Reggie James
Reggie is a 27 year old black man currently living in California. He has been playing video games for over 20 years and currently works as a hardware engineer. If you're looking to be offended you can follow him on twitter at TNAMEAT
In a world where Porky’s, Lawnmower Man and even freaking Ronald McDonald can get video game licenses, it seems a bit odd that some properties have never gotten the pixelated treatment. These IPs are ripe for game adaptations, but for reasons unknown, no one has even attempted to make any.
Well, I think I could turn some of these beloved TV shows, movies and comics into really exciting games. To this end, I’ve compiled a list of four properties I think deserve the video game treatment.
4. Red Sonja
Why Red Sonja hasn’t been turned into a video game is beyond me. Conan the Barbarian has been adapted for consoles, PCs, mobile phones, tabletop RPGs and even trading cards. Why won’t anyone give Red Sonja a chance? Lazy writers will say, “Oh, it’s because most gamers are men.” That’s completely retarded: does that mean most people who read Red Sonja are women? It’s flawed logic to suggest otherwise, and if you’ve seen a writer suggest that as the reason, s/he should probably get a whiskey dumped on their head.
A hack and slash adventure game would be perfect for Red Sonja. She can disembowel enemies, plunder dungeons and rescue her land from warlords, monsters and the like. The fact that nobody has even attempted this is a bit disappointing considering the recent explosion of the indie gaming scene. I’m not sure what I’m missing: the character is fairly recognizable and anyone who didn’t know who she was would certainly be drawn to her due to, well… how she’s drawn.
3. The Question (DC Comics)
Fake cover made by Tim Allen (no. not that one).
In a world where just about every superhero gets his or her chance to shine, the Question has been denied the chance to become the fan favorite he deserves to be. Thanks to Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie, he had a great story arc in the Justice League Unlimited series, but outside of that he’s a fairly forgettable character, so I understand why a video game based off him hasn’t been on the short list for most developers.
That being said, I came across this article a few months ago and the idea has stuck with me. The Question has the potential to be a cool character, and if the game could be marketed correctly, it could do very well if it wasn’t too expensive to develop. Imagine playing a paranoid but very smart detective who exposes conspiracies and protects the unassuming sheep of the world. So many political ideologies could be explored in a tasteful manner, and without too much action or violence it could be a game more about wits than strength.
The Question may not be the most popular character in the world, but considering we’ve already seen some of the worst superhero games ever with Aquaman, The Silver Surfer, Thor, Spawn: The Eternal and the unholy abomination that was Superman 64, I think we can find it in our hearts to give this comic book creation a chance.
2. Deep Blue Sea (As A Tell-Tale Game)
Deep Blue Sea is a B-movie that came out in the late 90’s, featuring the likes of Saffron Burrows, Thomas “The Punisher” Jane, Samuel L. Jackson and LL Cool J, among others. Directed by Renny Harlin, the movie could have ended up as SyFy-level schlock, but became a cult classic due to sharp writing, clever moments and a cast willing to give their usually stock characters some depth and gravitas.
Now, if any casual developer was making this game, it would just be you playing as Thomas Jane or Saffron Burrows and trying to outlast/kill the genetically modified super sharks that are trying to gobble you up. It would go from the three sharks that are in the film to about 300 as you blast and harpoon your way through various aggressive obstacles. But that’s boring and predictable. Now, if you’re reading this and think that I’m going to suggest doing this from the shark’s perspective, I ask that you pick up a copy of the quite fun Jaws: Unleashed. (It’s Grand Theft Auto with sharks. Dead serious.)
But what if the movie Deep Blue Sea was turned into a game in the style of the Tell-Tale series (Walking Dead, Jurassic Park, A Wolf Among Us, etc.)? The film deals with a lot of moral issues and there are tons of scenes where characters have to decide how they are going to do things. The movie itself has about a dozen different ways it could have played out if a particular character had changed tactics or answered a question differently.
Why not give the player a chance to do that? They could decide to hide the fact that the sharks were genetically modified, or just tell everyone the truth at all times. Alternatively, instead of trying to escape to the surface, they could try to find parts to repair the submarine. The possibilities are endless, and I would totally play this game… and most likely get eaten a lot.
1. Galaxy Quest
Galaxy Quest is one of the most hilarious movies ever made. It was essentially the 21 Jump Street of the 90’s, with a bit of Ghostbusters tossed in for flavor. Funny, smart, action-packed and irreverent, it’d be the perfect movie to turn into a video game. Because the film was such a financial risk when it came out, no developers were willing to give it a chance with a movie tie-in, and that’s a blessing in disguise. Now that Galaxy Quest has gained a very well-earned cult classic status, it could be revamped into a sci-fi action comedy masterpiece.
Imagine playing as the cast of Galaxy Quest as you navigate different alien worlds and use your “acting talents” to save the universe. It would finally give the world a fun Star Trek game and at the same time make us laugh our asses off with real character development. Take note, Guardians of the Galaxy!
Galaxy Quest had an all-star comedy cast with Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan “Snape” Rickman, Sam Rockwell, Missy Pyle, Tony Shalhoub, the dad from Veronica Mars, Rainn “Dwight Schrute” Wilson and that kid from High School Musical. Could you imagine if somehow they could get most—if not all—of the cast to do voiceover work for this game? It’d be heaven, and even if it wasn’t a big seller, it would still get the movie’s cult fanbase to come out in droves. If we can get a quality Ghostbusters game 25 years after the fact, we can get a quality Galaxy Quest game 15 years later. Get on it, video game industry!
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