GregHowley.com

There have been dozens of horrible movies based on video games, and many many more terrible games that were based on movies. Why do movie-themed games and game-based movies always come out so terribly? I've had this discussion with a couple guys at work numerous times, and I think we've agreed that 98% of them stink.

Think of every movie you've ever seen that was based on a video game, even on a very good video game. They all stunk, didn't they? Doom the movie, Silent Hill, Alone in the Dark, Mortal Kombat, The Street Fighter movie with Van Damme, they were all terrible. I've talked with people who've liked the Resident Evil and Tomb Raider movies, but I think those are subpar as well. And I pity you if you've ever seen the old Super Mario Brothers movie or BloodRayne.

The only good movie I can think of that was based on a video game was based on it only very loosely, and was primarily an animated movie. I'm talking about Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. I've only played two of that long-lived series: FF9 on the original playstation, and FF4 on my Nintendo DS, which I never even finished. Both were... okay. But I really enjoyed that movie.

Games based on movies are actually far more common, and even more likely to stink like an egg salad sandwich left at the back of your locker over summer vacation. Most likely you've never played any of the dozens of Superman-themed games that have come out over the past decade. There's a name for this type of software: shovelware. Utter garbage. Look at the others: Godfather, Reservoir Dogs, Platoon, Da Vinci Code, Jaws, Cars, and the list goes on. There must be a good dozen every month.

For me, the best game to ever come out that was based on a movie franchise is The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay. I recently finished replaying it, and it's the game that prompted me to write this article. Great game. I've also heard good things about an old console title named Goldeneye, based on the James Bond film of the same name. Apparently, it had some good multiplayer gameplay. (which, of course, would never have appealed to me, but oh well)

Lastly, the Enter The Matrix game, which aside from the final level in the hovercraft, was actually pretty good. The gameplay was good, but what really sold the game was all the extra movie footage silmed specifically for the game that existed nowhere else. The one scene that I remember most fondly is a guy who fought that white-clad character Seraph, who of course ended the fight with his line "You never truly know someone until you fight them." The other guy replied in a wonderful ghetto accent, "Only thing you knew about me is I was about to kick your ass." Beautifully delivered.