Since my childhood, kid's TV cartoon series' have come a long way. The likes of Loony Toons, Tom & Jerry, Casper The Friendly Ghost, and many more of my favourites are rarely seen in this day and age. The kid's channels are now full of new and modern cartoons that cater for the current generation.
While a lot of today's kid's "entertainment" is nothing more than cringeworthy in my opinion, there are a few out there that I genuinely think are good. Not only that but I feel they would be great video games that the entire family could enjoy.
Therefore, today we are going to take a look at 5 Kid's Cartoons That Should Have Mainstream Video Game Adaptations, and why they would make a good game along with what genres would suit them.
Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom
Genre: Platformer
As sad as it may be for a grown man to admit he likes a small kids cartoon, I have to say I have grown fond of Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom. With its large array of varying characters each with their own personalities and flaws, there is no shortage of moments that you can't help but chuckle, no matter what your age.
The reasoning for me chose it as a title that would make a good game is due to its near limitless possibilities. Ben and Holly is a series that have pretty much everything in it. Fairies, Elves, Gnomes, Dwarves, Big People (Humans), Santa, friendly aliens from a planet called Bong and a giant fish called Big Bad Barry that eats the elves boats, just to name some.
With the show's art design and general nature, it would make a wonderful platformer game. While I would prefer for it to be a 3D, I feel it would be better suited as a 2D platformer. If a game was made, you can be sure it would have plenty of hilarious moments in a world where anything is possible.
Jungle Junction
Genre: Racing
Every time I watch Jungle Junction, I think about how it could be made into an awesome racing game. Something along the lines of Mario Kart or Crash Team Racing. A zany, over the top, cartoony, light-hearted racing game to match the show's cast of characters.
The show's characters include Bungo the inventive and sometimes over-exaggerative bunny, Taxi Crab, the dancing and juggling loving, smoothy making crab and Zooter the speedy yet naive pig just to name a few of them.
It wouldn't need to be a complex racing game, just something simple with an array of racing tracks featuring areas from the show and some special abilities like in the other games named above. Those features added in with the colourful characters and you have one hell of a funky and fun experience.
Lily's Driftwood Bay
Genre: Platformer
Next up on the list is the imaginative show about a little girl who uses her imagination to bring characters to life, and create her own adventures based on the "treasures" she finds on the beach. As if the concept wasn't unique enough, the art style of the show is wonderfully creative and one of a kind.
With a range of characters such as the sailor Salty Dog, the dimwitted yet strong Bulldozer Bull and the noble Lord Stag just to name a few, there are tonnes of personality running throughout the show.
There really is few limits to the plot of each episode of the show due to it revolving around Lily's imagination. Between its creativity and unique art style and characters, it really would make an excellent platformer game. It would surely be an adventure of hilarity and mishaps, that could be enjoyed by the whole family.
Jake and the Neverland Pirates
Genre: Point and Click Adventure
The adventures of Jake and his merry buccaneers really are a perfect choice for a video game. With many famous characters from the childhoods of all generations including Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Mr Smee it is something that everyone could enjoy. Even more so than any of the other titles here on this list.
While it would make an excellent platformer I wanted to mix things up a bit as I feel that it would make an equally as engaging point and click adventure, and an educational one at that for the kids. In the show, Jake and his gang often come across obstacles they must overcome in order to progress in their adventures.
That is a concept that isn't so different from that of a point and click adventure. In such games, the player is met with all forms of puzzles that they must figure out in order to progress in the game. If Jake was to be made into a game using the same concept but with sensible and easy to follow puzzles for a young audience, I reckon it would be fun for everyone.
Perhaps the best approach would be like Day of the Tentacle where the player controls each of the three characters individually.
Team Umizoomi
Genre: Platformer
The last entry on the list is Team Umizoomi, an educational show that primarily focuses on the learning of numbers. The show generally takes place in a certain part of Umi City, where the three miniature heroes, Milly, Geo and Bot must embark on a mission to help someone.
The characters each have their own special abilities to help them overcome obstacles throughout the missions. For example, Milly can change the design on her dress into various patterns to figure out the best way of dealing with a specific obstacle. She can also increase the size of the ribbons on her head turning them into measuring tapes.
Geo has the ability to create and split shapes, allowing him to make specific things, like in one episode he makes a pirate and in another a space rocket. Bot has a radar, extending arms, a laser and even a comms system, giving him many uses throughout the series.
With the abilities of the three characters along with the many locations and adventure they embark on, it would be a perfect cartoon to turn into a platformer where the player has to use each of the characters to get past various obstacles. Something in a similar fashion to the powers found in Rayman or Spyro the Dragon.
And there you have it, 5 Kid's Cartoons That Should Have Mainstream Video Game Adaptations. From platformers of favourites like Ben and Holly, Lily's Driftwood Bay and Team Umizoomi, to a zany light-hearted racing game of Jungle Junction to a point and click adventure of Jake and the Neverland Pirates.
If these games were to exist they there would truly be one for everyone in the family to enjoy.
What are your thoughts on our list? What kid's shows do you think would make great games? Let us know in the comments below!
