“Change the channel, Marge!” 5 shockers of games based on TV shows!

Whilst TV shows have served as the inspiration for a few intriguing games down the years, such as the hilarious South Park: The Stick of Truth or the “cartoon GTA” charm of The Simpsons: Hit & Run, most titles based on TV shows have gone down like the Titanic in a sea of icebergs (still could be worse, could be the Street Fighter of House of the Dead films). 

Whether it’s dramas, cartoons, cop shows or even game shows that tickle your fancy, you can bet your bottom dollar that at some point over the last 30 years or so, it will have spawned a dud of a game or two.

So, with that in mind, this week we’re taking a look back at the bad, the even worse and the just plain downright ugly titles which TV shows have given their names to from years gone by.

Contents:

1. The Simpsons Wrestling
2. The Sopranos: Road to Respect
3. Lost via Domus
4. Fear Factor: Unleashed
5. Knight Rider: The Game 2

The Simpsons Wrestling

Ding… ding… ding! We kick things off this week by taking a trip to Springfield with The Simpsons Wrestling, in which 20 of your favourite yellow-bellied cartoon characters took to the ring to beat the living daylights out of each other. Whilst on paper the idea of laying the smackdown on Ned Flanders every time he says “okily dokily!” sounds entertaining, this is one game which definitely won’t get you ready to rumble.

Thanks to a lethal combination of unresponsive, overly simplistic controls, animations capable of making your eyes bleed and moves so fake they’d make The Undertaker’s seemingly bi-annual rises from the dead seem plausible, it’s no surprise that this game was universally panned by gamers and critics alike upon release.

The Sopranos: Road to Respect 

We shift our attention to the mean streets of New Jersey and head on over to Bada Bing now for this week’s second entry, The Sopranos: Road to Respect. Given just how gripping a show The Sopranos was, the idea of a game that took inspiration from the shady dealings of Tony Soprano’s thuggish clan seemed like a tantalising prospect at the time.

What’s more, the basic concept for the game originated from an idea the show’s creator, David Chase, had earlier in his career (although Chase would later distance himself from the game saying it had “nothing to do with the TV series”).

However, the game itself failed to live up to its promise. Although it attracted praise for the voice acting, which featured the show’s original cast, its blocky graphics, overly linear missions and lack of depth meant this game was more likely to have you cracking out the zs than on the edge of your seat.

Lost via Domus

Of course, The Sopranos wasn’t the only 2000s tv behemoth to have the dubious honour of spawning a not-so-great video game as ABC’s Lost served as the inspiration for Lost via Domus, which was released back in 2008.

Whilst the prospect of embarking on an epic adventure on the mysterious island featured in this show offered a lot of promise, the end result sadly left players feeling a little lost (that’s right, we went there!) Although it received praise from critics for its graphics and presentation, its shallow interaction with other characters and lack of depth left many feeling short-changed.

Fear Factor: Unleashed

Chances are that if you were around back in the 2000s, you’ll remember Fear Factor. This smash-hit reality TV show tested contestants to their absolute limits as they were forced to face their worst fears by undertaking very demanding physical and mental challenges, all of which made for compelling viewing.

Given its success, it was only a matter of time before Fear Factor got the video game treatment, which is exactly what happened with the release of Fear Factor: Unleashed on Game Boy Advance back in 2004. Whilst this game remained faithful to the premise of this show, it lacked the one key ingredient that made it so enjoyable, fear and, thus, failed to live up to its name.

Knight Rider: The Game 2

We round things off this week with a game that takes inspiration from 80s TV cult classic, Knight Rider: The Game 2. Whilst, on paper, the idea of controlling the dashing crime fighter Michael Knight and his talking car, K.I.T.T, seemed intriguing, the execution was pure Crimewatch.

Due to its clunky controls, blocky graphics and lacklustre missions, this title completely failed to capture the spirit of its source materials and offered little in the way of entertainment.