Retro video games are always fun to return to, but what about movies with retro video games? I’m not talking about movies based on video games, though there are some campy exploits in films likeSuper Mario Bros.andStreet Fighter. I’m talking about movies that made video games seem like far more than just a diversion after school.
There was a time when video games seemed more real, more deadly, and as competitive as sports. Mere pixels could be a matter of life and death, which sounds ridiculous, but also weirdly imaginative at a time when games seemed more mysterious. These movies, that you can stream now, made video games seem wilder than they really were, from vector graphics to virtual reality.
1991
Runtime
1 hour 33 minutes
Freddy Krueger always finds absurd and gruesome ways to kill teenagers in theNightmare on Elm Streetmovies, and he went full-on cartoony in his sixth film,The Final Nightmare. With every teen in Springwood murdered, Freddy decides to lure in more youngsters to his trap. While new victims arrive, they also learn about Freddy’s hideous origins and a way to defeat him.
The Final Nightmareis played up mostly as a comedy, due in no small part to Freddy’s over-the-top attacks. One of his most memorable moments is how he targets a gamer by trapping him in a video game. In a ridiculous bit of product placement, Freddy brandishes the Nintendo Power Glove to finish his video game kill, making the glove perhaps look more intimidating than it did inThe Wizard.
Amazon Prime Video
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmarefeatures the dream killer Freddy attacking new teens with ridiculous new tactics, such as the Nintendo Power Glove.
1993
1 hour 27 minutes
Riding the wave of films like3 Ninjas,Surf Ninjascomes across as ridiculous, as it was advertised. Three brothers, big into surfing, find themselves attacked by ninjas, forcing them to adopt ninja skills they never knew they had. They’ll need to fight for their chance to attain the throne of a mysterious island, ruled by a goofy villain portrayed by Leslie Nielsen.
Surf Ninjaswas made as a partnership between New Line Cinema and Sega of America. This meant that Sega would develop aSurf NinjasGame Gear at the same time as the movie was in production. The game was finished during production, and one of the heroes can be seen playing it on a Game Gear, marking the first time a movie advertises its own video game tie-in before its release.
Tubi
Surf Ninjasposes three surfer brothers battling ninjas for their right to a throne.
1 hour 25 minutes
Written by David S. Goyer (yes, the guy who helped with the story forThe Dark Knight),Arcadetapped into the early-90s paranoia about virtual reality becoming too real. The VR game of the film is titled Arcade, and while the graphics might be impressive, there’s a hefty price for losing the game. Those who fail are forever trapped in a realm dominated by the game’s child antagonist, forcing the heroes to fight for the freedom of their friends in this virtual dominion.
While the CGI for the VR world was dated, it did make the setting more believable, considering the limitations of that technology. The graphics were also so similar toTronthat Disney sued the production company of Full Moon, forcing the film to redo its visual effects. It’s about as cheesy as any B-movie of that era, but it is worth watching for the retro effects and some notable performances by Peter Billingsley, John de Lancie, and Seth Green.
Arcadeis a scary film about what happens when a virtual reality game traps the losing players.
1983
1 hour 28 minutes
If you have ever wondered whatPorky’swould be like at an arcade,Joysticksanswers that question that nobody has likely asked. The local arcade is threatened by a greedy businessman (Joe Don Baker) who wants to shut it down. The only ones who can save the establishment are the geeky and horny teens who have devoted their time and quarters.
Joystickswas a film of its era for being a ridiculous sex romp with a “save the block” plot set in an arcade. It’s got plenty of the standard features for a teen sex comedy but also boasts cameos by plenty of Midway Games arcade cabinets. This includes the yet-to-be-released Super Pac-Man, which became the game of choice for the big climax.
Joysticksfeatures gamers trying to save their local arcade amid all the wacky and sexual gags.
1986
Downer is a young man who is making his dream of heading to Hollywood come true. His traveling companion is Nash, a man so addicted to video games that his only ambition is to achieve the highest score inZaxxon. To earn that title, Nash will have to challenge the current champion known only as The Zap.
Hollywood Zapfuses a road trip movie with an obsession with arcade games.
2012
1 hour 41 minutes
Disney dived face-first into a video game animated adventure withWreck-It Ralph. Taking place in the arcade world, the villain Ralph (John C. Reilly) is tired of his repetitive role of trying to stop the hero. While venturing out of his game, he endangers other video game characters while standing up for the glitchy racer, Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman).
Wreck-It Ralphcreated a video game world that felt real in more ways than one. The game graphics were astute, and the presence of real video game characters like Zangief and the Ghosts of Pac-Man easily sold the setting. It’s also just a funny and heartfelt adventure, making it easier to care for the plight of pixelated characters trying to save their world. Not every Disney film features a cameo by Sonic the Hedgehog.
Disney+
Wreck-It Ralphis the animated story of a video game villain aiming to be something more.
1994
1 hour 36 minutes
Michael (Edward Furlong) is a teenager obsessed with video games and horror movies. His interests fuse with a virtual reality game that lets him take on the role of a murderer. But the murders turn out to be real, and the game won’t let him stop, making for the most addictive and deadly game Michael has ever played.
Brainscanis the horror movie for retro gamers with more CD-ROMs than cartridges. The in-movie game Brainscan has apt staging for a video game before it gets all spooky, with the demonic Trickster literally coming out of the screen. Considering the weird stuff that could be shared throughCDs in the 1990s, there’s something eerie about the prospect of the next shareware or pirated game being one that turns you violent.
Brainscanfeatures a cursed CD-ROM that forces an unlikely teen into committing real murders.
1984
1 hour 16 minutes
The Dungeonmastermakes a computer geek the hero in this weird dose of wish-fulfillment. When the nerdy Paul has his girlfriend abducted by the evil sorcerer Mestema, Paul’s only chance of rescuing her is to venture through various realms. He’ll be transported to fantasy realms where he’ll use his techy wristband to blast monsters with lasers.
Fusing the tech ofTronwith the fantasy elements ofDungeons & Dragons,Dungeonmasterentertained the greater imagination and potential of video games. The various segments have the feel of video game stages, and the presence of the wristband computer X-CaliBR8 merges wickedly well with the B-movie fantasy staging. It’s a dorky dose of an RPG with lasers, made all the more 80s with a soundtrack by heavy metal band W.A.S.P.
The Dungeonmasteris an adventure film about a gamer forced into a fantasy world to battle monsters with his computer that shoots lasers.
1 hour 54 minutes
WarGamesentertained the idea of online games that determined more than credibility. Teenage hacker David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) uses his computer to manipulate his grades and play games. One of those games is Global Thermonuclear War, and he is playing an artificial intelligence at NORAD. What starts as a game becomes a thrilling plot of preventing the world from ending through AI-launched nukes.
While the computers might look dated,WarGameswas surprisingly ahead of its time regarding cybersecurity and AI. In addition to being a rousing cyber thriller, the film makes excellent use of video games as the solution to saving the day. It’s both incredible and terrifying that technology and online gaming could be used to save the world as much as blow it up.
AMC+
WarGamesfinds a teen hacker playing video games with an AI that could launch nukes on the world.
1982
As a trailblazer of computer animation,Trontook audiences inside the realm of computers and video games. Software engineer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) attempts to hack ENCOM’s files but is zapped straight into the electronic world known as The Grid. In this realm, he’ll have to battle against other programs for survival and find a way back to his reality.
Even in an age when video games were mostly primitive vectors,Tronmade that digital world come alive with a combination of computer graphics and backlit effects. Everything from the battle of discs to high-speed bike chases was portrayed with relatable video game visuals, but with the higher stakes of death.Tronnot only made retro arcade games feel more exciting but also explored the greater potential within the medium.
Tronexplores the possibility of what happens when a human is transported to the digital realm of computer programs and video games.
These films all have a certain charm for the potential they saw in video games. They didn’t always work and some of them have aged terribly, but there was a desire to tap into something beyond the high scores and sound effects. The phrase “you die in the game, you die for real” has become a comical punchline at this point, but these old films teased that idea with a more tantalizing “what if” scenario.
