Plenty of video games based on movies are straight-up bad, especially recently, so licensed games have gotten a bad reputation. There are a few gems out there amongst the shovelware, but a lot of them are retro games so sometimes they’re forgotten. Luckily, My Dpad never forgets, so here are the top 10 best video games best on movies and TV shows (or at least my personal favorites), including two Dragon Ball Z RPGs.
The Lion King (Sega Genesis)
Along with A Bug’s Life, this is one of the best video games based on Disney movies. The Lion King is one of the games I’ve played the most in my life, from the original cartridge on Sega Genesis to emulating it on many different computers and smartphones. From the music to the difficulty level to the feel of the game, this is one of the all-time great licensed games based on a movie.
Buy The Lion King for Sega Genesis
A Bug’s Life (PlayStation)
Along with The Lion King, this is one of the best video games based on Disney movies. A Bug’s Life on PlayStation blew my mind when I first played it as a kid, and it was an incredibly good-looking game at the time. It might not be the best game out there, but it is a hell of a nostalgia bomb for anyone who loves A Bugs’s Life (the movie, that is).
Buy A Bug’s Life for PlayStation
The Simpsons Hit and Run (PS2)
An earlier foray into gaming for The Simpsons saw them ripping off of Crazy Taxi with success, but it was their later ripoff of Grand Theft Auto that really unleashed the gaming potential of The Simpsons. Hit and Run was not just a kid-appropriate version of GTA, it was also a hilarious licensed game filled with Simpsons humor (and official voice acting). Even though the 3D graphics might look weird to some kids today, it’s a fantastic game to revisit if you grew up playing it.
Buy The Simpsons Hit and Run for PS2
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (GBC)
The first Harry Potter handheld game is still one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played. To be clear, I’m talking about the GameBoy Color version, not the inferior GameBoy Advance version. The storyline is long enough that you can keep replaying it over and over because it’s so long. In fact, if you were on a long road trip as a kid and could only bring one game for your gameboy, this would be the best possible choice.
Buy Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for GameBoy Color
Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku I & II (GBA)
If Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the best GBC RPG, both of the Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku games might be the best GBA RPGs. These are action RPGs that are perfectly built for handheld gaming while also taking advantage of the GBA’s increased power. If you’re a DBZ fan, you need to play these games if you haven’t already. Even if you don’t like DBZ, these are still some of the best GBA RPGs you can play, so check them out anyways.
Buy Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku for GBA and Buy Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II for GBA
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring (PC)
Okay, so this wasn’t technically based on the movie, as it was based on the book. Still, the PC version of the first installment in Lord of the Rings is still one of the best licensed games of all time. Even just the early part of the game, where you get to explore the Shire in all of its innocent, pre-Black Riders glory, is a real treat for any LotR fan. Before The Lord of the Rings Online there was this game, and it’s still one of the great licensed action RPGs.
Buy The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring for PC
Futurama (PS2)
Futurama is one of the best shows of all time, and the Futurama game for PS2 is one of the most-beloved licensed games of all time. The gameplay itself is just average to above average, but the writing is excellent, and the game really serves as a sort of bonus episode of the show. If you’re a Futurama superfan, you can’t claim to know the whole canon until you’ve watched the show and the movies, read the comics, and played the PS2 game.
Cinema Tycoon (PC)
Okay, so this isn’t based so much on a movie or TV show as it is on the business of cinemas, but it’s enough fun that it merits mentioning. Cinema Tycoon is a pretty simple game where you manage a cinema and its staff, along with how many screens your cinema has, what technology it boasts, what amenities it offers, and of course, which movies it screens. This is a classic in the tycoon genre in my eyes, but rarely gets its due. Check it out if you can appreciate tycoon games that aren’t as deep as others necessarily may be.
Check out or download Cinema Tycoon on Big Fish Games
The Movies (PC)
Okay, this is another game that isn’t really based on a movie or TV show, but unlike Cinema Tycoon, it is based on the entire movie industry. In The Movies, you run an entire movie studio, including building sets, hiring actors and directors, keeping your stars happy, writing and shooting movies, and anything else that is involved in Hollywood. It is also the game that made me fall in love with PC gaming all over again after the MS-DOS era. If you like tycoon/simulation/management games or you love movies, this is the video game for you.
No matter what kind of movies or shows you like, one of those is probably on your own list. If not, let me know what your favorite video games based on movies or TV shows are! Also, since I love Cinema Tycoon and The Movies so much, let me know your favorite games about the movie industry as well.
