You've seen the movie/show. Now play the game.

I hate it when developers screw up great movies or TV shows by making shoddy games. With the exception of Goldeneye 007 for the N64, a handful of Star Wars games and maybe Spider-Man: The Movie, just about every single game based on a license has sucked. Examples:

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Nightmare on Elm Street
The World is Not Enough
Tomorrow Never Dies
Jackie Chan: Stuntmaster
Friday the 13th
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Scorpion King
Tarzan: Untamed
Simpsons Wrestling
Simpsons Road Rage
Crow: City of Angels
Family Feud
South Park: Chef's Luv Shack
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Independence Day
South Park
Spice World (based on a movie, although I'm sure no matter what, it'd suck)
Spawn: The Eternal
Blade
Mary Kate and Ashley: Sweet 16.
Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas
X-Men: Children of the Atom
Beast Wars: Transmetals
Disney's Dinosaur
HBO Boxing
Monster Rancher Hop-A-Bout
Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles
Top Gun: Fire At Will
Dukes of Hazzard II: Daisy Dukes It Out
A Bug's Life
Casper
Digimon World 2
Mary-Kate & Ashley's Magical Mystery Mall
Tom and Jerry in House Trap
Walt Disney's The Jungle Book Rhythm N' Groove
Woody Woodpecker Racing
Driven
Monsters, Inc.
Blade II
Men In Black II: Alien Escape
Survivor: The Australian Outback Interactive Game
Timeline
Animaniacs: A Gigantic Adventure
South Park Rally
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Planet of the Apes
The Weakest Link
American Idol (coming soon)
(note: most of these games are considered sucky because they scored less than 5.0 at IGN)
AND THE LIST GOES ON...

So why do these games suck so bad? And why do people keep making them? Well I don't know. Maybe its because they spend so much money attaining licenses the games don't get too much of a budget. But that doesn't explain Goldeneye. Maybe they want such penetration and hype they send it to too many consoles, wearing the development team too thin (Harry Potter will come out to a total of 7 platforms on the same day). But that doesn't explain games like Madden. Perhaps the movie doens't offer enough concepts or aren't fit for games. But that doesn't explain Spider-Man. Who knows? Discuss.


FURTHER READING: EGM, October 2002.

 

The only game on that list,besides Jedi Power Battles, that I've played is South Park Rally. I didn't think it was too bad. It's fun and hilarious if you are a South Park fan.

 

Wow...Jedi_Nailbiter, it looks like you did a lot of research. I agree with you. Without all of these sucky games systems like PSX would seem like nothing.

One of the crappiest games that I've dared to play is Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.

 

EGM focuses on the negative to much. There are a few games on that list that weren't even that bad. A case can be made for an equal amount of decent/good franchise titles.

Dune: Battle For Arakis
Dark Forces
Jedi Knight
Jedi Knight II
Super Star Wars/ESB/ROTJ
Alien Trilogy
Alien VS Predator I & II
Die Hard Trilogy
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (haven't played it but it's getting some solid reviews)
Top Gun I & II on the NES
Blade Runner
X-Wing
Tie Fighter
X-Wing Alliance
Rogue Squadron
Rogue Leader (IMO lame games but alot of people seem to think there great)
goldeneye
Maximum Carnage
Spider man (PSX)
Spider Man the Movie
X-Men (Super NES, can't remeber the title)
Street Fighter VS X-Men
X-Men (arcade)
Marvel vs Capcom
X-Men I & II (Genesis)
X-Men (SuperNES)
Kingdom Hearts
Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles had one or two decent titles
If EGM is going to include survior and weakest link then I'll include Sports and wrestling games.
WWF Royal Rumble (arcade)
WWF Wrestlemania (arcade)
NWO vs WCW
WWF Warzone
WWF Attitude
WWF Royal Rumble {Super NES)
Insert Various sports titles, I don't have the time to list them off.
Star Trek Elite Force
Star Fleet Command
Star Trek Bridge Commander
The Thing
Ghost Busters (arcade)
Rambo (Sega Master system)
Super Man (arcade)
Reboot
Since EGM used the word licenses then I guess it's fair to mention:
Baldurs gate I, II & the expansion pack
Neverwinter Nights
Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance
Shadow Run (genesis)
Shadow Run (Super NES)
Buck Rogers (SSI one)
Icewind Dale
Just to name a few...

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If there was an enemies list, you'd be on mine."


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I think Star Wars games have had a fairly good track record. There aren't that many truly terrible SW games, but there are a fair number of highly acclaimed, award winners (Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series, X-Wing, TIE Fighter). The SNES games are considered classics today. I've actually had a lot of fun with some of the "bad" ones like Episode I and Rebellion (I still play it when I get really bored).

Anyway, a few fairly good movie/show games:
Aladdin (SNES/Genesis)
Beetlejuice (NES)
Kingdom Hearts (PS2 - haven't played it, but it's getting good reviews)
The Simpsons (Arcade)

A "stinker" from the music band game category:
Revolution X: Music is a Weapon - Featuring Aerosmith (PSX - that's the actual title...)

 

Top Gun for the NES was one of the first flight sims I ever played. A classic in my book.

 

Don't forget "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" for the Atari. That quite possibly may be the worst game ever made.

 

Hey, I just bought ET for Atari! And now I'm crazy.

 

Why did you throw in Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate? Great games, yes. Based off of a movie or television show? Not a chance.

-Jomero

 

But the olsen twins are O so hot.

 

No comment

 

>>>Why did you throw in Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate? Great games, yes. Based off of a movie or television show? Not a chance.<<<

Because EGM used the word "licenses". Those games are part of the "Dungeons And Dragons" license. Thats the whole reason why I put this before I listed them: "Since EGM used the word licenses then I guess it's fair to mention." Besides have you forgotten the Dungeons And Dragons cartoon in the 80's.

[image=http://www.driko.org/smallpics/dnd13.jpg]

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"Rabid Balding Ewok, you make me sick.
If there was an enemies list, you'd be on mine."


:::*::(^^) :(^^) :::::::
::::::/::::^^:::::\ ::*::
:::::/###-^^-##I :::::
: *:.l##/(*)# (*)\\:::::
:::/##(###.00#)#I ::::
::(___/#*#(XXX)/__) ::
::/000{{{{www}}}}\:: Ewoks Will Eat You!

 

No, I have not forgotten. I have repressed that memory.

"Uni!"

"Maah-aaah-aah-aaah-aaaaah!"

"I'll save you Uni because I'm Bobby the Barbarian!"

"Maaah-aaah-aaah-aaah-aaaaah! Whyyyy-yyy do I sooooouuu-uund lii-iiike a goat?! I'm a uuuuu-uunicorn!""


I did read the script for the final episode that never did air because the show got cancelled (and yeah, it wasn't a fake). I guess Venger was Dungeon Master's son and was finally redeemed.

Sigh. '80s cartoon nostalgia is a double edged sword. The memories of watching them are good. Watching them now, today, you realize how much of them really, really, REALLY sucked. I mean, have you actually watched Thundercats or Voltron recently? They blow and suck so hard, that they implode upon themselves.

There was one Thundercats episode where every single member of the team, every single one but Snarf, were captured. And they were captured in ways that would make Jar Jar look like frickin' Master Yoda. For instance:

Lion-O sees an abandoned, evil-looking hover bike. "Hey cool! A new bike! I'll just hop on and...." *ZAP!* He gets knocked out and dragged to the bad guy's lair.

Panthro sees an evil-looking huge container with a trap-door open. Inside on a pedestal are some nunchuks. It's so obviously a trap that even large rodents have figured out how to avoid such a similar set up. What does Panthro do? He says, "Wow, Nunchuks!" walks inside, grabs them, and then is shocked as the trap door slams shut behind him and traps him.

I did not make that up. Those cartoons are seriously painful to watch. I don't even want to try and find some old M.A.S.K. cartoons because I don't want my good memories of that show tainted. I guess we were easy to please back then.

The only cartoon that actually had some great writing to it was Transformers. Probably because Marvel Comics were the guys that came up with their background, history, and plot.

When shown what the kids today are watching like Pokemon, Dragonball Z, and Power Rangers, I used to say "Man, these shows suck. Back when I was a kid, cartoons were cool!" I was wrong. My MEMORIES were of them being cool. Reality is a harsh mistress.

Anyway, back on topic.

-Jomero

 

Snarf snarf

God I hated him

 

Well what show or movie isn't like that. I mean I don't think as highly about SW's acting as I did as a kid. People grow and thier tastes mature. The only reason I watch old shows like Thundercats from time to time is to remember a easier carefree time in my life.

And tenor don't dis the Snarf.

 

If any show needs to be made into a game, that Dungeons & Dragons cartoon is it. I can't imagine the developers of the game would have a hard time living up to the show's high standards of quality. The funny thing about that cartoon, though, is that a few years ago it was rereleased on Fox Kids for a while (a very brief while).

As for Thundercats, I used to absolutely love that show. I tried watching it again near the end of the 90's and I couldn't stand it. I found the bad guys like Mum-Ra to be much more sympathetic than the heroes. The Thundercats rudely land on his planet and disturb his slumber. All he wants to do is go back to sleep, but those mean Thundercats won't let him. Jerks. I hated the good guys so much I was hoping the villains would win. Nostalgia doesn't always hold up well.

In defense of Dragonball Z, the American version is pretty awful, but the original Japanese version is actually quite good, though some of the fights are a bit silly. It's really a travesty what Funimation (and all the American licensing companies) do to Japanese animation. Even the subtitled, "unedited" stuff is horrendously and grievously dumbed down and Americanized. Sorry, went off on a bit of a tangent there...

 

"In defense of Dragonball Z, the American version is pretty awful, but the original Japanese version is actually quite good, though some of the fights are a bit silly. It's really a travesty what Funimation (and all the American licensing companies) do to Japanese animation. Even the subtitled, "unedited" stuff is horrendously and grievously dumbed down and Americanized."

*applauds*

(though I don't like ANY version of Dragonball)

 

Veering slightly back towards the original topic...

I have Krull for the Atari 2600. I got it when I was probably 7 or 8. Oddly enough I never saw the actual movie until a couple years ago. The only notable thing about it is that the Krull throwing blade thing looks disturbingly like a swastika in the game.