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4 Movies That You Didn’t Know Were Turned Into Video Games

In the vast world of entertainment, Hollywood and the video game industry make for intimate and often strange bedfellows. There are countless examples in the long and complicated history of video games of big-name movie studios seeking to capitalize on the runaway success of hit video games by creating movie adaptations, often with poor results.

However, one phenomenon that is comparatively under-reported on is the reverse process, when video game developers choose blockbuster films to adapt to video games. Of course, there are the big-name franchise releases, such as video games based on hit superhero movies or, say, the Harry Potter films.

But within this fascinating subgenre are standalone games based on films that few people could have guessed would have potential as playable content. Every once in a blue moon, such games turn out to be critical and commercial successes, despite their appeal not being immediately evident.

With that in mind, here are five movies that you didn’t know were turned into pretty good video games. 

Saw/Saw II


When the first Saw film hit the big screen back in 2004, it was immediately hailed as a horror genre gamechanger. The elaborate and creative traps that the Jigsaw victims were subjected to quickly became enduring cultural touchstones, referencing horror movie buffs time and time again. One surprising result of Saw‘s success was the release of two horror movie video games by horror game masters Konami. Both games require players to use their puzzle-solving skills to escape Jigsaw’s machinations, received critical acclaim, and quickly become cult classics. 

Titanic


James Cameron’s classic 1997 film depicts a doomed love story aboard that fatal voyage. It was the highest-grossing film of all time and remained so for almost two decades. Therefore, it is surprising that a video game adaptation only came about relatively recently. The official Titanic slot game is a high-tech branded online casino game that essentially serves as a love letter to the film for its legions. Players advance through the rounds by winning first, second, and third-class tickets aboard the ship, while successful reel spins unlock different iconic scenes from the film. Thoughtfully planned and cleverly executed; this is the game for anyone wishing to see Jack and Rose’s romance play out all over again.

Wayne’s World


The logic behind the 1993 video game adaptation of the Mike Myers comedy classic Wayne’s World remains a mystery to this day, but there is no denying that it is an absolute must-play for fans of the franchise. This SNES point-and-click adventure game is a masterclass in witty, ironic self-referentiality. It pokes fun at both the film and the fact that the film was inexplicably turned into an actual video game. From the opening scene, which consists of the famous duo making fun of terrible video games, Wayne’s World video game is a unique experience that is worth a play. 

Cliffhanger


Sylvester Stallone’s performance in the 1993 Alpine action thriller Cliffhanger may not have been his best, but the film nonetheless enjoys a massive cult following to this day. In anticipation of what was hoped to be the blockbuster hit of the summer, Sony and Rockstar teamed up to release a strategy fighter game for Sega Genesis, in which you have to fight off a network of villains in the Rocky Mountains. To the surprise of almost everyone, the game turned out to be very, very good. The fighting dynamics were unlike anything that had been seen in gaming up to that point. At the same time, pundits praised the insane difficulty of some of the more challenging elements of the game that required players to stop button-mashing and start using their brains. 

These are the surprising movie-to-game releases that are worth a play in 2020.

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