Top 5 most nostalgic movie based video games

While movies allow us to ignite our creativity and transport us to boundless, imaginative realms, video games inspired by movies elevate this experience by providing interactive opportunities that enable us to participate in the story and the action. Here are our top 5 most nostalgic movie based video games.

This solid side-scrolling platformer was on the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Players control the resourceful, judgmental, and dark Batman, to free Gotham City from The Joker‘s evil clutches. Batman is equipped with his punches at all times. Optional weapons to use include the Spear Gun, Batarang, and Dirk. The Wall Jump ability is also available to the agile superhero. Batman can gather items during the stages, such as Bonus tokens to increase his score, Pellet tokens for extra bullets, and Heart tokens to regain health points.

What sets this game apart from other similar NES action games is its highly responsive and precise controls. Moreover, the physics, such as gravity for jumps and falls, are made more accurate with respect to the character’s size and the platform heights. In addition, two features enhance gameplay, regardless of its challenging nature: enemies are temporarily stunned when hit, giving Batman a brief window to evade danger, and enemies drop items more frequently, allowing him to replenish his supplies more easily.

The game features impressive intro, cutscenes, background textures, and character animations, particularly for the bosses. While a few locations in the game differ from the movie, the game still manages to create a powerful atmosphere filled with mystery, melancholy, and darkness. The music is captivating and sets the heroic yet shadowy mood perfectly, whether it’s during moments of chaos, surrealism, sadistic humor, or moral complexities. This game is definitely worth playing for every Batman fan.

The game was never ported to home consoles or handheld systems.

• Faithfulness: 7/10
• Creativity: 7/10
• Story: 7/10
• Gameplay: 9/10
• Graphics: 7/10
• Sound: 8/10
• Controls: 9/10
• Overall: 7.7/10

This immersive action-adventure game was on the 32-bit Sony PlayStation (PSX). Players control the main heroes — Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Captain Panaka, and Queen Amidala — to begin their mission of confronting the Trade Federation Viceroy, facing the fearsome Darth Maul, and freeing the planet Naboo. Each hero has different skills and weapons to use — the two Jedi Knights fight with the Force and lightsabers, the Queen’s protector fights with his fists and a blaster rifle, and the Queen fights with her stun gun. The gameplay involves exploring locations from the movie, slashing and shooting enemies, finding items, trading to acquire crucial information and event-related data, and solving simple puzzles. Conversations with people play a significant role in progress; however, some of these dialogues are not from the the movie.

The game controls are straightforward, but they can feel sluggish when responding to rapid enemy attacks, and jumping occasionally comes across as somewhat stiff. The top-down viewing angle is quite restrictive, whereas the awkward camera, while providing players with a better view of the surrounding environment, can sometimes lead to difficulties in jumping, turning, or escaping, particularly when far away from enemies.

The FMVs have been completely re-rendered, and still screenshots directly from the movie are featured throughout the game, enhancing storytelling and providing a refreshing visual experience. However, the characters appear somewhat less detailed, while the environments have better colors, lighting, and effects. The sound effects and voiceovers have been remade to closely resemble those in the movie, particularly the lightsabers, gunfire, and robotic sounds, creating an immersive atmosphere with impressive clarity and realism. The music is outstanding, featuring the original scores from the movie. Additionally, the special bonus music video for the epic “Duel of the Fates” enhances the game’s appeal, offering Star Wars fans a fantastic opportunity to enjoy iconic movie moments and explore behind-the-scenes content on the Sony PlayStation.

A very interesting feature in the game is that players can take on the role of a movie director, allowing them to experiment with unusual scenarios that would never occur in the actual movie, purely for added entertainment. Players have the freedom to make mistakes, some of which can be fatal enough to result in an instant game over. For example, Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon can cheat on people, leading to amusing dialogues, but they may end up receiving no further clues or help. Players can even make absurd choices as drastic as ending the life of the very important Anakin Skywalker, thereby failing the mission.

The game was ported to PS4/PS5 by LucasArts in 2024. The re-release included several improvements, such as up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

• Faithfulness: 8/10
• Creativity: 9/10
• Story: 8/10
• Gameplay: 8/10
• Graphics: 6/10
• Sound: 9/10
• Controls: 6/10
• Overall: 7.7/10

This “criminally smooth” action game was on the 32-bit arcade machine. Players control the pop legend, MJ, to free the children from the hands of the evil Mr. Big and his henchmen. Up to three players, controlling different MJ characters, can team up against the enemies. MJ has two powerful attacks — magic fire, magic spin, and magic dance. Players can hold the attack button to charge up the short-range magic fire, increasing its strength and range. When MJ gets close to the enemies, he performs the magic spin, making it easier to knock them down The magic dance, while being the most powerful, bomb-like attack that forces all the enemies to dance with MJ, is limited in supply. Some children give MJ items that help him replenish health points and perform more magic dances. When MJ‘s pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, appears, touching it transforms MJ into a gain robot. In his robot form, MJ can shoot long-range laser and chargeable missles. However, MJ is not able to jump all the time, which may make dodging more difficult for him.

Since there were only a handful of arcade games using the isometric viewpoint in the 90s, MJ was among those who appeared to favor that top-down, overhead style. The transition from outdoors to indoors showcased an effective use of the isometric style. The game stages, interspersed with comic-style cutscenes, distinctly replicate locations from the movie, including the iconic “Club’30s”. The graphics are impressive, featuring the vibrant and glamorous colors of the ’30s that give the game a classy Art Deco feel. The character animations are smooth, detailed, and thoughtfully designed, for example, during his idle state, MJ dances differently depending on the direction he is facing.

The strongest feature of the game is the catchy music, including MJ‘s biggest hits such as “Beat It”, “Smooth Criminal”, “Bad”, and “Billie Jean”, that was digitized and seamlessly integrated with the gameplay, especially during MJ‘s iconic dances. This brilliant arrangement was a significant novelty for MJ fans, and a refreshingly innovative experience for gamers of all backgrounds. For the information, “Thriller” was not included in this game due to licensing issues.

Last but not least, the “Game Concept & Design by Michael Jackson” message on the game title screen and the ending strongly suggests that MJ‘s enthusiasm for video games pioneered new ground, demonstrating how gaming could be effectively integrated with music and paving the way for innovative approaches to gaming and pop culture crossovers.

The game was ported to Sega Genesis and Sega Master System by Sega in 1990. In this home console version, MJ can crouch and jump, and his magic fire lacks charging levels and his magic dance is weaker. The graphics might not be as impressive, but the audio quality remains strong. The gameplay is different — it is a single-player experience (which makes sense, as there should be only one MJ), featuring purely side-scrolling 2D platforming with more emphasis on exploration than action. Additionally, MJ needs the help of his pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, to locate the bosses.

• Faithfulness: 9/10
• Creativity: 9/10
• Story: 8/10
• Gameplay: 8/10
• Graphics: 9/10
• Sound: 10/10
• Controls: 8/10
• Overall: 8.7/10

This cyberistic sci-fi light-gun shooter was on the 32-bit arcade machine. Players control up to two reprogrammed T-800 Terminator cyborgs to protect and save John Connor, the leader of the Human Resistance, from the ruling supercomputer, Skynet, and the relentless T-1000 Terminator android across both past and present timelines. In this side-scrolling rail gun shooter, players follow a set path with automatic left-to-right movement restricted to this route, often confined to specific areas. To proceed, they may need to eliminate a certain number of enemies, such as bosses, destroy obstacles like Skynet‘s gate, or survive a set time period, such as defending John Connor from T-1000 Terminator‘s helicopter pursuit. The main weapon in this game is a machine gun that has unlimited ammo. However, it will overheat and become less effective over time. Players must take breaks from firing to let the gun cool down. A secondary weapon, such as the more powerful missile launcher or shotgun, is provided in limited supply. Players can obtain a variety of useful items by breaking open crates, barrels, alarms, cabinets, and shelves. These items include points, ammo, energy recharges, body shields, smart bombs, and coolant. John Connor sometimes drops a minigun as well. Additionally, shooting Endoskeletons that appear in the foreground may reward players with microchips, which can contain extra points or items. However, be aware that shooting humans can lead to a reduction in the players’ score.

The game truthfully recreates the key characters, enemies, and environments from the movie by digitizing actual movie footage and incorporating realistic special effects that flicker between the screen and the players, delivering an impressively innovative sense of realism. All the reactions of the expressive, digitized faces aim to evoke genuine emotions in the players. Additionally, the digitized multiplanar backdrops strive to accurately simulate real-world physics, such as how light interacts with objects like the highly sophisticated Super Mainframe, the behavior of fluids like liquid nitrogen and smoke from explosions, and the movement of objects, such as the highly mobile Orbs enemies, under gravity. A striking aspect of the graphics is that players can blast the T-800 Terminator enemies that appear in the foreground, tearing through their organic muscle and living tissue. This incredible level of detail truly stands out as a breathtaking element of the game.

On the other hand, the audio in this game is not as impressive as the visuals. Synthesized iconic Terminator themes and some custom catchy background music are included in the intro, druing each stage, and at the ending; however, these are mostly interrupted by louder sound effects like gunfire, explosions, and screams. In contrast, the numerous sampled voice clips from the movie can be heard more clearly throughout the game, particularly the memorable movie quotes from Uncle Bob aka Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The design of the arcade game machine cabinet is an impressive work of art that effectively captures the essence of the Terminator franchise. The gun controls are modeled after the real Endo Battle Rifles featured in the movie, with a rumble effect that mimics the recoil and power of firing. Players can hold both guns to replicate the stance of the Endoskeletons wielding dual machine guns, as seen in the game poster and the movie. The detailed tie-in artwork reflects the apocalyptic and futuristic scenes from the movie, along with images of the movie logo and its main actors. All of these elements blend the movie’s aesthetic with functional arcade features, seamlessly integrating an exciting shooting game experience that perfectly complements the blockbuster movie.

The game was ported to Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System by Midway in 1992 and 1993, with more limits, lesser experience, and without the gun controls modeled after the real Endo Battle Rifles featured in the movie.

• Faithfulness: 8/10
• Creativity: 8/10
• Story: 10/10
• Gameplay: 9/10
• Graphics: 9/10
• Sound: 7/10
• Controls: 10/10
• Overall: 8.7/10

This fan-favorite beat’em-up action game was on the 32-bit arcade machine. Players control up to three players select from four playable characters — two cyborgs, Major Dutch Schaefer (based on Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Predator) and Lieutenant Linn Kurosawa (based on Sigourney Weaver in the movie Alien), along with two Predators, the Predator Warrior and the Predator Hunter — to eliminate the invading Aliens before they multiply out of control. Each character has their own power level and unique skills. Dutch is the slowest but hits hard and can perform more wrestling attacks than the others. Linn is the fastest, but her damage output is the lowest among the characters; however, she excels at airborne attacks. Predator Warrior has good speed and damage output, can perform wall bounce dashes, and wields a spear for long-range attacks. Predator Hunter has the highest combo potential, featuring impressive multi-hit rolling attacks and halberd air juggles, but his attack range is limited, and his recovery time is slower. All four characters have a projectile attack that easily overheats and a strong auto-guard super attack that drains a small amount of their health points. Players can find and pick up various useful items throughout all stages. Weapons such as knifes, pipes, flying discs, rifles, flamethrowers, and grenades can be used to blast enemies. Food items like hot dogs, hamburgers, beef steaks, lobsters, sea cods, and pizzas can be used to regain health points. Jewelry, gemstones, and gold bars of different sizes and shapes give players extra score points.

The game controls are highly responsive and precise, with no noticeable delays. The collision boxes for characters and weapons are well-designed, ensuring that attacks are neither too difficult to land nor overpowered, particularly during combos and air juggles. While learning different button combinations for punching and kicking may take some time, it is incredibly satisfying to see those Aliens explode into pieces after executing a cool-looking combo or air juggle. What is even more satisfying is finishing a combo with a projectile attack or a super attack. There are two special auto-scrolling stages in the game — a high-speed zone where players can use projectile attacks without overheating, and a survival zone where players must destroy a dangerous device before everyone gets crushed within a short period of time.

When it comes to enemies, the game features many more types of Alien enemies than in the Alien movies. Some are defensive, with abilities like blocking or auto-guarding, while others are offensive, capable of launching invincible multi-hit combos. The Egg Chambers release Facehuggers to attack players, and players’ attacks aimed at enemies behind the Egg Chambers can be blocked. The zombies, victims of Facehuggers, merely attempt to bite, but the Chestbursters that burst out from them are deadly. Players must shake off Facehuggers or Chestbursters quickly before they drain all life points. Low sweeps and sliding attacks are more effective against crawling Aliens and Facehuggers than using weapons. Human soldiers, controlled by the evil General Bush, wield weapons like knives and guns to attack players. Players can pick up many weapons dropped by defeated soldiers to save capped super attacks, especially during boss fights. The game’s rich enemy mechanics and extensive combinations of well-implemented weaponry motivate players to explore diverse strategies.

The game’s graphics feature detailed, thoughtful, and well-animated designs. Short animated cutscenes guide players through upcoming stages; for example, after stage 6, Linn suggests heading to the army docking port. Brief dialogues show the characters’ reactions to various situations; for example, upon entering a dark room, Dutch says, “Find a light switch.” Iconic movie moments, such as the Predator‘s stylish head swing, invisibility (as a boss, Mad Predator, controlled by the evil General), and signature victory pose, are included. The game also includes the Alien‘s inner jaw, acidic blood, tail whip, Power Loader (as a boss), Chestbursters (released by zombies), Egg Chambers opening up, and Facehuggers in the face, and even the dramatic scene where the Alien Queen‘s tail hooks the evil General and splits him in in half. One nice touch is that the death of bosses is presented in a slow-motion style in a spectacularly epic fighting game fashion. What is not so obvious but is a considerate inclusion is that the disturbing hiss of the Aliens and the self-destruct devices of the Predators are featured in the game’s continue countdown screen. While the game’s music is not from any Alien and Predator movies, it sounds as intense as all the non-stop game actions.

What makes this game so one-of-a-kind is that it was a fan’s dream come true — both Aliens and Predator fans had longed for a real Aliens vs. Predator movie ever since seeing the Alien head trophy in the Predator 2 movie, but no news about such a crossover movie production was heard, and only a licensed Aliens vs. Predator comic book was published in 1990. Until 1994, Capcom acquired the licenses and made this amazing fan-favorite crossover beat’em-up action game.

The game was never ported to other systems. There were similar titles created for PC and different platforms, but they were completely unrelated to this Capcom version.

• Faithfulness: 8/10
• Creativity: 10/10
• Story: 8/10
• Gameplay: 10/10
• Graphics: 9/10
• Sound: 8/10
• Controls: 10/10
• Overall: 9/10