Few things in life are as bankable as video game inspired TV series being absolutely terrible.
Sure, Netflix’s upcoming series “The Witcher” has a chance to be worth your time, but the odds are stacked against it.
That’s because time and time again, production companies attempt to reimagine classic gaming series as TV shows, only to create something that clogs your weekends with migraine-inducing drivel. Still, even with the extremely low bar this category has set for itself, there are some shows — especially those aired in the 1990s — that are noticeably more awful than others.
Here are six of the worst TV series inspired by video games:
“The Legend of Zelda”
Given that, until recently, characters never actually spoke words in any “The Legend of Zelda” games, any TV series based on the franchise is going to have a rough time making any sense. But still, this show, which began and ended in 1989, is just plain offensive.
Not only does it fail to capture the tone and spirit of the games, but the infamous running gag of Link trying to convince Zelda to kiss him is just bizarre. Rumors have been swirling in recent years that Netflix is planning to bring Hyrule back to TV, but let’s hope those never come to fruition.
“The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!”
Man, was this show miserable. Airing from 1991 to 1994, “The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!” was super brutal. Littered with outdated Italian stereotypes and musical interludes that are just strange, this show is an insult to many people, especially “Super Mario” fans.
“Donkey Kong Country”
This show is unarguably horrendous, but its theme song is an earworm worthy of the 1990s.
“The Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog”
This series does have some fans, but we certainly are not one of them. Although it feels like it’s half “The Ren & Stimpy Show” and half “Looney Toons,” in truth, “The Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog” can’t hold a candle to either. Sure, the show captures some of the hyper-kinetic energy that Sonic is known for, but just about everything else is way out of touch.
“Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm”
Despite featuring the coolest name on this list, and perhaps of all time, “Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm” is anything but awesome. Beyond being just plain lame, this show features virtually no over-the-top violence, something the video game series made its name on.
“Street Fighter”
Attempting to build on the moderate success of the “Street Fighter” live-action movie, which starred Jean-Claude Van Damme, this animated series was a huge missed opportunity. In addition to being overly repetitive and poorly acted, this show was painfully boring.
