10 Best Fictional Video Games
Sometimes the best video games only exist in the annals of the fictional world. Whether they appear in movies or TV shows, some fictional video games are more interesting than their real world counterparts. So we have for your enjoyment a list of the most delightfully fictitious video games ever to grace the large and small screens. You’ll never be able to play them, but who cares? They were a fun part of our favorite stories and proof that video games could be a world-altering force. For good? Well, that all depends on whether James Bond wins. Have a look at our list of the 10 Best Fictional Video Games.
- 10
Bonestorm
The Simpsons'The Simpsons' has always been a topical show, but when it came to tackling video games, they hit it out of the park. 'Bonestorm' is a loving satire of a certain infamously violent fighting game. When Bart sees the flashy and aggressive commercial on TV, he can’t help but blurt out the tagline, "Buy me 'Bonestorm' or go to Hell!" Very direct, but it didn’t quite strike a chord with Marge. Bart ended up having to beg “Thrillhouse” for a chance to lay the digital beat down.
- 9
Global Thermonuclear War
WargamesLet’s hope that a video game playing AI is never attached to the actual U.S. nuclear weapon system. In the '80s film 'Wargames,' a somewhat bored but brilliant teen played by Matthew Broderick unwittingly hacks into a military supercomputer whose AI challenges him to a little game of Global Thermonuclear War. The catch is that he set a countdown to WWIII into motion. He must beat the computer and convince it that there is no threat from Russia. Has the fate of the world ever hung in the balance of a video game? Well, no. But maybe for you, that high scoring round of 'Tetris' felt like it.
- 8
Video Ouija
Aqua Teen Hunger ForcePeople will go to great lengths to play a video game. They will drive from miles around to the one arcade with that one cabinet. But would you kill yourself to get into a video game and troll one of your friends? Well, Shake would, and his elaborate suicide and harassment of Meatwad while he’s playing 'Video Ouija' is hilarious. If you want to add to the absurdity, think about 'Video Ouija' just for a minute. The game makes no sense since you have no physical content. For being the right amount of ridiculous, 'Video Ouija' makes it onto our list of the 10 Best Fictional Games.
- 7
Heroine Hero
South Park'South Park' can usually find the pulse of the public quite quickly, but it's usual goal is to find something to satirize. This time, they were looking for a vein. In a perfect send up of the 'Guitar Hero' craze, one of the boys becomes a master guitar gamer and is showered with riches and a record contract. Disenfranchised with the whole ordeal and looking for an escape, he picks up a copy of 'Heroine Hero.' With the press of a button he can boot up some drugs in game and see visions of cartoons. Some would say that 'Heroine Hero' is almost as addictive and damaging as 'World of Warcraft.'
- 6
Dominion
Never Say NeverWhen you think of James Bond, the word "gamer" isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Don’t get us wrong, Bond does have game, but not the digital kind. In the 1980’s unlicensed James Bond adventure 'Never Say Never,' Bond is faced with a giant arcade cabinet-esque machine that pits him against the villain. The catch is that with each point lost, they are given an electric shock of increasing voltage. The loser gets scorched palms and a fried heart. But you know Bond is a master of all forms of combat, including digital.
- 5
Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge
The SimpsonsOnce again, 'The Simpsons' perfectly captured the personality of almost every sports game from the era. Each one had some dog ugly and boring name with way too many syllables highlighting some professional athlete you’d never heard of. Golf games are notoriously guilty of being boring as all hell. As an alternative to 'Bonestorm,' Marge purchased 'Lee Carvello’s Putting Challenge' for Bart who, after knocking a ball into a parking lot, gets bored with it. At least he gave it a chance, we’d have left it in the shrinkwrap.
- 4
Firestarter
FLCL'FLCL' is chock full of ridiculous references to go along with that awesome soundtrack and giant robots. While 'Firestarter' might look like a region exclusive handheld game, you can trust that it is entirely fictional. This little game, which needed you to set fire to an entire town without being caught by the police, served as a thematic tie in to the episode. But, that didn’t stop some people from being completely intrigued by the strange game, and if you look hard enough, you might be able to find a playable version on the internet. Just, don’t start any real fires or hit anyone in the face with a Rickenbacker bass.
- 3
Bag the Neematoad
DougMany gamers had the TV show 'Doug' to help them along in their formative years. Many of you will remember the episode where Doug gets a bit too engrossing in a game called 'Bag The Neematoad' and spends all of the money he was going to use for Patti’s birthday Beetball. As we all know, it takes more than some quarters to bag a neematoad in Bluffington. Let Doug’s folly be a lesson to you and always know when to stop sticking quarters in the machine. For being creepily addictive, 'Bag the Neematoad' snatches a spot on our list of the 10 Best Fictional Games.
- 2
Starfighter
The Last StarfighterIt is the dream of every arcade gamer. You work ceaselessly in pursuit of that high score, but once it is achieved, you fade back into your soul-sucking day job. You’ll know you had the high score, but everyone else would know you as three initials. 'Starfighter' was that special arcade cabinet that could make dreams come true. It was more than just a game. It was the representation of an intergalactic conflict the likes of any earthling had never known but in fiction. Although an arcade game was created after this film was released, it still doesn’t have the power to call in aliens to sweep you away to intergalactic battles. We can still dream of the stars though.
- 1
Head Kicker
The Brak ShowIn an all out grab at absurd stupidity, 'Head Kicker,' a video game that appeared on cult classic, 'The Brak Show,' was actually a pretty intelligent satire of gaming at its most foolhardy. It took two of gaming’s conventions and exaggerated them into infinity and the result was a repetitive game featuring violence. It is a cultural send up of games that don’t strive for anything more than skull bashing and high scores. Also, it helped that watching Brak and Mantis playing it was absolutely hilarious. For being absurd, but poignant, 'Head Kicker' makes it to the top of our list of the 10 Best Fictional Games.