>>40400149Think about the most iconic part of the first game of any series.
Now imagine if it was a requirement of all its installments.
-Every Mario game must have a World 1-1 homage.
-Every Sonic game must start at Green Hill Zone
-Every Mega Man stage must feature one of the original Robot Masters
-Every Street Fighter game must start you off with only Ryu and Ken before being able to play anyone else (kind of overlapping 1 and 2)
The problem isn't that's an homage to its roots, it's that it's using them as a crutch out of fear of not allowing the identity of the brand to explore new ventures or growing past them. The brand is strong enough to show other sides of it without having to rely on fellating its past to show it maintains its identity.
