10 Ten suggestion: Best blatant game copycats.

[LordTheNightKnight]

Now I'm not against change. I just hold to the idea of "change was doesn't work, keep what does work, because what matters is what works". This philosophy applies to video games as well.

I don't buy the "You gotta give them credit for at least trying something different" line, but that's for a whole other topic. The point is that if a game copies another game, it can still be good. Some might not believe it, but this thread is for those who do.

Now the degrees of copying will likely be up for debate, so the best guideline would be that you could just play the original game and copycate a little, and tell that the latter is one of these.

And it could be flexible. While I don't think any of the SNK fighting games would be accused of being complete ripoffs of Street Fighter II, they clearly are copying the formula, just copying very well, and with nuances that experiences players can point out better than me. On the other hand, a game can be a total copycat and still be good, like Darkstalkers (hey, just because Capcom published this doesn't make it not a copycat, it just means they wouldn't try to sue themselves over it).

So anyway, these are my five nominees:

1. Saints Row 2. While I've played both, the second game takes everything I love about playin the GTA games, and makes them more wild and manic. Okay, the radio doesn't quite match up to the GTA games, but at least they don't fall into "it's funny because it's offensive"* that the GTA ads sometimes do.

2. Crash Team Racing. This game, in my book, is the Playstation's answer to Mario Kart. The control is just as smooth and fluid, and the design is just as fun and lively. And thanks to backwards compatibility and PSOne Classics, you can play this on any Playstation system. And you should, even if you have played the Mario Kart games (which I have).

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tournament Fighters (SNES version): I admit I haven't really played the SNK fighting games in any extensive manner, or I might include them here. But of the other good SFII knockoffs I've played, including Killer Instinct, this was the most fun for me.

4. Neutopia: A Zelda clone for the TG-16, that definitely captures the smooth swordfighting and skilled challenge. And it's now on a Nintendo system, so if you want more of the 2D Zelda games, this comes highly recommended.

5. God of War: You might say "but this game itself is getting ripped off all the time now". The thing is just because it's being copied doesn't mean it's original. Play Devil May Cry for a few hours, and you'll see where GoW got its gameplay. It even rips off the soul system that was in DMC and Onimusha. But as I'm putting it on this list, I still think it's a good game.

Honorable mentions include Silent Hill (Resident Evil), Master of Darkness (Castelvania), and Simpsons Hit & Run (Grand Theft Auto).