When it comes to adapting video games into movies, it's safe to say Hollywood has had a rocky history. Some films successfully capture the magic of their source material, delivering a great movie experience, while others miss the mark by miles. The boys of Good Playing With You recently discussed our choices for the best and worst video game movie adaptations, because we’ve seen the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

The Best

1. Silent Hill (2006) - Matt Lord

   Without a doubt, Silent Hill tops the list for the best video game adaptation, and for good reason. Not only did it perfectly capture the eerie, atmospheric horror that defined the Silent Hill games, but it also added its own cinematic flair. Featuring the incredible Sean Bean (the goat of casting choices), the movie's lead, Radha Mitchell, gave a stellar performance as a mother navigating the terrifying and fog-drenched town of Silent Hill.

   Oh, and let’s not forget Pyramid Head—one of the most terrifying and iconic villains in video game history—ripping the skin off a cultist and tossing it at the church door. That scene alone is enough to land this movie on any “best of” video game adaptation list. If you’re a fan of horror, you can’t go wrong with Silent Hill. It truly brings the game’s sinister atmosphere to life, and for those who haven’t seen it in a while, it’s worth a rewatch.

2. Mortal Kombat (1995) - Matthew Maulding

   Few movies have managed to capture the over-the-top fun of video games quite like the original Mortal Kombat. With an iconic soundtrack that blasts techno beats (seriously, that Mortal Kombat theme. You just heard it in your head, didn’t you?) and fight scenes that pay homage to the game’s martial arts roots, this film was a defining moment for video game movies.

   Sure, it didn’t win any Oscars, but it delivered what fans wanted—fights, fatalities, and plenty of cheesy dialogue. Watching Scorpion throw his iconic spear with a scary “Get over here!” made every ‘90s kid lose their minds. It was a movie for the fans, and we’ll always have a soft spot for it.

3. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) - Dan Whitehill

   Though overlooked by many, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City deserves a mention as one of the better adaptations in recent years. While it wasn’t a perfect film, it brought fan-favorite characters like Leon and Wesker to the big screen and recreated the claustrophobic horror of the Resident Evil games.

   It was a faithful reboot for the series, ditching the wild, action-packed nature of the Mila Jovovich films in favor of a more grounded horror experience. If you’re a fan of the games, this one’s worth checking out—plus, the cast is ridiculously good-looking!

The Worst

1. Doom (2005) - Matt Lord

   Where Silent Hill soared, Doom absolutely plummeted. Despite, or maybe because of, having The Rock in the lead role, Doom was a total disaster. They somehow managed to turn an action-packed, hell-infested shooter into a lackluster sci-fi flick with barely any resemblance to the game.

   The only memorable part? A first-person sequence that tried to mimic the look of the video game for about two minutes, and even that felt out of place. The rest of the movie was a jumbled mess with none of the energy or excitement that made the game such a hit. It’s a movie that you never want to sit through again.

2. Street Fighter (1994) - Matthew Maulding

   Street Fighter was supposed to be an epic martial arts film, but instead, it was a confusing and campy mess. Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile? Raul Julia as M. Bison in his final performance? How did it all go so wrong? The movie was plagued with poor writing, bizarre casting, and terrible fight choreography. One shining light that we weren’t aware of until we recorded, was that gay icon Kylie Minogue played Cammy, so it wasn’t all bad - it was just mostly bad.

   Despite the legendary status of the Street Fighter video games, this film was so bad that it became notorious for how far it strayed from the source material. Even as kids, we knew something wasn’t quite right. The nostalgia factor may be there, but this is still a hard miss for most fans.

3. House of the Dead (2003) - Dan Whitehill

   If there’s one director who deserves a spot on the worst video game movies list, it’s Uwe Boll. His adaptation of House of the Dead was more an insult than a movie. With horrendous acting, nonsensical plot points, and absolutely no understanding of what made the original game great, it’s a film that makes Doom look like The Godfather.

   Boll’s House of the Dead took everything fun about the light-gun arcade game and threw it out the window. To make matters worse, he spliced in random gameplay footage from the game during action sequences, which only made things more confusing. It’s a movie you want to forget—and trust us, we’ve tried.

Honorable Mention for Worst: Every Uwe Boll Movie

Uwe Boll became infamous for his string of terrible video game adaptations, including Alone in the Dark, BloodRayne, and more. His movies were so bad that a petition was started to make him quit filmmaking. Boll himself even admitted he had no intention of stopping, but the damage was done. He became the symbol of what not to do when adapting a video game to the big screen.

Video game adaptations are always a gamble. When the films hit, they give fans something to celebrate, like Silent Hill and Mortal Kombat. But when they miss—like Doom and House of the Dead—they remind us just how hard it is to capture the magic of a beloved video game on the big screen. For every Resident Evil reboot that does the games justice, there’s a Street Fighter or Doom that makes us question everything. But as the industry learns from its mistakes, we can only hope that future adaptations bring more wins than losses to the world of video game movies.