10. Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues
Release – 1994 – SNES, Gameboy
Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues is a Super Nintendo gem that is often overlooked. At the time it was released it had one of the most fun co-op modes in all of video gaming. The weapons were pretty varied as well, choosing between “deadly” and “non-deadly” weapons to take down your foes as well as directional shooting. The music and sound effects were fantastic with tense mood setting sounds throughout the game. The highlight of the game was a chase level involving the T-Rex as you can see in the video below. Pull out your emulators or dust off that old console if you missed this little gem.
9. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Release – 1992 – PC
This point and click adventure from LucasArts based on the films created an entirely new story for fans of the series and the classic gameplay didn’t disappoint either. With some extremely challenging puzzles that would make even the most seasoned adventure gamer pull their hair out LucasArts was able to walk that fine line of making an adventure game difficult, but never stagnant. Of course there is the fact that it has Indiana Jones in it when he was still cool which makes it all the more better.
8. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Release – 1989 – NES
A true classic that brings forth fond memories for me. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? for the NES is a strange and glorious beast of a game. Mixing open-world exploration, driving, inventory management, funny dialog, beat ‘em up sections and even stealth tactics to form a game that captured the fiction it was based on extremely well for the time. The graphics were decent for an 8-bit title and when you finally were able to make it to toontown it got even better. One of the most fun aspects of the game was that you could literally type in any combination of a save code and receive something different in your inventory every time, occasionally hitting the jackpot. A classic that still retains it fun factor to this day.
7. Spider Man 2
Release – 2004 – GC, PC, PS2 & Xbox
There were some great superhero games that were released before Spider Man 2 in 2004, but none so brilliantly captured the essence of being a superhero like this game did. What really made the game stand out was the web swinging mechanics that had a super tight and responsive feel to them. Swinging freely around New York while combating crimes in a seemingly endless open world was a thing to behold that even later games in the series have yet recapture. Stepping in the shoes of Peter Parker was always fun, but Spider Man 2 brought some sort of realism to the party.
6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Release – 2009 – PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PS2
A third-person action game that put the power of James Howlett at your fingertips. Expanding on the storyline of the movie somewhat, but really who cares about that this game is all about killing baddies in the most creative way. Execution moves are a real visual treat and combos are well put together. Just like in Spider Man 2 this game’s best attribute is that it actually makes you feel like the legendary X-men character.
5. The Matrix: Path of Neo
Release – 2005 – PS2, Xbox, PC
Path of Neo is often overlooked because of bad press for the other “Matrix” games and the horribleness of the movie sequels, but this game is such a blast to play through. The entertaining combat is deep and engrossing. The hand-to-hand, swordplay and gunplay are aesthetic treats and if you are really into the films there are some highlights in the presentation of the story even if it doesn’t make much sense. The high point is trying to defeat the Agent Smith clan as you’ll see in the clip below. Contolling Neo can actually be fun and this game proved it.
4. Demolition Man
Release – 1995 – Genesis, SNES, 3DO, Sega CD
Now I may be a bit prejudice when it comes to this game because I am such a fan of the 1993 film, but even so this is a really good video game. The sound effects really stand out and the characters spout out one-liners from the film during gameplay which is fantastic. The graphics are colorful and the side-scrolling run and gun action is quite challenging, you will die a lot. It’s one of those games that really captures the imagination of the film’s fans, feeling instantly familiar from the first level on to the demise of Simon Phoenix.
3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Release -2003- Xbox, PC
It is my favorite video game ever made and it doesn’t follow the movies at all, but what it does do is expand on the vision created by George Lucas in new and extraordinary ways. I’m not the biggest “Star Wars” fan and I’m not the biggest RPG fan, but I became a much bigger enthusiast of both after playing this incredible game. The combat is ridiculously fun and fluid. The graphics are the biggest complaint, but you don’t even notice those flaws or even care after diving into this complex story. With all due respect to later Bioware releases like Mass Effect and Dragon Age I still believe that KOTOR has the best dialog in any game ever created. Of course the unexpected twist at the end just reaffirms what a perfectly created game this was.
2. Goldeneye
Oh Goldeneye 64, the game that brought console multiplayer to the forefront. The first game that made you truly feel like you were in the movie and affecting the world based on your actions. Out of all the games on this list Goldeneye recreated the movie feel the best. Let’s be honest though, this game is all about inviting a few friends over and fragging until your thumbs fall off and any sense of a social life you had goes out the door. And of course beating the crap out of the dick that chooses Oddjob every time and goes around shooting everyone in their knees.
1. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Release -2004- Xbox, PC
It has become the gold standard of video games based on movies. Butcher Bay expands upon the Riddick universe in much better fashion than even the movie sequel to “Pitch Black” did. The graphics were cutting edge at the time being one of the first to utilize “normal mapping”. Vin Diesel gives a brilliant performance as the anti-hero Riddick and the rest of the cast is superb as well. The first person fisticuffs system is still brilliant and holds up quite well to this day. Riddick’s ability to see in the dark is captured with ease and becomes an integral and refreshing part of the gameplay. What Starbreeze was able to accomplish with Butcher Bay is nothing short of astonishing and hasn’t been topped since.
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