In recent years, many different gaming franchises are finding their way to becoming animated series and live-action films. One of the biggest platforms that has been releasing animated series based on different video game franchises is Netflix, which has done so for things like Castlevania, Tomb Raider, Skylanders, and Splinter Cell. The next game series that fans could expect to show up on Netflix soon is Crash Bandicoot, which will be developed by WildBrain Studios, the same animation company that made Sonic Prime for Netflix. This comes in the aftermath of Crash Bandicoot being reinvigorated with new game releases like the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time on multiple platforms.
With all of these different gaming franchises finding their way into the animated realm, there are many other classic video game series that would also make good material for an animated series. A platform like Netflix, or any other streaming platform, is a smart way to tell new stories based on established properties, but also an option for adapting popular series that have yet to be given a bigger spotlight. And now that there are examples of successful takes on video game animated series for studios to take example from, now may be the best time for some classic games to be thrust into the limelight for new people to discover. Here are three classic gaming franchises that would be great Netflix series.
Released
October 2, 2020
ESRB
E10+ for Everyone 10+: Alcohol Reference, Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief, Language
Developer(s)
Toys for Bob
Publisher(s)
Activision
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Franchise
Crash Bandicoot
Metroid
The adventures of Samus Aran
Nintendo has many characters and established franchises that would make for great material for a Netflix series. There’s almost too many to pick from that could make a good to great series that people would actively watch. But what makes the Metroid series a great candidate for something like this is the potential for interesting stories that could be told to fit within the continuity of the games. Not only is Samus Aran a likable character that happens to be the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy, but a lot of her early years and offshoot adventures mentioned in the Metroid games haven’t always been explored deeply. It could be a reason to showcase a lot of the atmosphere and inner dialogue that Samus so often has with herself while on adventures, which could look and sound very cool.
It would be a lot easier to adapt any one of the popular storylines that Nintendo fans have seen in classics like the original Metroid on NES, Super Metroid on Super Nintendo, or Metroid: Fusion from the Game Boy Advance. But what if a Netflix series could show the adventures that led up to what happened in those games? Or other events that took place before anything related to them ever happened? There’s a lot of breathing room for ways to expand upon the lore of Metroid and give a different side to Samus Aran fans haven’t seen yet, which can also be applied to other aspects of the Metroid universe. Things like The Federation, the Space Pirates, and other hostile alien species that reside in the galaxy that Samus herself explores.
Credit: Nintendo
Fitting within the continuity of the games is the best approach, rather than trying to make something that is an alternative universe. There haven’t been a lot of Metroid games since the beginning of the series in 1986, but there are enough to have an established continuity and universe that fans hold dearly. Showing us more of what Samus Aran has done in the galaxy within that is the best way to make a Netflix Metroid series work.
Systems
Released
August 6, 1986
ESRB
E for Everyone: Mild Fantasy Violence
Developer(s)
Nintendo
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Engine
unreal engine
Franchise
Metroid
Sly Cooper
Pulling off heists with the boys
There are few things that are more fun and interesting than a good heist movie or series. The Sly Cooper games are what happens when you take that same premise and give it a colorful makeover with anthropomorphic animals and a fun sense of humor. Characters like Sly Cooper himself, Bentley the turtle, and Murray the hippo are a team of thieves with a great dynamic between them that is fertile ground for great dialogue and comedy. Many people love playing through the games for the sneaking gameplay and collect-a-thon aspects they provide, which got better as the series went on.
But the story of Sly and his family legacy tied into the experience and made everything fit so nicely. Aspects of his family’s history would tie into the main plot, as well as the kinds of abilities Sly would gain. And as Sly and the gang would take down each of the main villains that held a page of the Thievius Raccoonus book, more of the backstory would unfold. The final game to release on the PlayStation 4 left things off on a cliffhanger, but many fans look back fondly on the first three games of the series on the PlayStation 2 as the best.
Credit: Sony Computer Entertainment
The best part about Sly Cooper as a franchise is how many other characters the games introduce, which could offer a lot of new faces for a Netflix series to work with. The many villains that are in constant conflict with the Cooper Gang are interesting and sinister foils for them, while characters like Inspector Carmelita Fox can add an extra layer of drama for Sly and his relationships with everyone else. While the games have taken things to pretty outrageous territory with the history of the Cooper Family and many of the heists that the group pulls off, the basic premise of a group of friends pulling off some crazy jobs is the perfect way to set up a great series for Sly Cooper.
Systems
Released
September 23, 2002
ESRB
E For Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Tobacco Reference
Developer(s)
Sucker Punch
Publisher(s)
Sony Computer Entertainment
Engine
Kinetica
Stories we haven’t really seen
At its core, the Metal Gear series is already incredibly cinematic with its storytelling and overall presentation. Series creator Hideo Kojima has a deep appreciation for movies, and it shows in every project he’s been involved with in the Metal Gear series. And while most people would immediately think of the Metal Gear Solid games as a way to adapt the franchise into a movie or series, one key part that is often overlooked are the original Metal Gear games on the MSX2. The first two games that were made with Hideo Kojima established what the series would eventually become, with the second game, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, laying the foundation for what the first Metal Gear Solid game would springboard from.
It’s from this game that would make for a more interesting take on a Metal Gear series for Netflix. Many of the events from it are often referenced and given many nods in multiple Metal Gear Solid titles, usually in relation to Solid Snake or characters he has encountered. The concept of Zanzibar Land and Outer Heaven are an important aspect of the Metal Gear storyline. But none of its events have ever been adapted in a way that was beyond the MSX2 game, even with later Metal Gear Solid games. Getting to see Solid Snake’s time infiltrating the location for a mission and his encounter with Big Boss could be an interesting and exciting thing to see in animated form. This would give an even bigger cinematic touch to something that is massively important to the history of the franchise.
Credit: Konami
With other animated series on Netflix like Splinter Cell that are based on a military storyline, the same level of presentation could also work for a Metal Gear series. It would also open up the possibility of bringing back many voices that are part of the legacy of the series, such as David Hayter being the voice of Solid Snake in multiple Metal Gear Solid games.
Released
July 20, 1990
ESRB
m
Developer(s)
Konami
Publisher(s)
Konami
Engine
mgs4
Bringing more games to life
The way that Netflix has been able to adapt many different video game franchises into animated series is something that many people have really enjoyed. Even with criticisms about the kinds of stories they might tell or the voice cast that are brought in for characters, the games that Netflix has adapted into series have worked out very well. And with another classic like Crash Bandicoot on the way for its own series, this seems like the best way for companies to reinvigorate many classics and iconic video game franchises in a new medium. And with so many other great ones to choose from that haven’t gotten such a treatment, the possibilities are pretty vast and exciting.
Released
June 30, 2017
ESRB
E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
Developer(s)
Vicarious Visions
Publisher(s)
Activision
Engine
Alchemy Engine
Franchise
Crash Bandicoot
PC Release Date
June 29, 2018