From Console to Screen: The Best and Worst of Video Game Movies (Part One)

In the realm of video games, there’s somewhat of a tradition: once a certain title or its subsequent franchise builds up enough steam, it has the opportunity to head to the big screen. Over the years, a number of movies and shows based on games old and new have been released, each with their own varying degrees of success. With so many to choose from, it raises questions as to which ones are worth checking out, and what’s better off in the bargain bin. So, without further ado, let’s roll the projector on some of the most noteworthy video game adaptations to ever have graced the silver screen!

Classic Battles

Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat released its first game in 1992 and now has over 20 games. The main story follows warriors and their battles to face off against villains. In these games you fight in interdimensional tournaments between the Earthrealm and Outworld. Mortal Kombat is a classic 2-D fighting game franchise that challenges the player to learn to combine attacks and end battles with brutal fatalities. The entire franchise is considered iconic by fans and is renowned for its cultural impact, fantastic graphics, and detailed story. 

There have been a number of different Mortal Kombat movies throughout the years, ranging from cheesy live action outings like the one from 1995 to grounded animated films like Scorpion’s Revenge. However, the most recognized movie in the franchise is the version from 2021—which centers on a fighter named Cole Young, who is transported into a mysterious dimension and selected to battle in the lethal tournament. The movie polarized critics, but it was well-received by audiences and fans of the franchise, leading it to gross over $80 million at the worldwide box office.

Mortal Kombat is one of the most recognizable names in the entire subgenre of fighting games, with the franchise still ongoing to this very day. Even its big screen counterpart has earned a fair deal of success, with a sequel—Mortal Kombat II—slated for release in May. Both of these adaptations share one thing in common: though they are not without their detractors, they have gained a loyal fanbase throughout the years, keeping the franchise relevant even decades after its original conception.

Warcraft

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is the first game in the Warcraft series developed by Blizzard Entertainment. It was released in 1994 and follows the history of the First War: a battle where blood thirsty Orcs invade the human kingdoms. While the game would be considered dated compared to today’s standards, Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is one of the first games that put Blizzard Entertainment on the map—they’d later make games like Overwatch and Diablo—and it also helped popularize real-time strategy games, 

The online phenomenon was brought to the big screen in 2016, in a film centering on a war between humans and orcs, and the efforts to uncover the true evil causing it. Despite its larger-than-life premise, the film failed to create much of an impact, earning mixed reviews from critics and earning little money in its domestic run, even with some World of Warcraft fans speaking positively of it. There were originally plans to turn this movie into a full franchise, but after its lackluster returns, its future currently resides in limbo.

There was a lot of potential for Warcraft’s film adaptation, especially with the game’s overarching concept and scope. However, its legacy ended up being just another video game adaptation rather than the next big franchise, while its digital counterpart continues to be one of the most recognizable online games ever made. Though it does have a fanbase, the writing ended up on the wall for this cinematic take on the battle of orcs and humans, leaving it as one of the most overshadowed aspects of a massive fantasy franchise.

Fun for the Whole Family

The Super Mario Bros Movie

In 1985, gaming icon Mario received his first game: Super Mario Bros. This game would debut what would become one of the most popular—if not the most popular—platforming games. However this game wouldn’t technically be the character’s first appearance. In 1981, Jumpman (Mario) first appeared in Donkey Kong. After he received his own game the series grew to have over 200 hundred games (around 22 major ones) and would follow roughly the same plot of Mario saving Princess Peach. There would of course be a few outliers in that pattern, but no one can deny how iconic and memorable the first few games are.  

This film follows the plot of the game rather faithfully, focusing on Mario and Luigi as they are transported into the world of the Mushroom Kingdom, which is under threat by the villainous Bowser. After Luigi is taken prisoner, Mario must team up with the land’s ruler, Princess Peach, to restore peace to the kingdom. This film was monumental at the time of its release, making over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office—making it the highest-grossing video game film of all time—and being adored by fans of the games. It even spawned a recent sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which has seen similar financial success.

Both the movie and game versions of Mario share many similarities, in both storytelling and execution. Typically, they follow simple plots involving a kidnapping and a quest to save the taken, but with a prominent sense of fun to keep viewers engaged. Through its combination of charming characters, bright colors, and unique setpieces, Mario stands out as one of gaming’s landmark names, while translating effectively to the big screen in fun cinematic outings.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog first hit gaming screens in 1991 and revolutionized 16-bit gaming by creating a high-speed, momentum-based platforming game. The first of the 100 plus games, follows a speedy blue hedgehog, Sonic, as he attempts to stop Dr. Robotnik from stealing chaos emeralds and enacting his evil plan. Sonic the Hedgehog is a direct competitor to Super Mario Bros. and has become a favorite amongst gamers around the world.

A film adaptation of the blue blur—starring James Marsden, Jim Carrey, and Ben Schwartz—was released in 2020, after a notable controversy involving his original design, which was more uncanny and weird. However, after redesigning Sonic to appear more like he does in the games, the movie gained traction instantly, and went on to become one of the biggest films of that year. Its success led to a massive franchise including two theatrical sequels and a Paramount+ miniseries, Knuckles, with a fourth film slated to release in 2027. 

It’s so surreal to think that the Sonic movie franchise might have been completely different or nonexistent had the creative team not listened to the series’s loyal fans. But now, the blue blur and his friends have managed to make a mark arguably just as big as its biggest competitor, Mario, through its sense of adventure, characters full of personality, and high-speed action with a snarky sense of humor. Even to this day, new Sonic games continue to experiment with their characters and settings, opening the door to a wide array of opportunities for where Sonic and his friends can go next—even on the big screen.

Detective Pikachu

Can you guess what Pokémon’s original title was? Pocket Monsters: Red and Green. Pokémon’s very first game centers around the creator’s love for collecting insects as a kid and allows the player to experience something similar by collecting Pokémon. The first game came out in 1996 and there’s now over 40 main games. Pokémon was the most influential game to bring out the trading and battling mechanics, as well as the “Gotta catch ‘em all” collection loop in games. Pokémon has been a game all ages can enjoy and continues to stay that way with their most recent game, a Pokémon and Animal Crossing mix, Pokopia.

The big screen adaptation of this game marked Pokémon’s first foray into live action, in a film starring Ryan Reynolds as the title character. It focuses on Pikachu as he teams up with a reluctant human to uncover the mystery of what happened to his missing father. Shockingly, this was one of the first times a mainstream video game film got primarily positive reviews from critics, which drew in audiences and led the film to financial victory. Its success also led to the announcement of a sequel, though there have not been any updates since 2024.

Considering how this movie was based on one of Pokémon’s most unique spin-off games, it's impressive that it was able to leave such a big impact in this subgenre. Being released during a time when video game adaptations were often frowned upon, Detective Pikachu gave itself a clever edge through its mystery elements and energetic sense of humor, while staying true to the franchise’s core rules and character designs. This film introduced mainstream audiences to the world of Pokémon in one of the most unique spins in the franchise to date, leaving audiences eager for whatever may come next for the electric detective. Case closed!

A Minecraft Movie

Minecraft, where to start with this sandbox turned most popular game in the world? In 2009, Markus Alexej Persson (Notch) released Minecraft to the world, but it wouldn’t gain popularity until the early 2010s, when gaming YouTubers would get a hold of it. Minecraft is one of those games that allows the player to experiment and be as creative as they can, because in Minecraft the sky’s the limit. Minecraft caters to every kind of player making it something anyone can play and still find it interesting. 

With a game as well-known and beloved as Minecraft, a film adaptation was all but inevitable. After years of development, the picture finally graced the silver screen in 2025, focusing on a group of misfits who end up in the mysterious Overworld, and must work with a master crafter named Steve to find their way back home. Despite mixed reviews, the film became an overnight sensation, leading to numerous memes, trends, and even a McDonald’s tie-in meal. As you might expect, the film’s gleaming success led to the announcement of a sequel, currently slated to release in 2027.

With Minecraft being as vast and versatile as it is, it’s hard to see how they would make a Minecraft movie. Minecraft is a game without a story. The player gets to make their own story each time they create a new world. So what plot would they follow in a movie? Well the Minecraft movie managed to answer that question. It followed the character Steve, who is the first skin everyone played as in Minecraft. While the Minecraft movie is definitely a movie meant for people who love stupid humor, the movie did manage to get the childhood nostalgic feeling of Minecraft onto the big screen. It also managed to spawn a handful of comedic jokes and a few destroyed theaters from one idiotic line “Chicken Jockey”. With how popular the movie was and how popular the game is it's no surprise that we have A Minecraft Sequel coming our way in 2027.

The Angry Birds Movie

I’m sure some of us remember begging our parents for their phone so we could play this classic game of birds versus pigs. Angry Birds came out in 2009 and quickly became a very popular puzzle game. In Angry Birds you aim the titular angry birds at towers with pigs on them and must defeat all of your swine enemies. Angry Birds was one of the first games to prove mobile gaming could be just as fun as other forms of gaming. In fact, Angry Birds was one of the first games to get over a billion mobile downloads. 

The movie adaptation follows the game’s main plot—with the titular birds using a slingshot to fight against evil pigs and save their eggs—and miraculously pads it out over 90 minutes. The result is yet another movie that got mixed reactions from critics, though audiences responded more positively, leading the film to gross over $350 million worldwide. The movie would later spawn a sequel in 2019, which got slightly better reviews, while a third film is scheduled to come out in December.

It’s crazy to think that a mobile game would end up spawning such a massive series, ranging from its numerous sequels and spin-offs to its theatrical outings. The Angry Birds Movie took a basic concept and expanded on it in a way which introduced more humorous opportunities for these classic characters, even as its source material’s popularity began to dwindle out. It ultimately breathed new life into the franchise, cementing its spot as one of mobile gaming’s most iconic names while allowing for more experimentation with its characters.