Steven Spielberg is one of the most beloved filmmakers of all time, and with his career coinciding with the dawn of video games, the gaming industry has always sought to adapt his work. Things haven't always gone to plan, though, with 1982's ET considered one of the worst video games of all time and a factor in the video game crash of 1983.
Still, there have been plenty of shiny gems when it comes to Spielberg-related gaming. Spielberg's adventure franchises Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park in particular have contributed dozens of games over the years, and Spielberg himself has personally created several gaming franchises. With new Indy and JP releases on the horizon, it's the perfect time to reflect.
Jaws Unleashed (2006)
Jaws is the film that made Steven Spielberg a household name and is considered the first-ever blockbuster. While Spielberg stepped away after the first film, the franchise about a giant great white shark would go on for more than a decade with a series of increasingly panned sequels.
Jaws Unleashed may not be the greatest shark game of all time, but it's probably the most enjoyable official Jaws game. Players control Jaws in an open world map of Amity Island and can bring bloody bone-chomping mayhem to both natural and human-made environments.
The Goonies II (1987)
1985's The Goonies is one of the most iconic family adventure films of all time with a stellar cast of youngsters including Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Ke Huy Quan, and Corey Feldman. Steven Spielberg created the story and was heavily involved in bringing it to life.
Konami's The Goonies II was released on NES in 1987 and is the only expanded media Goonies release with an original story. Players control Mikey as he rescues his friends from the Fratellis. The bulk of the game is a 2D platformer with many weapons and powerups, including boomerangs and spring shoes. The game also features RPG elements where the player searches rooms and interacts with NPCs.
Back To The Future: The Game (2010)
Steven Spielberg didn't direct most beloved movie franchises of the 80s, the story was neatly wrapped up in the third film, leaving little room for expanded media.
But that finally changed with Telltale Games' Back to the Future: The Game. This five-episode graphic adventure featured Doc and Marty in an original story taking place in 1876, 1931, and 1986. Despite an open ending, no follow-up was made, but Telltale did produce another Spielberg tie-in, Jurassic Park: The Game.
Indiana Jones And The Infernal Machine (1999)
The popular Indiana Jones films have always been inspiring filmmakers and game designers, leading the latter group to create their own action-adventure video games like it. In the 5th generation of gaming, Tomb Raider emerged as a highly popular 3D adventure gaming franchise. The time was ripe for Indy's first foray into 3D gaming, and LucasArts delivered with Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine.
In an interview with Adventure Classic Gaming, Hal Barwood revealed that he wanted to make a game based on UFOs set in the Cold War era, but George Lucas blocked this idea, which was too similar to the Indy 4. Instead, Indy's globe-spanning adventure involved the god Marduk and the Tower of Babel. The game had a great story with better twists and deeper characters than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Medal Of Honor: Airborne (2007)
While filming Saving Private Ryan, one of Spielberg's best movies, the director had the idea to make a World War II video game that would be both entertaining and educational, according to IGN. Thus, Medal of Honor was born, and the franchise saw its 15th installment released in 2020. The games offer first-person gameplay, usually set during World War II.
What makes Medal of Honor: Airborne interesting is the way each level begins. The player is parachuted into a battle and can choose where to land before proceeding with the mission objective. In this way, the game was a precursor to modern Battle Royale games. Airborne only had a few levels, but they were terrifically designed and highly replayable.
Indiana Jones And The Emperor's Tomb (2003)
Gameplay-wise, Emperor's Tomb is by far the best 3D Indiana Jones gaming experience. A great fighting engine allows Indy to fight enemies with his fists or with his whip, guns, or improvised weapons, such as table legs. The graphics and control are also a huge upgrade over the slower-paced Infernal Machine.
The story sees Indy battle Nazis and supernatural threats while searching for the tomb of China's first Emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi. Temple of Doom's Wu Han assists Indy, along with Mei Ying, who fights alongside Jones in some missions.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park Arcade (1997)
In 1994 and 1997, SEGA published a pair of terrific arcade games based on Jurassic Park and The Lost World. Both featured first-person shooting gameplay for one to two players. The Lost World was an upgrade in every way, with improved graphics, gameplay, and light guns as opposed to joysticks.
Some versions of the game came in an eye-catching theater-style cabinet, and later releases featured moving seats and an 80-inch screen. The game was immensely popular and remains one of the most beloved arcade games of the 1990s. The legacy of these releases led to further Jurassic Park arcade games in 2001 and 2015.
Medal Of Honor: Frontline (2002)
Medal of Honor: Frontline is arguably the definitive and most iconic World War II first-person shooter. Although it was the first in the series without the involvement of Steven Spielberg, it allowed gamers to experience Saving Private Ryan's unforgettable opening scene of storming the beaches of Normandy. This breathtaking opening level was one of the most talked-about of its time.
The game brilliantly balanced espionage elements with large battle gameplay. Players took part in famous battles, infiltrated enemy submarines and facilities, and hilariously started bar fights to achieve their mission. Acclaimed composer Michael Giacchino provided an unforgettable score that was both emotional and exhilarating.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 (2021)
The 1990s introduced the world to both amusement-park manager games and a film franchise about dinosaurs getting loose in an amusement park. Mashing these two things together seemed like a no-brainer. There were several Jurassic Park manager sims made over the years, but 2018's Jurassic Park Evolution is the one that really got it right.
Evolution allowed players to build their own Jurassic Park, raise dinosaurs, and then watch them fight each other and eat people. It also featured voiceovers by the cast of the films. The sequel was released in 2021 and adds more dinosaurs, a new setting within the United States, unpredictable behaviors, DLC updates, and the option to play through events from the films. Plus it is canon with Jurassic World: Dominion, according to Newsweek.
Indiana Jones And The Fate Of Atlantis (1992)
After the success of The Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure, Hal Barwood was given the go to create a new Indiana Jones game with an original story. This new game would see Indy searching for the lost city of Atlantis in a globe-spanning race against the Nazis. It also introduced the fan-favorite character Sophia Hapgood. The terrific story was adapted as a comic by Dark Horse comics.
Fate of Atlantis was one of the gems of LucasArt's golden era of point-and-click adventure games. To this day, some fans still consider it to be the real Indy 4. Several attempts at a sequel were unsuccessful, though Barwood continued to produce Indiana Jones games through 2003. After a long hiatus, fans will soon be rewarded with a new Indiana Jones game, which was announced in 2020.
