Walk into any comic book store in the world and you’ll find gaming aficionados. It’s not surprising since the two hobbies share many similarities. They both involve a great deal of role-playing and interactive fantasy, similar to Desert Night gaming events. They both appeal to people who know how to focus on detail, immerse themselves in storylines and interact with a wide range of characters and situations.
The stereotypical characterization of a gaming or comic book enthusiast is that of a “geek” – someone who is highly intelligent and finds it relaxing to enter into a fantasy world of imagination and creativity. So it’s no wonder that many of the top video games are based on popular (and not-so-popular) comic books.
There are plenty of games that are based on superhero comics but there are others as well. Some of the best include:
Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles
There’s been a Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles game released almost every year since the first one came out in 1989. Some years saw two or even more TMNT releases including the 1992 Hyperstone Heist, the 1997 Next Mutation, the 2004 Battle Nexus and last year’s Injustice 2. The older TMNT games are mostly based on the TV series of the late ’80s, the Mirage TMNT comics. The games that have been released over the last 15 years are based on the 2003 and 2012 TV series, the 2007 and 2014 TMNT films and IDW comics.
The 1989 game was one of the first to be developed for the Nintendo Entertainment Station. It was an action-adventure game in which gamers could switch between any of the four turtles to complete levels and advance. There were overhead areas which the player would explore in order to enter the main side-scrolling portions.
As the game designs advanced new elements were added, both to the story and technologically. Some releases were designed to be hand-held electronic games while others were designed to play on systems such as Gameboy, DOS, and even Pinball machines.
Over the years many different designers have developed TMNT games including Ubisoft and Komani. The latest game which was designed by Netherrealm Studios is the most versatile with play options for the iPhone, iPad, Android, Xbox One, PlayStation and Microsoft Windows.
Asterix
Check out any list of comic-book games and you’ll see the Asterix series at the top of the list. Asterix is based on the adventures of the villagers in a French village during the Roman occupation in the 1st century A.D. To keep the Romans under control they drink a brew that temporarily gives them superhuman strength. Asterix and his friend Obelix are 2 of the villagers who get into many different scraps and predicaments in this milieu.
The French comic is one of the most popular comics in the world and it was adapted numerous times into films and games. There are Asterix gamebooks and board games but the most popular types of games for this series are the video games of which there are almost three dozen. They include early Atari and Coktel Vision releases as well as modern games for Nintendo 3DS and DS, Wii, Xbox and PC.
A favorite among Asterix fans is the 2006 Asterix at the Olympic games which was developed for the Wii, Playtation, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS and Xbox 360 by Atari Europe. The game’s plot revolves around Asterix and Obelix who must win the Olympic Games in order to help Lovestorix, their lovesick friend, marry Princess Irens. Enemy Brutus tries to thwart them using all sorts of tricks but Asterix and Lovestorix overcome Brutus – who is also trying to kill off Julius Caesar along the way – and win the games.
Two players can play on PC, Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation. Gamers’ tasks’ involve winning the games – winning races, taking the longest long jump, throwing hammers and javelins the furthest, etc. A great game for light-hearted play.
Garfield
Garfield, the loveable, fat, lazy and naughty cat involves players in his antics in the Garfield series of video games. Garfield lives with Jon and Odie, the not-terribly-bright dog and his days are spent searching for food and trying to find ways to avoid expending energy.
Garfield, the loveable, fat, lazy and naughty cat involves players in his antics in the Garfield series of video games. Garfield lives with Jon and Odie, the not-terribly-bright dog and his days are spent searching for food and tryThe life of Garfield has captured the imagination of comic aficionados for many decades. The franchise has created a wide range of games for children and adults alike so that humans can take part in the wily feline’s adventures. Some of these games include Bean Me where you give Garfield a cuppa coffee and watch him react to the caffeine, Beat the Cheese where Garfield finds mice in the cheese and needs to whack them to get that cheese, a game of catch with clueless Odie and a kennel break-out in Krazy Kennel Breakout. ng to find ways to avoid expending energy.
Men in Black
Most people recognize Men in Black from the 1977 movie of the same name but few people are aware that Men in Black was a Aircel comic (the company was later bought out by Malibu Comics which was subsequently bought out by Marvel comics) before the movie came out.
In addition to providing the inspiration for the Men in Black movies the comic set the stage for multiple games, based on the story of government agents who track down aliens. The first Men in Black video game was Men in Black: The Game which was released for Windows ’95 in 1997 to accompany the movie. The game was subsequently released for PlayStation and is played from a third-person perspective. The fixed camera angles change every time that the player moves to a new part of each level.
Men in Black: The Game was followed by Men in Black: The Series which was released for Game Boy Color in 1999 and again for Game Boy Advance in 2001.
Further games included the 2001 Men in Black: The Series – Crashdown and the 2002 Men in Black II: Alien Escape. The most recent Men in Black Game was MIB: Alien Crisis which was released in 2012 to accompany the third movie’s launch.