A License To Sell?

A look at the good, bad and ugly of movie tie-ins.

Licensed games are popular and often become bestsellers. It’s not a surprise, really: who doesn’t want to have a bit of interactive fun in an established universe from another medium? However, these games also have a bad reputation amongst the hardcore community. They are often seen as bad games that cash in on the popularity of a current hot property. However, that isn’t always the case. The truth is that licensed games range in quality, from the fantastic to the absolutely abysmal. In order to explore both sides of the licensed game coin, I have decided to take a look at some of the best licensed games and some of the worst.

The Good

Goldeneye 007 – How do you explain the quality and success of Goldeneye? Was it because developer Rare was involved? Was it because the game couldn’t possibly be cashing in, coming out two years after the movie? While those elements certainly helped, at the end of the day Goldeneye was a success because it introduced new elements to console first-person shooters, contained an enjoyable multiplayer option, and followed the plot of the game properly while enriching the experience rather than relying on it. It was a classic example of how to do a licensed game right.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – There are gazillions of Star Wars games, but KOTOR stands head and shoulders above the rest. Not only is it the best Star Wars game, but it’s also one of the best RPGs of all time. Developer Bioware took the Star Wars universe and demonstrated how there was life outside X-Wings and Death Stars. Exploring the rich, cultured worlds was wonderful, and the narrative added more to the Star Wars universe than anything bar the original movies. It’s such a shame that its Obsidian-developed sequel was rather lacklustre and, honestly, unfinished.

Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis – Back when point-and-click adventure games were still a profitable venture, LucasArts released a damned fine title based on their Indiana Jones license. There have been some okay Indy games, but only Fate of Atlantis can call itself excellent. The plot was fresh and felt very Indy, and the ability to play the game based on your preference for action or problem solving meant that the game had something for everyone. While Lucas might now be making a fourth Indiana Jones movie, at the time Fate of Atlantis’ quality was such that people referred to it as Indy IV. It was that good.

The Bad

Transformers: The Game – The movie was good, dumb fun, and the game had the potential to be the same. What could have become Grand Theft Autobot ended up missing the mark with dull, repetitive missions. Yeah, transforming and smashing up a city is heaps of fun, but needing to finish dull missions to progress isn’t. Some will like it more than others, but a fine example of a licensed game it is not.

Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects – A fighting game based on the Marvel universe sounds like pure gold, so trust EA to muck it up. By adding their own original characters that nobody cared about, and by adding a lacklustre fighting system that only the developers could love, Marvel Nemesis is a bit of a stain on the Marvel universe. Thank God it was so forgettable than in ten years no one will remember it.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – When a release of a game coincides with the release of the movie, it’s a pretty good sign that trouble is afoot. At World’s End is a perfect example of this. For all the finely crafted presentation, the gameplay is cookie-cutter rubbish that was created simply for the need to get a licensed game out the door to cash in on the hype. Even using the Wii remote as a sword can’t save this forgettable pile of drek.

The Ugly

Superman 64 – If the developers of Superman 64 thought it was clever to make a video game about Superman being trapped in a video game, they were wrong. They were also wrong if they thought any of their decisions were intelligent. Hiding a ridiculous draw distance behind the BS excuse of “Kryptonite Fog”? It looked like crap and it played like crap. The only reason people talk about it today is so they can remind themselves just how bad it can get.

Street Fighter: The Movie – Now here’s an idea that screams: “The marketing department thought this one up.” A game based on a movie based on a game. You’d almost believe nobody could be so stupid if there wasn’t solid proof of the fact that they could. Take everything that is good about Street Fighter II, from the beautifully drawn characters to the deep fighting system and replace it all with digitised vomit and a broken, unresponsive fighting system. Imagine Mortal Kombat without the gore and you’re on your way. Why Capcom ever stooped to this level is beyond me.

E.T. – You can’t really bring up licensed games without mentioning the title that brought the industry to its knees. It’s not fair to pin all the blame on E.T., but it certainly went a long way to crippling the American video game industry. Programmed at breakneck speeds to meet a release date, the game wasn’t even properly beta tested. Atari actually printed more copies of this game than there were Atari 2600 consoles in homes, and the end result was so horrific that it marked the end of Atari. So horrific, in fact, that rumour has it that they buried all the unwanted carts in a landfill in Mexico. Wonderfully eco-friendly, no?

So there you have some examples of the range of licensed video games. Some can be amazing, and others can kill a company. But what about you? Do you have some licensed games you love? Some you can’t stand? Make sure you make your voice heard by posting about your experiences in our forums.