After devoting years to building a reputation marked by a consistent level of quality, licensed games earned the right to be labeled as the bottom of the barrel. While movie tie-in titles tend to be the absolute worst, the vast majority of games based on popular pre-existing brands exist solely to make a quick buck off hopeful fans yearning to experience the universe they love from a fresh perspective. Simply to protect our own sanity, we refuse to even acknowledge anything released exclusively for mobile!
Why do these type of games seem to always find a way to disappoint? A story perfectly suited for cinema or the page of a comic might not readily translate to an interactive experience, especially if the adapters are not given the time, resources, or freedom to play around with the universe. Even though there are exceptions, the vast majority of dev studios working on these type of titles are required to stick to a specified blueprint, one that might not be tailor-made for gaming, while hastily putting together a product to meet a specific release date coinciding with a movie's debut. How many titles could have turned it around with a few more months in the oven?
While the bad vastly outweighs the good, we have been blessed with a couple of decent licensed games; honestly, some are downright incredible. In a world of cheap cash-ins and half-baked experiences that are nothing more than a waste of money, anything approaching mediocrity is hailed as a minor miracle. Here are the 15 worst licensed video games ever (and 15 that are actually awesome)!
30 Worst: Ghostbusters
2016 saw Ghostbusters fly back into the limelight with Paul Feig's reboot, a brand-new game, and a whole lot of controversy. Despite attacking from multiple angles, it was not a particularly strong year for the brand, although some of the criticism was justified. In terms of quality, the video game made the film look like the 1984 classic! A twin-stick shooter with a highly repetitive soundtrack, bland levels, and a lack of any innovation; Ghostbusters should have been left in the afterlife. A sequel to Feig's movie seems unlikely and that goes double for the licensed game.
29 Best: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Disclaimer: Only the seventh generation versions of X-Men Origins: Wolverine is being considered. Discovering a bad game based on a great film is astonishingly easy, but the reverse is near impossible. Lambasted as one of the worst superhero flicks in history, X-Men Origins: Wolverine dropped the ball so thoroughly that there is yet to be another entry in the spin-off series. Raven Software's hack-and-slash title is not merely decent when compared to the movie but stand on its own two feet as a respectable addition to the genre. If you ever yearned to feel like Wolverine, this game was designed for you!
28 Worst: Superman 64
Frankly, Titus Interactive's Nintendo 64 masterpiece can make due without an introduction. Superman 64 is the stuff of legend. As the medium moves forward and reaches new technological heights that allow for deeper mechanics and vastier terrains to explore, gamers will forget about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or Mario 64, the industry's so-called classics, but this sumptuous adaptation of DC's storied superhero continues to stand the test of time. After all these years, Superman 64 has yet to be surpassed; sure, terrible games came and go, but Clark Kent flying through floating rings is forever. There is just no improving on perfection.
27 Best: Friday The 13th
Due to a somewhat rocky launch, Friday The 13th: The Game stumbled out of the gate to a mixed reception. Whether controlling Jason or one of the campers, this horror title is a must-play for fans of the franchise. Crowd-funded on Kickstarter, Gun Media and IllFonic have continuously released updates and recently added a single-player campaign. Even though Friday The 13th is far from perfect, the co-developers clearly put in a lot of time and passion into this project. Sadly, a lawsuit means that the game is unlikely to receive any further substantial patches.
26 Worst: The Simpsons Wrestling
Released after Matt Groening's cartoon started its decline, The Simpsons Wrestling serves as merely a sample of the avalanche of terribleness associated with the franchise's attempts at gaming. Admittedly, fans have been blessed with a couple of decent titles, but The Simpsons Wrestling is far from an exception. More of a brawler than an actual wrestling game, Big Ape Productions presented a decent enough cast of 20 playable characters and convinced the voice actors to reprise their roles. Now that the positives are out of the way, time to talk about the game's uglier side: everything else is terrible!
25 Best: Bugs Bunny: Lost In Time
If The Simpsons warrants a game or two, then Looney Tunes deserves the same. Out of the dozens of titles released across three decades, Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time stands above the rest of the fodder. A love letter to Warner Bros. Animation's legendary sketches, Behaviour Interactive's platformer is a thoroughly delightful romp through space and time. Featuring cameos from fan favorites like Yosemite Sam and Marvin the Martian, Lost in Time is a surprisingly robust experience packed with collectibles and interesting puzzles. Offering a lot of bang for your buck, Lost in Time deserves a remake or a spiritual sequel.
24 Worst: Rambo: The Video Game
Even if the quality or passion seemed to be lacking, from a marketing standpoint, 2016's Ghostbusters made sense; however, who asked for a Rambo adaptation in 2014? An arcade rail shooter, Teyon clumsily tried to translate the original trilogy into a single polished project. Rather than coming across as a loving tribute to Sylvester Stallone's bloody franchise, Rambo: The Video Game feels more like an unintentional parody. Published during the seventh generation, Teyon's messy shooter would not look out of place on the PlayStation 2 and the gameplay lacks any fluidity.
23 Best: Mad Max
Now, this is how things should be! Released to coincide with Mad Max: Fury Road, Avalanche Studios' action-adventure magnum opus is a standalone experience set within George Miller's universe. Players control the eponymous Max, as he sets out to put together the ultimate vehicular weapon! While the fisticuffs play like a worse variant on the Arkham series, Mad Max's road rage is unmatched by its peers. Allowing for a fair amount of customizability, we have yet to tire of driving across the Australian wasteland in our decked out combat car while fighting off hordes of scavengers!
22 Worst: The Legend Of Korra
In contrast with the other "worst" entries, The Legend of Korra feels like a game-of-the-year contender. Based on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon, PlatinumGames' action-platformer is perfectly playable and boasts some decent combat. Nevertheless, nothing exists in a vacuum, and there is no denying that The Legend of Korra ranks among the studio's worst offerings. Even though the gameplay has several bright spots, the bland level design and boring enemies drag down the overall experience. Marketed and priced as a budget game, we cannot help feeling that The Legend of Korra could have been a lot more than just a half-way decent distraction.
21 Best: Ed, Edd n Eddy: The Mis-Edventures
Time for some real talk; Ed, Edd n Eddy: The Mis-Edventures is nothing more than a mediocre game. Based on the long-running Cartoon Network series, this 3D platformer can be a bit obtuse, especially when it comes to informing players on a level's objectives; nevertheless, The Mis-Edventures admirably recreates the visuals and tone of the endearing cartoon. As a platformer, this 2005 title is nothing to write home about and could use being more extensive, but fans of the Eds should appreciate exploring the Cul-De-Sac.
20 Worst: Terminator Salvation
Putting aside the surprisingly decent iOS version, Terminator Salvation garnered near-universal disdain from critics. Actually, "disdain" might be too strong of a word, as that implies this bland third-person shooter was capable of evoking a genuine emotional response. With the main story lasting barely four hours and combat that makes Dark Sector seem like Gears of War, Terminator Salvation fails to live up to the absurdly low standards set by its cinematic counterpart. After yawning through the game's abysmal campaign, Skynet starts to seem like a better alternative; wait, was that the whole point? Huh, Terminator Salvation marked the start of the end.
19 Best: Batman: Arkham
As one of the most influential action series of the last decade, Rocksteady Studios' Arkham franchise captured the spirit of DC's Dark Knight. From the claustrophobic corridors of Batman: Arkham Asylum to Arkham Knight's Batmobile, the developer crafted a trilogy that revived the superhero genre as a respectable option. Rocksteady did such an admirable job of bringing the comics to life that it feels almost wrong to label their IP as a licensed product. In contrast with nearly every other entry, Batman: Arkham Origins might as well be Arkham City.
18 Worst: Iron Man
Attempting to capitalize on its lucrative cinematic universe, Marvel teamed up with Sega to publish a range of licensed games based on their superhero movies. While Iron Man effectively established Marvel as Hollywood royalty, Sega's video game adaptation destroyed any hype that might have surrounded the games. The allure of stepping into Tony Stark's shoes quickly wore thin when it became apparent that the iconic suit flies about as smoothly as a one-wing duck. If the lackluster controls were not disappointing enough, the graphics failed to impress on the PlayStation 2 and Sega decision to port Iron Man to the seventh generation hardly improved matters.
17 Best: The Incredible Hulk
Outside of 2012's The Avengers, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction came the closest to adequately teleporting Bruce Banner into another medium. Earning positive reviews across the board, Radical Entertainment understood that the Hulk's allure lies in his destructive capabilities and not in some existential crisis. Set in an open world that allows the Hulk to rampage across the streets and walls, the green giant controls splendidly and plays authentically to the source material. Oh, is that not enough? How about a voice cast that features Ron Pearlman and Neal McDonough?
16 Worst: The Walking Dead
In some ways, Telltale Games' The Walking Dead improved upon the TV series, especially when it comes to the brilliant opening two seasons. In 2013, AMC's zombie adventure had amassed a devoted fanbase and Telltale could do no wrong, so any project associated with The Walking Dead name naturally attracted a fair amount of press. The release of The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct taught fans that good things always came to an end. Terminal Reality's first-person shooter was a broken mess that played like a worse version of every generic zombie shooter flooding the market at the time.
15 Best: Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Joss Whedon's vampire slayer has spawned a slew of video game adaptations, but 2002's self-titled Xbox exclusive is the chosen one. Written by Christopher Golden and Thomas Sniegoski, who penned a couple of Buffyverse novels, Buffy the Vampire Slayer sees Sarah Michelle Gellar's iconic hero going up against multiple familiar faces and follows a storyline that would not have felt out of place as part of the show. Visually impressive for the time and a solid action game that regularly spices up the gameplay, Buffy packs a punch in any medium!
14 Worst: Aliens: Colonial Marines
We hate to open old wounds, but any list centering around atrocious licensed games is required to mention Aliens: Colonial Marines. Promoted with a borderline fraudulent trailer, Gearbox Software's first-person shooter is the main reason that we simply refuse to get excited about any project until the product is officially and reviews are available. A direct sequel to James Cameron's Aliens, Colonial Marines bolsters boring gameplay, disappointingly low-quality visuals, and A.I. that could not think its way out of a torn paper box. The only thing frightening about this horror game is the marketing.
13 Best: The Lion King
The Super NES and Sega Genesis saw their fair share of underwhelming movie tie-ins, but Disney rarely took a wrong step during this generation. Aladdin could have made this list, but we opted to go with Westwood Studios' The Lion King. Hard-as-nails and aesthetically pleasing, the platformer loses points due to some wonky controls, but the graphics, animation, and soundtrack more than pick up the gameplay's slack. Disney might not always get things right, but Mickey Mouse shows a lot more respect for gaming than most other big Hollywood studios.
12 Worst: Mutants In Manhattan
In spite of the many issues plaguing The Legend of Korra, admirers of Nickelodeon's cartoon should still consider giving PlatinumGames' adaptation a try. If nothing else, the studio captured the looks and feel of bending. Regardless of someone affinity to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mutants in Manhattan should be avoided like the literal plague. Venturing down this path leads to nothing but disappointment, anger, and regret. The Legend of Korra and Transformers: Devastation reek of mediocrity when contrasted with Bayonetta and MadWorld, but they fare slightly better against other mid-tier action titles; regardless of the company, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan smells like sewage water.
11 Best: Attack On Titan 2
Outside of series like Naruto and Dragon Ball Z, most anime games tend to be released only in Japan. While an English option would be appreciated, the West is not really missing much; thankfully, studios usually translate their biggest blockbusters. Building on its predecessor's addictive gameplay, Attack on Titan 2 captures the high-flying madness of the popular anime. Putting aside the questionable creative choice to redo the first game's storyline, Omega Force's sequel tightened the hack-and-slash combat and implemented a few quality-of-life improvements. Overall, Attack on Titan 2 is worthy of carrying the anime's name.