Film adaptations that influenced games

Movie adaptations of video games often have a reputation for being over-the-top cash-strappers that owe their source material entirely. However, sometimes the opposite is also true. Certain film adaptations influence how video game stories play out.

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These film adaptations of video games are a bit more obscure than some of their more famous and successful counterparts.

Part of this may be due to how necessary stories are for movies vs. video games where the story can be overlooked or simplified in favor of a fun game. However, as the games themselves expand in size and scope, influences from film adaptations can be added back into the series and its lore. These games adapted to match the elements of the movies released earlier.

5

Mortal Kombat

Changed Kano's ethnicity

Trevor Goddard was an English actor who died tragically at the age of 40. One of his first film roles was in the film, Mortal Kombat (1995), which is now considered a cult classic and shares its fans with the game it was based on. Examples of games showing affection for the film include Mortal Kombat 11which featured a DLC skin pack that was motion and voice captured by the original film's actors, in addition to Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa having already done the same for Shang Tsung in the game itself. This was later heard Mortal Kombat 1.

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With the realms recreated in Liu Kang's vision, many of the formerly villainous characters in Mortal Kombat 1 are no longer evil.

However, Goddard had a much more direct influence on his character. Kano was previously written as a white American who was orphaned in Tokyo, from where he was subsequently deported. This was documented in the SNES pro manual Mortal Kombat. However, Goddard's performance as a cyborg, interpreted as Australian, was well received and led to the character becoming Australian. As Mortal Kombat Evolving to have more voice acting, Kano's legacy shone through in his own personal brand of trash-talk. It has been adapted as Australian in other media as well, such as 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, where he was portrayed by Australian actor Josh Lawson. Without Goddard's character-defining performance, the character would likely be realized in a much different way than he is currently known.

In the grand scheme of things, aspects of the film such as Raiden serving as a mentor to Earthrealm warriors, Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade's romance, and various others were integrated into later installments in the series.

4

Super Mario

Surname reveal (and possible lasting romance)

1993 Super Mario Bros. the film was a strange and unique take on the series. It was one of the first media to introduce the idea of ​​Luigi and Daisy (or the film's view of her) as a couple, although she featured as a caddy in it. NES Open Tournament Golfwhich came out a few years ago. Later games that include Daisy suggest that she and Luigi form a couple as well, one example being her eponymous circuit in Mario Kart Wii featuring a pair of statues depicting her and Luigi dancing, with a clear affectionate undertone. This probably wasn't cemented to the level of Peach and Maria's romance, as Daisy is less of a presence in most of the games that don't focus on the extended series cast.

Another potential influence, though largely unseen in the games themselves, is the brothers' apparent last name. The film decided that the nickname “Mario Brothers” was influenced by their last name rather than just one of their first names. “Mario Mario” and “Luigi Mario” have been sporadically identified in game guides published by Prima Games, namely Mario Party 2 and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. This was specifically refuted by the author of Mario and Luigi, Shigeru Miyamoto, in a Game Informer article, when he dismissed it as a decision made for the movie and instead said that the brothers have no last names.

However, he apparently changed his stance sometime before the 30th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros. Festival, where he declared them to be first names. That said, due to the nature of the games, which don't require a last name for any practical purpose, it's only a minor thing for fans. Since they are collectively identified as the Mario brothers in all forms, it makes perfect sense for it to serve as their actual last name.

3

Street Fighter

Alpha roots

In 1994 there were two Street Fighter released films, each of which adapted the series' breakthrough game, Street Fighter 2. One of them was a live action movie known simply as Street Fighter starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (who some say served as the inspiration for Abel v Street Fighter 4.) This film ignored much of the source material and took little of itself from the subsequent installments of the series. That means it's a fighting game adaptation of the movie that bears the name Street Fighter: The Movie, he was released.

The second adaptation was an animated film titled Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie. This film featured a number of notable voice actors, almost all of whom went by pseudonyms. One of the voice actors mentioned was Bryan Cranston of pre-fame who voiced Fei Long. This game is much more deeply rooted in lore Street Fighter series, although this was probably because of how much it took from it, rather than how closely it followed the material before. It has been cited as an influence on Alpha series, a trilogy of games that take place between the first and second installments Street Fighter.

Some clear influences are cosmetic, such as Bison's more muscular appearance coming from this specific version of the character. Others affect the narrative, such as Guile and Chun-Li's professional partnership and Ryu's iconic red headband, which was a gift from Ken. Eventually, Alpha The trilogy drew heavily from Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie, and has a lasting effect on the series as a result.

2

Pokemon

Making waves across adaptations

Most Pokemon movies are usually adapted around Pokemon an anime that borrows its characters for an otherwise unrelated story. Since these are technically two tiers of canon from the established games, it's odd to think of them as a breeding ground for pokemon that would be canon to the series.

The late Takeshi Shudō, who was the main writer of the anime and was the sole writer of its first films, specifically conceptualized and commissioned the Pokémon for the second film, T.he Power of One. For this film, Shudō wanted a new Pokémon tentatively referred to as “Pokémon X” that symbolized waves. The resulting pokemon was Lugia, which later became the “legendary box” that graced the cover Silver Pokemon. Shudō was reportedly surprised by its inclusion in the games, expecting it to remain exclusive to the film itself.

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This inadvertently started a trend of movies specifically focusing on Pokemon not yet in the games. Other Pokémon, such as Lucario and Zoroark, have since been introduced to audiences in anime films slightly before their respective games were even released.

1

Fatal Fury

Step brother to geese

Wolfgang Krauser Von Stroheim is the fighter introduced as the final boss Fatal Fury 2. Like most SNK bosses, he has a notorious reputation as a powerhouse. He is often characterized as a noble villain who aspires to be the most powerful for self-improvement rather than the prospect of greater power. He is not above praising certain enemies he deems particularly worthy. As his surname suggests, he belongs to a wealthy German family of noble origin. He performed in various Fatal Fury installments, where his mix of devastating attacks from all ranges make him a fearsome foe. Subsequently, he also appeared in King of Fighters series, debuting for the first time in its '96 installments to which he was entitled '98: Ultimate Match and various spin-offs.

The most interesting aspects of Krauser coincide with his relationship with Geese Howard, the main antagonist Fatal Fury series. This was determined up to incl Fatal Fury: The New Battlean animated film that was made for television. Krauser is Geese's younger half-brother, whose father Rudolph left Geese and his mother to marry into the Stroheim family. The geese had previously tracked down Rudolph and tried unsuccessfully to assassinate him. Krauser later single-handedly killed Rudolph as a teenager and subsequently established himself as the head of the family. These features have been removed for games such as Fatal Fury Special and Real match Fatal Fury Specialand set the stage for a lifelong rivalry between the two final bosses.

The Howard Geese later joined forces with Krauser The King of Fighters '96. While the Geese are only using their brother to measure Orochi's strength, Krauser seems to be untroubled as it is an opportunity to face many strong opponents.

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October 15, 2000