9 Video Game Sidekicks With Their Own Spin-Off Games

Various large names in video video games have a number of sidekicks, companions, or occasional helpers that chip in with their varied adventures. As is usually the case with any type of media, as IP blossoms right into a franchise, these sidekicks begin to get extra possibilities to shine on their very own, impartial of the principle heroes.

When any gaming franchise will get outstanding sufficient, you may guess there’ll be not less than one recreation that locations the sidekick within the starring position, both eliminating the principle face from issues solely or severely diminishing their presence. It’s in these video games that the helpers can actually present they’ve what it takes to hold an journey and hold their own in the face of trouble.

The video games in query could take barely completely different approaches from the mainline titles, particularly if the sidekicks aren’t fairly as bodily match as their companions, however that gives a possibility for the franchise to attempt new gameplay kinds. Listed here are 9 such video games the place a sidekick will get to take issues in a special path.

9 Daxter

Two-Yr Pest Management

Initially of Jak II, Jak and Daxter are flung by way of a portal into the dystopian Haven Metropolis, the place Jak is taken prisoner and Daxter has to run away.

We reduce ahead to 2 years later, when Daxter lastly breaks Jak out, however what the heck was Daxter really doing that entire time? It seems the reply was “lots of nothing, adopted by some extermination work.”

2006’s Daxter is a spin-off-slash-interqual that exhibits the occasions main as much as Daxter rescuing Jak. After bumming round for a few years, Daxter falls backward into an extermination enterprise, the place he’s fitted with tools for coping with Steel Bugs.

With out his taller buddy, Daxter is clearly lots much less highly effective and cell, however he makes up for that on this recreation by way of using a bug swatter and extermination tank. All through the sport, you get further attachments for the tank; it may possibly solely spray bug spray at first, however in a while, it may possibly flip right into a flamethrower, a jetpack, and a radar.

8 Secret Agent Clank

As Seen On TV

Within the Ratchet & Clank universe, each of the titular heroes become pretty popular with the average citizenry. Between the 2 of them, although, Clank is seemingly extra widely known and beloved, as a result of previous to the occasions of Up Your Arsenal, he acquired his personal serialized TV present. This present, Secret Agent Clank, would go on to function the idea of the 2008 recreation of the identical identify.

In each the present and the sport, Clank is a 007-style undercover agent, armed with each martial arts abilities and quite a lot of seemingly innocuous devices. Utilizing each, he travels throughout the galaxy, busting punks, to unravel a conspiracy involving Ratchet being framed for a high-profile theft.

The primary marketing campaign is interspersed with occasional cuts to Ratchet and Captain Qwark. Ratchet is in jail, keeping off assaults from a number of of the earlier video games’ baddies, whereas Qwark is on Clank’s path, in search of a handy approach to take credit score for every little thing whereas hyping himself as much as a biographer.

7 Luigi’s Mansion

A Lesson On Actual Property Scams

Previous to the early 2000s, Mario’s brother Luigi didn’t have a lot in the way in which of a concrete persona. In some instances, he was roughly interchangeable together with his brother, whereas some video games like Mario Tennis really confirmed him to be slightly calm and suave. The sport that basically cemented Luigi’s persona going ahead, although, can be 2001’s Luigi’s Mansion.

A launch title for the GameCube, Luigi’s Mansion was the inexperienced dude’s first really solo journey. After falling for a mail rip-off, Luigi visits his newly “gained” mansion to seek out it crawling with ghosts and Mario lacking in motion. Outfitted with the Poltergust vacuum, he must bust ghosts till he can discover his brother and get the heck outta dodge.

The sport is an motion/puzzle affair, with Luigi utilizing his vacuum to seize ghosts of assorted styles and sizes. For stronger ghosts, you’ll want to resolve a puzzle to make them weak earlier than you may seize them. It’s a slower, extra mental recreation than the same old Mario platformers, however it has its own charms.

6 Tails Journey

Sonic Wasn’t Accessible

Regardless of being a mainstay within the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise since his introduction in Sonic 2, Miles “Tails” Prower has solely ever had two solo adventures to his identify, each of which have been launched solely on the Sega Recreation Gear. The primary was Tails’ Skypatrol, a reasonably simple sidescrolling shooter, and the second was Tails Journey, a extra conventional platformer.

In contrast to the mainline Sonic video games, Tails Journey is a a lot slower, extra methodical affair. I suppose Tails doesn’t really feel the necessity to run when Sonic isn’t round. You progressively make your method by way of a handful of ranges, chucking bombs at enemies to defend your self and sometimes utilizing your tails to quickly fly round.

Apparently, this recreation really has some Metroidvania parts, together with backtracking to beforehand visited ranges and uncovering objects to facilitate higher, simpler exploration. For some purpose, although, you may solely carry a handful of things into any given degree, so when you’ve got the incorrect loadout, it is advisable to march all the way in which again to the exit to reconfigure.

5 Diddy Kong Racing

Wanted A Stronger IP To Carry It

An odd factor that often occurs within the gaming trade is when a totally standalone recreation finally ends up getting roped into an current IP within the hopes of using its success. Such was the case for 1997’s Diddy Kong Racing, which initially had completely nothing to do with the titular chimp.

The sport’s authentic protagonist was Timber the Tiger, however in an effort to hype up gamers forward of the vacations, Uncommon petitioned Nintendo so as to add Diddy Kong to the combo and provides him high billing. Because of this the one actual nods to the Donkey Kong IP at giant are Diddy and Krunch the Kremling; they have been by no means actually purported to be there.

Even when it’s probably not Diddy’s recreation, it’s still a great kart racer in a vacuum, to not point out a significant piece of Uncommon’s recreation improvement historical past. In spite of everything, Diddy Kong Racing marked the primary appearances of Conker and Banjo.

4 Half-Life: Alyx

It Ain’t Half-Life 3, However…

Following the discharge of Half-Life 2: Episode 2 in 2007, followers have been pressured to attend an agonizing 13 years to seek out out what the heck occurred to Gordon, Alyx, and the remainder of the Resistance on the finish of that recreation. Lastly, in 2020… we still didn’t get any of those answers. As a substitute, we acquired a spin-off prequel starring Alyx, aptly named Half-Life: Alyx.

Half-Life: Alyx takes place earlier than the occasions of Half-Life 2, with Gordon nonetheless floating within the ether and the Mix firmly accountable for the Earth. After a run-in with the Metropolis 17 police, Alyx and Eli Vance are arrested, with solely the previous escaping.

The plain distinction between this recreation and Half-Life correct is that it’s a VR recreation. Utilizing Alyx’s Gravity Gloves, you may manipulate the surroundings and resolve physics puzzles, although there are additionally loads of conventional firearms for coping with Headcrab Zombies and Mix troopers.

3 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Leaping Doesn’t Resolve Every thing

Mario has been receiving various levels of help from the Mushroom Kingdom’s inhabitants of Toads since Tremendous Mario Bros. Beginning in Tremendous Mario Galaxy, although, the Toad Brigade started taking a extra energetic position in his adventures, scouting out locales and discovering stars. The chief of this brigade, and the helper who would get his personal recreation, is Captain Toad.

Constructing off the Captain Toad ranges in Tremendous Mario 3D World, Captain Toad obtained his personal recreation within the type of 2014’s Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. It’s a quite simple premise: the great Captain and Toadette are on an expedition, when a large chicken snatches Toadette away, forcing the Captain to pursue them.

Because it was in Tremendous Mario 3D World, Captain Toad can’t leap because of his hefty backpack. As such, this recreation is extra of a puzzle-focused type, permitting you to control the massive, cubic ranges to facilitate journey and exploration.

The sport is one thing of a showcase of the Wii U GamePad, as ranges additionally make the most of its touchscreen, microphone, and gyro sensor, although it was additionally ported to the Change.

2 Yoshi’s Story

Shouldn’t It Be “Yoshis’ Story?”

Mario appears to have a standing settlement with the complete Yoshi species that, if he wants assist with an journey and so they’re out there, they’ll pitch in. That stated, the Yoshis have their very own stuff happening as effectively, and apparently had much more of it to cope with when Bowser was a child, not less than if Yoshi’s Story is any indication.

On this recreation, an toddler Bowser steals the Yoshis’ Tremendous Blissful Tree and transforms their island right into a pop-up e book. All the grownup Yoshis are out of fee, however six child Yoshis handle to persist, vowing to reclaim what Bowser took from them.

The child Yoshis have lots of the similar talents we noticed in Yoshi’s Island, from chucking eggs to flutter leaping. Clearing a degree isn’t nearly going from left to proper, although — you additionally must eat fruit scattered round to fully refill the border body. Moreover, ought to a Yoshi take an excessive amount of harm, they’ll be taken away by Kamek and faraway from the sport fully.

1 Mega Man Zero

The Ponytail Lives On

Maverick Hunter Zero was first launched within the authentic Mega Man X, and have become a recurring character all through that collection. X was normally the principle focus in these video games, however Zero would get to point out up in a playable capability in a number of of the later entries. One recreation that Zero wouldn’t must share billing with X for, although, is Mega Man Zero.

Mega Man Zero takes place a century after all of the Mega Man X video games, with Zero reviving from stasis to seek out the world below the heel of an X clearly not in his proper thoughts. Armed together with his Buster and Z-Saber, blond ponytail billowing within the wind, Zero units off to interrupt down the soldiers of this dystopian regime and work out what occurred whereas he was sleeping.

Mega Man Zero is type of like a midpoint between a conventional sidescrolling Mega Man recreation and a Metroidvania. Whereas there are separate ranges, it is advisable to revisit them a number of occasions with new talents to open up new missions. This recreation would go on to obtain three sequels, establishing itself as a correct collection throughout the franchise.