Summary
- Resident Evil surpassed Alone in the Dark by refining survival horror mechanics and increasing the genre's popularity significantly.
- Diddy Kong Racing and Crash Team Racing succeeded in surpassing Mario Kart 64 with more ambitious features and more intense gameplay.
- Pizza Tower, directly influenced by Wario Land 4, offers a more chaotic, advanced, and modern experience as a spiritual successor to the original GBA classic.
Copycat video games are always some of the most controversial products in the industry. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a developer getting inspiration from someone else’s game and implementing some of its best elements into their own project, but it’s a different story when a new game is clearly made to replicate the success of another one.
But, as polarizing as these types of video games can be, there have been several instances throughout history in which they have actually surpassed the original one in terms of quality. The following copycat games are perfect examples of this strange but fascinating phenomenon.
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Resident Evil
Better Than Alone In The Dark
Resident Evil
- Released
- March 22, 1996
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Alone in the Dark laid the foundation for what would become the 3D survival horror genre, with its ominous atmosphere, shocking jump scares and unpredictable fixed camera angles. However, not many people have actually played it. That's because the original Resident Evil (which came out four years later) did the same thing, but much better.
While it was also inspired by Capcom’s 1989 game Sweet Home, Alone in the Dark served as an obvious source of inspiration for Resident Evil, and both games were often compared to each other back in the day. Nevertheless, by implementing a gripping and grounded plot, more complex characters, an even darker atmosphere, and refined survival horror mechanics, Resident Evil quickly gained a sizable following. The Alone in the Dark IP never managed to replicate the success of its debut game.
Diddy Kong Racing / Crash Team Racing
Better Than Mario Kart 64
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Diddy Kong Racing
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- Genre(s)
- Racing
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CTR: Crash Team Racing
Display card tags widget Display card system widgetDisplay card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widgetDisplay card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end- Released
- October 19, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALPHYSICAL- ESRB
- E For Everyone //
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Genre(s)
- Racing
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Super Mario Kart established the modern kart-racing genre, and its N64 follow-up, Mario Kart 64, was superior in every way. As a result, this game is now fondly remembered as one of the most nostalgic multiplayer experiences on a home console. Many other prominent gaming mascots tried to replicate the Mario Kart 64 formula, but only two of them were actually successful.
Rare’s Diddy Kong Racing feels like a spiritual successor to Mario Kart 64, seeing as the titular character is technically part of the Mario franchise. But this game’s more ambitious courses, 3D character models, multiple types of vehicles, and unique story mode made it much more fun and interesting in comparison.
Nintendo’s main competitor, Sony, also dipped its toes into the kart-racing genre with Crash Team Racing, which quickly became the #1 “Mario Kart killer” of that era. The races were faster, the controllers felt better, and, like Diddy Kong Racing, it had an extensive and engaging single-player campaign. While it could be argued that Mario Kart sequels in the 2000s eventually surpassed these two copycats, they are still superior to the classic N64 entry.
Perfect Dark
Better Than GoldenEye 007
Perfect Dark (2000)
- Released
- May 22, 2000
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Animated Violence, Animated Blood
- Developer(s)
- Rare
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Stealth
Sometimes, developers end up creating copycats of games that they created in the first place . Perfect Dark is one of the best examples of this uncommon phenomenon. Back in 1997, GoldenEye 007 — Rare’s adaptation of the James Bond film of the same name — revolutionized the FPS genre on home consoles with its brilliant control scheme and addictive multiplayer mode. But, shortly after the studio began working on a follow-up based on Tomorrow Never Dies, Electronic Arts took the rights to the James Bond IP.
Nevertheless, Rare kept moving forward with this project and retooled it into a brand-new IP called Perfect Dark. This proved to be a good thing in the end. This FPS copycat ended up being way better than its predecessor, with more refined gunplay, smoother controls, and fun and unique new weapons. It also featured a much more complete multiplayer mode and a fascinating sci-fi setting that set it apart from other titles in the genre.
The Simpsons: Road Rage
Better Than Crazy Taxi
The Simpsons: Road Rage
- Released
- November 19, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Radical Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Vehicular Combat
Crazy Taxi, Sega’s over-the-top and fast-paced 3D taxi simulator, was one of the best arcade games of the early 2000s. However, it was common practice for licensed video games to simply replicate the formula of another popular title at the time. That’s exactly what EA and Radical Entertainment did with The Simpsons: Road Rage.
This game is basically Crazy Taxi, but with a Simpsons coat of paint. The cynical hilarity of this show elevated the fast-paced driving gameplay, not to mention that getting to drive around a digital version of Springfield was exciting for longtime fans. Sega noticed the glaring similarities between The Simpsons: Road Rage and its Crazy Taxi series, and filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Fox, EA and Radical Entertainment in 2003. The case was later settled in private by all the parties involved.
Stardew Valley
Better Than Story Of Seasons
Stardew Valley
- Released
- February 26, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Simulation
When it comes to farming life simulators, very few are as influential and celebrated as the iconic Story Of Seasons franchise (previously known as Harvest Moon in the west). However, the decline in the quality of modern games in the series, coupled with the legal battle between Natsume Inc and Xseed Games, has left fans with a sour taste in their mouths. Fortunately, during the mid-2010s, indie developer ConcernedApe set out to make a replacement for the Story of Seasons franchise.
Stardew Valley is now celebrated as the quintessential farming life sim. It feels like a proper evolution of the Story of Seasons formula, thanks to its comfortable atmosphere, beautiful sprite work, lovable characters, and addictive gameplay loop. Even better, Stardew Valley has been getting significant updates on a consistent basis, and it has been ported to almost every modern-day system, meaning that it’s accessible to a broad audience.
Fortnite: Battle Royale
Better Than PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
Fortnite
- Released
- September 26, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
Everybody knows that Fortnite: Battle Royale is currently the biggest and most popular video game in the world, but not many people are aware that it began as a copycat of another popular title. In 2017, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (aka PUBG) took the world by storm with its refreshing and exciting “Battle Royale” FPS gameplay formula. Up to a hundred players would fight each other on a large map until there was only one left.
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Fortnite was originally a tower-defense third-person shooter about zombies but, when Epic Games noticed the growing popularity of PUBG, it began creating a new Battle Royale mode with pre-made assets. By the end of 2017, it became much more well-known and successful than the game it was trying to replicate. While Fornite: Battle Royale has been praised for its colorful art style, more accessible gameplay and fun character designs, the secret to its success was its price. This game was (and still is) completely free-to-play, whereas PUBG was a paid product until 2018.
Pizza Tower
Better Than Wario Land 4
Pizza Tower
- Released
- January 26, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Tour De Pizza
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Wario Land is one of Nintendo’s most underrated platforming series. Even though it began its life as a generic Mario spin-off starring his evil rival, it evolved its own identity and gameplay style over time. Wario Land 4 was particularly praised for its detailed sprite work and fast-paced gameplay centered on Wario’s shoulder bash move. However, after the release of 2008’s Wario Land: Shake It!, this series went dormant, while its titular character moved on to star in the more popular WarioWare series.
Nevertheless, Wario Land 4 directly influenced the development of the indie title Pizza Tower, which released back in 2023. This game wears its inspirations on its sleeve, as the main character, Pepino Spaghetti, is a blatant Wario copycat. The gameplay feels like a more fast-paced, chaotic, advanced, and modern reinterpretation of the classic Wario Land 4 formula. This was entirely intentional, as developer McPig has stated that he created Pizza Tower as the spiritual successor/evolution to the Wario Land series.
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore
Better Than Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore
- Released
- February 13, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone: Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- Seedy Eye Software
Most gamers are familiar with the infamous Legend of Zelda games released for the Philips CD-i: Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. Their cartoony and exaggerated animated cutscenes had a bizarre charm to them, which led to them becoming legendary internet memes. However, the same can’t be said about the actual gameplay of these two games. Playing them is frustrating and boring due to their uncomfortable control schemes, confusing graphics, and slow movement.
So, what happens when someone takes the unique cutscenes of the CD-I Zelda games and puts them in an actually solid video game? That’s exactly what indie developer Seth Fulkerson set out to answer when he created Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore, a copycat/parody/spiritual successor to two of the worst mainstream video games ever made. Arzette is a 2D sidescroller with solid level design, natural platforming controls, and fast-paced combat, but with a few bizarre animated cutscenes sprinkled in-between. This odd concept ended up working surprisingly well.
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