The gaming world knows no torment quite like the excruciating void between sequels to beloved franchises. For countless fans, the passage of time becomes a slow-burning torture when developers vanish into creative abysses, leaving communities clinging to decade-old masterpieces. While Rockstar Games teased humanity with GTA Online updates for 12 long years after GTA V, other studios pushed patience to breaking points with waits spanning geological eras in gaming time. These weren't mere delays; they were soul-crushing droughts testing the very limits of fandom endurance. 😩💔
🔟 Metroid Dread: A 19-Year Side-Scrolling Resurrection
After the 2002 masterpiece Metroid Fusion crowned itself "Metroid 4," fans endured 19 barren years before Metroid Dread emerged as "Metroid 5" in 2021. While the Metroid Prime trilogy offered spin-off solace, the core side-scrolling legacy lay dormant.
Why such anguish? The disastrous reception of 2010’s Metroid: Other M soured the franchise’s reputation, while Metroid Prime 4 faced catastrophic development reboots. Nintendo tided fans over with remakes (Zero Mission in 2004, Samus Returns in 2017), but the hunger for a true sequel remained unquenched until MercurySteam delivered Dread’s tense, labyrinthine brilliance.
| Year | Game | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Metroid Fusion | Mainline Entry #4 |
| 2021 | Metroid Dread | Mainline Entry #5 |
| Gap | 19 Years | Longest wait for mainline sequel |
💡 People Also Ask: Why did Metroid take 19 years for a new main game? Franchise damage from Other M and Prime 4 development hell created perfect storms of delay.
9️⃣ F-Zero 99: 19 Years of Racing Silence Shattered
While Metroid fans suffered, F-Zero devotees endured radio silence for 19 years after 2004’s F-Zero Climax. Their salvation came not as a traditional sequel, but as 2023’s chaotic battle royale F-Zero 99.
Nintendo ingeniously preserved the essence—blistering speed, vibrant visuals, razor-sharp controls—while injecting 99-player online mayhem. For purists, F-Zero GX arrived on Switch Online, yet the craving for a true sequel lingers. Will Switch 2 finally deliver Captain Falcon’s grand return? 🏁
8️⃣ Homeworld 3: 21 Years of Corporate Limbo
The cosmic odyssey of Homeworld faced a 21-year interstellar drift between 2003’s Homeworld 2 and 2024’s Homeworld 3. Why? A nightmarish rights shuffle:
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Relic Entertainment (original dev) sold to THQ (2004)
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THQ bankrupt; Relic sold to Sega (2013)
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THQ retained Homeworld rights 💀
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Gearbox Software acquired IP (2013)
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Blackbird Interactive (ex-Relic devs) developed Homeworld 3
Corporate purgatory nearly doomed this RTS legend before Gearbox, notorious for reviving dead franchises (Duke Nukem), orchestrated its triumphant return.
7️⃣ Kid Icarus: Uprising – 21 Years of Divine Absence
After 1991’s Game Boy entry Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, Pit vanished for 21 years—reduced to a Super Smash Bros. cameo—until 2012’s Kid Icarus: Uprising on 3DS. Masahiro Sakurai reimagined it as a frenetic rail-shooter/action hybrid, though controversial controls overshadowed its witty charm.
📌 Key Reasons for Delay:
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Low commercial interest post-NES era
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Focus shifted to Smash Bros. integration
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Radical gameplay redesign required
💡 People Also Ask: Will Kid Icarus get a Switch 2 port or sequel? Nintendo remains cryptic, leaving fans praying to the Greek pantheon for news.
6️⃣ Baldur’s Gate 3: The 23-Year CRPG Phoenix
Larian Studios didn’t just revive a franchise in 2023; they resurrected a CRPG titan dormant for 23 years after Baldur’s Gate 2 (2000). Spin-offs like Dark Alliance (2001/2004) and remasters trickled out, but none captured the originals’ depth.
Larian’s masterpiece blended D&D 5e mechanics with cinematic storytelling, proving some legends are worth waiting for—even if the wait spans a generation. ✨
5️⃣ Jagged Alliance 3: 24 Years of Development Hell
Announced in 2004 for 2008 release, Jagged Alliance 3 became gaming’s Sisyphus rock:
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2004-2011: Multiple studios attempted development
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2015: THQ Nordic acquired rights after bitComposer’s collapse
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2023: Haemimont Games (Tropico) finally delivered the acclaimed sequel
Against all odds, this tactical RPG emerged from 24 years of turmoil as a critical darling.
4️⃣ Wasteland 2: 26 Years of Post-Apocalyptic Blues
As the spiritual ancestor to Fallout, 1988’s Wasteland languished because EA refused sequels—forcing Interplay to create Fallout. Brian Fargo (Interplay co-founder) formed inXile, secured rights in 2003, and launched Wasteland 2 in 2014—26 years later. Its success paved the way for 2020’s Wasteland 3, proving nuclear winters eventually thaw. ☢️
3️⃣ Streets of Rage 4: 26 Years of Beat-‘Em-Up Withdrawal
Dotemu and Lizardcube resurrected Sega’s iconic brawler in 2020 after 26 years, blending pixel-perfect nostalgia with fluid modern combat. Its success ignited a beat-‘em-up renaissance (TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, River City Girls).
2️⃣ Windjammers 2: 28 Years of Flying Disc Fever
Dotemu struck again in 2021 with Windjammers 2, reviving the 1994 Neo Geo sports classic after 28 years. While faithful to its neon-soaked roots, online play injected fresh vitality into its deceptively simple disc-throwing chaos. 🥏
1️⃣ GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon: A 35-Year Resurrection
The crown for most absurd gap belongs to Konami’s GetsuFumaDen. After a 35-year silence following its 1987 Famicom release (Japan-exclusive), Undying Moon emerged in 2022 as a rogue-like reimagining. Sadly, its ambitious 2.5D vision couldn’t escape mediocre reviews—proving not all legends age gracefully.
💡 People Also Ask: What causes these insane sequel gaps? Common culprits:
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IP rights battles (e.g., Homeworld)
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Studio bankruptcies/acquisitions
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Failed prototypes (Metroid Prime 4)
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Low series priority (F-Zero)
🎮 Final Thought: In an era of live-service saturation and rushed releases, does agonizing decades for sequels forge deeper appreciation—or risk irrelevance? What beloved dormant franchise deserves revival next? 🤔