Video games come in all shapes and sizes for all sorts of things. Most are original properties, or sequels to existing hits, while others are tied to movies and even products. But while there are video games made for all sorts of things, one thing that we don’t see much anymore is the video game based on the Television show. Now, we aren’t talking about some Flash game or trivia game slapped onto a disc (we see you Friends The One With The Trivia for PS2), instead we are going to be looking at actual video games released for major platforms. With that said, here are 5 TV shows that got weird video game adaptations
- . Lost: Via Domus
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Lost: Via Domus (Lost: The Video Game in Europe) is a video game based on the ABC television series Lost, released for Windows and Xbox 360 platforms. This one feels like it could work as the concepts of Lost would make for a pretty great adventure/puzzle game. Think of something along the lines of the Syberia games. And, you know what, the game actually works in this regard, at least to an extent.
It’s not bad, at least not like most shovelware titles, and critics at the time praised the game, especially for Lost superfans. Still, you can see the low budget as the game is only a few hours long and doesn’t feature the cast of the show. But the problem with these very specific games is that they are made for fans of the series and those fans tend to be the harshest critics. Lost: Via Domus is now pretty much lost to time, much like the show that it was based on.
- . Desperate Housewives: The Game
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Desperate Housewives: The Game is a around the show Desperate Housewives; I feel like this might be a running thread in this list. The game is a weird one that has you taking on the role of a housewife with amnesia who has just moved to Wisteria Lane. Unlike most of the games on this list, Desperate Housewives: The Game features the talents of show writer Scott Sanford Tobis. Okay, so maybe he only wrote a single episode of the show, but that’s more than most.
In fact, the game was a big hit when it released in 2006. It hit #6 in the sales charts upon release and went on to sell over 400,000 copies during its lifetime. That’s a pretty impressive feat and something even big modern games would love! The fanbase went wild for this one and the multiple endings you could unlock makes this one pretty repayable, especially the one that sees you killing everyone int he neighborhood. Pretty wild that it even won the 2006 “Best Adventure Game” award from PC Gamer!
- . American Idol
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The idea of an American Idol games makes a lot of sense when you look at it on paper. There have been vocal games for years and a karaoke game based on the show could make for some party fun. Imagine getting some friends together to sing poorly and get made fun by the actual crew from the show. I’d buy the game for that sort of fun on after a few drinks with friends. Unfortunately, none of that happens in the American Idol video game.
In the game you create a character and take them to auditions and work your way up to the point of becoming the next American Idol. But instead of singing you press buttons like a DDR game with your hands. That’s probably not accurate as that would still be a bit of fun. In American Idol you hit buttons that cross the center of the screen at a very slow rate. In fact, you can beat the game without issue even with the sound tuned off making this music game not even need the music. Yikes!
- . Grey’s Anatomy: The Video Game
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The mid-2000s were a weird time. It seems like every television show that your mom used to watch got turned into a video game. I’d say it was just a Wii related thing since everyone had that console in their home, but a lot of these things were Windows only or also released on the Xbox 360. In this case the Grey’s Anatomy: The Video Game was released on the Wii and instead of trying to do something interesting, like the Lost game or the fun, if weird, Desperate House Wives game, the game is a visual novel with some mini-games tacked on.
This is probably the best example on this list of a classic shovelware title. The mini-games ranged from doing surgery on patients and managing your emotions. So, you know, pretty normal doctor stuff to happen during a diphtheria outbreak. Critics hated the game, with some stating that the storyline was “hilariously random” and that the gameplay was “about as challenging as trying to run into a wall.”
- . M*A*S*H
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M*A*S*H was a monster of a television show, one so large and popular that nearly the entire United States sat down to watch the series finale. It was a dramatic comedy that showed the horror of war and how those involved dealt with being in that sort of situation. Many consider it a masterpiece of a television show that was itself a reimagining of the beloved film of the same name. But this release came in 1983, a time when video games weren’t ready to handle heady topics like real war.
For the Atari 2600 the game tried to do more than most and had the player taking the role of a helicopter pilot and doctors on the ground. Critics, of which were new with a video game industry that was aimed at kids, didn’t know what to think about the game. On the one had some praised the gameplay and what tried to do, especially with the surgery parts that had you pulling bullets out of bodies, but on the other hand had issues how they turned war into a trivialized version of itself. Wonder what they think of the modern CoD take on war?
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