Mediocre to bad series that became good to great in following console generations?

[theRepublic]

SanAndreasX said:

drbunnig said:
I'd have to disagree with GTA and Resident Evil. I can certainly see the argument that they improved in the following generations, but no way the first few games are mediocre - bad.

The first two GTA games were panned by critics and certainly weren't sales blockbusters. They were okay at best. 

I never played GTA 1, but I did play the second.  I really liked the system where you could work for 3 different gangs, and it was sort of a rock-paper-scissors thing where working for one would increase your reputation with one gang and lower it with another.  I actually liked it better than anything I played in GTA 3.  The masses were always going to like a 3rd person from behind view over a top down view game though.