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Movie Licensed Games - The Worst Offenders
Written by Karim Maksoud on Thursday, November 2, 2006
We examine the trainwreck that generally is the handheld movie licensed game. Who're the worst offenders? What developers actually did well? Find out...
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King Kong (Nintendo DS) - Ubisoft
To be fair, King Kong DS' almost painful mediocrity wasn't entirely the fault of its movie license. No, this is what happens when you try to duplicate a successful concept thought up for next-gen consoles on a handheld which is probably 20 times weaker- a stupid looking, slow, unplayable "game". Why would you do that? Someone please tell me.
Batman Begins (GBA) - EA, Vicarious
A perfect example of the effect a hasted deadline can have on a game's performance, Batman Begins for the Game boy Advance was unlikely to quench the thirst of most fans. Too much emphasis was applied to the new Batman character and the storyline, while the rest was rather neglected; making a ridiculously short, uninteresting game that barely lasted 2 hours. It also lacked a Batmobile level. How dare it. It's Batman, for God's sake.
Fight Club 3D (Mobile) - Superscape
This is quite possibly the most annoying 3D game to ever be played on a mobile phone. Apart from wasting an excellent movie license, the game was up to its knees in bugs, had few levels, stupid collision detection, and even worse physics- your opponent often goes flying through a solid wall. The most irritating thing about it was that it didn't even follow the events of the film. Not even any famous phrases. If Brad Pitt were dead, he would be turning in his grave.
Is There Hope?
However, as some of you may have noticed, some movie-licensed games have actually turned out to be very successful titles, which proves that movie licensed games can be done well. For example Astro boy on the GBA, as well as Pirates of the Carribean multiplayer on the mobile platform. Generally, a good game has a simple concept- the problem with movie-licensed games half of the time is that developers always try and stick literally to the film's events and plot, often inserting extra material that wasn't really necessary in the first place.
And yes I know I'm now complaining about movie games that shove in the entire film's plot, after earlier complaining that some movie games don't include important plot points from the film. That isn't the point. The point is that these games are bad. And the people that made them should be punished.
Pirates, Astro Boy, another others do give us some hope, however. Movie licensed games can turn out alright. That is, if they aren't rushed, laden with boring extras, and actually as, you know... games, not just a piece of merchandise.
posted November 3, 2006