The 1980s was a vintage decade for cinema: during this era, several movies were released that have since gone on to achieve a tremendous impact on the world of popular culture. Many 80’s movies have remained relevant thanks to tireless adaptations, spin-offs, merchandising campaigns, and officially branded video games. Let’s explore 1980s movies that could inspire video games in 2022. We’ll take this in a more unique direction and won’t be looking at the action genre. Forget Top Gun, The Shining and Terminator. We want new games based around the Ferris Bueller, The Breakfast Club gang and other comedy classics.
The Goonies
The 1985 adventure comedy, The Goonies, quickly developed a huge cult following owing to its hilarious, star-studded cast. Remarkably, the blockbuster is still watched on streaming platforms in 2022, which shows its popularity with contemporary audiences. It’s perhaps no surprise that a video game based on the movie was released back in 1986, to capitalize on the hype, but there has been very little since, by way of gaming.
However, in recent years, there’s been a resurgence in Goonies-inspired merch, with many influencers sporting clothing with the iconic logo or cast. In addition, The Goonies slot game has hit it off with online gamblers, being featured on the ‘most popular’ pages across several of the best online slot sites. Incredulously, The Goonies slot machine has become one of the most popular casino games on Party Casino. Franchising existing movies into slot titles is just one way to capture 80s nostalgia strife through our entertainment culture.
Back to the Future
This time-traveling epic from 1985 has been the focus of several video games since the movie’s original release, but we think it’s time for something new. In addition to those previous video games, the success of Back to the Future (and its sequels) has led to the creation of board games and various other collectibles. Despite the series’ clear potential for an interesting new video game, there hasn’t been one since 2010. We envision a future game being an RPG similar in style to Fable.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
The first of three examples that might not seem like an obvious choice for a video game adaptation. Upon original release, this bit of cinema was an immediate hit with the public and managed to stay in their hearts. It made over $70 million at the box office and is still a popular choice for an evening spent watching Netflix. A game based on this could work as an open-world thriller where the aim is to avoid the evil Dean of Students, Ed Rooney. There’s definite potential for developers to use this main plot to create a new video game. It just might require some creative thinking. If you rewatch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off again, you will see that the race home could make an interesting last level.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
This is another iconic movie with the potential to be transformed into an open-world epic. It was produced and directed by John Hughes and received critical acclaim from critics and the general public alike. Even 35 years later, families still see a viewing of this classic as part of their Thanksgiving tradition. With the Nintendo Switch console trying to cater for a different audience of gamers, you could argue that a game based on Planes, Trains and Automobiles would be the perfect fit.
The Breakfast Club
This movie from 1985 was remembered as much for its soundtrack as it was the equally memorable plot and characters. Just five seconds of the seminal Simple Minds classic sends your mind rushing back to a visit to the cinema in the 80s and the first viewing of The Breakfast Club. The soundtrack itself was released as a standalone album, showing the movie’s wider popularity. It might seem an odd choice for a video game setting, but it would allow developers to get creative. There is definite potential for a game set in the Shermer High School where you have to avoid the glaring eyes of the teachers. Perhaps, the characters could also be avatars in an 80s-themed Just Dance spin-off?
What made 80s cinema so exciting?
There was a certain charm about movies released from that era. Iconic stories that have stood the test of time. As a result, gaming developers of all types will see something in them to create some new games. There are so many movies and stories that we’ve not even got into here. Some might also see the potential in creating a new plot within the universe of an 80s movie. You might use the same setting but with different characters.
