Judge Dredd

The original Judge Dredd movie was pretty disappointing for fans of the comics and action movies alike.

While we wouldn’t get a proper Dredd adaptation until Karl Urban put the helmet on. But that first movie did lead to a very solid game, especially the SNES version.

It’s a side-scrolling action game with nonstop combat and a wild arsenal of weapons. And while the bosses are difficult, defeating them will make you feel like yelling “I am the law” at your spouse, pets, and neighbors.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Even for hardcore X-Men fans, the franchise doesn’t get any worse than X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The combination of bad story and worse CGI made for a film so awful that not even the charismatic Hugh Jackman could save it.

But the X-Men Origins: Wolverine game is both amazing and amazingly bonkers. It mostly ditches the awful movie story for a cool narrative involving fights with classic baddies like Sentinels.

And as far as X-Men games go, this is the only one that shows us how bloody a fight with Wolverine can get as he dismembers foes left and right.

Blair Witch

Horror fans are often split on the Blair Witch Project movie. Some love that it brought back the found footage genre, while others wonder what’s so scary about just wandering through the woods.

But Bloober Team’s Blair Witch video game is something else altogether. As a first-person survival horror game, the creepiness and mysteries surrounding the overall story make for a fascinating game.

And while it’s a hard title, this makes your eventual victory that much sweeter.

Alien 3: The Gun

Some people like Alien 3, but many found it boring and dreary after the action fest of the previous movie. Sega’s solution for the arcade game was simple: bring the action fest back.

Alien 3: The Gun features large light guns for up to two players and an endless array of xenomorphs and facehuggers to shoot. The game is still fun now, but it was absolutely mind-blowing back in 1993.

Hook

I love chanting “Ru-fi-OOOO” as much as the next '80s kid, but it’s time for us to admit that the Hook movie was disappointing and downright weird.

But the game adaptation was better than the Lost Boys’ fake food, especially on Sega CD. It’s a fun platformer with solid graphics and a killer soundtrack you won’t soon forget.

007: Quantum of Solace

The Daniel Craig James Bond movies have varied wildly in quality. Some are impeccably cool, like Casino Royale, while some are wildly ambitious, like Skyfall.

But the game adaptations were very memorable. You get a satisfying variety of third-person action sequences on the PS2 version as well as some multiplayer modes that offer a great way to kill time with your friends.

Predator 2

The Predator 2 movie had some cool moments, including an easter egg that set up the eventual Aliens vs. Predator comics, games, and movies.

But we can’t deny that it was a disappointing follow-up to the original action-packed jungle romp.

The Sega Genesis adaptation is downright cool. It’s like they threw the movie script and a copy of Smash TV into a blender and this was the final result.

Even if you haven’t seen the movie, this stands out as a genuinely fun game.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

There have been many Star Wars games and several film adaptations, with some adaptations being better than others.

But one of our unexpected favorites was the adaptation of the prequel trilogy’s disappointing conclusion, Revenge of the Sith.

The game is like an action platformer with cool battles, fun combos, wild Force powers, and epic duels.

It’s not the best Star Wars game you’ll ever play, but it’s enough to make Revenge of the Sith seem amazing.

The Punisher

The Punisher eventually got a great series of his own on Netflix. Before that, fans had to make do with the 2004 Thomas Jane movie that never delivered on the promise of the character.

However, the 2005 video game loosely based on the movie is stellar. Thomas Jane lends his voice, but you get to see Punisher interacting with other Marvel mainstays like Nick Fury, Black Widow, Daredevil, and more.

And as for violence, this game’s intense scenes of bloody torture are absolutely unforgettable.

Moonwalker

Even for Michael Jackson fans, the Moonwalker movie is bizarre. It’s more like a series of short films and long music videos stapled together and solid as a disappointing theatrical experience.

But the Moonwalker games were excellent. The arcade game was a fun beat 'em up title while the Sega Genesis adaptation was an awesome platformer.

And using MJ’s music and dance moves to fight bad guys is awesome, though the subplot about saving Michael saving kidnapped children is, in retrospect, a bit weird.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park arcade game

Nowadays, we have more Jurassic Park movies than you can shake Mr. DNA at. But back in the day, we had to make do with the first sequel to the original.

Jurassic Park: The Lost World was such a bad movie that not even Jeff Goldblum could make it seem fun.

Sega made the arcade adaptation great though by turning it into a sweet light gun game on rails. And if you can play the Special Edition, you can enjoy features like hydraulic seats, an 80-inch screen, and even a scary burst of air when you hear the T-Rex roar.

Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four are some of Marvel’s most beloved characters. Unfortunately, they haven’t had a good movie version in all these years.

Fans of the FF have their fingers crossed that Marvel will do the characters justice in the MCU.

Fortunately, the video game adaptation of the 2005 movie is quite fun. It simply players like a version of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance with fewer characters. If you’re a fan of these characters and their world (or even the awful movie), this one is worth checking out.

Cliffhanger

Cliffhanger isn’t the worst movie ever made. But if you asked someone to list their favorite Sylvester Stallone movies, this film probably wouldn’t even scrape the bottom of the list.

The game adaptation is surprisingly interesting. If you play the Sega CD version, you get an interesting mix of platforming and snowboarding levels.

And be honest, doesn’t the idea of controlling a snowboarding Stallone bring a smile to your face?

Alien: Resurrection

As far as films go, Alien: Resurrection was the worst of both worlds. It was never as scary as the original Alien, and the action was never as cool as Aliens.

And it couldn’t even manage to be as stylish and atmospheric as Alien 3. This all changed with the PlayStation adaptation.

Not only does it pack the atmosphere and action the movie was lacking, but this game unexpectedly pioneered the dual analog stick design that is still used by modern first-person shooters.

Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer

The Star Wars prequels enjoy a better reputation nowadays, especially in light of the awful sequel trilogy.

But The Phantom Menace remains a fairly bad film. With that being said, it led to an awesome racing game.

Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer takes you on a pod racting competition all across that galaxy far, far away. There is a satisfying array of wild characters and distant alien planets. The multiplayer is great, especially when you defeat your friends and tell them, “Now this is pod racing.”