Video games adaptation of movies and TV shows are rather common these days, as the various producers are always trying to make the most money from their shows, milking their temporary popularity. Because of that, those games have been under the impression of being low effort garbage right from the get-go. However, there are still good TV-show-based video games, and in this list, we would list out the ten best titles.
10 – The Simpsons: Hit & Run (PC)
One of the best Grand Theft Auto Clone out there – The Simpsons: Hit & Run is an adaptation of all mechanics in the GTA universe with a Simpsons series coat of paint. In this game, you would be given control of the Simpson family, including Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, and Apu and investigate the strange events that are occurring in Springfield. It is just like GTA 3, but way less brutal and realistic. The best part of the game is probably the Simpson humor, visual and sounds – it really makes you believe you are actually in an interactive Simpson episode.
While there are a lot of Simpsons games released, this one is the only decent title amongst them.
9 – Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!! (Nintendo DS)
There have been quite a few games adapted from the famous animation series Adventure Time, however, this game is head and shoulders above the others. Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!! is an epic side-scrolling adventure and in this game, you would be taking quests and exploring four different worlds. This design is rather similar to a Zelda game, which would increase the replayability and depth significantly as you replay. While the gameplay is not too challenging, HIKWYSOG has stayed true to the theme of the series – and if you are a fan of the animation, you would feel right at home.
8 – Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds (PC)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer has spawned quite a few fun games, and the fourth game, Chaos Bleeds, based on the fifth season, is probably the best of them all. This is the first time in the Buffy series that you can control other characters from the show and even battle alongside each other in a multiplayer mode. There are two extra characters available: Xander and Willow. Overall, Chaos Bleeds is a decent action game with good graphics for its time. The replayability is pretty decent, as the variety of enemies is pretty high.
7 – Telltale’s Game of Thrones (All OS and Consoles)
There have been quite a few Game of Thrones based video games released after the seventh season of the show, but Telltale Game’s version is pretty much the best. This is an episodic Point and Click adventure in which players would participate in a unique story arc involving characters in the Game of Thrones universe. The best part of the game is that it includes the voices from the actual cast of the show, which is actually pretty expensive. While the overall graphics are not that great, as the game is a point & click style, the most important thing to consider is not really graphics anyway.
6 – The Adventures of Batman and Robin (SNES)
DuckTales: Remastered is an adaptation of the original Donald the Duck Disney series, with a unique storyline that focuses on the infamous side character, Scrooge McDuck. The game was really well-received back then, with more than a million copies sold worldwide back in 1990. In this game, players would take control of Scrooge and travel all over the world and outer space to collect more treasures to add to his collection. DuckTales is overall a light-hearted adventure that would leave you wanting.
5 – DuckTales: Remastered (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
A super old game on the Super Nintendo and Sega systems, The Adventure of Batman and Robin is actually the only time Batman: The Animated Series was converted into video game format. In this game, players would take control of Batman and Robin to navigate levels that were designed based on episodes of the show. The most memorable part of the game, however, is the graphics style, sounds, and puzzles. The game managed to replicate the universally acclaimed Batman Animated very successfully.
4 – Dragon Balls Z: Budokai 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
The Dragon Balls Z series has done pretty well to replicate all the awesome action and fights in the show, and amongst all their installments, the third one, Dragon Balls Z: Budokai 3 is the best. Various aspects of the game were improved compared to earlier entries, from graphics, sounds to gameplay. Replayability is increased as well, with the introduction of various other modes such as versus or tournament. There is even a hundred fighter challenge in which you have to go against pretty much every character in the game as well. A lot of different Dragon Balls characters were added into this game – and you can even add more with mods.
3 – Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force (PC, Xbox 360)
Adapted from the contents of Star Trek Voyager’s fourth season, Elite force is an amazing FPS that fans of Star Trek would definitely be able to enjoy. This is probably the first good Star Trek video game – and the best part is that the thing has managed to pull pretty much every character and storyline from the show convincingly. The great graphics, gameplay mechanics and multiplayer are just the cherries on top.
2 – South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
This game is probably one of the most faithful video game adaptation of all time. Overall, Stick of Truth is an RPG set in the 2D open world of South Park, with a storyline containing references from all 17 seasons of the series. The humor from this game, while being good, is a little abrasive, which leads to some of the scenes getting cut in various countries. The gameplay and RPG elements are great fun, with various items and unique skills.
1 – Telltale’s The Walking Dead (All systems)
The best ever Video game adaptation from TV series, Telltale games has definitely succeeded in making a unique experience while staying true to the series’ atmosphere and themes. The excellent episodic short story format also provided a lot to that experience so that you would feel exactly like in the show. Overall, the game focuses on story and character development, with every action and choice causing ripples and later consequences. There are also action, quick-time events, and puzzle parts to keep you engaged.
Interested in more top 10 lists? Please check out this post for the longest Open World RPG games.