10 Video Game Properties That Deserve Another Chance On The Big Screen

Video game movies get a bad rap. For many years now, the words "based on the popular video game" usually suggest you'll be watching something that'll make your eyes die. Don't believe me? Watch Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and tell me you didn't just lose 95 minutes of your life that you'll never get back. Honestly, does anyone know what the actual plot of that movie was? Being suckers for punishment, though, we'll still check out these films, because video games rule. On the other hand, there are a lot of cool franchises that have seemingly disappeared from the silver screen without any forewarning or reason. If we can receive a 100 crappy Resident Evil films, why can't a few others make a comeback, too? Without further ado, here are 10 video game franchises that deserve another shot in Hollywood. If we missed out on one, or you disagree with the list, let us know in the comments section below. Also, before you comment that Mortal Kombat isn't on the list, remember that the reboot is imminent and it's being produced by James Wan. Super Mario Bros. None of us can ever rinse the stain that was 1993's Super Mario Bros. from our minds. It reached new levels of suckage and provided further conclusive proof that drug abuse is rife in the film industry. I mean, even the late actors Bob Hoskins and Dennis Hopper couldn't save this train wreck from crashing and burning in a seismic explosion. At least the Goombas were awesome, right? That said, Mario is like printing money for Nintendo. Every game flies off the shelf as the Italian plumber remains one of gaming's most recognizable icons. He and his brother, Luigi, are as much a part of popular culture as the likes of Superman or Spider-Man. So, why hasn't this beloved character found his way to the big screen again? With the technology available nowadays, it's possible to create a more true-to-character film than ever before. One thing's worth noting: it's important that the filmmakers don't attempt to reinvent or modernize Mario's colorful world. Let the talking mushrooms and dinosaurs roam free, because this is one franchise that's meant to be whacky and crazy. Prince Of Persia As a franchise that's been around since 1989, this is one property that the studio bigwigs haven't fully explored (or exploited) to its full potential. There was one film, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton, and it did the numbers at the box office, but the interest in this action-adventure series has cooled over time. Nonetheless, it still remains a popular and cherished name amongst gamers. Apart from being a franchise filled with interesting premises, intriguing sets, and swashbuckling storylines, a reboot could do a lot for diversity in Hollywood, too. The 2010 film suffered from a serious case of whitewashing, so a new movie could present a chance to make things right. The question is, do we want another Prince of Persia film? I think the answer is pretty clear here. Don't you? Far Cry Ah, this is what happens when you put something in the hands of the notorious Uwe Boll. Noted for being the Ed Wood of video game adaptations, everything that Boll touches turns to crap. 2008's Far Cry, starring the brilliant Til Schweiger (who must've really needed the money during the Great Recession), was no different. Like most Boll films, this was like watching a highway pile-up and wondering why humanity never learns its lesson. Far Cry is a good reminder of why selling something to the first interested buyer isn't always the best for business and reputation. Money is certainly the root of all evil, especially if evil is a Boll production. Ubisoft Motion Pictures is reportedly planning to introduce a new Far Cry film in phase two of its cinematic efforts; however, news has gone cold ever since 2016's Assassin's Creed flopped hard. Let's hold thumbs that the Splinter Cell film does better and helps kick off this Ubisoftverse. Silent Hill I still maintain that Silent Hill and Silent Hill: Revelation were the stuff that nightmares are made from. Unfortunately, they were released over a period of time when horror films weren't so fashionable anymore, and failed to be more popular than what they should've been. Imagine someone like Guillermo del Toro getting his hands on this franchise? With such a claustrophobic world and frightening characters, this could make for a terrifying film that'll have the audiences crawling up the walls in fear. There's the potential to get even darker and creepier, and that's exactly what we want here. The original films pushed the boundaries of set design and atmosphere for video game adaptations, but there's still more air in Silent Hill's lungs. All we need is for someone to press down on it and bring it back to life. Double Dragon If you think about it, 1994's Double Dragon wasn't all that bad. Yeah, there were a lot of nonsensical elements, cheesy 90s punk vibes, and an out-of-place Alyssa Milano, but there are worse films out there. It didn't try to be anything more than B-grade action, which is kinda what the video games are. Over the years, the escapades of Jimmy and Billy Lee have withered and lost a bit of clout in the gaming world, which obviously impacts the chances of another film. If a studio were to tackle it, however, the producers should take a look at the animated series as an example of the type of story to tell. The short-lived show duly captured the essence of the game and still managed to add its own spin on the characters as well. Ultimately, Double Dragon should never be treated as a major, big-budget production. This is the perfect vehicle for someone like Scott Adkins to star in, and the sort of film that would become an instant straight-to-video classic. Doom Another film that received a lot of stick when it probably shouldn't have was 2005's Doom, starring Karl Urban and Dwayne Johnson. The admission price alone was worth it just for the first-person action sequence that served as the ultimate homage to the game – that was badass in every single way. The problem with any film based on the legendary action-horror shooter though is that it'll always appear too similar to Alien. One possible solution then is to push the R rating as far as it can go and fill the movie with even more blood, gore, and insane weaponry than before. While they're at it, include the recent game's soundtrack for a hard-rocking, crunching atmosphere. Considering how horribly the live-action film flopped, it's unlikely we'll see another cinematic version of Doom any time soon. But hey, maybe after the latest game's insurgence in popularity again, studios might be keen to give it another bash. Tekken Think back to the early days of PlayStation and you'll remember how Tekken dominated every other fighting game on the market. Even the arcades were bustling with people wanting play this 3D fighter and use Eddy Gordo to beat all challengers. Man, I still hate that guy… Naturally, animated films and two live-action efforts soon followed to capitalize on the games' success. If you blinked, though, you probably missed the latter films. Released on such a small scale in 2009 and 2014 respectively, they weren't the type of releases that befitted such an epic franchise of this nature. With Tekken 7 scheduled to hit consoles and PC in June this year, now would be the ideal time to reignite the hype machine for a new movie. It might not be Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat, but Tekken is still a name synonymous with fighting games. If any future film did happen, Lewis Tan should be the only choice to portray Jin Kazama. Just saying. Max Payne 2008's Max Payne tried desperately to be Sin City, when it was sadly more The Spirit. This doesn’t mean that all aspects of the film sucked, but a focused direction, stronger casting, and a more-developed story could help steady the ship for a reboot or continuation. Much like Double Dragon, a Max Payne project suits the action genre and doesn't need to have a huge budget to succeed. In fact, throw in a strong lead, such as Josh Brolin, a good FX company and decent fight choreographers, and it could even become the next John Wick series. Max has been in gaming hibernation since 2012; therefore, cooling talks of any future outings in other media. But you know what it's like in the entertainment world: one minute you're at the bottom and the next you're on top, so anything's possible, right? House Of The Dead This is another franchise that felt the wrath of Uwe Boll's filmmaking wand. What could've easily become the next Dawn of the Dead became another laughing stock and proof that the German government needs to relook its tax shelter fund for filmmakers like Boll. All things considered, all is not lost for House of the Dead. It still remains a fun concept and it's possible that a horror visionary could turn it around. Having a bunch of survivors in a house, fending off zombies and trying to get to safety, is one trope that'll never get old. That said, I do think we're zombied out at the moment and any potential film should be postponed for a few years at the very least. Let The Walking Dead run its course and then let's reconvene again to discuss this one. Street Fighter Out of all the fighting games out there, Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter are the two with the best characters and stories to tell. While we've received the web series Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist and Street Fighter: Resurrection in the past couple of years, there's still a yearning for another big-screen adventure. Lest we forget, the last memory we have of this franchise at the cinema is The Legend of Chun-Li and I'd like to erase that film from my mind. When the producers cast Ostreicher from American Pie as Charlie Nash and The Black Eyed Peas' Taboo as Vega, we should've known we were in for a craptacular time. Heck, I'd even take JCVD as Guile over this hot mess any day of the week. With Mortal Kombat receiving a reboot, why can't Street Fighter? There's a whole generation of fans waiting to see Ryu take his rightful place as the World Warrior. This is a video game movie that we all want to see.