Part of my love for the Famicom is probably dervied from the fact that there are a lot of Famicom games based on 80s movies, which I love. These generally fall into a few categories:Good movies made into good video games: The Empire Strikes Back, Die Hard, Batman, Gremlins 2, The Goonies, etc.
Good movies made into bad video games: Ghostbusters
So-so sequels that were made into good video games: Ghostbusters 2
Terrible movies that you cannot believe were made into video games: Hudson Hawk, Iron Eagle 3
Movies that don`t exist but were made into decent video games anyway: Goonies 2
Good movies that were made into bizarre video games: Predator
I`m probably missing a few categories and games in there but you get the general idea. Despite the great number of movie tie-in video games released on the Famicom (and NES) there were still a ton of great 80s movies that never had video game versions made of them back in the day. I`ve here put together my top ten list of great 80s movies that would have made for great Famicom (or other 8 bit system) games but, sadly, never were. In no particular order:
1. The Naked Gun
The whole game should just be based on that opening sequence where Frank Drebin takes on the Ayatollah, Idi Amin, Arafat, Ghadafi, Gorbachev and all those other bad guys. Tranquilizing an overweight woman in mom jeans onto Reggie Jackson would also make a very good challenge bonus stage.
2. Romancing the Stone/ Jewel of the Nile
Both of these would have made awesome platformers. A lot of people prefer Romancing the Stone but I`ve always had a soft spot for the sequel.
3. The Burbs
4. Police Academy 2
The showdown at the Old Zoo with Bobcat Goldthwait`s gang would make an awesome level in any game.5. Arthur 2
Just to demonstrate that even Dudley Moore`s worst movie would still make a good video game.
6. The Ice Pirates
This would work as either an RPG or an action platformer game. Angelica Houston`s best role to date.
7. My Dinner with Andre
An existential discource between Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory over dinner at a fine restaurant? Need I say more? Hours of RPG fun in there.8. Ferris Bueller`s Day Off
This one is too easy and requires no explanation. Rooney as the final boss?
9. Commando
I know that they made a game for the NES called Commando (and for the Famicom), but I don`t think it was based on this movie. I say this because at no point in that game do you get to play with one of those rocket launchers that is, like, four rocket launchers. In one!! This totally needs to be in a game.
10. The Breakfast Club
Two John Hughes movies in one list? It is a bit gratuitous, but a game with Dick Vernon as the final boss would be pretty cool.
My Dinner with Andre would totally make a great game in the vein of Mystery Mansion or at least a text adventure.
ReplyDeletePeople these days try to make "retro 8-bit" games and end up using colors and graphics that are more possible on an SNES, sigh. Is there a modern game that comes close to actually replicating those old graphics, despite their simplicity actually become muddled when viewed on a tv screen? Game Center CX for the DS is a good example, I guess.
Yes. YES! A text adventure based My Dinner with Andre would kill.
ReplyDeleteI agree too, they would have to be done in an actual vintage form with the correct graphics and colors and not the faux vintage that misses the mark completely. Maybe Namco or Konami or one of those companies still has all their old computers they used in the 80s to actually make their Famicom games in the first place lying around to be dusted off? Who knows:)
...I've never seen most of the movies on the list. I don't know whether too feel old or young as a result. Though I must admit, a Ferris Bueller game would be great!
ReplyDeleteTell me that the Naked Gun is one of the movies you have seen! If not you need to go watch it now! Nobody should go through life without having seen the Naked Gun at least 6 or 7 times:)
ReplyDeleteTwo John Hughes movies in one list? Nothing wrong with that. For extra amazement, Vernon could attack you while riding a bull. You know, to maximise on his infamous maxim :)
ReplyDeleteGood call, Sean! One game on the list is officially coming together:)
ReplyDeleteMy dinner with Andre was satirized as a videogame in one of The Simpsons' chapter.
ReplyDeleteOh man, somebody has already satirized My Dinner with Andre as a video game?
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of that episode of South Park where they can`t come up with any original ideas because the Simpsons have already done everything.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWFJOxG5sSw
ReplyDeleteBig Trouble in Little China would have made an excellent Famicom game. They made a BTILC game for the 8-bit computers, but it was awful. Not even awful in a cool way like Predator or Rambo on the FC, just lazy awful.
ReplyDeleteBig Trouble in Little China was actually the inspiration for this list as I thought they had never made a game based on it (and it is such an awesome movie), but I had to drop it after discovering they had made that one.
ReplyDelete