Sonic The Hedgehog 2 has amassed a fabulous amount of box office success, quickly becoming one of the highest-grossing pictures of the year, which is quite fitting given its main protagonist. While it hasn't impressed every critic, the movie has shown that video game adaptations could potentially be on the upswing.
Naturally, now that Sonic is raking in the cash and with Mario likely to follow suit soon, it's only a matter of time before other classic platformer heroes make their way to the silver screen. With that being said, movie studios are soon to be spoiled for choice in that department.
Ninja Gaiden (1988)
the best game series ever, the Ninja Gaiden games have ranged from beat 'em up to hack and slash, but the series first became a hit with a trilogy of hack and slash-platform hybrid games on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
The game follows Ryu Hayabusa, a ninja whose journey begins with his attempt to murder a demon out of revenge for the death of his father, and it only gets more outlandish from there. A movie based on the game would have to be a tad more serious than Sonic 2, but with the right script, director, and star, Ninja Gaiden could prove to be a successful film.
Goat Simulator (2014)
On the surface, Goat Simulator may not seem to be big-screen material, but that's kind of what makes the idea of the game getting a movie tantalizing. The game has no plot to speak of, instead, it follows a singular goat as it runs and jumps around, leaving tons of destruction in its wake.
Every once in a while, there comes a movie that reminds viewers that they don't have to take everything so seriously. A solid little comedy movie, one that isn't trying to hold a microscope up to the human condition or serious social and political issues, it's just trying to be a bit of fun. No matter how cynical anyone is, they can't say that 100 minutes of a goat causing chaos doesn't sound like a blast.
Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Rare, once Nintendo's golden goose, has quite a few properties that would make pretty solid movies. Donkey Kong Country put the ape back on the map and made Rare household names, as the games not only introduced stunning 3D visuals to the SNES, but saw the debut of his nemesis King K. Rool and his nephew Diddy Kong.
Much like all of Rare's Nintendo-based affairs, the story of Donkey Kong Country is dastardly simple, King K. Rool steals Donkey Kong's bananas and DK and Diddy go off on a journey to get them back. That might not seem like enough meat to go into a movie, but talented writers have worked with less. Besides, both DK and Cranky Kong have already been cast for the Mario movie.
The Kirby Series (1992-Now)
Other than the Mario games, Kirby is among Nintendo's premiere platformer franchises. However, it would be quite challenging to mine enough material from the games to warrant a movie. Kirby is one of the less-story heavy game series, as the majority of the titles focus on the classic pink fella trying to stop the comically non-threatening King Dedede's machinations.
In fairness, talented filmmakers have worked with far less. Besides that, the character's icon status is already one step towards box office success, so if Mario's movie is a hit, fans will likely see Kirby make his big-screen debut very soon.
Psychonauts (2005)
Inception was made by Pixar. The story follows the quirky Raz Aquato as he trains with The Psychonauts in order to hone his psychic abilities, encountering many bizarre characters as his world gets stranger and stranger.
Making a Psychonauts movie could only really work if the game's writer/director Tim Schafer was involved in the project, as it's his goofy brain that made the game what it was. With Psychonauts now back on people's radars with the game's long-awaited sequel now on the market, a movie would be a good way to capitalize on the love the franchise is getting.
The Spyro Series (1998-2018)
If another famous franchise is any evidence, dragons are box office gold. Though his days as a PlayStation-exclusive character are long behind him, Spyro The Dragon pushed the boundaries of 3D gaming when he made his debut on Sony's first console.
For a series of 3D platformers in the 90s, the Spyro franchise had some pretty decent stories and worldbuilding, which could help if the franchise were to be translated into movies. A small purple dragon going on adventures in a fantasy world is an easy sell, with the character having an appeal to both kids and adults, his snotty characterization in the first game notwithstanding.
The Rayman Franchise (1995-2013)
Rayman may be one of the more diverse platform series in gaming history. Beginning with a hard classic platformer game, then moving on to a darker 3D platformer, the franchise has only evolved in tone from there. The world around him has changed a lot, but Rayman has maintained his appeal.
This diversity could help the filmmakers, as they could take the characters and world and then have the creative freedom to go in whatever direction they choose, with the likelihood of fans crying foul being diminished by how much the Rayman franchise has changed over time.
Conker's Bad Fur Day (2001)
People going into a 3D platformer expect them to be kid-friendly, bouncy affairs. Conker's Bad Fur Day is... not that. It's a game that's vulgar beyond comprehension with a far more complex story that follows a cynical, alcoholic protagonist with controls that aren't as precise as Rare's prior efforts. However, Conker's twisted adventure is genuinely a treat for fans who just want something different.
There are a lot of cutesy, wholesome animated movies going around, so a movie starring a foul-mouthed, constantly-inebriated squirrel could be the shock to the system that moviegoers need. R-rated animated flicks have made money in the past, and so as long as the movie has better marketing than the game, Conker's Bad Fur Day could be a hit.
Banjo Kazooie (1998)
For the most part, they're Xbox exclusives now, but Banjo Kazooie will always be famous for being an N64 Rare classic. Following the famous bear Banjo and bird Kazooie as they attempt to save Banjo's sister Tooty from the evil witch Gruntilda, the game holds up well and is one of Rare's best games.
Naturally, stripping the story down to its essentials could be tricky, as it would mean that the many colorful worlds that Banjo and Kazooie visit in the game would be lost in translation. However, if given the right amount of thought and time, a Banjo Kazooie movie could be something special.
The Sly Cooper Franchise (2002-2013)
Out of all the mascots that Sony had juggled around, Sly Cooper is easily the most underrated. The Sly Cooper franchise is a cool stealth-platformer series that pays homage to classic heist movies, with a group of characters that are impossible to not fall in love with, which goes to explain why the series has maintained a strong cult following.
Interestingly enough, not only do Sly and his band of thieves have great cinematic potential, but it almost happened, as a Sly movie was in production. Though that movie stalled after the failure of 2016's Ratchet and Clank, with Sony getting into the groove of making movies based on their gaming properties, Sly will hopefully be stealing moviegoers' hearts very soon.
