite Zeldas - not only were the graphics beautiful and stylized, but the sound effects, character designs, and music were just as cartoony as the visuals, and surprisingly fitting. I'll never forget my first time through, sailing the seas of Hyrule and exploring each little island with childlike glee. I want Zelda to return to this style in the future, and the Phantom Hourglass does not count. I want this puppy on Wii.

Monkey Island: Some gamers are saying the adventure genre is dying or already dead. To me, adventure games are like Rock n Roll, THEY WILL NEVER DIE! And my heart will never forget Guybrush Threepwood. It's about time for another entry in the series - but it must be from series creator Ron Gilbert and in 2-D form. So basically, it's never going to happen.

Geometry Wars: There are a lot of potential titles for this game. Geometry Wars 3. Geometry Wars Even More Evolved. Geometry Wars Retro Evolved Evolved. Maybe that's why this game hasn't even been announced yet - Stephen Cakebread could be having trouble deciding on the sequel's title. I know this one will happen, but I don't know how soon. Hopefully it will drop alongside PGR 4 sometime next year. If not, we might not see this one for a while.

Mortal Kombat: If Midway ever decided to return to digitized actors in a 2-D arena for the Mortal Kombat franchise, it would be one of the best decisions Ed Boon and co. ever made. Don't get me wrong, I loved Armageddon. I'm a sucker like that. But once Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 dropped on Xbox Live Arcade, I haven't even touched the 'more advanced' Armageddon. With today's system's graphical capabilities, just imagine how cool the Sub-Zero freeze could look in a new 2-D Mortal Kombat game.

Lumines: Imagine a Lumines sequel that let you completely design new skins. This would involve creating songs (choosing loops/sound effects), designing blocks and backgrounds, and then uploading them online to share with your friends. Gamers could even vote on the skins (YouTube style)!

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion was absolutely great, but it could have been so much better. Imagine it having face mapping like you see in Rainbow Six: Vegas. Imagine it having an online component - what if you could battle your friends' characters in the Arena? What if there were ships and zeppelins like in Warcraft 2? What if you could create a flying character? What if it didn't make your Xbox 360 hiccup every 10 minutes and freeze up every couple of hours?

Shadow of the Colossus: I am never going to get a PS3. Well, scratch that - I would only buy one if I could get it for $300 or less, and I can almost guarantee it's never going to happen (at least in the next 5 years). This is why I am bummed that a sequel to Shadow of the Colossus, while inevitable, is almost certainly going to be PS3 exclusive. A next-gen version of this game would be absolutely insane.

Hopefully every single one of these games will release on a platform near you in the near future, but I'd be surprised if more than one or two of them actually came into fruition by the end of 2007.