Why Go To The Cinema When You Can Just, Play The Games!

[SpArKs]

The concept of turning movies into
games is nothing new, but this
Christmas is set to see a bumper
crop of titles based on some top
cinema showcases. And because
of the broad range of movies on
offer there's going to be something
for every one.​

Whether you're
looking for something younger
gamers will enjoy, something a
little more grown-up or a game
that the family can play.
Classic books and films brought up to
date? Try Peter Jackson's King Kong or
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe.
The continuation of the much loved franchises?​

Then Wallace & Gromit
The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit,
Harry Potter And The
Goblet Of Fire or The Matrix:
Path Of Neo might be right up
your street. Either way, you wont be
left wanting when Christmas calls.​

IN THE PIPE LINE
The video game machine keeps on rolling as far as films are concerned, but the business of moving games into movies is picking up speed. Here's a look at what you can expect to see at your local multiplex in the coming years...
​

PIPE LINE #1

Halo - The Movie
Not surprisingly, Microsoft is looking out for its biggest game game franchise, so Bungie has been given complete creative control over the script and other such details. A big-screen version of Master Chief sounds like an excellent plan, so I'm looking forward to the results sometime in 2007.​

Wallace & Gromit The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit.

TO GAMING GOODNESS...
The annual West Wallaby giant vegetable contest is around the corner and a plague of rabbits is threatening everything. Who do you call? Wallace and Gromit, of course! Taking its cues from the film of the same name, Curse Of The Were-Rabbit lets you control the invention crazy pair in order to stomp out the rabbit menace. This involves using Wallace and Gromits unique abilities to overcome obstacles and explore the many regions of West Wallaby(some of which are specifically created for the game), as well as employing a variety of 'cracking contraptions' to clear the bunnies blocking your path. You can even let a friend help, allowing two-player fun.
​

...FROM THE SILVER SCREEN
As far as first big-screen debuts go, Nick Park couldn't have done better with Wallace and Gromit's biggest adventure to date. Packed with famous names (such as Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter) and featuring the quality stop-motion action you've come to expect from Aardman Animation, the film's global release hasn't seen any compromises when it come to quirky British humour. Its a technical marvel and a cracking comedy.​

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

TO GAMING GOODNESS...
Here's another strong Christmas contender. As in the book (and film), the game focuses on Harry's participation in the TriWizard Tournament and, as such, you'll experience many of the films key moments such as facing off against a giant fire-breathing dragon, diving into the Black Lake and even fighting Voldemort himself! In an effort to expand the game play, EA has made all three lead characters - Ron, Hermione and Harry - playable, with the option to bring in your friends for some co-operative fun. There's also an enhanced spell-casting system that sees you control your wand during every spell.​

...FROM SILVER SCREEN
Possibly the best of the Potter books so far, it's not surprising that the movie adaptation has got people excited. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint return as Harry, Hermione and Ron respectively, while a host of new faces make an appearance. What's more, the special effects have been ramped up to make every stage of the TriWizard Tournament all the more believable.​

PIPE LINE #2

Metroid - The Movie
We've always had a soft spot for the adventures of Samus Aran, but the thought of watching her duke it out with Mother Brain means we may well pass out with excitement. Rumours that John Woo has signed on to direct aren't confirmed, but the film is currently down for a release towards the end of next year.
​

The Godfather

TO GAMING GOODNESS...
Think you got what it takes to be a made man? Then EA's take on the classic movie The Godfather is for you. Although the game takes its inspirations from the original film, it lets you create and play as you own unique mobster. After performing some petty crimes you'll be welcomed into the the Corleone family and drawn into a world of organized crime filled with theft, intimidation and even murder. How you deal with each mission is up to you - the non-linear game play allows for brutality, diplomacy or a mixture of both. From mob hits and extortion to drive-bys and bank heists, there's plenty to do.
​

...FROM SILVER SCREEN
While Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy has earned critical acclaim, it's the original 1972 film that stands out as the high point of the series. In a film that's so violent and touching in equal measure, Malon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan turn in some amazing performances as members of the Corleone family, while the film's portrayal of organized crime in the American heartland is masterful. Bear in mind, though, that Coppola's masterpiece is not for the faint hearted... or anyone who likes horses.​

James Bond 007: From Russia With Love

TO GAMING GOODNESS...
It's surprising that EA picked this Bond classic as the inspiration for its latest 007 game, not least because From Russia With Love is one of the least action-focused Bond films. But the game still cooks up plenty of spice as it follows James Bond to Turkey for what appears to be a simple mission. After some meddling by SPECTRE, however, it soon becomes a fight for Bond's life - something that's showcased nicely through the game's mix of third-person action and driving segments. From Russia With Love also marks Sean Connery's first foray into games, with the actor providing his likeness and voice for the hero.
​

...FROM SILVER SCREEN
Released in 1963, From Russia With Love was James Bond's second 'proper' outing. It was an important film for the series as the character was still being established, despite the previous success of Dr No. More importantly, it had a slower pace than its predecessor, with no world-threatening villains or major stunts playing a part in the plot. Worth checking out for the nostalgia alone, it's interesting to see how far the James Bond universe has come since it's early days.
​

DID U KNOW?

From Russia with love was Desmond Llewelyn's first appearance as gadget expert Q. Llewelyn went on to play the role in 16 Bond films - the most times an actor has played the same role in movie history.
R.I.P
​

 

[SpArKs]

The Warriors

TO GAMING GOODNESS...
Only Rockstar could take a classic movie from the seventies and turn it into a game that currentl relevent today. The developer has done a great job of capturing the flavour of the film, although the fact that only the final thied of the game covers the events of the movie means there's plenty of scope for you to do your own thing. It might look look like a simple bwaler but don't let that fool you - from the War Chief commands that allow you to order you fellow Warriors around to the wide varity of attacks, Rockstar's game looks set to revive the free-roaming beat'em-up genre.
​

...FROM SILVER SCREEN
Walter Hill's classic depiction of New York street gangs and the tension running between them took the movie world by storm when it was released in 1979. Seeing The Warriors go from being respected gang members to being hunted by every other gang in NY after being mistakenly blamed for a murder of one of the city's biggest gang leaders is a real rollercoaster ride, even if the music and clothes seem a little dated today
​

Scarface: The World Is Yours

TO GAMING GOODNESS...
Can you change history? Vivendi seems to think so with the release of Scarface: The World Is Yours. Pitching itself as the anwer to the question 'What if Tony Montana lived?', the game pick up at the end of the Scarface movie and allow player to change Tony's destiny. Survive the closing gunfight at the end of the film and you'll have the chance to rebuild Tony's empire, traveling through the streets of Miami and its surrounding islands while dealing with criminals and the Drug Enforcement Agency. A number of the film's stars return to provide voice tallent, while the leading man Al Pacino has lent his image to ensure that the mission-based levels feel authentic.
​

...FROM SILVER SCREEN
It seems almost everything Al Pacino touches turns to gold and Scarface is no exception with its massavly violant story of love, betrayal and the abuse of power(and drugs). Usurprisingly, the film isn't suitable for the squeamish or those with an aversion to violence; the closing shoot-out puts the final exclamation mark on Montana's downward spiral but also shows just how cinematic a brutal scene can be when handled by talented filemakers
​

PIPE LINE #3

Pac-Man - The Movie
Yes, you read it right - Pac-Man. Whoever had the bright idea of moving everyone's favourite pizza-shaped hero to the big screen must of been on something, because I can't even imagine what you'll likely to see. That said, it's almost gimmicky enough to work... almost. No release has been confirmed yet(and that may be a good thing).​

The Matrix: Path Of Neo

TO GAMING GOODNESS...
Finall , the Matrix game we all wanted - now we can play as Neo and exprience key moments from all three movies. From starting out as Thomas Anderson to the climatic rain-soaked battle with Agent Smith, all the crucial events on Neo's path to becoming The One have been included, although players will have the oppertunaty to do things differnty as new Charactors and scence have been added. Featuring specialy added clips from the movies, as well as The Animatrix, bullet-time effects, and a host of martial arts moves and weapons, this looks like the ultimate Matrix game.
​

...FROM SILVER SCREEN

Few movie franchises have taken off as quickly as The Matrix. Released in 1999 to rave rexiews, the original spawned two sequels that were filmed back to back and released in the same year - something that was previously unheard of. People were gripped by the saga of Thomas Anderson, known as Neo in the hacker world, and whether he realy would turn out to be The One, the savior of mankind. While the sequels may have been slightly disappointing there's no denying that The Matrix stands out as a landmark picture.
​

Star Wars Battlefront II

TO GAMING GOODNESS...
The original Star Wars Battlefront wowed the gaming communty with its miz of Battlefield-style game play and classic Star Wars settings. The sequel improves on it in every way by tweaking the original and throwing in plenty of new content. Drawing insperation from all six movies, the game offers an in-depth single-player expeience spread accros 20 maps, as waell asimproving multiplayer combat options and even the chance to take the action into outerspace in your favorite Star Wars spacecraft. New vehicles, charactor classes and massive levels top off what looks like to one of the best Star Wars games ever.
​

...FROM SILVER SCREEN

Unless you've been living under a rock since 1977, you can't have failed to noticed Star Wars - is one of the biggest movie franchise ever created, with six film released over 28 year. From the original trhee movies (A New Hope, The Empire strikkes Back and Return Of The Jedi) to Goerge Lucas' recent attempts to bring the saga to a close (The Phantom Menace, Attack Of The Clones and Revenge Of The Sith), the franchise has spawned more spin-offs, merchandise and othe paraphernalia than I'd care to mention.
​

DID U KNOW?

It doesn't take a genius to work out that movie-licensed games, the most successful franchise has been Star Wars. to date, there are well over 30 video games bearing the Star Wars name - though not all of them have been quite as good as the movies...​

Peter Jackson's King Kong

TO GAMING GOODNESS...
Not onley does King Kong seem almost next-generation in its visual flair (the 360 version looks amazing, but the Xbox and PS2 versions aren't far behind) but splitting the action in two also means there's a heft mix of styles; as hero Jack
driscoll you'll explore Skull Island, shoot guns and through burning spears from a first-person pespective, while becoming Kong himself allows for some third-person platform action, not to mention lots of dinosaur fighting. Most importantly the game replicates the atmoshere of the movie down to a tee.
​

...FROM SILVER SCREEN

With 1933's King Kong being such a classic, Peter Jackson has had to unsure that the justice to the original while also making his mark on it. The results speak for themselves. With a star-studded cast, the expert motioncapture work of Andy Sekis (who played Gollum in Jackson's Lord Of The Rings Trilogy) and some incredable visual effects, this new take on King Kong is favourite to be this year's most popular Christmas movie.
​

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe.

TO GAMING GOODNESS...
Just as its movie couterpart is tipped to top the charts, so the game of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe has its sights on gaming's festive top spot. As in the film, the plot follows the four Pevenise children into the world of Narnia, a land ravaged by an endless winter controled by the evil White Witch. Using unique skills, weaponary and magic, you must plough through armies of goblins, wolves and Minoboars to defeat the wicked witch. Though the action is different to that of the film, the voice acting and enviromental atmoshere helps keep the game true to the source material.
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...FROM SILVER SCREEN

If its a wintery film your after, they don't come much more snowy than The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. CS Lewis' classic book has been brought to life before but only on television, so I can't wait to experience something with al the visual expertise you'd expect from Hollywood. The fact that most of the cast is relitvly unknown shouldn't hamper the film's success.
​

DID U KNOW?

Undoubtedly the worst movie-to-game licence was Atari's ET: The Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600 console in 1982. Created in just six weeks, the game was virtually unlpayable - in fact, it sold so badly that most of the cartages were buried under the New Mexico desert.
​

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing, researching and preparing it...

Any opinions and discussions are welcome.

Thanks

 

[dream431ca]

You forgot silent hill...the most important one.

 

[Que-Ever]

You win a "WTF" stamp.
Is this an article for something? I'm confused.

 

[SpArKs]

You win a "WTF" stamp.
Is this an article for something? I'm confused.

Yesh. read on and tell me if you like.

 

[Apocalypse89]

You forgot the Revenge of the Sith video game.

 

[xombine]

I give you credit just for writing the thing. Not bad, but movies are hardly the same as games.

 

[CptStern]

games and movies just dont mix ..I cant think of a decent movie/game tie in .....ever

 

[Beerdude26]

games and movies just dont mix ..I cant think of a decent movie/game tie in .....ever

You played King Kong yet?

 

[CptStern]

ya ..bits here and there ..less like a game and more like an interactive movie

 

[DeusExMachina]

Or the Warriors for that matter? Its amazing.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

I can totally relate, the pokemon games and the pokemon film, ****ing yes, i cried when i got to the end of both. BULBASAUR FOREVER.

 

[TheSomeone]

ya ..bits here and there ..less like a game and more like an interactive movie

So?

King Kong is a great game, King Kong is a great movie, and they go well together.

^ Of course, IMO, but the fact they are both good seems to be majority consensus.

And Sparks, what's up with the spacing?

 

[Steven]

games and movies just dont mix ..I cant think of a decent movie/game tie in .....ever

QFT, the majority of movies made into games and games into movies are poor

 

[SpArKs]

And Sparks, what's up with the spacing?

Its called presentation...

 

[Beerdude26]

Its called presentation...

Well it's called annoying when you've got a res higher than 1024X768

 

[CptStern]

Or the Warriors for that matter? Its amazing.

ya I actually somewhat enjoyed it although I could never shake the feeling that they were exploiting the film rather than paying homage to it ..it was pretty much a glorified wrestling game without a ring made to look like a 1970's film ...maybe it's because I saw the warriors shortly after it was released and I'm too wrapped up in nostalgia


again what I have played of Kong reminds me too mcuh of an interactive version of the movie rather than a game based on a movie ..the thing is that I havent even seen king kong yet I recognized most of the set pieces from the 1976 film as well as the original

 

[Beerdude26]

So you're comparing the game with the movie while you haven't even seen the movie?
Talk about hardcore critisism

 

[CptStern]

I just explained how and why

 

[Beerdude26]

I'm afraid the new King Kong movie isn't exactly like the old one

 

[CptStern]

I know it isnt ..it's a mix of the Jeff bridges one and the original with some new stuff to justify the special effects budget ...remakes always fit a certain formula

 

[DeusExMachina]

ya I actually somewhat enjoyed it although I could never shake the feeling that they were exploiting the film rather than paying homage to it ..it was pretty much a glorified wrestling game without a ring made to look like a 1970's film ...maybe it's because I saw the warriors shortly after it was released and I'm too wrapped up in nostalgia

I thought the game captured 70s New York perfectly (as well as the movie itself) and the fighting was fun as hell, especially in co-op. The story explained the history of the Warriors well and it was nice to see most of the cast lend their voices to the game.

 

[Beerdude26]

Aww, this all reminds me of Mafia (The only game that would be ten million times better than its movie) D:

 

[CptStern]

I thought the game captured 70s New York perfectly (as well as the movie itself) and the fighting was fun as hell, especially in co-op. The story explained the history of the Warriors well and it was nice to see most of the cast lend their voices to the game.

yes I agree it did it well ..it still felt like a hallow retelling ..dont get me wrong I enjoyed the game but would never compare the two ...the warriors was one of the films of my youth that I'll always remember ..the game wont do the same

 

[pomegranate]

games and movies just dont mix ..I cant think of a decent movie/game tie in .....ever

What about Call Of Duty? That was based on 'World War II', that classic 1940s movie!

 

[Shasta]

Imressive list! Of course I understand it would take too long to make an exhaustive list, but you could have included Doom!

Good job. 1000 points.

 

[CptStern]

What about Call Of Duty? That was based on 'World War II', that classic 1940s movie!

at first I thought :dozey:

then I thought

finally settled on





hehe

 

[Murray_H]

What about Call Of Duty? That was based on 'World War II', that classic 1940s movie!

Original was better, they are planning another sequel for sometime this century. CG will be so good you can almost feel the heat of a thermonuclear blast.

Daddy, why do my fingers smell and look like cooked sausages?

 

[Jintor]

Because of 5-D vision, son!

 

[Apocalypse89]

Some of the Star Wars games are pretty good, such as the Jedi Knight series or KOTOR. Of course, those are usually the ones that have the least to do with the movies, so I don't know if they count as tie-ins.