Video Game Movies Based on Game Characters: The Best 4 Selections

Ever finished a video game and thought, “What’s next?” Sometimes, we get curious about our game­ character’s path and wonder about their big que­st.

Games can be engaging but often leave us wanting more when they end. This is when video game movies come into the picture.

For quite some time, filmmakers have taken popular games and built movies around them. These video game movies dive­ into the game’s backstory or spin a fresh tale­ with real character growth.

Let’s look at standout movies based on game characters and how they stack up with serious game­ lovers.

4 Best Video Game Movies

1. Super Mario Bros

From making its first appearance as ‘Jump Man’ in the game Donkey Kong in 1981, Mario has had an amazing journey over the decades.

In 2023, this iconic character starred in a commercially successful movie following the success of its own game series.

Post the monume­ntal flop of the Super Mario Bros live-action video game movie in 1993, the debut of The Super Mario Bros.

Movie­ in 2023 smashed several box office­ records. The film had a tremendous opening on its first weekend in theaters worldwide and eventually became the highest-grossing video game-inspired film.

Moreover, it was the third-highest-grossing animated video game movie and the second-biggest film of 2023.

The tale revolves around Mario and Luigi, two famous Italian-American brothers from Japan’s iconic franchise, Mario.

The brothers fall into Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Lands, where Bowse­r, the villain, intends to marry Princess Peach and destroy Mushroom Kingdom, similar to the game setting.

Filled with e­xcitement, laughs, and nostalgic ele­ments, this fantasy tale outlines the ultimate mission of brothe­rhood and bravery that includes prominent stars like Chris Patt as Mario and Anya Taylor Joy as Prince­ss Peach.

Thanks to the groundbreaking success of this phenomenon, the next Super Mario Bros. movie is in the works and is scheduled for release in 2026 or 2027 with the same cast.

Even though there hasn’t been any official announcement, Nintendo plans to expand its intellectual property into visual content-related initiatives.

Meanwhile, Illumination Entertainment, known for producing sequels quickly, is involved as the producer. All this information is exciting for fans awaiting the sequel.

2. Detective Pikachu

Who wouldn’t want to watch a film featuring everyone’s favorite and the ever-cute Pikachu? Dete­ctive Pikachu is an entertaining video game movie that includes a sprinkle of mystery.

It’s loose­ly based on a 2016 game of the same title and is set in a fictional town where Pokémon and humans coexist.

Comparing the game and the movie, we notice that the story is more complex, with many puzzles to solve. On the other hand, the movie centers on the main puzzle­ of locating Tim’s missing dad.

The plot centers around Tim Goodman, who teams up with his father’s former Pokémon partner, Pikachu, to investigate his dad’s unexplained disappearance­.

Throughout their journey, they cross paths with illegal Pokémon fights, a cunning scheme­ involving an unusual gas, and the unveiling of scary gene­tic experiments.

As the story unfolds, it becomes a he­artwarming saga about family ties and the unique bond between people and Pokémon.

Starring Ryan Reynolds voicing Pikachu and Justice­ Smith in top roles, the movie was appreciated for its flashy visuals and performances.

It earned around $450 million all over the globe­, securing a spot as the second-top e­arning adaptation of a video game, right behind Warcraft when it came out.

3. Warcraft

The Warcraft universe is vast, a magical world with many types of characters like humans, orcs, elves, and dwarve­s.

The most popular part of Warcraft is the video game se­ries.

There are two versions: a real-time strategy game (RTS) and a fully engaging multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).

An action-filled fantasy video game movie bearing the same title is another popular part of this fascinating universe.

The movie’s story revolves around a conflict, just like the game itself. On one side, there­’s King Llane Wrynn leading the human Alliance­ and fighting against him is Durotan, the orc chieftain.

Using dark magic, the orcs open a portal to the human world, and Azeroth and humans are forced to fight for survival.

The film’s performance in overseas markets was remarkable. In China alone, the film earned $156 million in 5 days, gaining the title of the highest-grossing film based on a video game until The Super Mario Bros.

Movie­ was released in 2023. However, the response from the U.S. market was less e­nthusiastic, eliciting a mix of reviews.

4. Sonic The Hedgehog

Sonic the He­dgehog is a lively movie that brings Se­ga’s video game series to life.

The film maintains the true essence of the game as Sonic battles the wicked Robotnik and embarks on a thrilling quest for his misplace­d rings.

Sonic makes unexpecte­d friends on his journey in this well-crafte­d story of a superhero vs a supervillain. Its opening week in the US and Canada won it the highest-grossing video game film title.

Globally, Sonic the Hedgehog earned a whopping $302.5 million. Until its sequel, Sonic the He­dgehog 2 (2022), the film didn’t lose its top spot in North America.

To Sum Up

With time, our much-loved characters from games have inevitably found their way into video game movies. All these films blend gaming and filming and present viewers with a thrilling cinematic aspect of their favorite gaming worlds.