It’s not uncommon for a movie to receive a video game adaptation, but there are certain types of films you can always expect to get such games. It’s usually a film loaded with action (Goldeneye) or coming from a notable franchise (Batman Forever). Rarely are their video games based on historical dramas or conspiracy thrillers.
But then there are strange exceptions to movies you wouldn’t expect to get the video game treatment. They’re the type of games that make you turn your head, raise an eyebrow, and question, “How did that become a game?” Take a look at these revered films that also dipped into the realm of video games.
10
The Arrival
Not to be confused with the Denis Villeneuve film, 1996’s The Arrival was a sci-fi thriller all about strange messages coming from outer space. Astronomer Zane Zaminski (Charlie Sheen) becomes obsessed with deciphering a strange signal from the stars, relying on the help of climate scientist Ilana Green (Lindsay Crouse). The closer Zane gets to unearthing the secrets from the stars, the more dangerous the investigation becomes.
The Arrival’s story continues in a 1997 first-person adventure computer game for Mac and Windows. The aliens of the film abduct the player, and the player must find a way to escape capture. Aside from the familiar alien designs, the game doesn’t relate much to the film’s storyline as you spend time solving puzzles and evading detection from the aliens. The game was advertised on the VHS tape of The Arrival, and, honestly, the trailer makes the game seem way more intense for what ended up being Myst on a UFO.
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9
The Great Escape
Director John Sturges helmed one of the most impressive prison war films with 1963’s The Great Escape. Allied soldiers find themselves trapped inside a German POW camp during World War II. The only way out is through a tunnel underground, with an elaborate digging operation conspired by and headed by American Captain Virgil Hilts and British Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett. They’ll have to keep the tunnel a secret from the Nazi while also finding ways to maintain their path.
Gamers got a chance to assume the role of the escaping prisoners in a 1986 computer game for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, DOS, and ZX Spectrum. Although not specified as a licensed adaptation of the film, it shares the same title and premise as the movie, where players must maintain a routine as they find their way out of a German POW camp in 1942. There are several ways out of the camp as you navigate an isometric view, and it’s pretty fun to play once you get used to the interface. You might want to have the film’s soundtrack on hand for an extra dose of immersion.
8
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Director Francis Ford Coppola took a much different approach to vampires with 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The classic story is maintained with Jonathan Harker being targeted by Count Dracula, seeking a bride for his undead lifestyle as a vampire. Coppola, however, goes all-out on the design with elaborate stagings, clever camera work, and one of the most unorthodox designs of Dracula ever placed on film. It’s a bona fide horror classic.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula was released as a tie-in video game on multiple platforms. While the DOS version was a first-person shooter, the versions for NES, Super NES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, Amiga, and Sega CD were side-scrolling platformers. The Sega CD version is worth noting for digitizing backgrounds and including clips from the movie as cutscenes, a rare treat for video game consoles in 1993.
7
The Hunt for Red October
Tom Clancy’s submarine thriller got the big screen adaptation with 1990’s The Hunt for Red October. Soviet captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) has gone rogue as he hijacks the Red October submarine and steers it towards US waters. Trying to figure out what Ramius is up to, CIA agent Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) attempts to investigate this stealth sub that could be planning an attack on the United States.
While many gamers associate Tom Clancy with the Rainbow Six series of games, The Hunt for Red October was one of the first adaptations of his work for video game consoles, before and after the movie. Before the film, the 1987 computer game (DOS/Apple/Amiga) was framed as a submarine simulator strategy game. Following the 1990 film, a more action-oriented adaptation was available for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, and Super NES.
6
The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project was a budgeted indie horror film that shocked audiences of the late 1990s. Filmed in a mockumentary style, a collective of filmmakers ventures into the woods, hoping to find evidence of the mysterious Blair Witch killer. The adventure goes awry when the explorers become lost and are haunted by something sinister lurking in the dark outdoors.
The surprise success of The Blair Witch Project led to an entire trilogy of video games. The games were posed as single-player survival horror akin to Resident Evil, released for the PC as Blair Witch Volume I: Rustin Parr, Blair Witch Volume II: The Legend of Coffin Rock, and Blair Witch Volume III: The Elly Kedward Tale. With all of them rushed out by different studios only a year after the movie debuted, the games received poor reviews. Still, it’s impressive that an indie horror film inspired so many video games in such a short amount of time.
5
Arachnophobia
A poisonous spider is on the loose in a rural Californian community, which is bad news for the new resident and arachnophobe, Dr. Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels). It isn’t long before an outbreak of spiders starts killing off neighborhood members. Ross will have to face his fears with the aid of the stern bug-killing tactics of exterminator Delbert McClintock (John Goodman) to save the day.
Arachnophobia would become a video game one year after the movie’s release as a side-scrolling shooting game. Players would take control of Delbert and use his exterminator skills to remove all the spiders from enclosed spaces. The game was released for various computer platforms, including Amiga, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS. It’s a surprisingly hard game given how tricky the spiders are to exterminate, and it’s probably even harder for those with a fear of spiders.
4
Dune
Before Denis Villeneuve’s 2-part epic, it was director David Lynch who directed Frank Herbert’s acclaimed sci-fi novel. Taking place on the planet Arrakis, Dune follows the ascension of the young Paul Atreides, following his family as they take ownership of spice production. When the evil Harkonnens obliterate the Atreides forces, Paul and his mother will learn to work alongside the native desert culture of the Fremen to reclaim Arrakis and fulfill the prophecy of becoming a messiah.
Dune received two different video game adaptations after the 1984 film. The first was an adventure game for the PC and Sega CD, where players could assume the role of Paul with familiar characters illustrated in the style of Lynch’s film. The second game (and far more popular one) was the real-time strategy, Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty, released on PC and Sega Genesis. The strategy-based sequel became such a hit that it eventually led to the sequels of Dune 2000 (PlayStation/PC) and Emperor: Battle for Dune (PC). While there is a new game in the wake of Villeneuve’s Dune, it’s worth noting that Lynch’s least favorite film launched a longer-running video game series.
3
Blade Runner
A futuristic Los Angeles becomes extra dangerous when genetically engineered Replicants are on the loose. Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a cop who works in the Blade Runner unit, assigned to track down Replicants that have gone awry. But as Deckard comes to learn more about Replicants through the seductive Rachael (Sean Young) and violent Roy (Rutger Hauer), his humanity comes into question while venturing around a dark and rainy LA.
Westwood Studios developed a Blade Runner PC adventure game in 1997 that acted as a side-story to the film. Set during the same events, you play the Blade Runner known as Ray McCoy, tracking down a different group of Replicants while also running across familiar faces from the movie like Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkel), Hannibal Chew (James Hong), and J.F. Sebastian (William Sanderson). Mixing action with mystery solving, the game perfectly adapts the film’s setting and allows players to choose from several different endings. There was also a side-scrolling game that came out earlier in 1985 for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC.
2
The Godfather
Mafia films were changed forever when Francis Ford Coppola directed The Godfather, an epic saga based on Mario Puzo’s book. The film centers around Michael Corleone and his failed attempt to escape his Italian family’s life of crime. As the sequels proved, Michael just can’t escape what his family has been embroiled in for decades, sinking him deeper into the world of organized crime, assassinations, and a decaying sense of humanity and morality.
In 2006, Electronic Arts developed an adaptation of the first Godfather movie released on PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Wii, and PlayStation 3. The game not only replicated the movie’s plot but also featured a reprising voice cast of James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Abe Vigoda. For being released over 30 years after the movie premiered, the game received plenty of critical praise and would even continue with a game adaptation of The Godfather Part II.
1
Vertigo
Considered one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best films, Vertigo follows a strange conspiracy that falls into the lap of private investigator Scottie (James Stewart). While tracking down Madeleine (Kim Novak), he finds himself perplexed by her appearance and haunted by her odd actions. The more he delves into her private life amid his fear of heights, the more he finds himself going mad with the obsession with this woman’s deceptions.
Hitchcock’s films don’t exactly translate into video games, but that’s what Pendulo Studios aimed to do with their adventure game, Alfred Hitchcock—Vertigo. It should be noted that the game isn’t a direct adaptation and instead focuses on a different character, Ed Miller, trying to solve the mystery of his missing family after a car accident. The direction and story were inspired by Vertigo and Hitchcock’s other films, such as Rebecca and Psycho.
You never know what types of movies will end up as video games, as there have been recent adaptations of RoboCop and Killer Klowns From Outer Space. Not all of these games listed were astute adaptations or even fun to play, but it is sometimes intriguing to see what happens when films take on the form of a game. And while some of these older games haven’t been ported to newer consoles, they’re still worth remembering as an odd bit of trivia you can drop at your next geek party.