There’s a lot of cross-pollination in the entertainment world. The most common path is the “hit movie turned into a passable TV show,” or the even riskier “hit TV show turned into a movie for some reason” (we’re looking at you, Sex & The City).
But creators do look towards less-obvious sources of inspiration. Take video game developers, for instance. With more than 10,000 games released each year on Steam alone, developers can’t be expected to always come up with their own ideas. In the past couple of decades, many have attempted the inevitable task of turning a popular TV show into a game. And, as we’ll see below, sometimes the stars simply align and it all comes together. Let’s take a look.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is one of the greatest television series of all time (if you forget the final season, of course). Alas, what works in one medium (well, two — they were books first) won’t always work in another. In 2012, Cyanide released the Game of Thrones video game, which you would expect would be a hit given that they have a world full of dragons and white walkers to play with. Alas, it was essentially a dud, managing a score of just 53/100 on Metacritic.
Wheel of Fortune
If you were to make a video game based on a TV show, you’d probably choose a modern show that was full of action, adventure, and excitement. But sometimes, it’s the classic shows — which tend to be a lot slower than today’s mile-a-minute shows — that work the best. As we saw with Game of Thrones, an exciting storyline does not always equal a great game. Wheel of Fortune, the hit TV quiz show that debuted back in 1975, would appear to be an unusual source of inspiration. Yet the Wheel of Fortune Slot Game has proven to be a hit, receiving 4.3/5 in one online review. You’ll need to play it at an online casino with real money, though for fans looking to be a virtual contestant, Oddschecker offers a list of promotions that give players the most bang for their buck. Of course, the game still has a long way to go before it matches the success of the TV show, which will have been on TV for fifty years next year.
24: The Game
24 was a groundbreaking television show when it first appeared in 2001. The general nature show meant that it was always destined to be a video game. After all, many of the most successful video games of that era used elements that were repeatedly found in the show. 24: The Game landed in 2005, and while we’re not going to say it was as groundbreaking as the show, it was pretty enjoyable to play, especially since the actors from the show did their own voice acting. And fans of perma-crank Tony Almeida will be happy to know that you get to play as the character in eleven missions of the game, too.
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Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives was good, but we probably wouldn’t be racing out to buy a game based on the show. But what do we know? The 2006 release of the Desperate Housewives game was such a hit that a follow-up for mobile was released in 2017. While you might suspect that this game was a cynical cash ploy from developers Liquid Entertainment, the game actually holds up surprisingly well. It’s a bit like The Sims, only in Wisteria Lane. Honestly, if you can find it, we’d say this one is worth a go.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
Finally, there’s the classic The Simpsons: Hit & Run, which was so much fun that it made us all forgive the abomination that is the later seasons of the show. It encapsulates the very best of The Simpsons, with zany jokes, a million obscure references, and plenty of Apu action. Keep your eyes peeled for a remake of the game, since the developers have hinted that one might be on the way.
About the Author/s
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.
