Licensed Games (You'd actually want to play)

We're all aware of the problem with licensed games - 80% of the time they're rushed out to meet the release of the movie, treated as nothing more than merchandise. Let's not discuss them - let's discuss the 20% that seem to get it right, y'know, games like "Goldeneye", "Spiderman 2" and "King Kong". Which games based on film/TV/books/etc. franchises would you recommend?

Better yet, what film/TV franchise would you want to play as a video game. How would you envision it? What video game genre would it be? If it's already been done, what improvements would you make (game-play wise: better graphics are a given)? Because I can't resist it, I've got a couple I'd like to share:

Big Trouble in Little China
For me it's one of the definitive 80s Action Movies. Hell, the plot of the film itself is typical video game fodder (trucker Jack Burton helps his friend Wang Chi rescue his girlfriend from 1,000 year old sorcerer Lo Pan). Clearly this would be a beat 'em up in the similar to Double Dragon or Streets of Rage, probably something you'd download off XBLA and WiiWare.

Gremlins
Yup, another 80s film. So far, all I can think off is "Dead Rising, but replace the zombies with Gremlins". Other than Kingston Falls or Clamp Industries (setting for the first and second films respectively), where would be a good setting? A film studio? Theme park? Anywhere where we can get maximum hilarious destruction (and maybe get away with the cool Gremlin hybrids like the Bat-Gremlin and Spider-Gremlin) .

Harry Potter licensed games are usually either good or bad, it seems. Good ones include Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets for GBC (they're RPG's, and while they're not amazing, they're still fun to play and have a decent learning curve), Order of the Phoenix for consoles (it's not that long, but it's got a good hub and loads of fun stuff to do) and Half Blood Prince for consoles (it's not as good as Order of the Phoenix, being shorter and having the annoying crests, but it's still good).

The Simpsons Game is also a good game. It has good gameplay and loads of fun little things, as well as a great hub. The Simpsons: Hit and Run is great too, also having a good hub and gameplay. Same with Road Rage.

The demo for Kung Fu Panda was pretty good... what? stop looking at me like that!

Scabby Sid wrote:The demo for Kung Fu Panda was pretty good... what? stop looking at me like that!

I wouldn't know, I've never played it (then again, I haven't seen the film either). Please enlighten me as to what it's like.

Kind of a third-person 3d actiony beat-em up game with basic combos iirc

Also the movie is my favourite kids movie of all time ever.

In that case you haven't seen Toy Story 3 yet - though it's debatable whether it's actually for people who were kids in the mid 90s

I can imagine "Kung Fu Panda" working well as a 3D action/beat 'em up though. Speaking of CGI films, I remember the Toy Story 2 game for PSone/N64 being a pretty decent 3D platform adventure game, not least because Buzz's weapons actually worked.

Considering the tendency for comic book films to get a rushed out tie-in game ( Sturgeon's Law, naturally), I'm surprised, though slightly relieved that Kick-Ass didn't get a video game - if it did, it probably would've been another "Watchmen: The End is Nigh" (I absolutely love the graphic novel and film, but I played the demo and the novelty of beating up criminals as Rorschach ran dry after a few minutes).

If I got to make a game based on "Kick-Ass", it'd be an wide open sandbox similar to "Spiderman 2", with random street crime to fight. Before you ask, of course you'd get to play as Hit Girl - on second thoughts, she should get her own spin-off game .

The Simpsons Hit and Run

Uhhhh Batman AA?

I went to see The Expendables today, and I thought that it's a game that would work extremely well as a game, perhaps moreso than a movie at times.

In the same vein, I think Crank would make a cool game

I've heard pretty good things about the Alice in Wonderland game, although I haven't tried it out for myself.

As for ones I have tried, Bart vs The Space Mutants. Epic fun game, played it on the Mega Drive.

Batman: Arkham Asylum, naturally (I'm going through the Story Mode again). Bonus points for taking the characters and putting them in an original story rather than simply rehash one of the films or comics.

Anyone here heard of the Marvel character Deadpool? He has similar healing abilities to Wolverine and acts as a mercenary, but we all know his real power is hilariously breaking the fourth wall. Combine this with his gratuitous use of guns and katanas and I reckon he could have a great video game.