There was a shimmering time in the not-too-distant past when a trip to the theater often resulted in one inevitable thing: a short stop at your local gaming retailer and a hurried purchase of the tie-in game that was being released to coincide with the blockbuster you’d just watched.

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These games were often critically derided for their overall quality. Many claimed they were quick cash-ins for whichever Hollywood behemoth had put their name to them, mostly due to their short development cycles and an apparent lack of creative thought with regards to gameplay. Nevertheless, from the dawn of the 1990s until the might of the LEGO games monopolized the concept, there was a bit of a golden era for movie tie-in games. During this time, a slew of both brilliant and sadly forgotten classics were released. These titles have appeared on many formats besides the ones listed, but these versions are perhaps the highlights.

9 The Grinch (PS1): Ruin The Holidays Using Your Bad Breath

The Grinch PS1 screenshot The Grinch standing by Christmas tree

Based on concept alone, this game is a masterpiece. Who wouldn’t want to ransack the various districts of the Whoniverse, destroying children’s Christmas presents with projectile halitosis as their primary weapon? Move over Kratos' ax, the Grinch’s bad breath makes for the most satisfying gaming weapon in modern history.

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A consistently witty yet uncredited narration from veteran voice actor George Lowe makes this forgotten action-adventure gem a thoroughly enjoyable and kitschy play-through. If you love garlic and hate the holiday season, you'll be in your element here.

8 Peter Jackson’s King Kong (PS2): Clashes Of Prehistoric Proportions

Peter Jackson's King Kong PS2 King Kong Fighting Tyrannosaurus Rex

PeterJackson defied the genre trope of creative detachment by personally collaborating with French video-game designer Michael Ansel for the creation of this movie tie-in game. The result is an immersive, authentic, and undeniably fun experience, only elevated by the presence of the entire principal cast in voice acting roles.

Playing through the cinematic environments in first-person as gun-wielding scriptwriter Jack Driscoll is a blast, but the game truly comes alive when you take control of the king of the jungle himself. Hurling defeated pterodactyls at other dinosaurs to dispatch them and continue your rampage is certainly a unique experience.

7 Ratchet & Clank (PS4): Bright, Bold, Platforming Perfection

Ratchet with Clank on his back wielding the Omniwrench fighting boss Ratchet & Clank PS4

The game that is based on a movie that was inspired by a game. Insomniac inception aside, Ratchet & Clank provides a much-needed reboot to a beloved franchise and launched everyone’s favorite intergalactic duo back where they belong: the depths of space and the top of the charts.

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The environments within this futuristic platformer are nothing short of spectacular (with animation often reaching Pixar levels of vibrant perfection), and there is no better way to experience them than by hurtling through with your trusty OmniWrench and a seemingly endless arsenal of tongue-in-cheek weaponry.

6 Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith (XBox, PS2): Authentic Lightsaber-Wielding Action

Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith PS2 art Anakin dueling Obi-Wan with lightsabers promotional art

Interspersed with cutscenes from the film itself (though thankfully no youngling slaughter), Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith gives fans of George Lucas’ space saga an immersive and breathless dive into the everyday life of a Jedi. It may not be the best Star Wars game, but it is certainly the most faithful adaptation of any of the movies.

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The lightsaber combat is taut, while Force tricks add a level of fluidity to the fray. The bonus levels, multiplayer modes, and heaps of unlockables also make Episode 3 a surprisingly rewarding time-sink.

5 Disney’s Hercules (PS1): An Underappreciated Disney Classic

Disney's Hercules PS1 screenshot Hercules Running Rush Level

When most people remember 2D side-scrolling Disney tie-in games, their thoughts instantly land on SNES smash Aladdin. Despite that, it’s the 1997 PlayStation platformer Hercules that deserves its place on this list. There's such a joy in hack-and-slashing through a vividly-rendered ancient Greece, while the soundtrack etches itself firmly onto your subconscious and Philoctetes repeatedly shouts "USE YOUR SWORD, KID," even though you are quite clearly already using it.

The multi-plane exploration is a deft touch, and the rush levels give Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back’s Un-Bearable level a run for its money in terms of edge-of-your-seat gameplay.

4 GoldenEye 007 (N64): Perhaps The Most Beloved FPS Ever

GoldenEye 007 N64 screenshot James Bond wielding rocket launcher in combat

GoldenEye 007 is often regarded as one of the finest FPS titles ever, even transcending the genre itself. For good reason, too. The shooter bucked the trend and was actually released two whole years after the movie, sticking around long after the Nintendo 64 became obsolete.

It boasts an addictive multiplayer deathmatch mode, a ludicrous ‘big head’ mode, and a legendary first-person single-player romp, all played to the tune of the iconic Bond soundtrack. All of this means that GoldenEye 007 earns its spot as one of the era’s defining titles, and a benchmark for movie tie-ins.

3 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (PS2): A Gripping Hack And Slash With Surprising Depth

Gandalf fighting with staff in Lord of the Rings Return of the King PS2

Many players have fond memories of an older friend or sibling carrying them through one of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King's awe-inspiring and challenging co-op levels. Return of the King improved on its predecessor, with the inclusion of more playable characters (see: Gandalf) and truly epic battle levels that allowed for over 40 enemies on screen at a time.

Dispatching orcs, Uruk-hai and all enemies afoul, using combos that were unusually rewarding for hack and slash combat, felt fresh long past the closing credits. Frodo and Sam’s storyline takes a lot of the focus, but the journey to Mordor and eventual ascent of Mount Doom is a surprisingly enthralling one. Several Lord of the Rings video games have been released (and Easter Eggs referencing the series have popped up in many others), but this one is among the best.

2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PS2): An Almost Open-World Harry Potter Experience

Harry Potter completing  Incendio spell challenge in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets PS2 game

With the second Harry Potter adaptation, EA had a tall order: to make you (at least temporarily) forget about the face of PS1 Hagrid. Luckily, they succeeded. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for the PlayStation 2 provided everything a movie adaptation of the series should: a sprawling Hogwarts to explore, Nimbus 2000 free-flight, and a litany of spells to learn.

Was there anything more satisfying than discovering one of the oversized, pentagonal chocolate frog cards hiding within a secret passageway? Of course not. Flipendo!

1 Toy Story 3 (PS3): A True Toy Story Sandbox

Woody shooting at bandit in Toy Story 3 toybox mode for PS3

Toy Story 2 made its mark by joining the pantheon of fantastic Toy Story games in 1999, but it’s the oft-forgotten sequel that deserves its flowers for the imaginative and meticulous toy box mode. Appointed by Mayor Hamm as the sheriff of Woody’s Roundup, you are tasked with sprucing up the Wild West with collectibles that you earn from playing through the main story mode or completing missions for the Mayor himself.

With endless opportunities for creativity, it is this mode that echoes the best attributes of the game’s parent franchise and makes Toy Story 3 stand apart from other movie tie-ins.

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