Do you remember the classic Nintendo game Super Mario Bros? what about Doom? If you loved playing these video games as a kid, then this article is for you. It’s no secret that video games have been made into movies for years now. In fact, there are some very popular movies based on video games. This article just might jog a few video game memories or make you wish you could run on over to blockbuster video to rent your favorite video game.
List of Video Games Made into Movies
- Tomb Raider
- Resident Evil
- Silent Hill
- The Angry Birds Movie
- WarGames
- Detective Pikachu
- Super Mario Bros
- Street Fighter: The Movie
- Max Payne
- Assassin’s Creed
- Prince of Persia
- DOOM
Summary of Video Games Turned into Movies
Tomb Raider
In this video game turned movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Angelina Jolie stars as the brave and fearless titular character. Based on the popular video game franchise, the 2001 action adventure film follows Lara Croft as she tries to obtain ancient artifacts in competition with the Illuminati. Directed by Simon West, the movie is an international co-production between the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany.
Resident Evil
The Resident Evil franchise began as a series of survival horror video games published by Capcom. The first game in the series, Resident Evil, was released in 1996 for the PlayStation console. It received critical acclaim and spawned several sequels. In 2002, director Paul W. S. Anderson adapted the first game into a film of the same name, starring Milla Jovovich as the protagonist Alice. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $100 million worldwide. It was followed by several sequels, all of which were box-office successes. There are plenty of video games turned into movies but this was clearly a favorite.
Silent Hill
The Silent Hill video game series is a survival horror franchise published by Konami. The first game in the series, Silent Hill, was released in 1999 for the PlayStation console. It was followed by several sequels, spin-offs, and remakes. In 2006, director Christophe Gans adapted the first game into a film of the same name, starring Sean Bean and Radha Mitchell. With so dozens of movies based on video games, this film was a commercial success, grossing over $97 million worldwide. It received mixed reviews from critics, but fans of the video game series praised its faithfulness to the source material.
The Angry Birds Movie
As far as current video games turned into movies, this one is a more recent mention. The Angry Birds Video game was first released in 2009 and became an instant hit. In 2016, it was adapted into an animated film of the same name. The movie was a box office success, grossing over $350 million worldwide. It received mixed reviews but was praised for its visuals and humor.
WarGames
The WarGames video game was released in 1983 and was a popular title for the Commodore 64. The game is set during the Cold War and puts the player in control of a military computer that is tasked with launching nuclear missiles. In 1988, director John Badham adapted the video game into a film of the same name, starring Matthew Broder ick and Ally Sheedy. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $79 million worldwide. It was praised for its depiction of the Cold War.
Detective Pikachu
The live-action Detective Pikachu movie is based on the 2016 video game of the same name, which was inspired by the Pokemon franchise. The movie follows a young man named Tim Goodman (played by Justice Smith) who teams up with Pikachu (played by Ryan Reynolds) to solve mysteries in the city of Rome. The film was a box office success, grossing over $433 million worldwide. This film was a hit and is one of our favorite movies based on a video game.
Super Mario Bros
The Super Mario Bros. video game was first released in 1985 and became an instant hit. In 1993, it was adapted into a live-action film of the same name. The movie did not do well at the box office and was universally panned by critics. Despite this, the movie has become a cult classic over the years. With a new Super Mario Bros movie coming out in 2023 we’re excited to see how this famous video game holds up in another film.
Street Fighter: The Movie
The Street Fighter video game franchise is a series of fighting games published by Capcom. The first game in the series, Street Fighter, was released in 1987 and became an instant hit. In 1994, it was adapted into a live-action film of the same name. This movie, based on video games, has become a classic favorite.
Max Payne:
The Max Payne video game franchise is a series of third-person shooter games published by Rockstar Games. The first game in the series, Max Payne, was released in 2001 and was a critical and commercial success. In 2008, director John Moore adapted the first game into a film of the same name, starring Mark Wahlberg as the titular character. This movie based on a video game was praised for its action scenes.
Assassin’s Creed:
Fans waited a long time for this video game to be turned into a movie. The Assassin’s Creed video game franchise is a series of action-adventure games published by Ubisoft. The first game in the series, Assassin’s Creed, was released in 2007 and was a critical and commercial success. In 2016, director Justin Kurzel adapted the first game into a film of the same name, starring Michael Fassbender as the lead character.
Prince of Persia:
The Prince of Persia video game franchise is a series of action-adventure games published by Ubisoft. The first game in the series, Prince of Persia, was released in 1989 and was a critical and commercial success. In 2010, director Mike Newell adapted the first game into a film of the same name, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead character. Some people may not realize this a movie based on a video game but it’s still a good one to take note of.
DOOM:
When you mention movies based on video games you can’t not mention DOOM. The DOOM video game franchise is a series of first-person shooter games published by Bethesda Softworks. The first game in the series, DOOM, was released in 1993 and is considered to be one of the most influential video games of all time. In 2005, director Andrzej Bartkowiak adapted the first game into a film of the same name, starring Dwayne Johnson as the lead character. The movie was a box office bomb and was universally panned by critics.
Our Final thoughts on Movies Based on Video Games
The trend of movies based on video games doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. With the ever-growing popularity of video games, it’s no surprise that Hollywood keeps churning out adaptations. While some of these movies are critical and commercial successes, others are box office bombs. However, one thing is for sure: there’s no shortage of entertainment when it comes to video game movies.
