Sunday’s buzzy premiere of “The Last of Us� on HBO inspired some thinking about other video game adaptations, which have often been maligned as unsuccessful, though in recent years they’ve gained more respect. "The Last of Us" went in the prestige TV direction, with Craig Mazin from “Chernobyl� collaborating with game creator Neil Druckmann on the gritty, grounded series starring Pedro Pascal as Joel, a man who has to transport a young girl, Ellie, (Bella Ramsey) through a post-apocalyptic America that has been decimated by a fungal zombie pandemic.
While “The Last of Us� looks promising, that hasn’t always been the case for video game-to-movie projects. The first movie based on a video game, 1993’s “Super Mario Bros.� starring the late Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as Mario and Luigi, was a disaster both on the set and at the box office. In fact, it’s not even streaming anywhere at the moment, though an animated “The Super Mario Bros. Movie� is hitting theaters later this year (with the voice of Chris Pratt as Mario, mamma mia!).
The most popular game machine on Earth isn’t a console. It’s the smartphone, but many core players don’t take that platform seriously despite the enormous audience. Second Dinner’s card battle… Read more1. Marvel Snap
Software’s epic adventure in the Lands Between dominated the conversation for the first part of the year. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki successfully adapted his “Soulsâ€� formula to an open world a… Read more2. Elden Ring
The sequel to one of the best games of 2018 continues to push the boundaries of video game storytelling. Sony’s Santa Monica Studio follows Kratos and his son, Atreus, as they again attract th… Read more3. God of War: Ragnarok
Platinum Games knows how to make action titles and its flagship franchise starring the Umbran Witch shows the extent of that mastery. For each chapter of the franchise, the developers have man… Read more4. Bayonetta 3
Sony bookended a great year for its first-party titles with this follow-up to the amazing “Horizon Zero Dawn.â€� This sequel again follows Aloy as she encounters a new threat in the post-apocaly… Read more5. Horizon Forbidden West
BlueTwelve Studio arguably had the best new protagonist of the year. The titular orange tabby stole playersâ€� hearts as they controlled the feline through a mysterious underground world. After … Read more6. Stray
Nintendo finally put together all the pieces and created a family-friendly shooter that’s packed with content for all sorts of players. Competitive gamers will find a robust online mode that’s… Read more7. Splatoon 3
The pink puffball celebrated his 30th anniversary, and Nintendo pulled out all the stops with a special concert and this fantastic platformer from HAL Laboratory. It’s the first game in the se… Read more8. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
The follow-up to one of the best strategy games in ages is even better than the original. “Sparks of Hopeâ€� maintains the unpredictable and combo-heavy nature of its combat system, but this tim… Read more9. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Although Sony’s flagship racing franchise has lost ground to the “Forzaâ€� series, Polyphony Digital’s latest entry showed that the developer still has plenty in the tank. The team doubled down … Read more10. Gran Turismo 7
The maker of the popular Fortnite video game will pay $520 million in penalties and refunds to settle complaints revolving around children's privacy and its payment methods that tricked players into making unintended purchases, U.S. federal regulators said Monday. Read moreFortnite maker to pay $520M for privacy, e-commerce abuses
