Video games based on 80s movies have been experiencing a resurgence lately with the announcement of RoboCop and killer Klowns from Space: The Game. Other releases have also benefited from 1980s movies, including: Predator: Hunting Grounds and Aliens: Fireteam Elite. While the quality of these games is questionable, they are also praised for staying true to the source material.
Video game movie links have a reputation for being notoriously bad. Most people have heard of the catastrophic events following the release of: ET The Alien in 1982, and the damage it has done to Atari and the video game industry. However, there are some great examples of when developers get it right, making a game that’s true to the movie and also a joy to play. This list celebrates the cream of the crop and the best video games based on 80s movies.
10 Aliens
There’s no question that Konami was one of the leading arcade developers in the 80’s and 90’s. They produced hit after hit with titles like The Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesand X-Men all of which were extremely profitable and adored by fans.
There are plenty of video games based on the Aliens franchise, but the arcade game developed by Konami stands out. Players control Ellen Ripley and Corporal Hicks as they fight their way to a climactic showdown with the Alien Queen. The game featured fast-paced action and was just as tough as the 1986 movie!
9 Batman
Honestly, there were plenty of decent games based on Tim Burton’s 1989 blockbuster. The NES, Sega Genesi, and Gameboy all had respectable versions of Batmanbut arguably one of the best versions appeared on the Commodore Amiga.
Batman the game follows the plot of the movie and has a lot of variety including platforming action, a puzzle level and the chance to drive the batmobile and fly the batwing. Batman was sold as part of a bundle with other games and a Commodore Amiga. Known as the ‘Batpack’, it was extremely successful in helping Commodore sell thousands more computers.
8 The Hard Trilogy
There are a few games based on the 1988 hit movie Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis. Deserves special mention Die Hard Arcade for its over-the-top beat ’em-up action. However, the definitive Die Hard game has to be The Hard Trilogy. Each movie is included in this pack with different gameplay that provides a lot of variety for the player.
The first game, Die Hard, is a 3rd person shooter that follows John McClane in his fight against terrorists in Nakatomi Plaza. The second game is inspired by Die Hard 2: Die Harder and is a light gun game, and the third is a racing game from scenes in Die Hard With A Vengeance where McClane drives a taxi and has to stop bombs from exploding. Value for money is the key phrase that comes to mind when: The Hard Trilogywith three great games included for the price of one.
7 Kung Fu master
Believe it or not, Kung Fu master is loosely based on the 1984 Jackie Chan movie Meals on Wheels. Meals on Wheels was released as Spartan X in Japan, and so was the video game that was later renamed Kung Fu master for western audiences.
Wheels on Meals is rightly acclaimed for its blend of excellent martial arts action and comedy showcased by its stars, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. The fight between Chan and Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez is arguably one of the greatest fights ever shown on film! Kung Fu master is an early, but excellent beat ’em up that is still extremely fun and playable today.
6 RoboCop
Paul Verhoeven’s ultra-violent classic RoboCop received some fantastic video game conversions on the arcade and home computers. It’s hard to pick the best of the bunch because while they’re essentially the same run-and-gun style game, each version has subtle differences. The arcade stands out for its bright colorful graphics, sampled speech, and sound effects used in the film.
The Commodore Amiga has all that, but also has a minigame identikit level that was featured in the movie where Alex Murphy tries to identify his killers. The ZX Spectrum has this, but also has a first-person level where: RoboCop must shoot a criminal holding a hostage. They are all fantastic games and deserve to be looked up to by fans of the movie.
5 Super Empire Strikes Back And Super Return Of The Jedi
There have been dozens of Star Wars games over the years, with the Super Star Wars trilogy is one of the best to hit the console. Super Empire strikes back and Super Return Of The Jedi gave the player the chance to control their favorite characters as they progressed through levels from the movies.
In addition to the running and shooting action, there were also levels made famous by the movies, including the Snowspeeder battle on Hoth. These sections took advantage of the SNES’s Mode 7 graphics. These games are extremely difficult, but they also captured the tone and atmosphere of the movies with incredible recreations of the famous John Williams score, as well as excellent graphics.
4 The Greatest Adventures of Indiana Jones
LucasArts Games developed and published some incredible games in the 80’s and 90’s. The Secret of Monkey Island, Star Wars: X Wingand Zombies ate my neighbors, there are few in a resume full of hit after hit. Their 90s console games (especially on the SNES) were rightly acclaimed for their great music and incredible graphics.
Continuing with the successful formula that LucasArts Games used in the Super Star Wars spell, The Greatest Adventures of Indiana Jones gives the player the chance to experience the thrills and spills of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade.
3 Mad Max
Although the original Mad Max was released in 1979 and hinting at a world headed for ruin, it wasn’t until the sequels The Road Warrior (1981) and Beyond Thunderdome (1985) that audiences saw the full extent of a post-apocalyptic dystopian future.
Even though the video game is from 2015 Mad Max Not directly connected to the original movies, Avalanche Studios did an amazing job of bringing to life the dangerous world inhabited by Max Rockatansky. Mad Max characterized by a vast open world that could be explored by vehicle or on foot. The vehicle and hand-to-hand combat felt satisfying and helped immerse the player in an environment where death could come at any turn.
2 Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker
The ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson has some video game history and seemed to have a special relationship with Sega in particular. appear in Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 2and both Room channel 5 games, there were also video games based on the 1988 film, moon walker. There were two versions of moon walker released by Sega with one appearing in the arcade and the other on Sega Genesis.
The arcade version is an isometric style beat ’em up, while the Genesis is a side-scrolling platformer, similar to other Sega games like Shinobic. Although the games are very different, they both have one thing in common. They both have incredible music with classic songs Bad and Beat It.
1 the punisher
It’s fair to say that Frank Castle’s (aka The Punisher) stories weren’t the easiest to translate to the big (and small) screen. A violent anti-hero whose family has been murdered doesn’t necessarily fit the mainstream audience that Marvel targets. The first movie incarnation of the punisher came out in 1989 starring Dolph Lundgren. Although the film did not perform well financially, it received praise for its dark and violent tone associated with the character.
Despite the arcade version of the punisher not based on the 1989 movie, it’s one of the best licensed games! Capcom were masters of making side-scrolling beat ’em ups with classics including Last fight and Captain Command. bring the punisher to life was a no-brainer and is often remembered for its non-stop violent gameplay. It’s just a shame the arcade game isn’t included in the Capcom Beat ’em Up Bundle.
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