For the past few years, multiplexes have been filled with mostly remakes, reboots, retreads and revisions of properties audiences have either seen before or were too young to have seen the first time around. It would seem that lately, Inception withstanding, Hollywood would have an easier time contracting an STD in a convent full of celibate nuns than creating an original piece of work. This gives games an excellent opportunity to gain some ground in becoming the premiere medium for new and exciting stories and characters. However, we still love the other mediums. Movies and television will probably always have a spot in the public’s heart, and because of this, people always want to see stories from other mediums given the movie or television treatment. Games are no exception to that desire, so why not share what our top picks are for games we want to see adapted into other mediums. If you haven’t checked out Alex’s list, go ahead and give it a read. Also be sure to tune in to Pixelosophy 55 to see our number one picks.
5. No More Heroes
If you’ve watched or listened to a few episodes of Pixelosophy, you’ve probably gathered that I’m a pretty big animation fan. So when No More Heroes was released with an already cartoon-like aesthetic and a lone hero storyline, my first dreams were of an animated series that would air on Adult Swim. Look, the way I see it, if someone can make way too many of those Street Fighter cartoons that take themselves way too seriously, No More Heroes would be a great breath of fresh air. Over the top action and gore mixed with a healthy dose of camp and dark humor sounds like a great recipe for a series. Just think animated Kill Bill with light saber knock-offs. What’s not to like?
4. God of War
At first glance, this may not seem like very original subject matter. We’ve all seen plenty of movies with Greek gods and myths. After all, we did just get a Clash of the Titans remake. What sets God of War apart though is innovation in the story telling. By creating a completely new character in Kratos, the story is allowed to jump in and out of all the familiar mythological settings we’re accustomed to while retaining the classic traits of all the great Greek tragedies. This leads to a tale that is both new and familiar at the same time. Kratos, in many ways, is our generation’s equivalent of Perseus, and it’s time to let our hero have his own flick.
3. Psychonauts
I know that this game appeared on Alex’s list as well, and we share similar but totally different reasons for putting it on our lists. Let me explain. I feel like there are generally two main reasons that people want adaptations of games. One is that the game as a whole, through both narrative and gameplay, creates such a vivid look into an unseen world that we can’t help but want more in as many forms as possible. For me, Psychonauts falls into that category. However, the other reason is that, sometimes, a game succeeds at creating a great narrative but falls short in the game department. Basically, the mediocre gameplay gets in the way of the story and leaves players thinking, “I wish this were just a movie.” I think Psychonauts falls into this category for Alex. Either way, like him, I’d love to see this as an animated series. The game leaves room for Raz’s adventures to continue, so why not let them? (Hint: My number one falls into that second bit of reasoning. Be sure to watch to find out what it is!)
2. Shadow of the Colossus
If you saw our “favorite games” episode, then it’s probably no surprise that this one made it on my list. But let me share a quick story with you to explain exactly why it’s on here because, let’s be honest, this would be a tough one to adapt. The protagonist is alone with his horse for the bulk of the game, and character interaction beyond that is pretty minimal. But here’s why I want this movie made anyway. Before every movie under the sun was being released in 3D, the recent CG version of Beowulf seemed like a pretty cool thing. Quality aside, there is one sequence towards the end of the movie that has Beowulf fighting a massive dragon. Beowulf is scrambling all over the giant creature trying to get to his weak spot. All the while, this thing is flailing and flying all over trying to get Beowulf off of him. To anyone who’s played Shadow of the Colossus, that description probably sounds very familiar. The point is that the shot selections in this sequence gave me such an incredible sense of what that battle felt like that “There needs to be a CG Shadow of the Colossus movie,” was my main takeaway from the entire experience. Seriously, there needs to be one.