One of the most demanding tasks for a big-budget Hollywood scriptwriter is transforming a video game into a cohesive film that maintains the same ambiance as video games.
Video game narratives are typically supposed to be engaged with and played, not merely watched. So it feels fantastic to race and jump like Mario.
Hearing Mario, a character known for his brief phrases, now speaking in complete sentences with Chris Pratt’s voice can be disconcerting and anxiety-inducing for avid video game enthusiasts.
Most popular games last thirty to sixty hours. Even if you do not become addicted to playing games, you will continue to play until you complete all the levels of the whole game, which could span over a few months if you give two hours daily to complete the game.
It’s almost impossible to condense the whole game for shorter durations.
It might be offensive to video game lovers to say that video games sometimes become inherently ridiculous. One has to go through challenging quests, get points, and improve statistics to level up into the next stage of the game.
While saying so, it can’t be denied that a big-budget animated movie cannot replicate the experience one goes through in games.
Refining the selection to just ten top games can be daunting, often leading to subjective biases among viewers. Nevertheless, we’ve managed to accomplish this feat. Here are the top ten games adapted into movies and TV shows.
#Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)
In the action-packed adventure-comedy “Sonic the Hedgehog 2″ (2022), Sonic yearns for independence after settling in Green Hills.
With Tom and Maddie away on vacation, Sonic’s solitude is disrupted when Dr. Robotnik resurfaces on Earth, now accompanied by the Knuckles the Echidna.
Their mission: to seize an emerald capable of both creation and destruction. Teaming up with his ally Tails, Sonic races against time to locate the emerald before it lands in the wrong hands.
Ben Schwartz’s marvelous performance as Sonic and Idris Elba’s as the Knuckles make Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) one of the better movie adaptations of the game.
Although, regretfully, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 lacks the same wit and charm of the Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), television series Sonic the Hedgehog (1993–1994), and Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993).
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) will be released on December 2024 worldwide. Let’s see if it wins viewers’ hearts.
#Mortal Kombat (2021)
In Mortal Combat (2021), MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) seeks out Earth’s greatest champions to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high-stakes battle for the universe.
While “Mortal Kombat” (2021) earned recognition by winning the Australian Screen Sound Guild Award for Best Film Sound Mixing in 2021, many viewers felt it didn’t quite reach the intense levels of bloody violence portrayed in its predecessor, “Mortal Kombat” (1995).
Nevertheless, it provides a satisfying experience for gamers who fondly recall the days of slicing and dicing opponents in the two-dimensional (2D) fighting games “Mortal Kombat” (1992), “Mortal Kombat II” (1993), “Mortal Kombat 3” (1995), “Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3” (1995), and “Mortal Kombat Trilogy” (1996).
#Tomb Raider (2018)
In the action, adventure, and fantasy movie Tomb Raider (2018), Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander), the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, Lord Richard Croft, pushes herself beyond her limits when she discovers the island where her father was disappeared.
Alicia Vikander nailed her role as Lara Croft in this much darker, realistic version of Tomb Raider.
After Angelina Jolie’s lukewarm take on the franchise in the early 2000s, in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), video game adventurer Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) comes to life. She races against time and villains to recover powerful ancient artifacts.
It is apparent that after Jolie’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), other Tomb Raider adaptations will not be able to achieve their full potential onscreen.
The trailer of the TV series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (2024) is out now. It will be released on Netflix in 2024. Hayley Atwell is voicing the series’ main character, Lara Croft.
#Gran Turismo (2023)
The action, adventure, and drama movie Gran Turismo (2023) is based on an inspiring true story of a team of underdogs—a struggling, working-class gamer, a failed former race car driver, and an idealistic motorsport exec—who dare to risk to partake on the most elite sport in the world.
Gran Turismo (2023) is an intense action movie where David Harbour plays Jack Salter, Orlando Bloom plays Danny Moore, and Archie Madekwe plays Jann Mardenborough.
It has everything you expect from a film about cars: tight races and blistering speed.
Jann Mardenborough is a Cardiff-based gamer who plays Gran Turismo nonstop and is adamant about failing in the real world.
In the meantime, Turismo’s management and Danny Moore, a marketing manager for the Nissan motor company in Tokyo, devise a plan to start a competition allowing players to test their skills in actual race cars.
Danny turns to ex-racing driver and uncontrollable cynic Jack Salter for assistance planning an event. After Jann, Danny, and Jack are brought together by fate, the player takes control of a Nissan race vehicle and dives right into the fierce competition of actual racing.
Its tagline is “From Gamer To Racer.”
The movie showcases every aspect of racing with a personal touch. It is one of the best games ever adapted into a movie.
#The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
One hour thirty-two minutes long, ”The Super Mario Bros (2023)’‘ is a children’s movie that features Chris Pratt as Mario.
It mixes Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., and cameos, making it an entertaining addition to the Mario franchise.
In this movie targeted at younger audiences, you’ll find Mario, the Brooklyn plumber, voiced by Chris Pratt, embarking on a journey through the Mushroom Kingdom with Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key).
Their mission? To rescue Mario’s brother Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day) and save the world from the ruthless King Bowser of Koopas (voiced by Jack Black), the primary antagonist of Nintendo’s Mario franchise.
#Final Fantasy: Advent Children (2005)
The action-adventure film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005) seamlessly bridges the gap between gaming and cinema by using computer-generated 3D visuals instead of real characters.
Set two years after the events of “Final Fantasy VII,” the world grapples with a new threat: a disease known as ‘Seikon-Shoukougun‘ or ‘Geostigma.’
Cloud Strife (voiced by Takahiro Sakurai), a former SOLDIER, leads a private life, running a delivery service at Tifa Lockheart’s (voiced by Ayumi Ito) bar, the Seventh Heaven.
However, when former Shinra, Inc. president Rufus seeks his protection from Kadaj, who is searching for their “mother,” Cloud is thrust back into action.
With the help of Vincent Valentine (voiced by Shôgo Suzuki), who gathers crucial information on Kadaj’s scheme, Cloud and his friends must confront new enemies in a battle to save the world once more.
#Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
The song “Speed Me Up” by Wiz Khalifa, featured in the 2020 film “Sonic the Hedgehog,” became an instant hit with audiences worldwide. Released in theaters before the pandemic, the movie lives on our memories rent-free.
As a live-action adventure comedy suitable for the whole family, “Sonic the Hedgehog” follows the escapades of the world’s fastest hedgehog, Sonic, and his friend Tom as they unite to protect Earth from the brilliant yet manic Dr. Robotnik.
With its blend of humor, action, and heart, the film ensures that Sonic’s legacy endures, regardless of the challenges faced along the way.
#Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
The adventure comedy movie Wreck-It Ralph (2012) isn’t an actual video game, but it can’t be considered a video game movie in the traditional sense. The movie imagines a universe in which characters from arcade games cross paths in a virtual romper room.
It’s not only peculiar but also wild and sentimental. Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) dreams of being a hero in a modern shooter game but accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy.
He seeks help from the Vanellope (voiced by Sarah Silverman), a troublemaker from a candy-coated cart racing game, who teaches him what it means to be a Good Guy.
#Detective Pikachu (2019)
The Pokémon franchise has maintained its strength over the years, encompassing trading cards, TV shows, animated movies, and the iconic video games that have shaped an entire generation.
However, when the concept of a live-action movie was introduced with Detective Pikachu, some doubted how it would translate to the big screen.
Despite initial uncertainties, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) exceeded expectations, offering stunning visuals and a captivating storyline.
With Ryan Reynolds lending his voice to the titular character and Justice Smith as Tim Goodman, the film becomes an absolute delight to watch.
#Mortal Kombat (1995)
Is there anything more about the Mortal Kombat movie that hasn’t been said? It’s a rustic, thrilling, ridiculous, and outstanding techno-futuristic cage fight movie.
It is still the most satisfying video game movie to this day. It captures the essence of the ’90s in full, though it might not be the most “high-art” illustration on this list.
However, Mortal Kombat remains the unrivaled embodiment of a video game series. In Mortal Kombat, the best of different Realms compete for 10 wins to invade the losing Realm.
Lord Rayden and his fighters aim to stop Outworld from winning.
