Whenever people search for the definition of 'what is a B-Movie?' they are likely to find the following description. “A movie that is often made cheaply and usually not very good.” Whilst this is true in many cases, there are examples of B-Movies that have become cult classics and are enjoyed by millions of people. Some incredibly famous directors started their careers making B-Movies. Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi, and James Gunn all made movies that could be considered questionable by some, but these films gave them a start in their cinematic journey, and ultimately helped them reach critical and financial success. Their B-Movie experiences also influenced their later movies and became a part of their filmmaking style.
Whilst video games haven’t been around as long as film, there are many examples of how B-Movies have influenced their story and design. B-Movies are often fun and don’t take themselves too seriously, and that can be said for all the games in this list. B-Movies should be celebrated for their contribution to cinema and video games, and that’s exactly what this list aims to do.
13 Where Time Stood Still
Released in 1988, Where Time Stood Still is clearly influenced by movies such as The Land That Time Forgot from 1974 and One Million Years B.C. from 1966. Where Time Stood Still is an isometric adventure game where the plot follows a group of 4 survivors who have crash-landed in a mysterious land filled with dinosaurs, cannibals and other hazards.
The game was very innovative for the time where each character had their personality traits and characteristics. The player had to manage each character's health, hunger, and, tiredness. If a character died or had low attributes, it affected the gameplay and how each member of the group reacted.
12 It Came From The Desert
The clue to the type of games Cinemaware made is in their title. Cinematic visuals were a key feature of their games including It Came From The Desert. Released in 1989, everything about It Came From The Desert screams classic B-Movie. The player takes the role of Dr. Greg Bradley who is investigating a meteor that lands in the small town of Lizard Breath. The meteor has a strange effect on the ants mutating them into giants which threaten the local population.
The aim of the game is to speak to the inhabitants and collect evidence of the growing danger, hopefully convincing the army to stand and fight. It Came From The Desert had awesome graphics and featured different mini-games. Some examples of the mini-games included shooting the antenna from a giant ant, taking part in a knife fight against local hoodlums, and escaping from a hospital. Whilst the gameplay may have been lacking, It Came From The Desert certainly made up for its shortcomings with a great atmosphere and excellent graphics.
11 Night Trap
Looking back, it’s hard to imagine the controversy that surrounded Night Trap. Along with Mortal Kombat, Night Trap was discussed at state senate hearings in 1993 and was accused of promoting violence and sexual aggression against women.
Maybe it was because FMV games were relatively new at the time and people saw them as a threat to children, but in all honesty Night Trap is extremely tame, especially compared to video games released today. The B-Movie influences of Night Trap are firmly rooted in the plot which revolves around a sleepover and a house filled with vampires. Night Trap is very silly and despite the poor gameplay, is often seen as a cult classic.
10 Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Konami released some awesome titles and run and gun game Zombies Ate My Neighbors is one of their best. Taking inspiration from horror B-Movies, Zombies Ate My Neighbors is filled with characters that will raise a smile. As well as the titular zombies, there are vampires, werewolves, knife-wielding Chucky dolls, aliens, and, even a homage to Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.
Featuring superb music and excellent animation, Zombies Ate My Neighbors was certainly an eye-catching game. Although the graphics were cartoony and not particularly graphic, this didn’t stop the game from being censored in certain countries. The name was seen as being too suggestive and violent for some and retitled to just Zombies.
9 Escape From The Planet Of The Robot Monsters
Based on Sci-Fi B-Movies, Escape From The Planet Of The Robot Monsters surely has one of the greatest titles in video game history! This two-player isometric shooter from Atari was released in 1989 and ported to multiple systems and home computers.
The arcade cabinet was particularly interesting not only for the eye-catching artwork but also for the type of joysticks used by the player. The Atari Hall Effect joysticks provided a greater degree of multi-directional control and were used in several Atari arcade games.
8 Resident Evil
There isn’t much to say about Resident Evil that hasn’t already been said. Looking back, it cannot be underestimated how groundbreaking and influential Resident Evil was on the video game and entertainment industry as a whole. A billion-dollar franchise was created in 1996 spawning sequels that include some of the best video games ever made!
There is still massive interest in Resident Evil, with movies and TV shows being made, as well as remakes of the earlier games and Resident Evil Village receiving support for PSVR. That all being said, it cannot be denied that the roots of Resident Evil’s success come from zombie B-Movies, right down to the infamous dialogue. Everyone remembers the “Jill Sandwich” line, but this is part of what makes Resident Evil such a classic game.
7 Body Harvest
Grand Theft Auto 3 is rightly praised for being a momentous moment in the video game industry bringing a fully 3D open world to life. But, its roots can be found in another 3D open-world game released on the Nintendo 64 in 1998. DMA Design who made GTA 1 & 2 and would later become Rockstar North, created the sci-fi adventure Body Harvest.
The player takes control of a super soldier who must travel through time fighting aliens and help the survivors on earth. Body Harvest was very innovative for the time, with each level having various vehicles which could be used to move around the world. Body Harvest was a fun title that gave the world a vision of what was to come with the later GTA games.
6 Destroy All Humans
It is often said by actors that playing the bad guy is more fun than being the hero and that is exactly what happens in Destroy All Humans! The player takes control of Crypto, an alien who is sent to earth to harvest brains and wipe out anything standing in the way of his mission.
Taking inspiration from 50s Sci-Fi movies and more modern movies such as Mars Attacks, Destroy All Humans! has spawned a series of sequels and spin-off games. The original game was remastered and released in 2020, and Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed is due for release in 2022.
5 House Of The Dead: Overkill
Grindhouse movies made a resurgence in 2007 thanks to Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez with the release of Planet Terror and Death Proof. The grimy low budget style was perfectly replicated in 2009 with House Of The Dead: Overkill. This light gun series from Sega has always worn its B-Movie roots on its sleeve, but House Of The Dead: Overkill took it to another level.
The scratchy film grain presentation, opening video showcasing a stripper dancing, near-constant use of bad language, and “Slo Mo-Fo” camera effects meant players either loved or hated this game. The PlayStation 3 version of the game was even released with 3D glasses to bring the action to life.
4 Shadows Of The Damned
A collaboration between Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami and Lollipop Chainsaw director Goichi Suda, AKA Suda 51 is a B-Movie match made in heaven! The pair worked on Shadows Of The Damned which was released in 2011. The plot follows demon hunter Garcia Hotspur who must rescue his girlfriend who has been abducted by Fleming, the Lord of Demons.
Garcia is accompanied by his demon sidekick called Johnson. Johnson also acts as the main weapon, and one of the guns is called the boner. This can be turned into a powerful attack called the big boner. This type of humor runs throughout Shadows Of The Damned which proved to be divisive among critics and players.
3 Lollipop Chainsaw
Before James Gunn became a household name after the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, he worked on Troma movies. These are low-budget B-Movies at their best and have a cult audience across the world. His later movies injected the style from his humble beginnings with the likes of Slither and Super featuring many B-Movie influences.
So, it’s no surprise that Lollipop Chainsaw (which was written by Gunn) is a perfect homage to all things that make B-Movie great! The involvement of Suda 51 is another tick in the box for B-Movie fans. The player takes control of zombie-hunting cheerleader, Juliet Starling who happens to carry her decapitated boyfriend's head on her hip. Subtle is not a word people would associate with Lollipop Chainsaw, and more people will get the chance to try it out when the remake is released in 2023.
2 The Deadly Tower Of Monsters
The Deadly Tower Of Monsters is a real love letter to B-Movies. The gameplay is a twin-stick shooter, but the most interesting aspect of the game is how the story is told. It is explained that The Deadly Tower Of Monsters was a low-budget 70s movie starring Jonathan Digby as Dick Starspeed, Stacy Sharp as Scarlet Nova, and The Robot as Robot.
The director of the fictional movie, Dan Smith can be heard throughout the game as the story is cleverly explained as a DVD commentary of the movie. The director often comments about the low-budget nature of the movie and explains certain aspects of the gameplay to the player. This is genuinely funny in places and serves to move the story forwards.
1 Evil Dead: The Game
After making Evil Dead 1 & 2 and being tipped for greatness, it seemed like Sam Raimi couldn’t catch a break. After a string of box office failures, it wasn’t until 2002 that his talent and hard work paid off with the release of Spider-Man. The world finally saw what many fans of his low-budget B-Movies could see with his unique style of bringing a comic to life.
There is still plenty of love for Raimi’s break-out horror B-Movie which is demonstrated with the release of Evil Dead: The Game in 2022. Players can pick their favorite characters from the series and team up to face the army of darkness. The game features locations from the movie and Bruce Campbell reprises his role as Ash Williams.