Summary
Movies are a regular hunting ground for video game developers looking for the nextgreat charactersthat fans will want to follow in their games. It’s not uncommon for developers across a variety of different media to find inspiration in the works of others, whether those are movies, shows, games, or books.
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Some games are heavily inspired by movies without officially claiming to do so. It’s quite surprising that they get away with it, especially when the similarities are so uncanny. Some games have strikingly similar box art to the posters of some popular movies.
7Alone in the Dark And Bangkok Dangerous
Alone in the Darkwas released in the summer of 2008, and the movie that it was considered to be inspired by was released in the autumn. But it’s clear when both game covers are put next to each other, that there is a resemblancefor these warriors.
There’s no official link between the two projects, and there are a lot of differences between the two protagonists. For example, Edward Carnby in the game is a paranormal investigator and Joe is a professional contract killer inBangkok Dangerous. But the vibes and actual appearances of the main characters are very similar. However, this could just be a coincidence.
6True Crime: Streets of L.A And The Replacement Killers
Nicholas Kang is the protagonist inTrue Crime: Streets of L.Aand his pose and general appearance are very similar to John Lee inThe Replacement Killers,which shows a clear inspiration or even homage between the two.
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There are differences between the characters, as Kang is an LAPD detective and Lee is an assassin, but looking at both characters next to each other, it’s clear that the game used the film’s character as inspiration. Or was it just a coincidence?Fans should play the gameand watch the film to come to their own conclusion and enjoy the thrills.
5Prince Of Persia And Star Wars
The cover for thePrince of Persia(1989) game looks striking when compared to the poster art forStar Wars(1977). Both covers feature a blonde protagonist,wielding a glowing sword. What makes the covers also so similar is the outfit, in which both characters wear white robes, with their muscular pecks exposed to the viewer.
Although theStar Warscover has more going on, the inspiration cannot be denied, especially when both covers feature a woman near the protagonist wearing revealing clothing. Sadly, there’s a lack of Darth Vader and funny robots inPrince of Persia.
4Splatterhouse And Friday The 13th
Jason Voorhees is an iconicHorror movie villainwho featured in a series that was heavily inspired by the slasher movies that preceded it. TheFriday the 13thseries was seven movies in before the video game industry caught on and ripped it off withSplatterhouse. The hockey mask was the same but instead of there being a crazed psycho killer underneath it, they made it a possessed mask, with players filling the shoes of a good guy.
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As the series progressed,Splatterhousemade the mask less and less like Jason’s inFriday the 13th, but fans can’t forget its appearance in the original game and how much it was reminiscent of the movie series. In 2017,Friday the 13th: The Gamewas released and gamers finally got to experience Jason Voorhees in an official capacity.
3Rick Dangerous And Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinysaw Harrison Ford play the titular characterone final time, but it was way back in 1984 when he originally played him, inspiring a generation of moviegoers. In 1989, fans got to play a game that put themselves in the role of another archeologist by the name ofRick Dangerous.
Everything about theRick Dangerousgame screams as a knockoff of the iconic Indiana Jones. It was a fun game to play, but fans would’ve preferred to get an official Indiana Jones game around this time. Instead, they can expect one from MachineGames, the studio behindWolfenstein.
2Navy Moves And Commando
Navy Moveswas released on the Commodore 64 way back in 1988 and became an instant cult classic. But it’s clear from the main characters' appearance that the makers have taken a rather hefty inspiration from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s underratedaction movie,Commando.
The player assumes the role of McArra who is part of the special pacification forces. The mission is to find and destroy a nuclear submarine. The name of this particular operation is Cephalopod. The plot is different fromCommando, but McArra’s appearance and characteristics bear a striking resemblance to Colonel John Matrix, portrayed by Schwarzenegger.
1Metal Gear And The Terminator
Solid Snake was an iconic video game character who appeared inMetal Gearway back in 1987. But this character wasn’t a unique creation.The Terminatorwas released in cinemas three years before this game in 1984, and featured Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese, sent from the future to protect Sarah Connor.
Hideo Kojima who created the popularMetal Gearseries has traced every essence of Kyle Reese for his game, as the front cover of the game is identical. Michael Biehn is no stranger to video game characters, appearing inFar Cry 3: Blood Dragonas Sgt Rex Power Cult, and he lovingly sends upThe Terminatorin this game, as his character has a laser eye, and matches Arnie’s classic one-liners in the original film.
