Stephen King Based Video Games

You can read my examiner article here.


A Stephen King based Fighting Game

*Originally published on 11/18/09


I have, on more than one occasion, suggested creating a fighting game based around the works of acclaimed horror author, Stephen King. I've brought it up here as well as my column for Examiner.com. While I'm sure the likelihood of such a game is slim, I still harbor hope that the game will be made at some point.

Stephen King has created many great, even iconic villains over the years as well as a few notable hero characters. It only makes sense to come up with a way to have such characters throwdown in a slugfest. I, for one, would love to see Pennywise battle Randall Flagg or to see Roland of the Dark Tower series battle Annie Wilkes.

Being a big Stephen King fan and a casual gamer, it seems like the perfect way to bring the two together. While there've been a few games based around the works of the prolific author, they've been few and far between. More importantly, all of the games released were on older and more obscure consoles. I would argue that it's time that the master of horror got a current gen game release.

The options would be limitless. You could have evenly matched opponents like Pennywise and Randall Flagg, or you could have wildly uneven matches like Annie Wilkes taking on the Crimson King. I, for one, want to see a Tommyknocker possessed Bobbi Anderson battle a different alien possessed Jonesy. Each character has a unique skill set and combat style that would make for a great variety in gameplay and strategy.

It would deliver a gaming experience that's unique enough to stand out from the competition, while still being familiar enough to appeal to mainstream gamers.

With gaming being as popular as it is and Stephen King's name having the pull that it does, the game seems like a guaranteed moneymaker. If developed well, with solid graphics and responsive controls that don't become too complicated, you could end up creating a classic console game. It could be the next Marvel vs Capcom 2, a game revered long after it stops being produced.

While it would be very effective on both the Xbox 360 and the PS3, I think that this game would really shine on Nintendo's Wii. The motion activated controls would allow the player to really get into the fights and it would also make for a great party game.

I know the likelihood of this game being made is slim, but I still think that it's an interesting idea and I harbor hope that someone takes this idea and runs with it. It would be a fun game that appeals to a wide fanbase as well as give King fans a way to enjoy the works of the author in a whole new way.