Games with fiction spin-offs?

[phreakindee]

With the Elder Scrolls games getting the official novel treatment here soon, that got me thinking about other games, especially classic games, that got a fiction tie-in before or after the game released. Yar's Revenge came to mind with the comic book and of course Atari Force, and more recently there was a set of Halo novels and Gears of War graphic novels... But were there many more pre-2000? I'm pretty sure Mario and Sonic got some if I remember...

And are there any you would have liked to have seen? I think some like Monkey Island and Fallout would be great, if done properly.

[Kitsune Sniper]

http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/games-made-into-books

;)

[phreakindee]

http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/games-made-into-books

;)


Well that's a nice list, but I was looking for something a bit more human in response, like any recommendations... Or titles of books? This only shows the game name, and searching for game books online essentially condemns you to a slow death from searching through mountains of strategy guides.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Well I'm SORRY for trying to help. Jeez.

Some of those game entries have comments in the trivia sections. Pah. :P

[shopkins]

There were a few series of Nintendo novels for young adults, I think one was called the Worlds of Power series, and they weren't just about Nintendo-owned characters like Mario. One of them even featured Infiltrator and promised a hint to how to land the helicopter. Since I could never land the helicopter when I saw the book I eagerly pulled it off the shelf and skipped straight to the hint. Which was just a repetition of what was in the manual, written in a tone that seemed to be mocking me. I threw that bullshit angrily back on the shelf and avoided Nintendo books after that, and 15 years later I found out that the reason I couldn't land the helicopter was that if you get too much damage it's impossible.

There was also a hilarious Metal Gear novel in that series where Snake picks up dozens of guns but never uses them, they even removed the gun from his hands on the cover, and Simon's Quest and Blaster Master novels.

Much later there were a few Halo novels that gave a lot of insight into the game's backstory. If you want to know what Master Chief's real name is, you can find it in one of the novels.

[Ro-J]

I've got to check out those Worlds of Power books sometime just to check out how they got any type of legitimate story out of Bases Loaded II: Second Season.

[mezrabad]

Funny you should bring this up, I just found a copy of Lynn Abbey's The Forge of Virtue, a fiction that takes place in the Ultima universe. To be honest, I have no plans of reading it any time soon, but it's still funny you brought it up.

I found the novelizations of some D&D games to fun to read, Baldur's Gate and the AD&D Gold Box Seriers for instance, but I wouldn't ever recommend them as a book lover's feast, more like very light snacks.

I have heard that the Halo books are very interesting in that they really deepen the scope of the Halo Universe. I'm actually most interested in checking those out after I've gotten around to actually finish playing Halo.

Oh, of course, how could I forget? Betrayal at Krondor was a computer gamefirst and later became a book. If you have enjoyed any of Raymond E. Fiest's work, you will enjoy Betrayal at Krondor...

I didn't actually know that Elder Scrolls was getting the Novel treatment, that's good to know!

Anyway, the question was what I'd like to have seen in book form and the first thing that pops to mind is System Shock. I'd really have enjoyed reading either of those games. Ditto for BioShock.

Escape from the MindMaster might make an interesting short story, come to think of it...

[Kid Fenris]

A number of popular Japanese games, mostly RPG and strategy titles, inspired novel series in the 1990s. Of course, none of these spin-offs was released in the West, and I don't know where to find a list of them.

If it helps, I've got a two-part series based on Emerald Dragon. One of the books even had this note inside.

http://www.kidfenris.com/edinsert.jpg

[shopkins]

I've got to check out those Worlds of Power books sometime just to check out how they got any type of legitimate story out of Bases Loaded II: Second Season.

They just made one up. What's funnier is, they also just made up a lot of storyline elements for the Blaster Master novel and, having nothing better to go on, the Playstation sequel actually used those elements for its backstory.

There's a good article about them here:

http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3152540

[tom]

Of course the Synapse/Broderbund Electronic Novels had them already packed as one:
http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=220437&g2_serialNumber=1

http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=232069&g2_serialNumber=1

http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=232076&g2_serialNumber=1

[PapaStu]

Well I don't know much about classic games/books, but I have read/own a bunch of the stuff thats been based on Modern gaming. This is what I can remember off the top of my head.

Halo - 6 books; most are actually pretty good, save for the one that was actually based on the first game, writing was bad, but the extra story was interesting
Brute Force - wasn't bad, but I don't remember much about it now, so I guess not that good.
Crimson Skies - a bunch of short stories, I liked it.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell - 3 books; nothing great, but I got all of them at the airport on seperate flights and they kept me entertained enough to buy the next one if I find a new one.
Gears of War - haven't read
Tom Clancy's End War - haven't read
Perfect Dark Zero - haven't read
Metal Gear Solid - i'm somewhere in the beginning of it, good so far.


@ Kitsune
That link doesn't really help much. For example, there are no books based on Halo 2 or 3, stuff mentioned in a number of the books has worked its way into the games (or vice versa), but no actual books have been done chronicling the games themselves.

[shopkins]

There are recent Doom 3 novels. They actually sound like they might be rather good, from the plot descriptions. Shock, I know.

http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/Doom_3_novels

There's also an incredibly awful Doom comic book, you can probably find scans of it online. It's just hilariously bad.

Edit: Here it is:

http://www.doomworld.com/10years/doomcomic/comic.php

[Push Upstairs]

"Now I'm radioactive! That can't be good!"

[Dire 51]

My co-author and I integrated our story series The Chronicles of the Raven into the Strider universe (along with references to the various Strider clones, Gradius and Splatterhouse). In fact, the better part of two story arcs are intertwined with the events of Strider 2. That count?

[j_factor]

There's a novelization of Road Avenger (http://www.theroadavenger.com/). It's not from back in the day, either -- it's new.

[Blanka789]

There's a novelization of Road Avenger (http://www.theroadavenger.com/). It's not from back in the day, either -- it's new.

Very unexpected, and very intriguing.

[The 1 2 P]

Definitely check out the Halo novels. I'm on number 5 and all have been interestingly good reads. Shinobi had a comic book that came bundled with the strategy guide. The Darkness was based off an ongoing Top Cow comic book. Similarly there have been comics made for the Tekken, Street Fighter, Fear Effect, Halo and Gears of War series, among others. And I'd also recommend the Ninja Gaiden novel from the already mentioned Worlds of Power Nintendo series of books.

[phreakindee]

Thanks for all the replies, I'll be checking some of these out for sure. Blaster Master novel has me very curious. And that DOOM comic is absolutely classic, wow

[Melf]

Very unexpected, and very intriguing.

I was sent an early manuscript by the author this week. Expect a full preview at Sega-16 soon.

[Gameguy]

Zork had a few books written about it.

[j_factor]

I was sent an early manuscript by the author this week. Expect a full preview at Sega-16 soon.

I look forward to it. I don't even own Road Avenger, but it sounds pretty interesting.

[slapdash]

Crimson Skies - a bunch of short stories, I liked it.

There are like *6* CS books, but most are based on the miniatures game, technically. I'm still debating if I should buy them or not...


Perfect Dark Zero - haven't read

I believe there's also a sequel to this one.


There are recent Doom 3 novels.

2 out of 3 out so far; and there were four original ones.

Oh and, there was a Hellgate trilogy, two Mass Effect books, a Primal Rage novel... Even Starcraft Ghost, despite the game not being released.


There's a novelization of Road Avenger (http://www.theroadavenger.com/).

But not available yet? Doesn't seem to be anyway.

[sidnotcrazy]

I had, and actually read most of the World's of Power Blaster Master book. It wasn't that bad actually. For a game that starts out with your pet frog exscaping, and turning into a giant mutant...I don't think I could have done better with the subject material.

[Dr. Dib]

I had, and actually read most of the World's of Power Blaster Master book. It wasn't that bad actually. For a game that starts out with your pet frog exscaping, and turning into a giant mutant...I don't think I could have done better with the subject material.

I remember some magazine or website showing off books based on video games. They didn't review the books, but they gave special mention to Blaster Master because of the lame story.

I should probably also add something constructive. I know there were a few novelizations of the Mario and Sonic games. I remember reading a Mario one that was a choose your own adventure book. The Sonic one was actually a novelization of a SATAM episode. I also remember seeing another children's Sonic book based on SATAM with a story similar to Sonic's Labyrynth. I also have a Donkey Kong Country book. All of these were made for children though, which is expected.

There have also been a good amount of Warcraft books. They do add something to the lore and are fairly good reads.

[Astrocade]

I remember some magazine or website showing off books based on video games. They didn't review the books, but they gave special mention to Blaster Master because of the lame story.

I should probably also add something constructive. I know there were a few novelizations of the Mario and Sonic games. I remember reading a Mario one that was a choose your own adventure book. The Sonic one was actually a novelization of a SATAM episode. I also remember seeing another children's Sonic book based on SATAM with a story similar to Sonic's Labyrynth. I also have a Donkey Kong Country book. All of these were made for children though, which is expected.

There have also been a good amount of Warcraft books. They do add something to the lore and are fairly good reads.


Those "Choose your own Adventure" style Nintendo books were known as the Nintendo Adventure series. The aforementioned Zork series was written in the same format.

There was a few Pac Man books. Pac Man and the Ghost Diggers and Ms Pac Man's Prize Pupil are two off the top of my head.