Is That a Goomba? Game-Based Films That Successfully Reinvented Themselves from Bywords for Flops

It feels like a lifetime has passed. Gone are the days when "video game adaptations" fought over 0.5 or 1-star ratings; now we live in an era where they can reliably deliver a decent average. Even Mario once went through a period when it was the epitome of a "worst movie," a reputation even fans couldn’t defend. The 1993 live-action film 〈Super Mario〉 was once reviled in that way, while the 2023 animated 〈The Super Mario Bros. Movie〉, produced with Nintendo's direct involvement, became a worldwide box-office hit. With the April 29 release of 〈Super Mario Galaxy〉, here are films that were painfully wounded by earlier adaptations but have since undergone a complete transformation.

Super Mario - The Birth of the Hulking Goomba

In 2023, 〈The Super Mario Bros. Movie〉 opened. This animated film, a collaboration between Nintendo and Illumination, faithfully captured the spirit of the source material and became a mega-hit, earning $1.3 billion worldwide. When the project was first announced, fans feared it would be the rebirth of a nightmare—because of the live-action 1993 film 〈Super Mario〉. Surprisingly, that film was made with Nintendo's official approval and centers on Mario and Luigi trying to stop the villain Bowser in an underground city. The plot isn’t inherently strange, but the visuals and tone are completely sci-fi dystopian, making it almost an original work except for the character names. In particular, Bowser, played by Dennis Hopper, was portrayed with little more than horns, and the Goombas were reimagined as buff, broad-shouldered figures—so bizarre that they retain a cult following. The film diverged so drastically from the source that some now reassess it with comments like "it might have been better received if it hadn’t used the Super Mario name."

Dungeons & Dragons - A Catastrophe Even Jeremy Irons Couldn't Save

Wizards of the Coast's TRPG (tabletop role-playing game) 〈Dungeons & Dragons〉 may be unfamiliar to some. But it's no exaggeration to say that virtually every work now labeled "medieval fantasy" traces its roots to either 「The Lord of the Rings」 (J.R.R. Tolkien) or this 〈Dungeons & Dragons〉. In any case, a film based on this influential game, 〈Dungeons & Dragons〉, was released in 2000. The adventure about a band of thieves saving the world in a realm of magic and dragons was completed as a schlocky, B-movie-level film unworthy of the source's reputation due to low-budget limitations and directorial shortcomings. Not only was its quality poor, but despite the low budget it also failed to reach its break-even point, making it a 21st-century emblem of a failed adaptation of a game property. Then in 2023 it tried live-action adaptation again with 〈Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves〉. With a markedly more glamorous cast, a cheerful tone, and—most importantly—a faithful capture of the TRPG spirit, it received praise. TRPGs involve spreading out a world or dungeon map while a GM (game master) develops the scenario and players play it through dialogue and dice rolls (like the kids' sessions in 〈Stranger Things〉), and 〈Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves〉 accurately translates the funny situations that occur in such TRPG sessions to the screen. Of course, like its predecessor, it failed to break even, so there is a high chance the series will be discontinued, but it clearly demonstrated that such a vast universe and complex gameplay can be adapted for the screen.

Mortal Kombat & Street Fighter = Will the New Releases Deliver?

The most notorious subgenre of "video game adaptations" is films based on fighting games. Heavy-hitting fighting game franchises like 〈Mortal Kombat〉, 〈Street Fighter〉, 〈The King of Fighters〉, 〈Dead or Alive〉, and 〈Tekken〉 have all received live-action adaptations, and aside from the occasional success like 〈Mortal Kombat〉, most were met with fans' outcry. Fundamentally, films are not well-suited to advancing a plot merely by justifying why characters fight, and faithfully representing a large roster of characters is difficult, which helps explain the high failure rate. It looked like the trend had died out after 2010, but it was revived when 〈Mortal Kombat〉 was rebooted in 2021. Since the 1995 film was also successful, the reboot borrowed that film's famous theme and focused on casting actors with strong action skills to make the action stand out. It didn't break even, but released in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic it generated significant buzz and OTT revenue relative to its budget, leading to a sequel. The second film is scheduled for release on May 6, 2026. Meanwhile, the 〈Street Fighter〉 film slated for October is being watched to see if it will spark a reassessment. The 1994 film was a box-office success and reasonably watchable but divided audiences for failing to capture the source's weighty tone. This new installment has been widely praised for incorporating characters' outfits and elements of the original, but various opinions persist about its overly cartoonish effects and the casting of Chun-Li. Still, because actual pro wrestlers and boxers were cast, the action should provide solid spectacle.