Cody's "Amiga Games That Are Movies" List

[CodyJarrett]

Okay, so I half stole the idea from Amiga Power, but here are a load of Amiga games that are quite like movies - and I don't just mean film licences!


No. 1 - "Civilization" IS "The Man Who Would Be King"

The Movie - "The Man Who Would Be King"
The film of Rudyard Kipling's novel sees British adventurers Daniel Dravot (Sean Connery) and Peachy Carnahan (Michael Caine) become Kings in the country of Kafiristan. Danny and Peachy are taken for gods and live in a palace. Their quest for conquest takes them to the battlefield and beyond.

The Amiga Game - "Civilization"
The game of Sid Meier sees the player (you) set out with his nomadic tribe to become a King and create a country. The player is taken for a god by the people, who build a palace for him. The player's quest for conquest takes him to the battlefield and beyond.

[jmmijo]

Good one Cody :)

Now an obvious one...

Movie: Them! Starring James Whittmore and Edmund Gwenn.


Amiga Game: It Came From the Desert 1 & 2

http://www.cinemaware.com/news.asp?news=itcamerom

[CodyJarrett]

Thanks jmmijo - I've added it to the list!

No.2 - "It Came From The Desert" IS "Them"

The Movie - "Them"
Gigantic ants, mutated by nuclear experiments attack towns in 50s America. From the desert. They must be stopped!

The Amiga Game - "It Came From The Desert"
Gigantic ants, mutated by nuclear experiments (I think!) attack towns in 50s America. From the desert. You must stop them!

[Fred the Fop]

Brilliant, Cody! A combination of your love of the cinema and the Amiga games!
Might I suggest you place "The Empire Strikes Back " in this thread? Everone knows it was based on "Alice Does'nt Live Here Anymore". :P

[LaundroMat]

And Little Computer People vs. The Truman Show!

[CodyJarrett]

Yup, Laundromat!

No. 3 - "Little Computer People" IS "The Truman Show"

The Movie - "The Truman Show"
Truman Burbank's life is constantly watched on TV by viewers and controlled by someone on the moon. The show ends when the off switch on the TV is pressed.

The Amiga Game - "Little Computer People"
A little computer person's life is constantly watched on a TV/monitor by a player and controlled from the player's room. The show ends when the off switch on the TV/monitor is pressed.

[CodyJarrett]

And no, I wouldn't put in The Empire Strikes Back and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore!

[jmmijo]

Here's another one for you:

The Movie: Erik the Viking, one from Monty Python alum Terry Jones. http://us.imdb.com/Title?0097289

The Amiga Game: The Lost Vikings by Interplay. Damn, their web site does not have any Amiga titles listed, not even a freakin' archive section :mad perhaps Cody will have the game info :)

[CodyJarrett]

Mmmm, I'm not sure if there is a big link between The Lost Vikings and Erik The Viking, apart from some Vikings!

Here's another one, while I think about it...

No. 4 - "Wings" IS "The Dawn Patrol"

The Movie - "The Dawn Patrol"
Errol Flynn is a daring pilot in WW1, flying risky missions in his crate. His tough Major, Basil Rathbone, gives him a hard time. Around him, pilots are regularly killed in action.

The Amiga Game - "Wings"
You are a daring pilot in WW1, flying risky missions in your crate. Your tough Major gives you a hard time and tells you to keep a journal. Around you, pilots are regularly killed in action.

[Tim Janssen]

Here is an obvious one: Bitmap Bros’Speedball 1 & 2 ARE Rollerball starring James Caan. The Bitmap Bros once admitted the Speedball-games were heavily influenced by this movie.

[Steve]

Sly Spy - Any of the Sean Connery Bond Films
Colonization - The Patriot
B17 Flying Fortress - Memphis Belle
Escape from Colditz - The Great Escape

[CodyJarrett]

Steve - now this game is too obviously a copy of Bond!

No. 5 - "Sly Spy" IS "Any James Bond Movie"

The Movie - "Any James Bond Film"
Super-spy saves the world, and along the way killing, shooting, having sex with beautiful women and performing amazing action stunts.

The Amiga Game - "Sly Spy"
Super-spy saves the world, and along the way killing, shooting, having sex with beautiful women and performing amazing action stunts.

[CodyJarrett]

And here's Tim's one...

No. 6 - "Speedball 2" IS "Rollerball (1975 version)"

The Movie - "Rollerball"
Futuristic sport turns violent when money is involved. Non-sports bits are extremely boring!

The Amiga Game
Futuristic sport turn violent, just because. Much better than the film!

[Tim Janssen]

I am not quite sure about this one since I have never played the game: Sanctuary is The name of the Rose.
Both movie and Amiga text-adventure are whodunnits. Both are situated in the dark ages where someone commited a suicide in a monastry.

[CodyJarrett]

I don't think I've heard of Sanctuary - is it commercial?

[Tim Janssen]

Yes, Sanctuary is a commercial German text-adventure which was reviewed by Amiga Joker in January 1992. Pity I have that very mag at my parents’ house otherwise I could scan in the review of that game. I’ll have to wait another week. :(

By the way, here is another entry: MicroValue’s Turbo (1989) is Death Race 2000 (1975). Both game and movie are about a race which must be completed within a tight timelimit. There are no rules so the contestants blow up each other, drive over pedestrians and destroy generally everything in their environment.

[Twistin'Ghost]

Originally posted by CodyJarrett
Mmmm, I'm not sure if there is a big link between The Lost Vikings and Erik The Viking, apart from some Vikings!
Mmm...what about the game Erik (aka Erik The Viking)?

[CodyJarrett]

What about The Vikings with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis? That's got vikings in it too.

No!

Just because Fire And Ice has dogs in it doesn't mean that there is a link between it and Lassie Come Home, for Christ's sake! :)

[Drake1009]

Wasn't it a cyote in fire and ice? It starred as far as I recall "Cool cyote"

[CodyJarrett]

Yeah, you're right...

[oldpx]

Sly spy was my favourite arcade game at the time I first jumped into computer gaming.
Hmm what about alien breed and aliens?

[CodyJarrett]

Here it is!

No. 7 - "Alien Breed Game" IS "Aliens"

The Movie - "Aliens"
In the future, upon landing on a planet, marines find it infested with xenomorphs designed by H.R. Giger (Swiss dude). They proceed to fight the aliens, including a huge queen.

The Amiga Games- "Alien Breed Series"
In the future, upon landing on a planet, marines find it infested with xenomorphs influenced by H.R. Giger (Swiss dude). They proceed to fight the aliens, including a huge queen.

[jmmijo]

Here's another one, this time I think the Movie was a blatant rip-off of the Amiga game :laugh

Movie: The Rocketeer, starring Jennifer Connely, ummm ;), and Bill Campbell.

Amiga Game: Rocket Ranger by Cinemaware

Both of these have almost identical plots except for the Lunarium part.

// Quick Note by Amigaboy : Rocket Ranger was based on the comic book of the same name

// I also seem to remember a Rocketeer comic book as well, before the movie, so.....

[Twistin'Ghost]

Originally posted by CodyJarrett
What about The Vikings with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis? That's got vikings in it too.

No!

Just because Fire And Ice has dogs in it doesn't mean that there is a link between it and Lassie Come Home, for Christ's sake! :)
Well, I hardly think this is a fair comparison. Erik the Viking (the name on the box) is the same name as the movie. Unlike The Vikings or Lassie Come Home. But hey, it's your list...

[oldpx]

I did not play it for long but Burntime has similarities with Mad Max. Both take place in a post nuclear war environment. Actually I would say fallout but it's a PC game. Also the game neuromancer (also the novel) is said to be johnny mnemonic (the movie. Is that true? I did not read it yet. Shame on me!

// Amigaboy says : There was 22 pages in Neuromancer dedicated to Johnny Mnemonic.

[Fred the Fop]

I don't think Zombie Apocolypse was based on any movie, or had some weird connection with a movie as Cody implies in regards to the movies in this superb thread. But Twist, would you say Zombi, the adventure game, is either :
a) Dawn of the Dead/ Day of the Dead
or
b) Children Should'nt play With Dead Things

[Twistin'Ghost]

Hehehehe...well, I would have to choose a) for obvious reasons! I could get absurb and compare Mean 18 to The Tin Cup, or TV Sports Baseball to Field of Dreams, or Platoon to Platoon, or Billy the Kid to Dirty Little Billy, or The Birds and the Bees to Intercourse With the Vampire, or [SNIP!]

[Chuckles]

Mean 18 & The Tin Cup? Nah ... Mean 18 & Caddyshack! Both involve golf, and the title screen for Mean 18 prominently features a gopher like the ones in that movie.

[LaundroMat]

Originally posted by Burseg
I did not play it for long but Burntime has similarities with Mad Max. Both take place in a post nuclear war environment. Actually I would say fallout but it's a PC game. Also the game neuromancer (also the novel) is said to be johnny mnemonic (the movie. Is that true? I did not read it yet. Shame on me!

// Amigaboy says : There was 22 pages in Neuromancer dedicated to Johnny Mnemonic.
Finally, something I can talk about like a pro :) (I did my finals paper on William Gibson).

Johnny is a character in a short story (called "Johnny Mnemonic") by William Gibson (the first story in the compiled short stories book "Burning Chrome"). He's indeed part of the consistent universe Gibson tried to evoke in his novels, as he returns in "Neuromancer" as the belated boyfriend of Molly, the female street samurai (who also features in the short story, as Molly Millions).

The movie sucked. Hard. I almost cried when I saw it, and had another go at Blade Runner to get over my tristesse.

Edit: I see that justice exists, after all. The director (http://us.imdb.com/Name?Longo,+Robert) of this atrocity (http://us.imdb.com/Details?0113481) hasn't directed a film since.

[Dizzy]

Guy Spy is (any) James Bond movies. THe diff. levels in Guy Spy, could have been part of a James Bond Movie.

[Drake1009]

How about
Rick dangerous -> any Indyana jones movie?

In both the indy series and rick dangerous you find a strange temple (level one), there have been travel through egypt (or at least somewhere fairly close), then there was that nazi stronghold (I think that¨'s what it was), and I never quite got what was up with level 4 but it's most likely not indy.

shut up Drake! Shut up.

[LaundroMat]

Straying off the topic a bit here, but I once read (was it here?) that Tomb Raider originally was intended to feature Rick Dangerous. Is there any truth to this? (If yes, links please...)
If it is true, they could at least have included some reference to our friend Rick (in the game, as well as in the - horrid - movie).

[jmmijo]

Originally posted by LaundroMat
Straying off the topic a bit here, but I once read (was it here?) that Tomb Raider originally was intended to feature Rick Dangerous. Is there any truth to this? (If yes, links please...)
If it is true, they could at least have included some reference to our friend Rick (in the game, as well as in the - horrid - movie).

I don't have any links to this, but it kinda makes sense, since both games were designed my Core :)

[CodyJarrett]

No. 8 - "Super Skidmarks" IS "The Italian Job"

The Movie - "The Italian Job"
Minis! Thousands of 'em!

The Amiga Game - "Super Skidmarks"
Minis! Thousands of 'em!

[Twistin'Ghost]

LOL!!!

[Walker]

OK, now he's getting desperate.....

[CodyJarrett]

Ha! That's what you think!

Number 9 - "Alcatraz" IS "The Rock"

The Movie - "The Rock"
Two men must stop a general who has taken over Alcatraz, once they break in to the old prison.

The Amiga Game - "Alcatraz"
Two men must stop a madman who has taken over Alcatraz, once they break in to the old prison. [The Amiga game came first, though]

[Dizzy]

Microcosm is Fantastic Voyage

Microcosm:
A Fantastic And Spectacular Voyage... Through The Human Body... Into The Brain.

Fantastic Voyage:
A Fantastic And Spectacular Voyage... Through The Human Body... Into The Brain.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/6301744160.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


OK I know Microcosm was made with Fantastic Voyage in mind, but (Alien Breed was also made with Aliens in mind)

I know that Microcosm was original a PC-game

[jmmijo]

Wasn't there an actual Fantastic Voyage Amiga game based on the movie too?!?

[Twistin'Ghost]

Yup, sure was. Another note: Fantastic Voyage was an entertaining film. Microcosm was not an entertaining game.

[Dizzy]

LOL :laugh :laugh :laugh

Damn right

[Tim Janssen]

It has been a while but here is the review of Sanctuary I promised all those weeks ago. It is a rare German textadventure with some similarities to the movie In the name of the rose.

[Kada]

Cool thread! Some examples of my own (maybe they were mentioned already somewhere, but here goes)

Rise of The Dragon is very much similiar to the movie Blade Runner. But without the cyborg robots. Otherwise it's all there - dark future, chinese maffia, pleasure dooms, bad cops, and some more stuff. If you watch the intro to Rise of The Dragon it will even say "A Blade Hunter Story" ;-))

Heart of China, also from Dynamix, reminds a little of the Indiana Jones movies. The main character is very free with his speech, always gets into trouble, discovers ancient places, breaks into mansions, etc. It's also the same year era I think (1930's).

The creators of The King of Chicago obviously had The Godfather with Al Pacino in mind when they did the game.

Nuclear War is very much Kubrick's Dr Strangelove, even the intro with the cowboy riding a nuclear rocket is a famous scene in the movie!

Can't think of any more right now but I'm sure there's lots of more! Hope some of these examples will do.

[oldpx]

Syndicate always remided me of Blade Runner with it's cyberpunk world.

[Zeewolf]

Lol I apologize now for some of these!!

What about:-

King Of Chicago - Bugsy
Defender Of The Crown - Robin Hood
Aaarrrggghhh - King Kong/Godzilla
IK+ - Karate Kid
Bards Tale/Might & Magic 2 - Lord Of The Rings
Captain Blood - Flight Of The Navigator
Centurions - El Cid
Ikari Warriors - Rambo
Pit Fighter - Fight Club
Silent Service - Hunt For Red October

[Fred the Fop]

Silent Service is a World War 2 game, so 'Das Boot' would be a bettter choice, Zeeslut.

[oldpx]

Bards Tale/Might & Magic 2 - Lord Of The Rings

I think:

Lord of the Rings = Any role playing game that has a party of adventurers sharing a common good goal.

[Shatterhand]

I watched the movie Tomb Raider this week, and we've had a talk here about Rick Dangerous being the first charater that would be in Tomb Raider ...

Maybe that's true

I am talking about that Tomb Raider/Rick Dangerous stuff , that was discussed earlier

[CodyJarrett]

I think this thread has lost its way a little - some of the links between game and film are a little weak. It's not enough that both have the same general theme - they must have a stronger link!

For example, RBI 2 Baseball is not Field Of Dreams, merely because they both feature baseball!

[jmmijo]

Originally posted by CodyJarrett
For example, RBI 2 Baseball is not Field Of Dreams, merely because they both feature baseball!

True, I was trying to find not only an underlying theme but an underlying plot as well. Like some of the earlier posts would imply. There is a lot of things that are similar in these games and movies, but some need to be extrapolated a little further. Let's go to a place like imdb.com and look up the movie title and get it's info and then compare that to the Amiga game and see if it matches or is pretty close. Obviously the movies and games ar not going to be exactly alike but hey make you point for both.

And I say, it shouldn't matter wether it's a newer movie vs. an old B/W silent film. Like hey, how come nobody has come up with a game like the old silent classic, Metrolpolis. Other then perhaps Kraftwerk in their own classic Man Machine :D

[Shatterhand]

Epic is a lot like a certain movie I don't know the name in english ... anyone knows it?

[sarek2k]

Also Another Game / Movie Rip off was Team 17's Full contact.

The Silhouette intro on that is off Kickboxer the movie why did i notice this cause my wife was watching the film and i and was watching the intro at the same time :)

I don't have any pictures to prove it but i remember near falling off my chair :)

I would say that was Jean Claude Van Damme's 1st Appearance in a puter game tho he dosent know it :) was it his last? off the top of my head i can't remeber any of his movies coverd in games!

[Muzkat]

Johnny Cage from the Mortal Kombat series was modelled very closely to Van Damme, and probably his performance in one of my fav martial arts movies, Bloodsport .

Similar tights, same "nutcracker":eek move, and the shadow kick move from the game could be likened to those standing circular kicks he does in the movie.

I once read somewhere that the makers of the MK series (John Tobias and Ed Boon) initially wanted to call the character Van Damme, but then decided against it because they thought they might get in trouble. They settled on the name "Johnny Cage" instead.

[Shatterhand]

Universal Soldier is a movie featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme that got a licensed game.

Street Fighter The Movie is a game based in a movie based in a game, and it features Jean-Claude Van Damme too.

[CPC464]

Well Sabre Team was based on the Embassy siege in London and so the link there would be:

Game: Sabre Team

Film: Who dares Wins

(hope you agree) :bounce

[CodyJarrett]

It's alive! It's alive!


Number 10 - "Defender Of The Crown" IS "The Adventures Of Robin Hood"

The Movie - "The Adventures Of Robin Hood"
Nasty Normans are oppressing the Saxons! Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) must help the people to fight back by gaining support then sword-fighting with Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) and attacking Prince John's (Claude Rains) castle. Climatic sword-fight partly shown only in shadows.

The Amiga Game - "Defender Of The Crown"
Nasty Normans are oppressing the Saxons! With the help of Robin Hood, you must help the people fight back by gaining support then sword-fighting with knights and attacking castles. Many sword-fights partly shown in shadows.

[CodyJarrett]

Number 11 - "Myth" IS "Orphée"

The Movie - "Orphée"
In this film based on the myth, modern-day Orpheus descends into the Underworld to search for his wife Eurydice, who has been killed by the Princess.

The Amiga Game - "Myth"
In this game based on myth, a modern-day blokey descends into the Underworld to chop heads off skeletons. That's about it. Perhaps I should have chosen a Ray Harryhausen swords 'n' sandals epic for the movie instead. Damn.

[wakeupbomb]

I really liked that game :D I think they had it on Gamesmaster at one point

[Dizzy]

DISC is TRON

The Amiga game - Disc: Is a game based on one of the contest in tron

The movie - Tron: The first CGI movie, about a man sucked into a computer, and his fight for being free again

And yes I know there was some arcade games based on the movie

(picture from HOL)
http://hol.abime.net/data/screenshot/0301-0400/362_s1.png


http://www.tron-movie.com/images/io_cover.jpg

http://www.tron-movie.com/images/tron2.jpg

[Mr Creosote]

The Amiga Game - "It Came From The Desert"
Gigantic ants, mutated by nuclear experiments (I think!)Sorry, but I just can't let this false information about one of my favourite games ever stand uncorrected, even if it's from a very old post nobody reads anymore ;) It is a meteor crash which causes the ants to mutate in It Came From The Desert. The nuclear experiments only happen in Antheads - It Came From The Desert 2.

[jmmijo]

Originally posted by Mr Creosote
Sorry, but I just can't let this false information about one of my favourite games ever stand uncorrected, even if it's from a very old post nobody reads anymore ;) It is a meteor crash which causes the ants to mutate in It Came From The Desert. The nuclear experiments only happen in Antheads - It Came From The Desert 2.

Good info Mr. Creosote, now watch out for those wafer thin mints, I just cleaned up the place :lol

[JudasEZT]

ChamberOfShaolin is similar to TVseries KungFu.. not a movie but..

[KombatSanta]

Operation stealth is... a mix of a lot of bond movies. There are a bunch of problems in the game that isn't that difficult if you have watched a lot of bond movies. Like the problem when you're in a cage and you use your watch to shoot a wire to connect it to the wall or something (hey, it was over 10 years since I played it).

@Zeewolf:
IK+ is NOT Karate kid. In fact there was a game made after the movie.

Ikari Warriors is NOT Rambo. Not even the game RAMBO can be linked to the movie.

EDIT: Hey, maybe that's a topic: GAMES AFTER MOVIES THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LIKE THE BLOODY MOVIE.

[JudasEZT]

"AfterTheWar" is likes "1997: Rescue in NY"

Post Holocaust in NY.. you get in troubles with mutant punkies.. just you havent to rescue the president likes in the film.

[Twistin'Ghost]

Originally posted by KombatSanta
Operation stealth is... a mix of a lot of bond movies. There are a bunch of problems in the game that isn't that difficult if you have watched a lot of bond movies. Like the problem when you're in a cage and you use your watch to shoot a wire to connect it to the wall or something (hey, it was over 10 years since I played it).
Actually, the US release of this game was called
James Bond - The Stealth Affair (http://hol.abime.net/?id=3426).
I guess the US version never got cracked (I have like 3 or 4 copies of the game!) I should dump it since the protection is that color lookup card that is scanned and available from HOL.

[jmmijo]

Originally posted by Twistin'Ghost
Actually, the US release of this game was called
James Bond - The Stealth Affair (http://hol.abime.net/?id=3426).
I guess the US version never got cracked (I have like 3 or 4 copies of the game!) I should dump it since the protection is that color lookup card that is scanned and available from HOL.

Actually I do believe that Maverick v5 has a parameter for that title, It's been so long since I looked at it I could be mistaken ;)

[Twistin'Ghost]

Originally posted by jmmijo
Actually I do believe that Maverick v5 has a parameter for that title, It's been so long since I looked at it I could be mistaken ;)
Didn't show up on my parameter list...

[jmmijo]

Originally posted by Twistin'Ghost
Didn't show up on my parameter list...

Then it was one that Bob Mills and I were working on so many years ago and we just never finished it. I'm sure that some kind soul on this board would be able to crack the protection scheme for sure :)

[KombatSanta]

Actually, the US release of this game was called
James Bond - The Stealth Affair.

Yeah, you're right. Wasn't there some sort of copyright thingy that made them change the name and some of the money made from the sales got to Albert. E Broccoli productions?

[Twistin'Ghost]

Originally posted by KombatSanta
Yeah, you're right. Wasn't there some sort of copyright thingy that made them change the name and some of the money made from the sales got to Albert. E Broccoli productions?
Hmmm...dunno, but that would sorta make sense, as they would have used the license in Europe as well had they actually taken care of all that beforehand.

[T_hairy_bootson]

maybe a bit obvious but

Barbarian (palace) is Conan the Barbarian

[Antiriad]

Yes indeed it is. Not only does the hero bear a uncanny resemblance to a younger version of the Governer of California, but the music is "inspired" by Basil Poledouris' EXCELLENT score for Conan The Destroyer (the scene where Conan battles Queen Taramis' Royal Guards in the forest), the lacklustre 1984 sequel to Conan The Barbarian.

Richard Joseph admited as much when I met him at BITL4 :D:D:D

[CodyJarrett]

Number 12 - "Blade Warrior" IS "The Adventures of Prince Achmed"

The Movie - "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" (1926)
The traditional art of silhouettes is used to startling atmospheric effect in this, the first feature-length animated film, by Lotte Reiniger and Carl Koch.

The Amiga Game - "Blade Warrior"
The traditional art of silhouettes is used to startling atmospheric effect in this arcade adventure on the Image Works label.

[jmmijo]

Now there's something you don't see everyday :)


Thanks for the comparison there Cody, they do indeed look similar for sure...

[BlaCkAdDa]

Prince of Persia is Sinbad?
Beneath a Steel Sky is 1984?
The Killing Game Show is 'The Runningman' aside from the whole spaceship thing
Mortal Kombat is - Enter the Dragon crossed with Big trouble in little china
The Secret of Monkey Island is Treasure Island meets Yellowbeard
Yo Joe is the Goonies

[CodyJarrett]

Number 13 - "Sim City" IS "Sin City"

The Movie - "Sin City" (2005)
Walk down the right back alley in Sin City and you can find anything.

The Amiga Game - "Sim City"
Walk down the right back alley in Sim City and you can find anything, even Godzilla.

[StarEye]

Barbarian 2 (Palace) -> Conan?