Geek Insider’s Very Best Video Game Movies
Video game movies have a reputation for being poorly adapted, poorly made and poorly cast abominations that solely exist to empty the pockets of avid gaming fans. Fellow Geek Insider writer Mohseen Lala highlighted the seedy underworld of video game movie adaptations in his article “The Absolute Worst Video Game Movies Ever Made”. But there are still plenty of great movies based on or documenting the world of video games. Lets have a look at some of them in Geek Insider’s Very Best Video Game Movies.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
For years fans of the seminal Final Fantasy VII begged developer Square Enix for a sequel, remake or spin-off for their favourite Japanese RPG. In 2005, almost a decade after the release of the original game, Square Enix put out the highly anticipated movie sequel Final Fantasy: Advent Children.
All of our favourite characters returned, the designs were true to the original game and the storyline aptly expanded on the Final Fantasy VII‘s world after the events of the game. More stunning than all of these aspects were the mind-blowing CGI that still looks good today. Square Enix further refined and expanded on the theme and story line of the film in 2009’s Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete. Check it out!
Minecraft: The Story of Mojang
Minecraft, the game everyone is talking about. If you haven’t played it then you’ve probably seen it in action. Minecraft is without a doubt one of the most successful independently developed video game of all time and has made its creator, Marcus “Notch” Persson, a globally recognised name.
It’s quite fitting then that the documentary chronicling Notch and Mojang’s success should also be an independently produced project. Minecraft: The Story of Mojang teaches you everything you need to know about the block-building game, the people behind it and the avid fans that continue to support it. Find out more about the film in Geek Insider’s review of Minecraft: The Story of Mojang.
Street Fighter
This film has a lot of negativity associated with it, but it’s always been my opinion that anyone that takes the Street Fighter game series’ narrative seriously isn’t in the position to criticise anything. This film is indeed peculiar, but it’s peculiar for the very same reasons that made the Street Fighter II game it’s based off so eye-catching.
What other films are there where a short Belgian man plays a tall American soldier, Kylie Minogue rocks a British accent and the late Raúl Juliá flies around with lightning powered boots while miss-quoting the Bible? Street Fighter has it all and then some. It’s stupid, cheesy and a whole lot of fun. So stop hating and start enjoying!
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Even as an avid retro gamer, there had always been one aspect of the hobby that I had cautiously avoided: Twin Galaxies and gaming world records. This being said, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters offers a fascinating introduction to this exceptionally competitive yet relatively known corner of video game culture.
The documentary follows “regular Joe” Steve Wiebe as he attempts to take the coveted Donkey Kong world championship title from the reigning champion Billy Mitchell. As it becomes apparent that Wiebe has the skills to take the title, official gaming scorekeepers Twin Galaxies prepare themselves for what soon turns out to be a bitter rivalry between the two talented gamers.
Indie Game: The Movie
Out of all the video game movies ever created, Indie Game: The Movie is the one to watch. As the title suggests, this documentary introduces the viewer to the extremely treacherous world of independent video game development by focusing on underdogs Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes of Team Meat and Phil Fish as they try to find success in Fez and Super Meat Boy respectively.
As the two team’s trial and tribulations unfold we’re continuously taken to Jonathan Blow’s recounting of his design and development of his indie game Braid. Although these three stories are unrelated, they share the common themes of determination, hopelessness, vulnerability and eventual success. It’s genuinely heart warming stuff and will be enjoyed by gamers and non-gamers alike.
What Are Your Favourite Video Game Movies?
And there we have it. Hopefully You enjoyed Geek Insider’s pick of the very best video game movies. If you agree, disagree or have anything else to say then let us know by leaving a comment below!