9 Sonic the Hedgehog 2

When the original trailer for the first Sonic movie dropped, I was horrified. The titular hedgehog looked awful, and I (a fan from back when the Genesis was new) was afraid the whole thing would stink like yesterday’s chili dogs. But the first movie proved to be a hit, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 kept the forward momentum going with a sequel as worthy as it is zany.

Fans of the franchise will enjoy how this movie incorporates familiar characters like Knuckles (voiced impeccably by Idris Elba) and Tails. Those new additions are joined by returning characters like Dr. Robotnik, once again played to mustache-twirling perfection by Jim Carrey. Admittedly, the story occasionally goes off the rails worse than some of the old Archie story arcs written by Ken Penders. But this film always gets its characters right, and their collective chemistry is guaranteed to win you over fast.

8 The Cuphead Show!

After playing Cuphead (very badly), I wasn’t surprised that we ended up with The Cuphead Show!. The core appeal of the game is that it was like a cartoon brought to life, so it was only a matter of time before this difficult title got its own animated series. Fortunately, Netflix won big when they rolled the dice on this original show, creating something nearly as eye-popping as the game.

That’s because the fantastic animation on this TV series perfectly emulates the fluid animation of the video game. The story is solid and the voice work is excellent (I particularly enjoyed Wayne Brady as King Dice), but make no mistake: it’s the animation that will keep you coming back to this show. And it’s a show that can be enjoyed by veteran fans of the game or even us filthy casuals who never beat the final level.

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7 Pokémon Concierge

The Pokémon franchise is often a victim of its own success because fans can’t help but compare new games to the ones they loved as children. TV adaptations are the same, and it’s almost impossible to recreate the charm of the beloved original anime. But Pokémon Concierge changes up the TV show formula by adapting this colorful world and its vibrant characters into a stop-motion animation format.

I’m a stop-motion superfan who adores everything from Wallace & Gromit (cheeky fun!) to Mad God (existentially haunting!). So when I saw Netflix drop a four-episode season of a stop-motion featuring Pikachu and his pals, I was all in. And my faith was rewarded: this tale of a new employee settling in at a Pokémon Resort is cozy fun of the highest order. Nothing beats this resort (or this show) when it comes to good, clean vibes, and I'm holding out for a good Pokémon spinoff game to match.

6 Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

While they made a big impact on pop culture as a whole, those live-action Tomb Raider movies never really captured the spirit of the games. That’s why I was so pleasantly surprised by Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. It closely follows the storyline of the 2013 franchise reboot, which is great for fans of those games (myself included) who enjoyed how Lara Croft was reimagined for a new age.

There are some fun voice acting surprises in here, including Ming-Na Wen and Richard Armitage. But the real scene stealer is Hayley Atwell, the Marvel veteran who brings our titular tomb raider to life. She helps provide both warmth and depth to the Lara Croft character, and she effortlessly reminds us why this is such an iconic protagonist. Croft has always been more than eye candy, and this adventure show drives that point home in style.

5 Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons and Dragons started having a moment in 2014 and just never really stopped. That was when the 5th Edition of the legendary roleplaying game was released, and it soon skyrocketed in popularity. D&D went mainstream, leading to a glut of new games, shows, and podcasts. Sadly, that popularity wasn’t enough to make Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves a commercial hit during its theatrical run.

I say “sadly” because Honor Among Thieves is an almost perfect movie. Casual moviegoers will enjoy it as a fun fantasy romp headlined by Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez. Dungeons & Dragons fans, however, will enjoy this as an immersive film that incorporates decades of world-building in every scene. If you’re looking for someone to play the RPG with in real life, just show them this movie; it’s the perfect gateway drug to the nerdiest hobby in the world, and they’ll thank you for it.

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4 Devil May Cry

The Netflix Devil May Cry anime may be one of the more controversial titles on this list. Some gamers didn’t like how much this show sidestepped the core plot of the games, instead delivering a story with far more humans and far fewer demons than anyone expected. However, as a lifelong DMC game fan, here’s my hot take: it’s good–preferable, even–for adaptations to do something new rather than slavishly copy what has come before.

For example, if you can get past some of the differences from the original games, you’ll find that Devil May Cry very faithfully brings Dante to life, and it has all of the slick, kinetic action I’ve come to expect from this franchise. The animation is smooth, and the music (including Evanescence) perfectly complements all the onscreen mayhem. Don’t be surprised if you feel the need to pick up a controller and return to the DMC games after watching an episode or two!

3 Arcane

In its own way, Arcane may be one of the best cross-promotional shows ever created. It’s set in the League of Legends universe, and that game never really grabbed me (sorry, fellow gamers, MOBAs just aren’t my bag!). But the Emmy-winning Arcane gripped me from the very first episode, focusing on two sisters whose sibling rivalry will have repercussions for the entire world. As you might imagine, these are characters from LoL, and the show fleshes out the backstory and motivations of several other game characters.

If you already love League of Legends and these characters, you’ll love a series that shows them as you’ve never seen them before. But part of Arcane’s brilliance is that the worldbuilding feels effortless and organic, allowing you to appreciate all of the lore even if you’ve never played the game. This show set the standard for video game adaptations, and I can only hope future spinoffs are even half as good as this.

2 Castlevania

Castlevania is another TV series that gamers and non-gamers alike will love. Those who already love this vampire-fighting franchise will enjoy how the show faithfully adapts material from some of the best games, including fan-favorite Symphony of the Night. But even those who never tangled with Dracula back on the NES or PSX will enjoy this anime-inspired action cartoon created by comic legend Warren Ellis.

The voicework in Castlevania is phenomenal, and I was particularly impressed by how James Callis (best known for playing Gaius Baltar in Battlestar Galactica) voiced Alucard. I also fell hard for the art style of this show, and as a longtime franchise fan, I can tell you that this fictional world has never looked better. As someone who has been playing these games since the ‘80s, it’s downright wild to see how crunchy and rewarding this generational story of good versus evil has become in this epic adult animation.

1 Free To Play

And now for something completely different! All of the other titles on this list serve as direct (more or less) adaptations of games. But Free To Play was created by gaming giant Valve and instead focuses on a trio of gamers with a very specific goal: these professional Defense of the Ancients (DotA) players are headed to compete at the biggest esports competition in the world. And win or lose, their lives will never be the same after this tournament is over.

I found myself instantly drawn to the human drama of this documentary. I was never a DotA fan and only really understood this game in the abstract, but the documentary helped me understand why it and DotA 2 were so important to players all around the world. This 2014 documentary film ultimately proves itself an adorable artifact from a simpler age, and watching it is the next best thing to time travel for nostalgic nerds like myself.

It’s an open secret that media adapting video games has always been hit or miss. Fortunately, all of these movies and TV shows manage to entertain their key audience without pandering to gamers or going off the rails entirely. Be sure to stream them on Netflix next time you need to put down the controller and give your thumbs a break!

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What's better than a good game? A good game and something to watch, of course! Check out all these killer gaming movies and TV shows on Netflix today!

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