There you have it! Ten games which are candidates for great movies! Agree with my list? Disagree? Can you think of some games I overlooked? Sound off in the comments below!

At the very least, these would make for better movies than Super Mario Bros was!

No More Heroes

Ideal crew: Takashi Miike directing

I wrote not long ago about the great villains of the game. How could you read that or play the game and not want to see it on the big screen? Besides Killer 7, the game is arguably Suda 51 at his best with the ridiculousness on display. An otaku and former wrestler who comes in possession of a beam katana and sets out to become the world’s greatest assassin? Forget the Bioshock movie, make this!!!

Takashi Miike is probably the most prolific director working in Japan, having worked on nearly every type and genre of films. He has shown he is proficient in directing fantastic action films such as 13 Assassins and well as madcap, absurd antics with Ichi the Killer. He was born to make this movie.

Gabriel Knight

Ideal crew: Jennifer Kent directing and writing

Jane Jensen’s classic adventure game of a struggling, New Orleans-based horror writer discovering his heritage is a fan favorite and regarded as legendary in the gaming world. With a dark story, a great setting with the town of New Orleans, and stellar writing, the game has cemented its place in gaming history for a good reason.

The success of this one would heavily hinge on the visuals and how true the script stays to the source material. Jennifer Kent did wonders with her directorial work on The Babadook, giving the audience a sense of claustrophobia and an unshakable sense of dread even when film moved out into the sun. Given how deftly she handled the atmosphere in The Babadook, I think she’d be a strong candidate to direct.   

Sanitarium

Ideal crew: Guillermo del Toro writing and directing

Sanitarium is a classic of the horror and adventure genres. The game follows an amnesiac (cliché, but it works here) who seeks to find his identity and why the events happening to him are occurring. Players play through various creepy and skin-crawling scenarios in their search for answers. It’s brilliant stuff.

Guillermo del Toro has shown to be splendid with creating fantastical worlds with a dark edge along with great practical effects, monsters designs, and skin-crawling atmosphere. With his imagination at the helm of this production, nothing but good things could be the result. 

God of War

Ideal crew: Zack Synder or Tarsem Singh directing

The atrocities of Kratos the Spartan would be a great fit for the big screen. The games have the format and flow of a feature film already; so an adaptation would not be too hard to accomplish. Just keep the story and characters and bring them to life.

I realize this project is in the works, but the names attached to the film so far are not inspiring confidence. Zack Snyder’s surprise hit 300 showed the world he had a knack for visuals and directing memorable battle scenes.

Tarsem Singh delivered a feat for the eyes with Immortals, even if the story was rather dull. Either of these men at the helm could bring Kratos to the screen in all of his blood-soaked glory. 

Ninja Gaiden

Ideal crew: Gareth Evans directing

The Ninja Gaiden series is known for its relentless difficulty, in-depth combat systems, and bloody action. Any game in the series would be an excellent fit, but the reboot of the series for the original Xbox and sequel for the 360, might make for the best material. Since the series has a nonsensical story which makes Bayonetta look coherent and logical, the focus of the game has always been on the action. So the film should do the same. Have a story as a backdrop to set up the action and then have Ryu Hayabusa go to town on some nasty demons.

Gareth Evans has shown he is one of the best action directors around with The Raid series and Merantu, and he is capable of committing astounding scenes to film. Given the violent nature of the game and his films, he should be a great fit for this bloodbath of an action flick.

Brutal Legend

Ideal crew: Ralph Bakshi or Don Bluth animating and directing

Ah, Brutal Legend, what a unique title! The adventures of Eddie Riggs in the heavy metal inspired world were fun to play and behold. With scenery ripped straight from the metal album covers of old, imaginative enemies, and a very metal soundtrack, the game was a treat for metalheads everywhere. While it had issues, it was one of the most imaginative and unique games players could get their hands on.

Metal has already inspired animated films such as Heavy Metal, so an adaptation of Brutal Legend would not necessarily need to be live action. In fact, an animated feature might be able to more accurately portray the visuals of the game. Simply bring the entire cast from the game to do the voice work! DECAPITATIONNNNN!

To The Moon

Ideal crew: The duo of Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind would make for an excellent pairing. 

To the Moon not only has one of the best narratives in gaming, it also has the most touching love story in the medium. The tale of two scientists trying to help fulfill a dying man’s last wish will affect you on levels few other stories can. This is one of only two games to ever make me cry; a feat no movie has ever accomplished. A true achievement as far as I’m concerned.

With the duo of Kauffman and Gondry at work, this movie should be a knockout. Eternal Sunshine already bears many similarities to To the Moon, being a love story with a sci-fi twist. So long as Kauffman doesn't go too far into typical Kauffman territory and the game's original soundtrack is used, the film could be a real winner.  

Dead Space

Ideal crew: The Thing era John Carpenter or Alien era Ridley Scott

Dead Space was inspired by films such as the Alien franchise, Event Horizon, The Thing, 2001: A Space Odyssey, among countless others. Since the game series was inspired by sci-fi horror films, why can’t the game series itself be made into a film? More so than any other entry on this list, the foundation for this has been laid several times and is shown to work and be successful.

Dark, brooding atmosphere set in a derelict space vessel? Check. A slow buildup of exploring the ship to find out what went wrong? Done. Grotesque monsters done with practical effects? Of course. This formula has been done countless times, but the Dead Space universe and mythos adds some elements many of the films have not had.

Both Ridley Scott and John Carpenter’s recent films have been lackluster when compared to their earlier classics. However, if either could tap into the creative spark used for The Thing or Alien and had a solid script to work from, this film would be one for the ages. 

Bayonetta

Ideal crew: Edgar Wright directing and co-writing the screenplay

I will just say it, Bayonetta is the best action (spectacle action, character action, whatever you call it) game made. It’s also one of my favorite games. A badass woman kicking all kinds of butt onscreen has been done before, so why couldn’t Bayonetta be adapted for the silver screen? The game is a series of ridiculous, over-the-top engagements with all sorts of bizarre creatures, strung together with even zanier cutscenes, backed by a nonsensical story you can’t help but love.Most action movies simply use a simplistic narrative as an excuse for whatever is happening onscreen anyway.

The hardest part of the movie would be Bayonetta herself. The movie would need to ensure she stays the strong character that is in control of her sexuality and not just a shell of a woman being sexy doing crazy things onscreen (because that has been done to death).

Edgar Wright has shown he has a knack for sumptuous visuals, eye-catching scenes, and awesome action with his work on the Cornetto trilogy and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Bringing the extravagant spectacle of Bayonetta to life should be an easy task for the talented director. So have at it I say! 

Hotline Miami

Ideal crew: Adam Wingard or Nicolas Winding Refn directing with a script penned by Simon Barrett

Hotline Miami is one of the most violent games in recent memory, and turned a number of heads with its pixelated carnage. The game is fast and furious with a no-holds barred approach to its gruesome content.

However, the game was more subversive and instead of simply being violence for violence sakes, it had a deeper meaning about players enjoying this horrific content. So how can a game with a subversive message about violence be made into a film?

First off, the aesthetic has been nailed in both Drive and The Guest. Both are hyper violent films and even have the thumping 80’s beats to accompany the visuals. Both movies, especially The Guest, manage to feel dreamlike and otherworldly, which is a key part to the game. For the script, just make it a subversive take on violence in film. The scene where Don Juan and Richard (horse and rooster respectively) speak to Jacket and ask, “Do you like hurting people?” could be slightly changed to address the viewer and hopefully raise some questions.

Let’s face it: movies based on video games are usually horrendous. While a lot of it has to do with the scripts, directors, cast, etc., many of the problems can be boiled down to two core issues:

1.) The movie makes something from nothing (Super Mario Bros.)

2.) The movie ignores what is established to do its own thing (DOOM, Resident Evil)

With the Warcraft adaptation looming on the horizon, I'd like to propose ten games which would make for better flicks (provided the people involved are not Uwe Boll or Paul W.S. Anderson).

Covered in 8-bit gore, Hotline Miami 2: the Wrong Number is ready to once again blur the lines of reality and make you question your own blood lust.

The trailer, released this morning, shows the quintessential Hotline Miami style, retro and pixelated with a great deal of bright red blood. Dennaton games has said that this, the final offering from the franchise, is about “the escalating level of violence through multiple factions born from the events of the original game and driven by uncertain motivations.”

While the initial game played a lot on disturbing visuals and the badass feeling one gets from clearing a level of bad guys, Dennaton Game’s founders Jonatan Soderstrom and Dennis Wedin said that they wanted to make the sequel express different emotions. Dennis told Eurogamer that, “We want to add a bit of sadness to the game, because this is a finale – this is the end of Hotline Miami. We want to work with that emotion: that all things end.”

Hotline Miami 2 will feature an expanded cast of characters beyond “the jacket” main character of the first game. Included in this group are The Fans, groups of masked, wannabe thugs who want to be like the character in the first game. Wedin said that these characters represent “the players that want Hotline Miami 2 to be exactly like Hotline Miami One with unlocking masks, and getting phone calls and stuff like that. Which will still be in there, but we also don’t want to make the same game one more time. We want to tell a different story with a different approach.”

Masks will still be a part of the gameplay, but you will no longer be able to wear any mask on any level. Instead, levels will be tailored to specific mask types—like The Butcher, a character in a hog mask. The Butcher is starring in a movie adaptation of the first events from Hotline Miami, but reality, as in the whole game, will be slightly skewed.

For those hoping that Hotline Miami will still have the frenetic, fast paced murder action that was in the initial game, fear not. “The gameplay is pretty much exactly from the first one…But we’re going to add more weapons and enemies and gore,” Wedin said.

Hotline Miami 2: The Wrong Number, is set to release sometime in 2013 on PC, Mac, and Linux. 

Something is happening over on the Hotline Miami Twitter. Today a tweet was posted with nothing but this number:

+1 (786) 519-3708

Give that number a call, I won't ruin the surprise.

For anyone not familiar with Hotline Miami, let me describe it simply.

Hotline Miami is a coke driven fever dream set in the 80's where you play a hired killer that slowly loses his grip on reality.  Many questions are raised and less are answered.

Hotline Miami 2 was announced at last week's E3. This next game might have some answers but no promises. Call the number and maybe you'll get a clue...

Prepare yourselves.

Hotline Miami, the incredibly brutal top down 2-D action game, is getting a sequel. The game featured an 80's aesthetic and what amounted to an alterna-80's soundtrack. The game was well-received and critically acclaimed for it's combination of retro art style and extreme physical violence. A level was not cleared until every person on the floor had been killed, preferably in a violent fashion, as the pop-synth background urged you onward towards darker and darker moments. 

News of the sequel was teased on the Hotline Miami twitter with the hashtag #50Blessings.

Hotline Miami is an acid trip of a game, with masks, ultra-violence, and a killer soundtrack. If you liked Drive, chances are you'll enjoy Hotline Miami. The sequel, according to reports, will focus on an early 90’s aesthetic, but will be the “grand finale” of the IP.  The game is also rumored to be more focused on “emotional experiences,” which might sound strange if you realize you can use a power drill to lobotomize someone in the game.

According to reports, the game will feature the main character of Hotline Miami, but not in a playable form, and will follow a parallel plot to the original game. Also back are many of the same bands that made Hotline Miami’s soundtrack so unique and powerful.

Fans won’t have to wait long to hear more, as the trailer and more details about the game will be appearing soon.  

If you play Hotline Miami you'll likely die, many, many, many times. But it's just part of the game; Hotline Miami plays like a combination of Super Meat Boy crossed with Painkiller. As violent and horrific as the game is, it'll still bring you back for more blood-thirsty retro 80s styled fun.

What do you do in the game?

Hotline Miami is essentially a fast paced top-down arcade shooter/hack and slash/beat 'em up game. You'll be tasked with finding different, faster ways to take out bases filled with Russian mobsters. You can enter a room guns blazing, or take the silent approach with a knife. Either way, you'll be getting scored on how quickly and efficiently you finish the level. Different scores allow you to use more guns, weapons and Masks.

Masks are special ability items in Hotline Miami that give you bonuses. For example, the Cheetah mask lets you move fast, the Cobra mask allows you to do instant kills with thrown weapons and the Frog Mask allows you to get longer combos.

The style

Hotline Miami has a very interesting style that works quite well. The game takes place in the 1980s and because of this, the folks at Dennaton Games decided to take an 8 bit approach to the art style. As for the music, the retro 80s soundtrack will be ringing in your head for weeks after playing this game.

In conclusion

This game was a fast paced 4 to 5 hour blast. However, the game time can be greatly extended by looking for all the secrets or by just trying to unlock all the masks and weapons. If you have the stomach for lots of senseless violence in 8 bit form I would seriously recommend Hotline Miami.

Hotline Miami is currently avaliable for PC and OSX. It is also coming to PS3 and Vita sometime this spring.

Hotline Miami is a top down beat um' up game that was released this past October for PC. It was made by Dennaton Games which is a team composed of Jonatan Söderström, and Dennis Wedin. The game is easily one of the craziest games I have ever played, but in good way. Since it's  original release the game has been released for Mac, and recently it was announced that it will be going to the PSVita and PS3 this spring. It was also announced very recently (just a couple days ago) that the game will be getting a sequel, but not much information has been released yet. In case you haven't heard much about the game yet, I want to warn anyone that the game is ultra violent, and is easily one of the most difficult games I have ever played.

Gameplay

Hotline Miami is a top down shooter--the character is controlled with the WASD buttons, and aiming is controlled with the mouse. It took me a minute or two to get used to everything and I can see why a controller might be a good idea, but if you are fairly competent at keyboard mouse controls, you should do fine.

The reason I bring this up right away is because this game is tough, really tough. I knew it was a hard game when I started it, but it blew me away with how insane the game got. Similar to Super Meat Boy, the game is never impossible, but you will spend more than just a few minutes cursing at your screen and wanting to chew your fingers off in the hopes you will grow new, better ones.

Alright, maybe that last line is a bit dramatic, but I really was surprised at just how tough some levels can be. I pride myself on trudging on through tough games, but there were a few times this game made me stop and have to come back later. Besides the difficulty the game is split up into levels, each one getting a brief introduction, and some story progression, but I'll get more into that in the style section.

Your unnamed character starts each level out by listening to a message on his answering machine, and then proceeding to the main level. Each level is fairly static, with enemies following predetermined paths and timing, but weapons are (for the most part) randomly generated, and really that is where a lot of the variety in the game comes from. As you play you also unlock new weapons and masks based on level score--from what I've seen they don't change up the game play too dramatically, but depending on the level and the weapon you have at any moment, you might have a completely different path than if you were differently equipped.

I was also really impressed with how the Masks can change up the gameplay. None of them are necessarily better than the others, but they do change the gameplay pretty dramatically. The level restarts upon your death, and believe me, you will die a lot, but most levels are short enough that the game seems challenging but achievable. The game is really well done, and tight. There are no weak points in the gameplay, and when it comes to a game like this, you really can't have anything that can make the player want to stop playing.

Style

This game is ultra stylized and pulls heavily from the movie "Drive" as an influence. Drive's influence is very clear on the game as the main character has no name (fans have referred to him as jacket), the plot is heavily violent, and the developers even listed the director of Drive in their thanks section of the credits. The game itself is still pretty unique. It is set in 1989 Miami, and has the neon colors and soundtrack to complete the experience.

The game engine also feels like it was built in '89 with screen flickering, and progressive scanning as a feature, not a bug. I can't really describe it, but the game really feels like you are having a "bad trip". The screen seems to tip and rotate while you run, the menus all have perspective 3D that rotates around, and the chip tune soundtrack has a surreal feeling that really fits in with the gameplay and style. All that said, this hyper-stylized and hyper-violent game is an experience by itself, and when combined with the tight controls and tough-as-nails gameplay makes it a must play in my book.

Story

The story of this game is really hard to describe. The main character is unreliable at best, and the story is told out of order. There are more than a few times when it becomes clear that either the main character is imagining what is going on or is hallucinating. It's also worth noting that there are multiple endings, and depending on the ending you will get more information that might (or might not) be right. It's already announced that there will be a second game and I really hope it reveals more about what is going on, because it is super confusing!

Dad Factor

I am just going to say that if you are still questioning if this game is kid friendly, then you shouldn't be allowed to have children. The incredible level of violence, flashing screens, and fast pace of the game are all way outside the realm of what any young child should be subjected to.

That being said, if the kids are asleep and you're on wake up duty this game is actually easy to pick up or put down. You can pause at any time, there is no penalty for leaving the game, and the levels are short enough that you can complete a couple if you have an hour or two (but you might die a lot). There is no voice chat, or multiplayer of any kind, and besides music there isn't any sound you need to be worried about, so if the kids are asleep and you want to play, go for it. I really can't stress enough though that this game is way too violent for anyone under 17, and the flashing lights and crazy visualizations would make it hard for anyone under that age to watch anyway.

Price

$9.99 on Steam 

The Good

• Really challenging
• Crazy Tarantino-esque story
• Perfect style

The Bad

• Violence may turn some gamers off
• Difficulty leaves a tough learning curve

Final Score

Game Score: 4 out of 5 hearts

If you are a fan of games like Super Meat Boy, you will really like this game. It has impeccable style, and is a lot of fun. It isn't too short, but doesn't wear out its welcome. It's hard to recommend to a lot of people though, due to its difficulty and crazy violence.

Magic Score: 75% 

This game looks and plays awesome, I had a lot of fun with it, but like a Tarantino movie I have to be in the right mood to play it. It's not something I can just sit down and play anytime. I really recommend it, but I know not everyone would enjoy it like I do.