Victory in the game. Photo: cipella (Getty).
In the day and age of nerd culture taking over the entertainment world, our cups have nearly runneth over. Nearly. Yes, while we dorks are finally getting to see bingeworthy television universes, graphic novels come to life, and the hero team-up movies we’ve always dreamed of, we’re still left with an itch to scratch. What’s the solution? Sweet, sweet virtual immersion. Yes, video games are the answer to any nerd who’s wanted to escape into his world with a more hands-on approach. And sure, we’ve been gifted some great nerd culture games already, but we think there’s a few that haven’t quite been nailed on the head just yet, in a while, or ever!
So what do you say, fellow nerds? Are there any games we’re missing? For that matter, do you disagree with any of our choices? I mean, you’re wrong, but we still want to know your thoughts.
And if none of these end up working out, at least we’ll always have the old tried and true N64: Ranking the 10 Best Nintendo 64 Games That Will Have You Searching For Your Dusty Controllers Nearly 20 Years Later
Video Games The Nerd World Needs
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1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Turtles have been in games pretty much since they blew up on the scene in the late '80s. While you have the classics from Nintendo or the Arcade, there hasn’t been a killer app in the new generation deemed worthy of the heroes in a halfshell. It was rumored that Rocksteady Studios, the company behind the hailed Batman Arkham game series, might be moving on to do a Turtles game after they hung up the cowl. However, that has yet to be proven. The key things for the next developer to focus on in a Turtles game are pretty simple (at least for us diehard fans): co-operative play, a darker tone and story, dense combat, turtle variance, and just being fun to play. Nothing gets me shaking my head faster than seeing a Turtles game that is single player only. Well, except maybe losing Corey Feldman as the voice of Donatello in Turtles 2: Secret Of The Ooze. Personally, I’m a sucker for the 1990 movie, so what if the whole game was just a larger representation of that? Please?
Photo: CBS Television Distribution / Viacom Media Networks
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2. The Lord Of The Rings / The Hobbit
Now that The Hobbit film opus is over, we think this would be a great time for a collection to be assembled. No, we don’t mean for all of the extended edition Blu-rays. We’re talking about Peter Jackson’s entire Tolkien-verse to be made into a video game covering the entire epic journey. You heard me. We wanna be able to go here, there, and back again whenever we want. Why not just watch the movies? Because being the one fighting is awesome. Games like Return of the King have been decent attempts at giving us the satisfaction, but as fans, we’d like to see every battle covered in the game. And no, Lego games don’t count. Imagine being able to play as Bilbo through The Hobbit’s journey, or Boromir in the fight at Amon Hen, or -- okay, I just want to be Legolas so I can arrow everyone. So what?
Photo: 7831/Gamma-Rapho (Getty).
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3. Superman
Ahh, Superman. The hero who has arguably never had a decent game made for him. At least lately. It’s no easy task either, I’m sure. The guy has a lot of powers designers have to handle when it comes to gameplay mechanics. Plus, since he runs super fast and flies, he’d need to be able to cover a TON of ground in a massive open world. And his battles take a toll on the world around him, so add destructible environments to the list. But we have to wonder, will there ever be video game justice given to the Man of Steel? He’s more than just a comic or movie hero, you know. Fans want him in a game, and it’s somewhat possible, as modders have even begun to show us the potential. This was another rumored series Rocksteady would take on post-Arkham, and can we just say, that would be SO very welcomed. Imagine a original story, set in the brighter playground of Metropolis to contrast with Arkham’s dark Gotham City wasteland, and instead of the caped crusader grappling around, you’re taking flight as the caped…Superman. And to one of the best scores ever created. Actually, just put me on ice until this game comes out, okay?
Photo: Titus Software
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4. Game Of Thrones
We love the books, we love the show, now we want to love the game. There are other medieval-fantasy hybrid games out there, but none with the flak of Thrones. We know Telltale Games gave it a shot with their narrative centric episodic series, but forgive us for wanting more action. Imagine playing through the saga of the books and living out the things that weren’t deemed necessary for television. Or perhaps this talk of GoT spinoffs would be better suited to be played out in video games instead. I mean, how long am I gonna have to leach my dad’s HBO account? There’s also a version where a game takes the Shadow of Mordor approach to The Lord of the Rings with being in the same world, but just at a different time than we've seen before. We could witness the Mad King. Or we could even be Ned Stark, everyone! Back from the dead Ned! NED!
Photo: HBO
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5. Firefly
It still hurts that Firefly ended too soon. Then again, it did give us Serenity. That is, only Serenity. Fans are chomping at the bit for any sign of a Fox reboot of the cult classic series, but with Joss Whedon now being part of the DC movie-verse, what does the future really hold for our favorite crew aboard the Serenity? Serenity was a fitting ending, but as a fan, I’m not sure it gave me the closure I needed, mainly because I didn’t want closure! I wanted to see where Mal and Co. would take us next. We were supposed to get a Firefly game in Firefly Online, but nobody's heard much from it in a long time. We can't give up hope now, though. What if we could step into the shoes of our favorite characters aboard the ship itself and live out more adventures that way? Traveling to various planets much like the Mass Effect series plays out. Sadly, the crew will have to go on without Ron Glass reprising his role of Shepherd Book, but perhaps his legacy could be protected with how the story is unfolded. All I know is that I want it, and I want it now, okay? You hear me, Fox?! Huh? You hear me?!
Photo: FOX
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6. Marvel ANYTHING
Seriously, though. Where are all the Marvel games? The MCU is the biggest thing since Hulk’s—well, you get it. We’re very intrigued by the new Spider-Man game coming from Insomniac Games, but seeing it revealed just put a salty taste in our mouth. At this point, we should have more Marvel games. And Lego games still don’t count. The days of Marvel Ultimate Alliance have been long forgotten. Or maybe developers learned their lesson years ago with movie tie-in games; we’re not sure. They’ve even cancelled games. But one thing is for certain: there’s no better time than now to give the fans something from Deadpool, the Netflix Universe or a team-up beat-em-up game with the likes of Cap, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, She-Hulk… again, anyone! I don’t care, just give us something! Oh, wait, they’re making an Avengers game? Sweet! Oh, I have to wait till 2018? Crap.
Photo: JOE KLAMAR/AFP (Getty).
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7. Rick and Morty
This one’s a little different since they’ve technically made Rick and Morty games lately. There’s just a big asterisk by them because one’s a mobile game and the other is Virtual Rick-ality. To justify this being on our list, we have two arguments here: one being that the only candidate game we have is a VR only game, and two being that we just want more Rick and Morty games. Our first argument is a valid one. The truth is, while it was a well-received game, and had all the charms of the show, being a VR only game really narrows down your audience. Don’t get us wrong, being simulated into the world this way seems like a great idea on paper -- especially for how wacky the show can be -- but the fact still remains that not a lot of people have access to VR gaming yet. It’s on the rise, but it’s safe to say not everyone has an Oculus Rift in his or her living room. Unless you found a good deal, then maybe. On the other hand, Virtual Rick-ality looks AWESOME. It nails what the show is all about and it looks hilarious. And as fans, it’s only got us wanting more. If the creators and cast are as passionate about crafting a fun story and lending their voices, another adventure game is extremely desired. Games like South Park: The Stick of Truth and The Simpsons Game took the gaming medium and used it as an extension of their show. We could pal around with Jerry, Mr. Meeseeks, or just give us a whole game about Gazorpazorfield, Keep feeding us more, please. We’ll take anything. Especially Pickle Rick.
Photo: Adult Swim
