Movie/TV Licensed Games

[ctophil]

Hey guys,

I've recently found a new interest in collecting and playing licensed games. You're probably like, "Blasphemy!" lol. Movies and TV shows made into games have mostly been really bad over the years. But regardless of how bad they were, I still want to own a part of history. So far, the only games I own that came from movies are Rambo and Batman for the NES. It's odd that when I was a kid, Rambo was actually a good game. I almost beat it and had fun playing it. As for Batman, it plays a lot like Ninja Gaiden, really hard game but very cool.

As for TV show-based games, I haven't played the Flintstones games, but looking to acquire them some day.

I recently bought Hook and True Lies from a flea market in Florida.  They aren't great games.  But like I said, I want to own a part of gaming history. 

Have you played any licensed games that are good? Do you own any? I believe some of the best licensed games were the Star Wars games on SNES. You know, Super Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. They really surprised me. Awesome games in their own right.

[bob]

LJN for NES did a great job of beating up the licenses they accquired.
ADDAMS FAMILY for any system is a gem.  i love them all. (seriously).
sunsoft got Batman just right.  that is one of the top 10 best NES games ever made.

im sure a few people will chime in with bucky o'hare.  i have never played it, but heard its good.

dont forget games that licensed commercials like california raisins and yo, noid.
i recently picked up the untouchables, but am yet to play it.
many people rag on Platoon for NES, but i kind of like that one.

[JoshTurboTrollX]

Konami's 8-bit and 16-bit TMNT games are the Kings of Metal!

[InfraMan]

I can't think of many good licensed games on the Duo... The Addams Family is sort of OK. Tail Spin and Darkwing Duck are both pretty dire.

Just off the top of my head, here's a few of the decent- to-good licensed games I can think of from the 8 & 16-bit days:

NES: Duck Tales 1&2, Darkwing Duck, Batman, Tiny Toon Adventures 1&2, TMNT 2&3, Wacky Races, Felix the Cat, The Jetsons, The Flintstones 1&2, Bucky O'Hare

SNES: Indiana Jones Greatest Adventures, Star Wars 1-3, Goof Troop, Buster Busts Loose, Alien 3, Magical Quest, Hook (the SNES one is decent), Aladdin, Addams Family (& Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt), Krusty's Super Funhouse, Turtles in Time

Genesis: Castle/World of Illusion, Mickey Mania, Quackshot, Alien 3, Aladdin, Cool Spot, Beavis & Butt-Head, Rambo III, Terminator (CD), Hyperstone Heist

[CrackTiger]

There's gotta be at least two hundred for PC Engine.

Some that I like:

Intv: He-Man

SMS: Disney games

NES: Gremlins 2, Willow, Rambo, Ducktales

Arcade: Aliens Vs Predator, Willow, Cadillacs and Dinos

[esteban]

Keith Courage (Wataru).

[InfraMan]

NES: Gremlins 2, Willow, Rambo, Ducktales

Ooh yeah, I forgot about Willow. I loved that game!

[ClodBusted]

SMS: Disney games

Agreed. Most of them are pretty well made.

The ONE licensed game for me is GoldenEye 007. Yes, I still like it. Now you all can start throwing your bad vegetables at me, I won't seek cover.

[SignOfZeta]

Back in the day licensed games were bad, but now virtually no games are as bad as the bad ones from back then.

One of my favorite publishers now is Bandai. They do almost nothing but licensed games, usually licensed from different divisions within their own company. While their earliest releases were terrible (Kinnikuman (FC), oh man. Gundam F91 for SFC, terrible) by the time Dragon Ball Z came out for PCE they had started to learn how to make things work. Now they are making stuff like Gundam Breaker and Super Robot Wars Z3, which are two of my favorite games from recent memory.

On the Turbo, since that was 20 years ago, things aren't that great. I did like Dragon Ball Z a lot, most people have serious trouble trying to make any sense out of it. Future Boy Conan is playable, but not great. Batman is decent. If you can appreciate Victory Run you can probably handle Knight Rider. Wataru is playable, even though it seems to have been ejected from whatever platform generation machine cranked out half the systems platformers. Blue Blink is a much better example, not as famous.

Off the Turbo, but from a similar time frame; Gundam Wing Endless Duel, and it's SFC/SNES quasi- precursors G Gundam and Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Fighting Edition all surprised me with how decent they were, and the later The Battle Master series (I think there are five) on PS1 are, IMO, the best 2D fighting mecha games ever, which came from this same line. Natsumi was responsible for a large part of these fighting games fun and quality.

[ctophil]

I can't think of many good licensed games on the Duo... The Addams Family is sort of OK. Tail Spin and Darkwing Duck are both pretty dire.

Just off the top of my head, here's a few of the decent- to-good licensed games I can think of from the 8 & 16-bit days:

NES: Duck Tales 1&2, Darkwing Duck, Batman, Tiny Toon Adventures 1&2, TMNT 2&3, Wacky Races, Felix the Cat, The Jetsons, The Flintstones 1&2, Bucky O'Hare

SNES: Indiana Jones Greatest Adventures, Star Wars 1-3, Goof Troop, Buster Busts Loose, Alien 3, Magical Quest, Hook (the SNES one is decent), Aladdin, Addams Family (& Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt), Krusty's Super Funhouse, Turtles in Time

Genesis: Castle/World of Illusion, Mickey Mania, Quackshot, Alien 3, Aladdin, Cool Spot, Beavis & Butt-Head, Rambo III, Terminator (CD), Hyperstone Heist

Ah yes, I forgot about the TMNT games, Aladdin, DuckTales, Cool Spot, and The Addams Family series.    Those were all really good licensed games.  Looks like I will be quite busy collecting for a while. 

Oh, I also own Willow for NES.  People said it was a Zelda clone, but it was a good clone.

[NecroPhile]

My favorite licensed game on the Turbob is probably Godzilla.  Other consoles aren't important.

[VenomMacbeth]

I can't believe nobody's mentioned Die Hard on the PCE.  I've been eyeballin' that one recently...

[PukeSter]

I can't believe nobody's mentioned Die Hard on the PCE.  I've been eyeballin' that one recently...

I've tried it once or twice. Nice graphics for a HuCard but the game itself is quite boring.

[TR0N]

NES/Famicom
Batman
Gremlins two
Sweet Home
Bucky'O'Hare
TMNT II&III
The Goonies
The Goonies II
Batman Return of the Joker

Sega Saturn
X-men vs Street Fighter
MSH vs SF
Marvel SuperHeroes
Dungeons and Dragons Collection

Arcade
Willow
The Simpsons
TMNT
Robocop
Wild West C.O.W Boys of Moo Mesa
Bucky'o'Hare
TMNT Turtles in Time
The Punisher
Alien vs Predator
Aliens
X-Men

[pulstar]

I waiting for someone to mention C.O.W Boys of Moo Mesa...awesome game

[SuperDeadite]

Itchy & Scratchy's Miniature Golf Madness - Gameboy.
Jurassic Park - Gameboy.

The first one is hard as hell with cheap deaths, but it fits the cartoon its based on perfectly, lots of neat little secrets too.

As for JP, this game probably hasn't aged so well, but it's a lot better then the NES game it's based on.  I have a ton of nostaliga for it too though I'll admit.

[ClodBusted]

Now as you're mentioning it, I have a soft spot for Jurassic Park on the GameBoy as well. I think I went through 3/4 of the game, when I couldn't figure out how to beat one certain level.

[esadajr]

the Flintstones and Tiny Toons on the Genesis are must have imho. Taito and Konami did a great job there.

[VenomMacbeth]

Ah!  I forgot about Wacky Races on the genesis, even though it was never actually released.  It's a pretty impressive game, unfortunately not very refined though.

[bob]

Ah yes, I forgot about the TMNT games, Aladdin, DuckTales, Cool Spot, and The Addams Family series.    Those were all really good licensed games.  Looks like I will be quite busy collecting for a while.

Well done with Cool Spot.

Also, did chester cheetah get a game?  Or am i making that up?

[ctophil]

Ah yes, I forgot about the TMNT games, Aladdin, DuckTales, Cool Spot, and The Addams Family series.    Those were all really good licensed games.  Looks like I will be quite busy collecting for a while.

Well done with Cool Spot.

Also, did chester cheetah get a game?  Or am i making that up?

Well, I looked it up and found this:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_Cheetah:_Too_Cool_to_Fool

Apparently, they did make a Chester Cheetah game for SNES and Sega Genesis.  Being a big collector as myself, I still didn't know a game existed for Cheetos Snacks.  lol.

[InfraMan]

Well done with Cool Spot.

Also, did chester cheetah get a game?  Or am i making that up?

There were a couple of Chester Cheetah games on SNES & Genesis, but they were both pretty awful.

Man, the 90s were weird.

[bob]

I totally forgot about Dick Tracy (genny or SMS).  The genesis version is one of my top 25 games of all time.  Great memories with that one.  (I need to get the SMS version again).

It's also a shame that none of the WWF game were that good.  I was a huge fan of Superstars in the arcade at the time.  WrestleMania challenge was ok for NES.

[InfraMan]

It's also a shame that none of the WWF game were that good.  I was a huge fan of Superstars in the arcade at the time.  WrestleMania challenge was ok for NES.

Superstars was a good one! I also have something of a soft spot for the later WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game... it was more like a fighting game than a wrestling game, but it was good goofy fun.

The 32x port was really good, although it was eventually one-upped by the PSX and Saturn versions.

[wildfruit]

Does Indiana Jones and the fate of Atlantis count? I love that. DOS business.

[DeshDildo]

What about games that were being developed as a licensed title and then had the license pulled during development like Journey to Silius.  That would have been the best Terminator game ever made.  I do like Terminator on Sega CD though it is pretty easy and not super inspiring.  The sound track kicks ass at least.

[VenomMacbeth]

What about games that were being developed as a licensed title and then had the license pulled during development like Journey to Silius.  That would have been the best Terminator game ever made.  I do like Terminator on Sega CD though it is pretty easy and not super inspiring.  The sound track kicks ass at least.

Ah!  Like Outlander!  It was originally supposed to be a Mad Max game, as you can clearly make out Mel and the Interceptor at points in the game.  That, and Mindscape did hold the license for Mad Max & even made an NES game based on it.

[ctophil]

What about games that were being developed as a licensed title and then had the license pulled during development like Journey to Silius.  That would have been the best Terminator game ever made.  I do like Terminator on Sega CD though it is pretty easy and not super inspiring.  The sound track kicks ass at least.

Cool, I wanted to pick up a copy of Journey to Silius the other day.  Not too many people know about the bit of trivia that Journey to Silius was supposed to be based on Terminator, not to mention it was made by Sunsoft (makers of really good games like Blaster Master and Batman for NES).  That game is super rare when it comes to finding a complete-in-box copy.  They must of not made too many copies.

[jordan_hillman]

SMS: Disney games

Agreed. Most of them are pretty well made.

The ONE licensed game for me is GoldenEye 007. Yes, I still like it. Now you all can start throwing your bad vegetables at me, I won't seek cover.

Goldeneye is still one of my favorite multi-player experiences.

4 assholes crowding around a single TV, with only your tiny little quarter of the screen to look at, is just too much damn fun.

[jordan_hillman]

I have a ton of love for True Lies on the SNES. It's not a perfect game by any stretch (it definitely has its flaws), but it's pretty damn fun, especially the first couple of levels.

Biker Mice from Mars on the SNES is another fun game as well. It's sort of similar to Mario Kart in that it's a racing game where you can shoot/screw over the enemy or your buddy playing with you by using your character's attack, with each character having their own unique attack, stats, etc. The main race mode is fun, and you get to upgrade your bike and purchase more attacks or power ups with prize money after each race.

And if you want a game that is absolutely brutally difficult, then you should check out the Adventures of Batman and Robin on the genesis.

[esteban]

I have a ton of love for True Lies on the SNES. It's not a perfect game by any stretch (it definitely has its flaws), but it's pretty damn fun, especially the first couple of levels.

Biker Mice from Mars on the SNES is another fun game as well. It's sort of similar to Mario Kart in that it's a racing game where you can shoot/screw over the enemy or your buddy playing with you by using your character's attack, with each character having their own unique attack, stats, etc. The main race mode is fun, and you get to upgrade your bike and purchase more attacks or power ups with prize money after each race.

And if you want a game that is absolutely brutally difficult, then you should check out the Adventures of Batman and Robin on the genesis.

I have never played True Lies or Biker Mice for SNES.

IN FACT, I NEVER EVEN KNEW THEY EXISTED...

Seriously.

[DeshDildo]

I have a ton of love for True Lies on the SNES. It's not a perfect game by any stretch (it definitely has its flaws), but it's pretty damn fun, especially the first couple of levels.

Biker Mice from Mars on the SNES is another fun game as well. It's sort of similar to Mario Kart in that it's a racing game where you can shoot/screw over the enemy or your buddy playing with you by using your character's attack, with each character having their own unique attack, stats, etc. The main race mode is fun, and you get to upgrade your bike and purchase more attacks or power ups with prize money after each race.

And if you want a game that is absolutely brutally difficult, then you should check out the Adventures of Batman and Robin on the genesis.

My man!  I thought a I was the only person that loved True Lies.  I grew up with it on the Genny but own the SNES version as well.  It is pretty decent and actually follows the movie's story line pretty well.

Biker Mice reminds me a lot of Rock N Roll Racing.  It's also a pretty fun game.

[jordan_hillman]

I have never played True Lies or Biker Mice for SNES.

IN FACT, I NEVER EVEN KNEW THEY EXISTED...

Seriously.

I'd definitely give Biker Mice a try if you enjoy racing games and are in the mood for some non-OBEY. I think (but not 100% sure) it can still be found for pretty cheap if emulators and everdrives aren't your thing.

My man!  I thought a I was the only person that loved True Lies.  I grew up with it on the Genny but own the SNES version as well.  It is pretty decent and actually follows the movie's story line pretty well.

Biker Mice reminds me a lot of Rock N Roll Racing.  It's also a pretty fun game.

YES!! I remember the difficulty getting pretty ridiculous towards the later stages, but I haven't sat down and given it a serious go in quite awhile.

And Rock N Roll Racing is definitely the better comparison for Biker Mice 

[esteban]

I have never played True Lies or Biker Mice for SNES.

IN FACT, I NEVER EVEN KNEW THEY EXISTED...

Seriously.

I'd definitely give Biker Mice a try if you enjoy racing games and are in the mood for some non-OBEY. I think (but not 100% sure) it can still be found for pretty cheap if emulators and everdrives aren't your thing.

My man!  I thought a I was the only person that loved True Lies.  I grew up with it on the Genny but own the SNES version as well.  It is pretty decent and actually follows the movie's story line pretty well.

Biker Mice reminds me a lot of Rock N Roll Racing.  It's also a pretty fun game.

YES!! I remember the difficulty getting pretty ridiculous towards the later stages, but I haven't sat down and given it a serious go in quite awhile.

And Rock N Roll Racing is definitely the better comparison for Biker Mice 

Well I owned and played Rock N Roll Racing, so at least I have an idea of what the game is like now.



But, True Lies intrigues me now.

[jordan_hillman]

Well I owned and played Rock N Roll Racing, so at least I have an idea of what the game is like now.



But, True Lies intrigues me now.

Awesome! 

True Lies is a damn fun run and gun that seems to be under a lot of people's radar. It plays fairly similar to Last Alert and definitely offers a harder challenge (I read your recent post about it, and I definitely agree that, while it's a really fun game, it's not that challenging), but it doesn't have the mission variety or the weapons/power-ups variety, which is an unfortunate trade off. And you loose all of your additional weapons after each stage, which is a bit annoying too, but by no means ruins the game for me.

But it's fun, has a pretty solid length (10 stages or so if I remember correctly), a short password system, and a couple of different difficulty settings to offer an even more challenging play through.

And you get to play as Arnold Schwarzenegger!

 

[esteban]

Well I owned and played Rock N Roll Racing, so at least I have an idea of what the game is like now.



But, True Lies intrigues me now.

Awesome! 

True Lies is a damn fun run and gun that seems to be under a lot of people's radar. It plays fairly similar to Last Alert and definitely offers a harder challenge (I read your recent post about it, and I definitely agree that, while it's a really fun game, it's not that challenging), but it doesn't have the mission variety or the weapons/power-ups variety, which is an unfortunate trade off. And you loose all of your additional weapons after each stage, which is a bit annoying too, but by no means ruins the game for me.

But it's fun, has a pretty solid length (10 stages or so if I remember correctly), a short password system, and a couple of different difficulty settings to offer an even more challenging play through.

And you get to play as Arnold Schwarzenegger!

 

I am happy to give a game I wrote-off years ago a real chance.

I AM NOT GOING TO WATCH THE MOVIE AGAIN, THOUGH.

Sorry.

[CAPSLOCK]

I've always enjoyed the snes simpsons games. Krusty's super fun house is sorta like lemmings. Virtual Bart is pretty cool also.

On NES Platoon holds a place in my heart for nostalgic reasons.

[poponon]

And if you want a game that is absolutely brutally difficult, then you should check out the Adventures of Batman and Robin on the genesis.

Not nearly as bad with 2 people.

[ctophil]

LJN for NES did a great job of beating up the licenses they accquired.
ADDAMS FAMILY for any system is a gem.  i love them all. (seriously).
sunsoft got Batman just right.  that is one of the top 10 best NES games ever made.

im sure a few people will chime in with bucky o'hare.  i have never played it, but heard its good.

dont forget games that licensed commercials like california raisins and yo, noid.
i recently picked up the untouchables, but am yet to play it.
many people rag on Platoon for NES, but i kind of like that one.

You're not the only one who likes The Addams Family series.  Fester's Quest was really cool.  For those of you who are not familiar, the game plays like a top-down shooter adventure game, similar to Zelda and Willow, but with guns.  I'm planning on getting entire series for all the systems.

What about Friday the 13th and Rambo?  Haha.  I know some folks who love those games despite the harsh reviews.  I own Rambo though, so don't look at me funny.