DOTA 2. The original DOTA is a custom map for Warcraft 3 (Defense of the Ancients).
this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2026
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I mean, team fortress two was the first game in the series. Team fortress “1” having been a mod for a different game.
There never was a Leisure Suit Larry 4. That number got skipped.
Al Lowe had originally planned to make part 4 as a massive multiplayer online game, but there were too many technical complications. Additionally, Al had writers block. So he skipped to part 5 saying it additionally afforded him a new start to get out from his writers block. He was supposed to get back to it one day, but never did.
I own all of the others. Part 3 (Passionate Patti In Pursuit Of The Pulsating Pectorals) is the best and the original Part 1 is runner up. All I ever wanted was a Part 4 though.
It's Al's 80th birthday in 13 days (July 24, 1946). Maybe he'll get us something
I can't think of any but plenty of 2's had a previous game that most people had not heard of and never played while number 2 was a huge success. street fighter comes to mind.
Not a game, but the movie 'Troll 2', the worst rated movie on IMDB, was named such without an original with the hopes to give it more "legitimacy"
Although the movie was titled "Troll 2" to capitalize on the minor success of Troll (1986), it has no connection to the plot or production of the earlier film.
Seems like one of those situations where they shoehorned their script into an existing franchise. They did that a lot with horror movies.
Quest 64 exists despite Quest 63, Quest 62, ... Quest not existing.
Reminded me of ClayFighter 63⅓
Can't think of any that started with 2, but there are many examples of sequels making their way to the states masquerading as the first title in a series.
Shadow Tower released on PS1 in Japan only. Shadow Tower 2 was released in Japan on PS2, but when it was released in America, it was just called "Shadow Tower" since no one had heard of the first one.
Not a 2, but there was Clayfighters 63 and 1/3. But that was just a play on the "[Name] 64" naming convention that N64 games commonly used.
Goat simulator 3 exists, despite there being no Goat simulator 2.
This is what came to mind for me too.
It is so much fun to play co-op with my kid. Then I can act old and describe all the gaming industry references that only I get.
I've also been to Sweden two whole times, so I get to act all sophisticated and worldly while describing the real world Goatenburg.
Atari released Sprint 2 in arcades in 1976. It was followed by Sprint 4 and Sprint 8 in 1977, and then Sprint One in 1978.
In this case, the numbers refer to the number of concurrent players, not the order of release.
There's Eat Lead: Return of Matt Hazard. The game does set it up as a joke, but it's also kind of the entire point of the game. You're playing a 25-year-old franchise whose last game was over half a decade prior. Your franchise got bought by a nepo baby whose father basically owns a chain like GameStop. He hated your games, so he decided to make a new one, kill you off for good, and replace you with a new protagonist. This is the first and only game. It's not a very good game, but it's got some laughs.
it was a mediocre fighting game for the nes. it’s original title was mike tyson’s intergalactic power punch, but after the aforementioned mike tyson was arrested for sexual assault, it was renamed power punch II despite power punch 1 never existing.
the rumor goes that it was originally pitched to nintendo as a sequel to punch-out, but either because it was kinda crap or because of mike tyson’s arrest, it was rejected. but this is debated.
Not quite the same, but there is a game called Zwei!! (German for two). Its sequel is just called Zwei II, though.
There exists a fantastic German metalcore band called "We Butter The Bread With Butter", a name I always found to be funny. You don't have to know anything about them except that they are awesome.
They are so good that have several tribute bands. One of them is from their home town and they are called "I Can't Believe It's Not We Butter The Bread With Butter". I always found that to be absurdly hilarious.
My point is, it's 2026 and the Germans are finally developing a sense of humor. I for one think that's better.
Entshuldigung, woher ist den ausfahrt?
Two two!
Reminds me of Manos: Hands of Fate. Manos means hands In Spanish
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. The name is a takeoff on Super Street Fighter II Turbo, but there were no other Puzzle Fighter versions.
Wow TIL!
Pardon the all caps, the games name is in all caps and is a 3 not 2
BRAZILIAN DRUG DEALER 3: I OPENED A PORTAL TO HELL IN THE FAVELA TRYING TO REVIVE MIT AIA I NEED TO CLOSE IT
This is the game that came to my mind too but apparently 1 and 2 are available on itch.io
Ohhhh. I had no idea. I assumed it was just for the bit. I just picked up 3, so I guess I’ll need to go play the first two before I dive into it.
There was a PS2 game called Anubis II, but no Anubis I. Though it was technically a sequel...to Ninjabread Man.
The Gorky series started with Gorky 17, followed by Gorky 0, and then finally Gorky 02.
The Clock Tower series kind of did this in reverse. The original was Japan-only, so when Clock Tower 2 was localized they dropped the number. And the same with King's Field.
Fire Emblem 7 was just called "Fire Emblem" internationally (first one to be released out of Japan). Even the actual first Fire Emblem had a subtitle in Japan, like all of them, but no, this one will just be "Fire Emblem" for you, that's not confusing at all.
And then there's that terrible trend...
Castlevania (N64) is just called Castlevania... for reasons. And so is Circle of The Moon in Europe. None are remakes or retelling of the first Castlevania. Also, consider Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), and Prince of Persia (2008).
Kirby's Return to Dreamland is titled "Kirby's Adventure Wii" in Europe, despite not being a Kirby's Adventure remake. I'm including this one even though it technically has the "Wii" to distinguish it because there was an actual Adventure remake that, of course, did not have Kirby's Adventure at all in its name (Nightmare in Dreamland).
There is a MMO called Metin2 which has been really popular in the 2000s. No one knew why it was called 2, if there ever was a 1 or will ever be a 3.
Languages tend to use numbers to make a play on words, so in the original language the title might have some in-the-know meaning which is lost in translation.
That's a good point, I was just thinking it was something about the millennium / year 2000 and onwards. Not sure if there was any lore at all or if I just didn't understand it since the game is from South Korea originally.
Not a game, but Star Wars infamously opened with Episode IV.
It was just titled "star wars" back then though
Star Wars became Episode IV in 1980, when its sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, began with the title card "Episode V". However, the 1977 original did not officially have the "Episode IV: A New Hope" subtitle added to its opening crawl until its theatrical re-release on April 10, 1981.
You could say Star Wars 2 was released as "Star Wars 5" I suppose
I thought Episode IV was in the initial crawl text.
ETA I've just checked and apparently it was added in the special editions, the original 1977 crawl just started with the story.
Not originally.
do you count Trepang2?
I think it's supposed to be trepang squared
technically there WAS a trepang1 from what i've heard but it was a crappy game about a sea cucumber. i think Phann made a video on it (EDIT: found it). and then trepang² somehow spawned out of that
That is an incredible trajectory for a game, what the actual fuck?
Now there's a game in my game library that I forgot about! I'll install it and play it soon! Thanks for the reminder.
Not 2 but 3.
McPixel 1 & 3. There is no two.
Same with Goat Simulator and Goat Simulator 3
I was hoping that someone would (mistakenly) say Team Fortress 2.
You might enjoy the movie Troll 2
There was Troll before it, actually. 2 isn’t really a sequel to 1 in terms of creative intent but it was titled as such for marketing purposes because the rights owners figured a movie with no plot connections that didn’t even have a troll in it was still close enough.
This is exactly what I thought of haha. Absolute classic that everyone should watch at least once.
Dune II
https://archive.org/details/dune-mr-abandonware
I present to you, dune.
I only know about this because I am old.
Dune II is not really a sequel to Dune.
Orly? Cool, thanks! E: curse you! Now I need to find and play this!
Came here to say this one.