Video games can feature grisly violence, deeply profound themes, complex characters, and intriguing parallels to real-world issues. Others are just plain funny. And some are so damn funny you can’t help but wonder what it’d be like if they were a half-hour television program. Here are some hilarious video games that would be perfect as TV sitcoms. (Hey, if Myst can get its own TV series, these should too.)
‘Warioware: Smooth Moves’
Take a trip into the certifiably-insane life of Wario, who, just like in the game, rockets from one 5-to-7 second clip to the next. Except instead of wacky micro-games, it’s ADHD-fueled skits. And it never gets old because by the time the joke is about to go stale, it switches things up. More like skit-com! (Check it out.)
‘Sam and Max’
Honestly, Sam & Max is pretty much already a cartoon sitcom. These games are about as funny as they come. In this show, Sam (a detective dog who can wisecrack like a pop culture genius) and Max (a hyper, prone-to-gleeful-violence-at-any-moment rabbit) solve crimes through clever detective work and even cleverer humor. (Check it out.)
‘Portal’
There may not be a more passive-aggressive, dangerous and funny companion than GlaDOS from Portal. This sitcom would revolve around GlaDOS, the various turret guns, Chell (with her portal gun), and of course, the Weighted Companion Cube. Watch as hilarious and scientifically mind-bending scenarios develop throughout Aperture Laboratories. And it’s opening theme song is “The Cake is a Lie.” (Check it out.)
‘Portal 2’
This spin-off features newcomers Cave Johnson (hilariously voiced by J.K. Simmons), Wheatley (voiced by the brilliant Stephen Merchant) and the ever-inquisitive robotic twins P-Body and Atlas, along with GlaDOS and Chell. The main difference is this game takes place outside of the test chambers more often than in, and features even more off-the-wall insane storylines and situations. (Check it out.)
‘Octodad: Dadliest Catch’
This is a game where you play as an octopus who pretends he’s a human being in order to successfully raise a family in the suburbs. As long as you’re wearing human clothing and you don’t do silly things like knock stuff over because it’s s’damn hard to walk upright by using tentacles as your legs, no one can tell you’re an octopus. This is prime sitcom material, people, and could even get away with being a little on the “offensive” side since there are no anti-defamation groups for cephalopods. (Check it out.)
‘Conker’s Bad Fur Day’
There may not be a more sitcom-worthy game than Conker’s Bad Fur Day. In this fine specimen, Conker (a crude, alcoholic anti-hero squirrel) is on a never-ending quest to cure his hangovers, make money, and reunite with his hot squirrel girlfriend. There will be plenty of breaking-the-fourth-wall jokes, parodies of classic movies, over-the-top violence, and visits to original game locales, like the beehive, the graveyard, and Poo Mountain. Rated TV-MA for bad language, partial nudity, comedic violence and constant references to bodily functions. (Check it out.)
‘Grim Fandango’
One of the most artistically stunning, amusing and all-around cool games of all-time, Grim Fandango would most certainly make a great sitcom. This amusing film noir piece of video gaming history follows the adventures of Manny Calavera, a Dia de los Muertos-esque skeleton who travels through the Land of the Dead (beautifully imagined as a mix between 1930s art deco and Mexican art). Unique characters, environments, culture and situations make for what would be a totally funny-to-the-bone and one-of-a-kind TV show. (Check it out.)
‘Psychonauts’
A summer camp for psychics who have adventures inside other’s minds to unravel mysteries is the perfect breeding ground for episode after episode of colorful settings, hilarious happenings and engrossing storylines. Move over Salute Your Shorts, this would be the best summer camp show of all time. (Check it out.)
‘Halo’
Okay, to be fair we already know that Halo would be an awesome sitcom. This is nothing more than a shameless show of appreciation for 12 seasons (and counting) of Red vs. Blue. (Check it out.)
Photo: YouTube