Ok, so I’m jumping the gun a wee bit here. A sequel to Wreck-It Ralph has not been announced beyond “we’ve talked about it”. But there should be a sequel. Not entirely in a ‘I loved the original and want more’ way but also in a ‘there is so much more of this world yet to be seen’. There are different ways that a sequel can be taken, and these are a few things we’d like to see.
The Other Ralph
So here’s the thing about Ralph’s existence: he’s the Ralph that exists in one arcade. The game has been out for 30 years but there’s still a few arcade cabinets in use around the place. This means that there is more than one Ralph, Felix et al out there, and perhaps the other Ralphs did not have the same problems our Ralph had. Maybe…one of them embraced their role as a villain and Felix and the Nicelanders live in fear of his wrath. Every game in the arcade is under the giant fist of this Ralph and when the punters go home the entire arcade pays tribute to this villain. Perhaps he never met Vanellope when he was at his lowest…
But how would our characters meet this enemy? Well…
The Arcade Cabinet Goes to a Collector
If there’s one thing that stretches the believability of Wreck-It Ralph it’s that it takes place in an arcade. It has to be to serve the story, but arcades aren’t really a thing anymore. Home gaming provides better games and connectivity. Let’s assume that Ralph’s arcade goes out of business, and some of the cabinets go to a collector. Suddenly the usual assortment of characters are plugged in with a whole range of classic gaming characters!
The HD Remake
At some point Wreck-It Ralph is going to have to acknowledge console gaming and get Ralph and friends onto this system. Enter the HD remake of Fix-It-Felix Jr., the newer version of Ralph with new abilities. Possibly the perfect this to defeat the Other Ralph!
Cross-Over Games
Once Ralph and his friends make the leap to the console world we could use the online network as a bigger, flashier version of video game central. Or we can add them to the roster of a cross-over fighting game ala Smash Brothers Brawl or Playstation All-Stars. It’s a great set-up to introduce new characters and feature cameos from other familiar faces from gaming. We might even get to see Ralph battle with Donkey Kong, one of his obvious influences.
Online Gaming
Once Ralph and his friends get featured in a modern gaming console then they can connect to the online gaming network. Out with Game Central and in with a much, much larger cross-roads, featuring all manner of unusual characters. It could even stretch the boundaries by putting human players into a social interaction with the game characters (posing as other players).
Computer Viruses and Hacking
Now that Turbo has been dealt with it’s time for a more malicious enemy, something that was created to destroy. A Trojan Horse virus created by a jaded programmer would be a fantastic villain, able to block access between games and travel outside of the invisible walls that restrict the movement of the programmed characters. It’s a perfect chance for Vanellope to step up and use her unique ability and, with a human pulling the strings, a very different challenge for Ralph.
