Games Made into Movies: Why Gamers Hate Them and How to Change That

Gaming is an art that has difficulty translating to other entertainment mediums. Book and movie adaptations tend to struggle when it comes to capturing the scope and spirit of video games. Rarely do you hear of a movie based on a video game being critically acclaimed- much less appreciated by the original game's audience. The process is a juggling act of trying to please the original fan-base and attracting movie fans. Just what goes wrong in the adaptation process? Just look at some of the most infamous cases.

The "Super Mario Brothers Movie", while not as terrible as some, failed to ignite the flames of passion that normally burns in the fan-base. A number of missteps and poor decisions led to an overall mediocre final product. The greater focus on Luigi than Mario was an odd choice, but ultimately one that didn't ruin the film. The unappealing realistic portrayal of goombas, Yoshi, and the 'mushroom kingdom' all hurt the experience more than anything else. There are those that criticize the uninspired plot, the lack of Princess Peach, and the cynical characterization of Mario- also valid complaints. The two main fixes that I would have recommended for the "Super Mario Bros. Movie" would be more accurate character portrayals and ditching the live action format. A CGI or anime-styled Mario movie would have a much greater chance of appealing to fans.

Now the Resident Evil movies- they're terrible, simply terrible. Capcom's reputation was damaged beyond repair when the series arrived at theaters. All four are dreadful attempts at bringing the series to cinema. While there are those that enjoy them for their mindless violence and the zombie itch that they scratch, it achieves nothing beyond the most primitive and basic of standards. "Resident Evil" was a disappoint to gamers largely due to its focus on the made-up 'Alice' instead of the existing cast and entirely too loose interpretation of Raccoon City and the tragedies suffered there. The second, "Resident Evil: Apocalypse", tried to incorporate some familiar faces but fell flat due to poor attempts at humor, shameless theft from The Matrix and Terminator films, and a laughable ending. This is made even more sad when you consider the fact that, of the four, the second film's plot had the most potential to be good.

"Resident Evil: Extinction" was the source of an aimless plot devoid of intrigue, even more uninspired action sequences, and managed to make gamers hate Alice even more than they did before by cementing her status as 'unbeatable'. "Resident Evil: Outbreak" with its forgettable plot, tacked-on 3D elements, and appalling further attempts to tie into the license left fans feeling even more betrayed. Well, where do I begin with my suggestions here?

First of all, killing off Alice and exchanging her for some real Resident Evil protagonists would be a wise move- be it Leon, Jill, Chris, or anyone else instead of her. Sticking to the Resident Evil mythos would be wise instead of disfiguring the plot and splicing in Matrix/Terminator genes. The last suggestion I could offer is probably the most important. The Resident Evil movies follow the action-adventure format instead of survival horror established by the games. Alice is never in real danger, anyone that dies wasn't important anyway, and any form of peril is overcome by an endless supply of bullets and impractical zombie combat. While "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" was by no means a good movie, it did at least remain true to its gaming roots- something the Resident Evil series failed to do.

It can be even more difficult to make a movie based on a fighting game. Sometimes you get a pretty interesting companion title like "Mortal Kombat". Other times you end up with garbage like "Street Fighter". While the Street Fighter movie was unintentionally hilarious, it is no way a respectable portrayal of the series. The characters were misrepresented- terribly so in cases like Ken, Guile, Cammy, and Balrog. Speaking of Guile, for whatever reason they thought it would be a good idea to cast him as the star- despite his role in the games being negligible. The experience could have been better if the fights weren't so cheesy, the lines poorly delivered, and the characterization more true to the series. Then again, it's at least entertaining- whereas there's nothing redeemable about "Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li".

As I said, gaming is an art that doesn't always translate well outside its preferred medium. Follow the game too closely and you alienate movie-goers that lack the necessary background knowledge- "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children", while a good movie, fell prey to this mistake. Make your adaptation too loose and you risk spurning the gaming audience completely- "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" would know all about that. You have to walk an uneasy balance between making an intriguing cinematic product and staying loyal to the series roots.

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