Gamingboy
Smash Lord
I once told a non-game-playing relative that main Mario series of games is like the James Bond series of movies: many of the games are very similar to each other, but it doesn't matter, since they are all at the very least a fun game and at most a total masterpiece. That got me to thinking: what are the movie equivalents of Video Game franchises (I'm focusing on Nintendo here, but feel free to post what you think of other franchises as well)
Mario main franchise (I.E. not counting parties, karts, paints, etc. etc.): As I said, James Bond. There is almost no such thing as a completely boring James Bond movie, just as there is no such thing as a boring Mario game. And they have a formula that is so utterly perfect that even when changes are made the game/movie is good.
Legend of Zelda franchise: Star Wars. For the most part, very, very, very good... perhaps the greatest saga ever made. O, except for, y'know, those parts we don't discuss (Zelda: CD-I games, Star Wars: the Christmas Special and Episodes I, II and sometimes III).
Donkey Kong franchise (country onward): Rocky. The first one was great. The second one very good. The third.. ehhhh... okay. The fourth? Mixed bag. After that? Ughh..... (I'm not saying that Donkey Konga etc. etc. are bad games, merely that they aren't good in the sense that DKC was good..... Rocky 5 sucks however. Rocky Balboa is not counted because I still haven't seen it... **** me)
Pokemon main series: This is a hard one, as few movie series are good for very long without at least changing somewhat, yet Pokemon has remained a instant-money maker for over 10 years with barely any changes at all to the actual structure of the games. I think that the best equivalent could be the entire "Will Ferrell Movie Franchise".
Kirby: Godzilla. Kirby will never be the best selling game of all time, nor will he be the best reviewed, but, like Godzilla, he will always return.....
Metroid: I said Alien, more for the plot (woman kicks Alien ***) then the actual success, since Metroid hasn't deteriorated like the Alien series did.
Earthbound: The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The great cult game can only be like the great cult movie.
Star Fox: Star Trek. Some of the games are good, some of the games are bad.... and it takes place in OUTER SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE. Sounds sort of like Star Trek movies...
Kid Icarus: Bruce Lee movies. Bruce Lee appeared in a few good, fun movies and never made another one again in Hollywood. Pit appeared in 2 fun games and has never starred in another game since. At least Bruce Lee had the excuse of, you know, being dead.
Okay, you know how I said I was ONLY going to do Nintendo franchises and others could do different company's? I lied, I have to do one non-nintendo.
MEGA MAN: The Batman series of movies (pre-Batman Begins, but post Adam West). Look up how to beat a good game into the ground and you will see the endless amount of Mega Man games. Look up how to beat a movie franchise into the ground and you will see.... the Batman movies. I'm still waiting for the Mega Man equivalent of Batman Begins... y'know, the one that saves the franchise.
Mario main franchise (I.E. not counting parties, karts, paints, etc. etc.): As I said, James Bond. There is almost no such thing as a completely boring James Bond movie, just as there is no such thing as a boring Mario game. And they have a formula that is so utterly perfect that even when changes are made the game/movie is good.
Legend of Zelda franchise: Star Wars. For the most part, very, very, very good... perhaps the greatest saga ever made. O, except for, y'know, those parts we don't discuss (Zelda: CD-I games, Star Wars: the Christmas Special and Episodes I, II and sometimes III).
Donkey Kong franchise (country onward): Rocky. The first one was great. The second one very good. The third.. ehhhh... okay. The fourth? Mixed bag. After that? Ughh..... (I'm not saying that Donkey Konga etc. etc. are bad games, merely that they aren't good in the sense that DKC was good..... Rocky 5 sucks however. Rocky Balboa is not counted because I still haven't seen it... **** me)
Pokemon main series: This is a hard one, as few movie series are good for very long without at least changing somewhat, yet Pokemon has remained a instant-money maker for over 10 years with barely any changes at all to the actual structure of the games. I think that the best equivalent could be the entire "Will Ferrell Movie Franchise".
Kirby: Godzilla. Kirby will never be the best selling game of all time, nor will he be the best reviewed, but, like Godzilla, he will always return.....
Metroid: I said Alien, more for the plot (woman kicks Alien ***) then the actual success, since Metroid hasn't deteriorated like the Alien series did.
Earthbound: The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The great cult game can only be like the great cult movie.
Star Fox: Star Trek. Some of the games are good, some of the games are bad.... and it takes place in OUTER SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE. Sounds sort of like Star Trek movies...
Kid Icarus: Bruce Lee movies. Bruce Lee appeared in a few good, fun movies and never made another one again in Hollywood. Pit appeared in 2 fun games and has never starred in another game since. At least Bruce Lee had the excuse of, you know, being dead.
Okay, you know how I said I was ONLY going to do Nintendo franchises and others could do different company's? I lied, I have to do one non-nintendo.
MEGA MAN: The Batman series of movies (pre-Batman Begins, but post Adam West). Look up how to beat a good game into the ground and you will see the endless amount of Mega Man games. Look up how to beat a movie franchise into the ground and you will see.... the Batman movies. I'm still waiting for the Mega Man equivalent of Batman Begins... y'know, the one that saves the franchise.