The First Generation
Platinum Games‘ Transformers: Devastation releases this week, and it looks to offer the developer’s signature fast paced combat, along with some fantastic fan service. The beautiful visual style and cast of classic characters captures the essence of the 80’s animated series, with Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Grimlock present in all their vibrant, retro splendor, and Shia LaBeouf nowhere to be seen.
This homage to a classic franchise got me thinking, what other iconic shows and series of my generations childhood deserve a loyal video game adaption? TV shows ruled our lives when we were kids, and though those same kids that would religiously kneel before the great glowing altar after school and be transported to a fantastical world of giant robots or warrior cat-people have grown up, the little kids still lives on and video games are their new source of escapism.
Here are five classic shows from the 80’s and 90’s that could offer a nostalgic love letter to old school fans in the form of a loyal video game adaption.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Undoubtedly, one of the most iconic and classic TV shows of the 80’s, He-Man encapsulates the wonderful campiness of the decade with its fantasy meets sci-fi setting and fabulous beefcake protagonist, Prince Adam.
Sporting a suitably cheesy cast, from heroic allies like Battlecat, Man at Arms and Orko, to nefarious villains like Skeletor, Beast Man and Mer-Man, He-Man was a classic tale of good versus evil. With character designs, and a color palate as flamboyant as Transformers, He-Man’s visual style would translate just as well to a game, providing a bold look for Eternia and it’s many inhabitants.
The only real 3D game that He-Man received was 2005’s He-Man: Defender of Grayskull, which was a cheap, clunky tie-in that I doubt anyone remembers, and if you do, you’ve probably tried to forget it. Present, He-Man in a less gory God of War style game, complete with leveling system, platforming, puzzles, solid, satisfying combat, boss encounters, and a fully fleshed out world, and the muscle-bound icon would prove that he has the power!
G.I. Joe
Another iconic one of the classic TV shows of the 80’s, G.I. Joe shares He-Man’s campiness and heroes versus villains story, with the G.I. Joe’s facing off against the evil Cobra. G.I. Joe’s gratuitously patriotic cartoon saw the titular team offering their services worldwide to make sure ‘Merica were always the ones to save the day.
Much like Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, you could manage and command your ever expanding military force, building your resources and ranks and heading out on global operations to thwart the evil Cobra forces. The game may stand out more if it stayed with the original cartoon style rather than adopt a grittier, more “realistic” tone like the recent lackluster live action movies did. Though, if the game did go with this tone, and pull it off properly, the result could be truly epic.
Another possibility could be an XCom style game, again managing and building your ranks and resources, but with a more tactical gameplay approach. Assembling your squad of Joe’s, each with their skills and specializations, and heading out for turn-based gambits against the Cobra Command.
Power Rangers
How has there not been a good Power Rangers game yet? It’s received plenty of 2D GameBoy games and a few terrible 3D games (the recent Super Samurai on Kinect being a particular wet fart), but surely this 90’s classic deserves a stellar game.
Power Rangers has an incredibly dense history, with over 780 episodes being aired since the series started. The line up of Rangers has gone through countless changes, and they’ve taken the form of time travelers, dinobots and even space ninjas. The extremely over-the-top action and energy of Power Rangers combined with it’s insane plots and characters would suit a game fantastically.
The possibilities for a Power Rangers game are huge, but regardless of which plot or theme it goes with we’d be sure to experience relentless fast paced action, a roster of awesome Rangers and bizarre foes, and massive Godzilla-esque, city-leveling battles. With Platinum Games’ pedigree and the honest treatment they’ve given Transformers with Devastation, I couldn’t imagine a better studio to bring Power Rangers to life in all it’s insane, high octane glory.
Thundercats
Much like it’s contemporary, He-Man, Thundercats blends sci-fi with fantasy and plays host to a team of campy, colorful characters, like Lion-O, Tygra and Snarf. As the name suggests, the Thundercats are a team of humanoid cat heroes who battle the forces of evil in a constant struggle to bring peace to their new home of Third Earth.
Like other entries on this list, Thundercats has had its fair share of video game adaptions, including a few cancelled ones, but none that did the series justice. The Thundercats struggle against the mummified sorcerer Mumm-Ra and his legions of mutants is another great good versus evil story that deserves proper fleshing out in a quality game.
The signature 80’s cartoon style of distinct, colorful visuals and charmingly cheesy worlds is on full display in Thundercats, and from Transformers: Devastation we can see how well that translates to a game, so bring on a Thundercats game, Snarf reconnaissance missions and all.
Goosebumps
All of the previous entries on the list have lent themselves perfectly to fast paced, hack’n’slash action games, but Goosebumps is definitely a different beast. With over 60 books published under the Goosebumps name, and 72 episodes of the TV show, there’s a huge amount of spooky stories to draw from.
This month, in time for Halloween, the Goosebumps movie, starring Jack Black, is released. But rather than adapting a short story, the movie takes place in the real world of Goosebumps author R.L. Stine, where the author’s books have come to life in a Jumanji-esque invasion of fiction.
A Goosebumps game, however, could make use of the wealth of stories by presenting each one as a self contained episode. The Give Yourself Goosebumps books allowed the reader to choose their own adventure, and as is evident with Telltale’s many series’, this choose-your-own-adventure format is popular in games. Each episode could offer it’s own short tale of horror with multiple choices and outcomes, allowing for many stories to be told in a fun and accessible interactive way.
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What TV shows from your childhood would you like to see given their own video game? And look for my review of Transformers: Devastation later this week!