If you’re a fan of movies and/or video games then chances are you’ll already be more than aware that the movie tie-in is little more than a recipe for disaster. It seems that in developer-land, the phrase “Official Video Game of the Movie” provides an excuse for rushing out a poor-quality game, often bearing little resemblance to the film with which it shares its name, and generally looking to ride the success of the latest summer blockbuster with a sub-standard cash-in. Ever since Atari dumped millions of copies of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial into a Mexican landfill site, the movie tie-in has delivered some of the most painful gaming experiences known to man. Only a select few have ever managed to rise above average, and here we present our picks of the very best…
5. RoboCop, 1988
Back in the 80s British developer Ocean Software were quite the experts when it came to movie licences, producing a host of titles such as Batman, Cobra, Highlander, Lethal Weapon and Rambo, but their greatest success came with the 1988 ZX Spectrum hit RoboCop. Regarded as an improvement over the original arcade game (despite its limited colour-palette), RoboCop really captured the feel of the movie and its multi-level action format and mini-games (such as shooting through a hostage’s skirt to hit a bad guy in the balls) delivered no end of entertainment. Of course it would struggle to hold a candle to most modern games, but for it’s time this was one of the best.
4. Spider-Man 2, 2007
As with movies, another medium that’s never really found the success it deserves when making the transition to video games are comic books (highlights being the X-Men Legends / Marvel Ultimate Alliance series and Batman: Arkham Asylum), although Activision did manage to hit a home run with the console version of Spider-Man 2. Taking place in a sandbox-style New York City, the game essentially takes Spidey and dumps him into a Grand Theft Auto-style adventure, albeit on the other side of the law. Spider-Man 2 featured a good variety of missions and side-quests along with a superb web-swinging mechanic that really helped to capture Spider-Man’s abilities. Who knew that swinging around a city could be so much fun?
3. Die Hard Trilogy, 1996
Aside from putting you into the vest of John McClane, Die Hard Trilogy was a meaty package of a game, presenting not one, not two, but three different genres and incorporating third-person shooter (Die Hard), rail shooter (Die Hard 2: Die Harder) and arcade-style driving game (Die Hard with a Vengeance). Individually they were all pretty good, but collectively Die Hard Trilogy was one of the best value-for-money experiences to be had on the original PlayStation. Of course, as with the movie series you couldn’t beat the original, and it really was a blast running about the Nakatomi Plaza blowing terrorists to pieces and telling hostages to “get the hell outta here”.
2. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, 2007
The original Star Wars trilogy has had its fair share of video game adaptations, starting with Atari’s vector-based arcade efforts and shifting to side-scrolling platformer for JVC’s early 90s NES efforts and their subsequent ‘Super’ upgrades on the SNES. Originally I’d planned to include the Super Star Wars series on this list and then I remembered this gem of a game that hit next-gen consoles in 2007. A compilation of Lego Star Wars and Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy with a shiny HD update, The Complete Saga provides hours upon hours of entertainment across all six films, and in turn it also presents the best video game interpretation of Lucas’ baby seen to date. And best of all, you can enjoy all the fun in co-op mode.
1. GoldenEye 007, 1997
An obvious choice perhaps, but then there’s little doubt that Rare’s GoldenEye 007 is the essential movie-to-video game adaptation. A landmark title in the games industry, GoldenEye threw players into the role of James Bond like never before. It revolutionised the console first-person-shooter with innovations such as precision aiming (allowing for perfect headshots), stealth tactics and sniper rifles, while delivering a fantastic multiplayer experience (The Man with the Golden Gun mode being a particular favourite). Apart from Mario 64 there weren’t too many reasons to purchase a Nintendo 64, but GoldenEye made the console a must-buy and even in these FPS-heavy times it remains an absolute corker of a game.
Honourable Mentions…
Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, 2004
Disney’s Aladdin, 1993
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2003
The Thing, 2002
The Warriors, 2005
Agree? Disagree? We'd love to hear your comments on the list...
Gary Collinson
Essentials Archive
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