Video game adaptations long carried an early reputation for being disappointing, butchered messes of the original source material. Super Mario Bros. (1993), the one without Chris Pratt or Jack Black, was one of the worst representations of a video game to film that should be humanly possible. In reality, it only shared the name with the seminal Nintendo franchise, to give you a sense of how bad it was.
That said, there have also been some really good video game movies and shows that just flat out didn’t follow the games well at all – Resident Evil being one of my favourite examples of a movie that really beefed it in terms of faithfulness, but was actually surprisingly good.
There are also the adaptations that did so much justice to the source material, yet did not sit with critics that well – just like the Chris Pratt Super Mario Bros. (2023) movie. Finally, there have been the movies and TV shows that have both enraptured audiences and critics, while staying true to the vision of their original video game creators, and these crowning jewels are the adaptations we’ll be looking at today:
1. Pokémon (TV Series & Movies)
Arguably the single most successful and faithful franchise out there, Pokémon‘s translations to the screen have committed to deeper exploration while still maintaining the same charm the gaming series has always delivered.
Whether it be how Lucario can bond with one human so deeply that they connect once again with their direct ancestor in one of its film adaptations, or how type advantages are shown regularly and accurately within the episodic adventures of Ash and his gang, with each new generation comes a moral-filled and entertaining experience that even the older fans can enjoy.
2. Sonic the Hedgehog (2020 Movie)
Sonic’s first trailer received deserved levels of negative attention, mostly for his design not looking at all like the source material. Luckily, Paramount film listened to the fans, and brought in Marza Animation Planet and franchise artist Tyson Hesse to fix the iconic blue hedgehog’s design.
That was a learning experience for everyone in many ways, leading to one of the best on-screen CGI representations of a video game character that I have ever seen. The studio has since gone on to make a three-part movie series that would make any Sonic fan smile – especially with the addition of Keanu Reeves as the voice of Shadow the Hedgehog.
3. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022 TV Series)
Speaking of Keanu Reeves, even in light of his breathtaking performance as Johnny Silverhand, the launch of the full game… wasn’t the full game. It was so atrocious that CD Projekt Red had to release a massive patch (Version 2.0) that rewrote a lot of the mechanics of the game and actually made it a playable experience.
The studio also collaborated with Japanese Studio Trigger on the release of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, serving as an olive branch to show that they really did care about what everyone thought about Night City, as it featured prominent locations in the series’ ten-episode run, including the infamous Kompeki Plaza.
4. Devil May Cry (2025 TV Series)
The spirit of Dante from Devil May Cry lives on in this lore drop of a series. Capcom and Shankar have worked closely together to make this series a deeply faithful and backstory-rich addition to the Devil May Cry storyline that would be a shame to skip.
It’s not a one-to-one recreation of the plot of the games, but it is a meaningful and nostalgic addition to them as it’s own presence in the lore. Dante is Dante, and Virgil is, although not present in the series all that often yet, still Virgil, for the most part.
5. A Minecraft Movie (2025 Movie)
Minecraft isn’t a traditionally good movie. It’s super corny, it doesn’t have a deep plot, and the theater reception of the movie was either raging children or empty seats, no matter how well Jack Black sold the role of Steve.
However, Minecraft is a brilliant representation of being faithful to your demographic and what they want and love. That part can be hard to mess up unless you just never look at the game. What makes it so faithful is the service after service after credits service that it gives to its fans – chicken jockey and all. Especially the service they gave to Technoblade.
6. Five Nights At Freddy’s (2023 Movie)
Five Nights At Freddy’s is faithful in that it brings the spirit of FNAF to the silver screen in a way that would make Scott Cawthon proud. The characters were well played, the plot was a great time for any FNAF fan, and the movie that was made specifically for FNAF fans was great for FNAF fans in the end – despite what those movie critics say, which were overwhelmingly negative.
The appearance of Game Theory’s Matt Pat and the effort that went into the ultimately fallen-through cameo that Markiplier was meant to make was a proud nod to the intended audience of the film.
7. Fallout (2024 TV Series)
This might as well be a carbon copy of what could and will canonically happen in the Fallout franchise. It is an expansion of the lore that has every aspect of Fallout that any fan could ever want. The Brotherhood of Steel are their own, Hubris filled isolationists, the Enclave are just as fascist as they always have been, and the NCR are just as stretched thin as ever.
Even Vault dwellers are complete fish out of water any time they reach the surface – displaying the world after war is desolate and War in fact never changes.
8. Tomb Raider (2001 Movie)
This video game didn’t translate to film well, given the limitations on technology at the turn of the millennium – Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 20% overall. That being said, many fans of Tomb Raider loved it all the same. This was one of the more accurate and faithful to the feeling that the games gave, promising a camp and rockstar energy that Laura Croft was known for in her earlier renditions.
In Tomb Raider’s more recent 2018 adaptation, the gritty and dangerous turn the studio took with the characters and storyline made for a much more translatable film experience.
Video game to film and series adaptations can be a tricky process, with many variables affecting just how well they may perform.
Sure, film critics may not understand or appreciate the creation, but those who have stayed loyal to a series will appreciate it for all that it is trying to be, even if it doesn’t translate well between media.
On the other hand, sometimes just following the rules of the narrative and canon will do wonders in bringing a game to the silver screen. At the end of the day, it’s going to be impossible to please everyone, but keeping loyal to the fanbase and faithful to the original content will go a long way in the eyes of those that the film or series is made for, and that’s what matters.
