History Main / SoBadItWasBetter

* ''VideoGame/Action52'' is most infamous for its original [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] incarnation, remembered as one of the messiest {{Obvious Beta}}s in the history of gaming, which makes it all the more noteworthy that there was a simultaneously-released Platform/SegaGenesis version that's far more obscure. The reasoning is almost assuredly based on the fact that unlike the NES version, the Genesis version is competent and perfectly playable (whereas the NES version was the first and only title by Active Enterprises, the Genesis version was produced by Farsight Technologies, which at least had moderate development experience beforehand), though this had the consequence of still being mediocre and unmemorable, lacking the laughable and glaringly obvious flaws of its NES counterpart.

* The graphics of ''VideoGame/SilentHill1'' have been called by some to have not aged well in the slightest compared to the much-improved visuals of [[VideoGame/SilentHill2 the]] later [[VideoGame/SilentHill3 entries]]; while cutting-edge [[FairForItsDay at the time]] and having pushed the Platform/PlayStation to its absolute limit, it's regarded by these people in the present as very dated and clunky-looking. However, many also say it's precisely ''for this reason'' that the first game is such a CultClassic; the 64-bit, polygonal graphics give a lot of ambiguity to the appearances of monsters, and the distorted-blurry visuals and downright nightmarish tone had some people considering it ''[[FirstInstallmentWins the scariest]]'' entry in the series, as it perfectly fit the surreal vibes of the game and made everything seem like a bad dream. In that, the game's weak graphics have become a hallmark of a lot of "[=PSX=]" {{Retraux}} indie horror titles, all of which are very effective at scaring the player ''because'' it's so polygonal.

[[folder:Film]]

* While ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' is well-regarded by most fans of the games and considered a vastly ImprovedSecondAttempt at bringing the brothers to the big screen over ''Film/SuperMarioBros1993'', some still lament that it's a relatively faithful and straitlaced adaptation, preferring the [[EarlyAdaptationWeirdness weird]], [[{{Narm}} corny]], experimental ScienceFiction aesthetic of the first ''Mario'' movie just because it was actively ''trying'' to be different and unique.

* The graphics of ''VideoGame/SilentHill'' have been called by some to have not aged well in the slightest compared to the much-improved visuals of [[VideoGame/SilentHill2 the]] later [[VideoGame/SilentHill3 entries]]; while cutting-edge [[FairForItsDay at the time]] and having pushed the Platform/PlayStation to its absolute limit, it's regarded by these people in the present as very dated and clunky-looking. However, many also say it's precisely ''for this reason'' that the first game is such a CultClassic; the 64-bit, polygonal graphics give a lot of ambiguity to the appearances of monsters, and the distorted-blurry visuals and downright nightmarish tone had some people considering it ''[[FirstInstallmentWins the scariest]]'' entry in the series, as it perfectly fit the surreal vibes of the game and made everything seem like a bad dream. In that, the game's weak graphics have become a hallmark of a lot of "[=PSX=]" {{Retraux}} indie horror titles, all of which are very effective at scaring the player ''because'' it's so polygonal.

** When ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' received an UpdatedRerelease for the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]] as ''War of the Lions'', fans lamented the loss of much of the game's NarmCharm derived from [[GoodBadTranslation poorly translated lines]]. Additionally, some fans felt that the original translation, while quite spotty in several areas, was still far from the incomprehensible mess some people make it out to be, and that the excessive PurpleProse used in the ''War of the Lions'' translation is thoroughly unnecessary, makes the game harder to understand, and makes a lot of the dialogue feel sterile and emotionless.

* The original ''VideoGame/DeathCrimson'' is one of Japan's most beloved [[SoBadItsGood kusoge]] with its atrocious graphics, delightfully amateur soundtrack and busted play mechanics inspiring a loving ironic fandom. Thanks to BileFascination, it was a minor success for its developer Ecole, enough to spawn a UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast sequel titled ''Death Crimson II'' and an arcade adaption ''[[ActionizedAdaptation Death Crimson OX]]''. ''Death Crimson II'' is an immensely superior game with actually functional play mechanics and production values that aren't embarassing by the standard of the time - and as you'd expect from its presence on this page, it's much less discussed or remembered, as "[[DamnedByFaintPraise immensely improved]] ''Death Crimson''" means it's a [[SoOkayItsAverage fairly average]] LightGunGame in a sea of great ones, while the original game is a truly one-of-a-kind trainwreck.

* ''VideoGame/Action52'' is most infamous for its original [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] incarnation, remembered as one of the messiest {{Obvious Beta}}s in the history of gaming, which makes it all the more noteworthy that there was a simultaneously-released UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis version that's far more obscure. The reasoning is almost assuredly based on the fact that unlike the NES version, the Genesis version is competent and perfectly playable (whereas the NES version was the first and only title by Active Enterprises, the Genesis version was produced by Farsight Technologies, which at least had moderate development experience beforehand), though this had the consequence of still being mediocre and unmemorable, lacking the laughable and glaringly obvious flaws of its NES counterpart.

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean'' went through this with the DubNameChange of Sports Maxx's Stand, Limp Biscuit, with the ''[[VideoGame/JojosBizarreAdventureEyesOfHeaven Eyes of Heaven]]'' game translating it to the memetic ''Flaccid Pancake''. Fans were disappointed when the Stand was instead translated as Limp Viscuit in the anime.

** The most notable is that he now has access to a stream chat. The content that he originally went viral for included absurd and extremely lengthy failures, including not knowing how to properly jump in ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' for at least twenty minutes, not being able to find the exit of the ''first room'' in ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' for at least seven minutes, and running off of a cliff in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3'' when he talked over a cutscene’s instructions telling him that he needed to backtrack, leading to difficulty comprehending that the way was ''not'' forward and spending several minutes not knowing what to do. He usually avoids these kind of failures in newer playthroughs due to his stream chat being able to tell him what to do whenever he gets stuck. As one fan lamented, “I think Phil should play games on his own without a live audience sometimes... it’s pointless having people on hand to tell you what to do and where to go, most of your long term viewers prefer seeing you play games by yourself. This means that we can see you rage and struggle, that’s the reason I subscribed in the first place.”

* The [[Creator/{{Syfy}} Sci-Fi Channel]] original series update of ''Series/{{Flash Gordon|2007}}'' suffered from this as well, turning Ming (who is hardly Merciless) into a milquetoast CorruptCorporateExecutive [-[[RecycledINSPACE IN]] [[AnotherDimension AN ALTERNATE DIMENSION]]-]! and the Hawkmen into vagrants who only ''think'' they can fly. This from a franchise whose [[Film/FlashGordon1980 most recognizable entry]] was the most gleefully campy movie since ''Film/Batman1966'' (not coincidentally, they have the same writer).

** Fans of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776'' were a little displeased when the creators of the Project Exile translation decided that Osian's weapon of choice was [[SpellMyNameWithAnS meant to be named]] after [[AluminumChristmasTrees a real-life weapon called the Bhuj]] -- and, to a similar extent, when an official translation labeled it the "Vouge". Previous fan translations had written it as "Pugi", which was a lot dumber and a lot more fun to say, especially when the Pugi was the game's DiscOneNuke and essential for beating the early maps. Hardcore ChallengeGamer-types rambling about the greatness of a weapon that sounded like a nickname you'd give a very stupid dog just wasn't an experience you got anywhere else. This applies to a lot of early translation quirks in that fandom, such as silly transliterations, occasional instances of complete gibberish where the script broke down, or that one time a ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' reference slipped through the cracks.

* Some fans of the [[LighterAndSofter tamer]], [[HurricaneOfPuns pun-laden]] dub of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' were disappointed by the straight video game adaptation ''Anime/PokemonOrigins'' for not being cheesy.

* The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth_Sinfonia Portsmouth Sinfonia]] was an orchestra founded in 1970, made up of people who didn't know how to play their instruments (it was even one of the requirements -- they would allow musicians to join, but on the condition that they were unfamiliar with the instrument they chose), as part of an experiment by founder Gavin Bryars to demonstrate that audiences could comprehend a song so long as all the right notes were hit, even if the musicians hit several ''other'' notes in the general vicinity. They were tasked to play well-known songs, and [[HilarityEnsues the results were hilarious]]. Nearly a decade later, everyone ''had'' learned to play those instruments, and the popularity of the symphony declined as it lost its novelty factor. The orchestra ceased performing in 1979. One wonders why the members wouldn't just [[FridgeLogic periodically switch to other instruments they didn't know how to play]].

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean'' went through this with the DubNameChange of Sports Maxx's Stand, Limp Biscuit, with the ''Eyes of Heaven'' game translating it to the memetic ''Flaccid Pancake''. Fans were disappointed when the Stand was instead translated as Limp Viscuit in the anime.

* ''Anime/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean'' went through this with the DubNameChange of Sports Maxx's Stand, Limp Biscuit, with the ''Eyes of Heaven'' game translating it to the memetic ''Flaccid Pancake''. Fans were disappointed when the stand was instead translated as Limp Viscuit in the anime version.

* Since the book's rediscovery, there have been a number of attempts to "revive" the cult-favorite public-domain superhero ''ComicBook/StardustTheSuperWizard''. These attempts usually aren't very popular with ''Stardust'' fans, since when you take out the [[OffModel badly-proportioned artwork]], [[RandomEventsPlot nonsensical plots]], and [[UnscrupulousHero the protagonist's]] love of [[InferredHolocaust wanton murder]] and [[CruelAndUnusualDeath needlessly elaborate punishment]], you just have a generic superhero story where the main character has a really ugly costume. Even writers who do try to recreate those elements rarely tune into [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs whatever insane wavelength Fletcher Hanks was on]], and just come across as trying too hard to match the original.

* The original ''Film/DeathRace2000'' was great, schlocky, over-the-top Roger Corman-esque fare, perfect for [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]]-style ribbing. ''Film/DeathRace'', the remake, was a watchable action flick (and featured the presence of Jason Statham) but felt like the soul had been ripped out of the concept.

* In ''VideoGame/WarioWare'', all of the series' original characters were voiced by random employees from Treehouse (Nintendo of America's marketing/translation team) until ''[=WarioWare=] Gold'' introduced full voice acting to the series, and thus recast the entire cast sans Wario with professional voice actors. While many fans legitimately liked the older voices better, a subset of the fanbase disliked the change simply because they found that the ''heavily'' compressed voice clips of the earlier games and unprofessional performances (such as Young Cricket's noticeable voice cracks) fitted the patchwork, surreal style of the series better.

* While ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' is well-regarded by most fans of the games and considered a vastly ImprovedSecondAttempt at bringing the brothers to the big screen over ''Film/SuperMarioBros1993'', some still lament that it's a relatively faithful and straitlaced adaptation, preferring the [[EarlyAdaptationWeirdness weird]], [[{{Narm}} corny]], experimental ScienceFiction aesthetic the first ''Mario'' movie went with just because it was something different.

* When the trailers of ''Film/{{Sonic the Hedgehog|2020}}'' first dropped, Sonic's live-action design was so terrible and poorly received that the studio delayed the film to rework it. When new trailers dropped showing off [[AuthorsSavingThrow a different Sonic design]], the response was generally that [[WinBackTheCrowd the new design looked great]]. But this proved disappointing for a handful of people who thought the film didn't look promising otherwise and hoped a hideous, UnintentionalUncannyValley protagonist would push it into SoBadItsGood territory. This opinion ended up winding down a bit when the film was released to a generally positive reception among critics and fans alike ([[CriticalDissonance the fans slightly more so than]] [[SoOkayItsAverage the critics]]), but some still express a wish for the option to watch the movie with the original design, if only to see how the experience would differ their opinion of the film. This ended up getting invoked InUniverse in the ''Film/ChipNDaleRescueRangers2022'' film, where Sonic's original design (now dubbed "Ugly Sonic") cashed in on his SoBadItsGood aspects that he started doing the rounds at fan conventions, even getting his own reality show working with the FBI.