History Main / TheProblemWithLicensedGames

** ''Shrek: Dragon's Tale'' for the V.Smile was infamouse for its [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KT-kasO1HNY blatant use of pre-existing Video Game Music]] from Creator/{{Nintendo}}, Creator/SquareEnix, Etc.

* ''[=SpongeBob HeroPants=]'' (a video game tie-in to ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOutOfWater''), is the second of two ''Franchise/{{SpongeBob|SquarePants}}'' games released under Creator/{{Activision}} and a direct follow-up to ''[[VideoGame/SpongeBobSquarePantsPlanktonsRoboticRevenge Plankton's Robotic Revenge]]'' while suffering from many of the same problems. Dull platforming, tiresome combat, mediocre graphics (doesn't help that it was stuck on handhelds and the then previous-gen Platform/Xbox360), and a plot that barely has anything to do with the film except for the fact that the cast's superhero forms return (including a [[UnintentionalUncannyValley horrifically-rendered photorealistic CG Sandy]]). It served as a FranchiseKiller for the [=SpongeBob=] video game franchise until Creator/THQNordic got the publishing rights to the series back and put out ''Battle For Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated'', a remake of ''[[VideoGame/SpongeBobSquarePantsBattleForBikiniBottom Battle For Bikini Bottom]]'' which revived the series. Though [=SpongeBob=] still wouldn't get any entirely new games until ''[[VideoGame/SpongeBobSquarePantsTheCosmicShake The Cosmic Shake]]'' in 2023, which proved that the series is back on track.

** While ''VideoGame/MonstersIncScreamTeam'' is a [[SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames well-regarded]] [=3D=] platformer in its own right, the same can't be said for the far more obscure [=PS2=]-exclusive ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'' game, which has [[UnintentionalUncannyValley ugly]] graphics that look about on par with a [=PS1=] game, poorly designed platforming with extremely difficult sections early on in the game (the second level features a mail train segment which lasts a long time and instantly kills Sulley if he falls at any point while the third level has both a chimney segment which requires pinpoint-perfect reflexes and accuracy and a zipline that takes you right back to the beginning of the level [[GuideDangIt without telling you]]) and [[DemotedToExtra demotes Mike to an NPC]]. To top it all off, the game adapts the movie's plot [[AdaptationInducedPlotHole so badly]] that it comes off as a RandomEventsPlot, and has an insulting AWinnerIsYou ending that doesn't actually resolve anything the game brings up.

* '' Ride/UniversalStudios Theme Park Adventure'' for the Platform/NintendoGameCube. The game is a MinigameGame where you play as a random kid in the eponymous theme park trying to get on the rides based on Creator/{{Universal}}'s [[Film/{{Jaws}} famous]] [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture movie]] [[Franchise/JurassicPark franchises]]. The game is saddled with extremely monotonous and boring gameplay. In order to get on any of the attractions and rides in the park, you don't do anything reasonable like trying to get tickets, no. You have to run around the park picking up garbage, and there's a ''lot'' of it. Navigation around the park is difficult as the camera doesn't follow your character, and you're given no map, so it's very easy to get lost. To make matters worse, the minigame attractions themselves are very brief, one-note, have bad controls, a bad camera, or contain all of the four problems, making the excruciating, convoluted effort to get access to them not even worth it. The WebVideo/AngryVideoGameNerd looks at the game [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVf9-wEzGvc here]].

* ''VideoGame/SonicBoom: Rise of Lyric'' (a RecursiveAdaptation, since [[WesternAnimation/SonicBoom the cartoon it's based on]] is in turn adapted from the regular ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series) garnered a number of criticisms since its release:

** ''WWE 2K20'' was the first WWE game developed by Visual Concepts[[note]]Mainly known for their well regarded ''2K'' sports games series, which was created after Electronic Arts refused to provide any of their sports games to the Platform/{{Dreamcast}} (though as of 2022 the only license they have left is the NBA)[[/note]]. For one, it's a noticeable step down from 2K19, the last WWE game that was developed by Yuke's. It's also an ObviousBeta, as many bugs were present at its release. It also eschewed features out from the previous installment. It was so critically reviled that the developers skipped the next year to work on the next installment (meaning there is no ''WWE 2K21''). Thankfully, ''2K22'' was seen as a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel, fixing many issues that 2K20 had.

* Pack-in-Video developed a good chunk of video games based on either movies or TV shows in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Some were either [[SoOkayItsAverage otherwise average]] or just bad. Some of those games include ''VideoGame/KnightRider'', ''VideoGame/FridayThe13th'', ''Film/{{Predator}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Rambo}}'', and ''Film/DieHard''...all of which were released on the Platform/{{NES}}, published by either [[Creator/LJNToys LJN]] or Creator/{{Acclaim}} (although ''Film/DieHard'' and ''Predator'' were published by Creator/{{Activision}}).

** ''VideoGame/ArielTheLittleMermaid'' was developed by ''Creator/BlueSkySoftware'' for the Platform/SegaGenesis, and so could offer fancier graphics than Creator/{{Capcom}}'s [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] game ''VideoGame/TheLittleMermaid'', which is better in almost every other way. It also ''tries'' for greater complexity of gameplay, but ends up forcing the player to swim around labyrinthine levels with unresponsive controls and terrible collision detection hunting for [[ForcedTransformation transformed]] friends to shoot musical notes at; these musical notes are also a very weak primary attack. Flounder and Sebastian can be summoned, but don't really help much. After slowly putting down FinalBoss Ursula, the ending consists mainly of a [[AWinnerIsYou "Congratulations!" screen]].

** Then came ''Anarchy Rulz'', which has been considered one of the worst professional wrestling games of all time. The cheating AI still exists and it does little, if anything, to address the problems from ''Hardcore Revolution''. Its tepid reception helped serve as the FranchiseKiller for ECW video games[[note]]The promotion itself closed down about 6 months after ''Anarchy Rulz'' was released, so it would have been the final ECW game regardless[[/note]].

** ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' had two games for the Platform/SegaGenesis by Creator/{{Sunsoft}}, each based on one of the title characters. ''[[VideoGame/DisneysBeautyAndTheBeastBellesQuest Belle's Quest]]'' was a fairly lame collection of minigames, and ''[[VideoGame/DisneysBeautyAndTheBeastRoarOfTheBeast Roar of the Beast]]'' was an uninspired platformer. The Platform/{{NES}} and Platform/{{SNES}} [[VideoGame/DisneysBeautyAndTheBeastSNES games developed by]] Creator/HudsonSoft did not improve much on the gameplay of ''Roar of the Beast'' either.

As of TheNewTens, the video games version of this phenomenon has largely (though not completely) faded away. The first reason is that the economics of game development made licensed games less viable: as video games were established as a multi-billion dollar industry, media and sport licensors caught on and greatly increased the cost necessary to get a license. This meant getting any random IP for the sake of name recognition became a less viable tactic, and along with the rise of cost of retail video game development, restricted the profitable licenses worth acquiring to only the biggest video game publishers or the licensors themselves, with companies such as Creator/WarnerBros investing heavily into video game publishing and treating video games of their properties just as seriously as any other component of the ExpandedUniverse. Indeed, video games have increasingly been seen as a narrative medium in their own right, making a straight adaptation of a film a less inticing proposition. How can it have a compelling story if you've probably already seen the movie and know what to expect? Mind you, this isn't much an issue for all licenses, e.g. a game based on a comic book or less serialized TV series can just tell an original story, but it can still fall victim to the other problems mentioned here.

The second reason for the downfall of this trend in video games is that, quite simply, consumers eventually caught on to the poor quality of licensed games and stopped buying them. This, combined with the death of the worst offenders of this trope such as Acclaim and Creator/{{THQ}} (which itself stated its desire to stop being associated with bad licensed games marketed for kids before its bankruptcy), means licensed games are far less numerous in recent times and are more likely to either be {{Mobile Phone Game}}s that aren't much worse than other mobile games not tied to an existing IP or blockbuster titles that aren't mandated to tie into some upcoming release, averting the development issues that made most licensed games bad. "Traditional" rushed cash-ins still exist, but they're nowhere near as common as they used to be.

A related trope is the phenomenon, prior to MediaNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983, wherein many non-videogame companies - up to and including Quaker Oats - had a gaming division.

As of TheNewTens, the video games version of this phenomenon has largely (though not completely) faded away. The first reason is that the economics of game development made licensed games less viable: as video games were established as a multi-billion dollar industry, media and sport licensors caught on and greatly increased the cost necessary to get a license. This meant getting any random IP for the sake of name recognition became a less viable tactic, and along with the rise of cost of retail video game development, restricted the profitable licenses worth acquiring to only the biggest video game publishers or the licensors themselves, with companies such as Creator/WarnerBros investing heavily into video game publishing and treating video games of their properties just as seriously as any other component of the ExpandedUniverse. Indeed, video games have increasingly been seen as a narrative medium in their own right, making a straight adaptation of a film less promising: it won't have a compelling story since you've probably already seen the movie and know what to expect. Mind you, a game based on a comic book can still tell an original story, but if it's based on a movie or TV show, its only chance of being taken seriously is if it's a prequel, inter-quel, or tells some kind of side-story parellel to the one on the big screen, though it can still fall victim to other problems listed here.

The second reason is that, quite simply, consumers eventually caught on to the poor quality of licensed games and stopped buying them. This, combined with the death of the worst offenders of this trope such as Acclaim and Creator/{{THQ}} (which itself stated its desire to stop being associated with bad licensed games marketed for kids before its bankruptcy), means licensed games are far less numerous in recent times and are more likely to either be {{Mobile Phone Game}}s that aren't much worse than other mobile games not tied to an existing IP or blockbuster titles that aren't mandated to tie into some upcoming release, averting the development issues that made most licensed games bad. "Traditional" rushed cash-ins still exist, but they're nowhere near as common as they used to be.

[[SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames There are exceptions]], of course. A pretty good chunk of these were either released years after the source material or were based on a franchise that had been running for years, thus relieving the time pressure often inherent in licensed games. This Trope is so widespread, it's probably easier to list only JustForFun/{{egregious}} examples. ''[[SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames Exceptions should be listed on their own page.]]'' See SpiritualAdaptation for a way some games go around this, intentionally or not. Quite often, this Trope is a result of a product being ChristmasRushed.

As of TheNewTens, the video games version of this phenomenon has largely (though not completely) faded away. The first reason is that the economics of game development made licensed games less viable: as video games were established as a multi-billion dollar industry, media and sport licensors caught on and greatly increased the cost necessary to get a license. This meant getting any random IP for the sake of name recognition became a less viable tactic, and along with the rise of cost of retail video game development, restricted the profitable licenses worth acquiring to only the biggest video game publishers or the licensors themselves, with companies such as Creator/WarnerBros investing heavily into video game publishing and treating video games of their properties just as seriously as any other component of the ExpandedUniverse. The other factor is that, quite simply, consumers eventually caught on to the poor quality of licensed games and stopped buying them. This, combined with the death of the worst offenders of this trope such as Acclaim and Creator/{{THQ}} (which itself stated its desire to stop being associated with bad licensed games marketed for kids before its bankruptcy), means licensed games are far less numerous in recent times and are more likely to either be {{Mobile Phone Game}}s that aren't much worse than other mobile games not tied to an existing IP or blockbuster titles that aren't mandated to tie into some upcoming release, averting the development issues that made most licensed games bad. "Traditional" rushed cash-ins still exist, but they're nowhere near as common as they used to be.

Another reason for their decline is the fact that video games have increasingly been seen as a narrative medium in their own right. A game that's just a straight adaptation of a film won't have a compelling story since you've probably already seen the movie and know what to expect. Mind you, a game based on a comic book can still tell an original story, but if it's based on a movie or TV show, its only chance of being taken seriously is if it's a prequel, inter-quel, or tells some kind of side-story parellel to the one on the big screen, though it can still fall victim to other problems listed here.

** ''Ariel: WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' was developed for the Platform/SegaGenesis, and so could offer fancier graphics than Creator/{{Capcom}}'s [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] game ''VideoGame/TheLittleMermaid'', which is better in almost every other way. It also ''tries'' for greater complexity of gameplay, but ends up forcing the player to swim around labyrinthine levels with unresponsive controls and terrible collision detection hunting for [[ForcedTransformation transformed]] friends to shoot musical notes at; these musical notes are also a very weak primary attack. Flounder and Sebastian can be summoned, but don't really help much. After slowly putting down FinalBoss Ursula, the ending consists mainly of a [[AWinnerIsYou "Congratulations!" screen]].

** ''Transformers'' has a weak trading card game primarily based on the [[Film/{{Transformers}} live-action movies]]. It's a "3D Battle-Card Game" that certainly has its flaws: characters are represented as punch-out buildable cards that can either be built as vehicles/animals or out-of-proportion, poorly rendered robots ([[http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/thumb/1/10/3DBattleCard_OptimusPrime.jpg/300px-3DBattleCard_OptimusPrime.jpg here's Optimus, for those interested]]), and the game can easily be played without the card models. Only two sets were released.

** ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' had two games for the Genesis, each based on one of the title characters. ''Belle's Quest'' was a fairly lame collection of minigames, and ''Roar of the Beast'' was an uninspired platformer. The Platform/{{NES}} and Platform/{{SNES}} games did not improve much on ''Roar of the Beast'' either.

* The American vehicle manufacturer Ford and its racing association Ford Racing has their series of games based of that association. One notable game of the series is ''Ford Racing Off Road'' (or simply ''Off Road'' in PAL regions) which is easily the worst of all the series to the point of killing the franchise for good. The game is [[NintendoHard brutally hard]] with aggressive AI, wonky physics and handling. It is also notable of having a [[LuckBasedMission luck-based minigame]] named "[[ThatOneLevel Expedition]]" in where the player must collect five artifacts scattered on the track in a very strict time and every restart, the artifacts locations dissapear making the game frustrating. Worst of all, it gives with NoEnding not even [[AWinnerIsYou a congratulatory screen]] after all the hard work of completing every race in both Career and Tournament modes.
* ''Chuck E. Cheese's Party Games'' is just a boring pack of minigames that can be played with tokens in order to win tickets. Running out of tokens requires you to do pizzas in Pasqually's Pizza Parlor in order to win tokens. Not to mention in order to beat the game you must claim the golden chest which costs [[FakeLongevity 30,000 tickets when you can only win only few tickets around 5-100]] and gets boring whenever you will play the same games again and again. There's even an [[ThatOneAchievement achievement]] that requires you to claim the golden chest with every character meaning that requires ''''[[FromBadToWorse 300,000 tickets]]'''' in total. [[SarcasmMode Have fun!]]

* George Foreman lent his name and likeness to two Acclaim boxing games in the 1990s, both of which fall under this trope:
** The first, ''George Foreman's KO Boxing'', suffers from extremely monotonous gameplay that suffers from severely broken hit detection, along with a severe case of TheComputerIsACheatingBastard, turning every fight into an aggravating LuckBasedMission. It does feature the novelty of voice acting by Foreman himself, albeit the Genesis port conspicuously freezes up every time it delivers a speech sample. The 8-bit versions of the game are even worse, with the NES and Game Boy versions feeling like lame ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' clones, and the Master System and Game Gear versions being probably the worst of the lot, ending up as {{Reformulated Game}}s that go for a more ''Street Fighter''-like perspective, but ratcheting up the difficulty to completely absurd levels while making the controls even worse.
** The second, ''Foreman For Real'', is admittedly an improvement on its predecessor, with reasonably impressive graphics and sound for a 16-bit title, even if it loses the voice acting from Foreman. However, the gameplay is still monotonous and repetitive, and, in the complete opposite of ''KO Boxing'', it's actually pretty easy to exploit weaknesses in the AI and win every match in a CurbStompBattle.

* Discussed in ''WebVideo/{{Kohdok}}'''s "The Seven Deadly Sins of TCG Design", which examines the reasons why so many {{Collectible Card Game}}s fail to catch on. The fifth sin is licensing -- like licensed video games, licensed trading card games usually turn out bad. Common issues include games being [[ChristmasRushed rushed]], ExecutiveMeddling in general, and an [[DancingBear over-reliance on gimmicks]]. Kohdok also states that trading card games based on movies don't work because a single movie doesn't provide enough content to keep a TCG going for years.

** ''Franchise/{{Zorro}}'' was a clone of the original ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia'' games featuring sluggish controls and unforgiving platforming.

** ''VideoGame/DisneyPrincessEnchantedJourney'' is a really easy game with zero challenge at all. Minigames are dull and basic, the Bogs are the only enemies in the entire game and are very weak, the player can't get killed by all means, clunky controls especially in Wii version, can be completed within a few hours or less and the only unlockables in the entire game is just the Belle minigame in where the player must avoid the Bogs after completing all of the princesses worlds and the Golden dress that can be unlocked after beating the game. To top it off, in [=PS2=], the save file size in the memory card is '''1,200KB''' which is unnecessary for a game that lacks replay value especially in [=8MB=] memory cards even compared to many popular game franchises from that console like ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed'', ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'', ''VideoGame/GranTurismo'', ''VideoGame/{{Burnout}}'' which has far more replay value and requires either more-or-less [=KBs=] to save those games than this game.

** ''TabletopGame/Spellfire'', a hastily put together CCG based on ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' and mostly reused art, created by Creator/{{TSR}} to cash in on the Magic fad while it lasted. Three years later, TSR went ''bankrupt'' and was bought by WOTC, the creators of Magic... but not before being reduced to using photos of TSR employees in extremely crude costumes as card "art."

** ''[=SpellFire=]'', a hastily put together CCG based on ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' and mostly reused art, created by Creator/{{TSR}} to cash in on the Magic fad while it lasted. Three years later, TSR went ''bankrupt'' and was bought by WOTC, the creators of Magic... but not before being reduced to using photos of TSR employees in extremely crude costumes as card "art."

A related trope is the phenomenon, prior to UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983, wherein many non-videogame companies - up to and including Quaker Oats - had a gaming division.

* For a short time, Burger King had three UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}[=/=]UsefulNotes/Xbox360 games that starred their namesake [[Advertising/TheBurgerKing King]] character. Gameplay's simplistic and boring, the graphics are underwhelming for the platform and reviews ranged from bad to awful. Their only redeeming quality is that they were $4 and the main character is Creepy Burger King Mask Guy, which puts them dangerously close to SoBadItsGood territory. (The game ''Sneak King'' involves ''sneaking up on'' hungry people and ''forcing'' them to eat Burger King food.) With these in mind, they sold millions and became {{Cult Classic}}s for many gamers.
** The graphics are ''somewhat'' justified by the fact that they are playable on both the Xbox 360 and the original Xbox, with the game made to take advantage of the 360's backwards compatibility. It doesn't explain the texture pop-ins that sometimes look ''worse'' than a [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation [=PS1=]]] game at times.

** One such example is the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} game ''Harley-Davidson: Road Trip''. You play the role of a motorjournalist for HOG Magazine (based on the real-world publication of the same name), and are given a series of assignments on a motorbike by the company. The game was largely panned as a mere cash-in, with mediocre graphics, poorly-conceived gameplay elements and a hidden object-esque photography mode where you get off your bike and take pictures of random objects which have practically nothing to do with Harleys. There is also a free ride mode where players can cruise on a given track, but you'd be better off riding a motorbike in RealLife due to the lack of interesting scenery.
* ''Smarties Meltdown'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 is a 2006 platformer by Europress and Koch Media based on the British chocolate candy (not to be confused with the American fruit tablet candy of the same name) that are comparable to America's Advertising/MAndMs. The ''entire game'' takes place in a Smarties factory [[RecycledInSpace in space]], which leads to a lack of variety in level environments. The entire game just feels tacky and cheaply made, with the actual levels being frustrating to navigate due to not being designed around the game's tank controls (an already long-obsolete control scheme for a platformer by 2006). The music is minimalistic, there's a [[ExcusePlot generic]] story about saving your friends from a MadScientist, a [[DifficultySpike sudden last level jump in difficulty]] if one makes it that far, and [[AWinnerIsYou a short and unsatisfying ending]] where the credits don't even roll. Also [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the game's interface is written with Comic Sans]]. This alone makes it feel like most of the budget went to the publisher gaining the Smarties license and hiring Dave Benson Phillips (a 1990s British children's presenter most recognizable for ''Series/GetYourOwnBack'', who at the time of 2006 was not very relevant to the public) to voice the game's main protagonist, Big Blue.

* ''[[{{Animation/Pucca}} Pucca's Kisses Game]]'' for the ''UsefulNotes/WiiWare'' service attemps to mix Auto-Runner with Point and click adventure and does it ''[[FakeDifficulty very]]'' [[{{Waggle}} poorly]].

* ''WesternAnimation/BebesKids'' isn't a great movie to begin with, but its [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] licensed game, developed by Creator/RadicalEntertainment, is one of the worst to be found on that system. Wretched controls, hideous graphics, dull music, unintelligent yet tough enemies, a two-minute timer... and that's just the first level. It doesn't get better from there.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'' received a video game adaptation for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} that went way too far in becoming a PragmaticAdaptation. The game is more than playable and does a solid job of recreating the source material and getting some of the voice actors of the movie to reprise their roles. It finds its spot here, however, due to the mediocre graphics and dull gameplay consisting of bland minigames and mission objectives. The story falls short as well since the game can't seem to make up its mind on whether or not it wants to follow the movie or just do its own thing. Chunks of the story are omitted, with heavy BroadStrokes and awkward character dialogue [[HeKnowsAboutTimedHits that explains the game's]] controls, which to some defeats the purpose of the game even more, as one is just better off just sticking to watching the movie. On the higher note, the soundtrack is [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic excellent]], and the GameOver screen [[ItsAWonderfulFailure is very memorable]]. The UsefulNotes/NintendoDS version of the game, however, [[SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames is a different story]].
* Don't expect much going into the Console and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoDS DS]] versions of ''WesternAnimation/HappyFeet'' the video game. It is essentially a weak ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' clone with bland fishing and sliding levels spliced in between.

* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' has two different game adaptations, both of which (especially the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] versions) are quite dreadful:

** The other version, developed for [=PCs=], while not outright horrendous, still isn't good enough to avoid falling into this trope. While it wasn't as frustrating to play, it has very dated graphics that barely stand up next to an early UsefulNotes/PlayStation game (despite releasing in 2001!), the controls are very slippery (though considering what happened to the [=PS2/GameCube=] versions, it could have been worse), the animation is very limited and eye-gouging (characters look like lifeless puppets and are ''completely motionless'' during conversation), the game is very short-clocking in at about two hours, the gameplay, while more functional, is very dull and uninteresting primarily consisting of one FetchQuest after another, and it bears very little resemblance to the movie in terms of plot (though still more than what can be said for the [=PS2/GameCube=] versions). About the only redeeming factor is the original voice cast being present.
* While ''VideoGame/TheLEGOMovieVideogame'' [[SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames is the opposite of this trope]], its sequel, ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie2TheSecondPart The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame]]'', isn't. Many of its issues are due to being built off of ''VideoGame/LEGOWorlds'', which includes all the flaws from that game (such as the camera system clipping through the terrain in several parts, for example). The real kicker here though, is that the game does a half-assed job at adapting the story. None of the cutscenes are voiced (or recreations of the scenes from the movie!), with only Lucy narrating everything, and the ending is blatantly unfinished. Many of the side quests drag on for too long, the worlds are uninspired, none of the characters have their own unique abilities, and the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch version of the game [[PortingDisaster has a plethora of performance problems.]] The result is an ObviousBeta that many fans consider to be the worst [[VideoGame/LEGOAdaptationGame LEGO game]] ever released.

** There are multiple racing games, one of which, ''Swamp Kart Speedway'' for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance, sticks out with its hideous graphics and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XSrNlYtamM bizarre, awful menu music]] on top of being a blatant ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' rip-off. The worst part about that game is that every time a racer passes you, they go "Bye-bye!" (taken from the scene in the movie where Shrek tries to explain to Donkey how "ogres have layers"). And the same "Bye-bye!" sound is used for every single character.
** ''Fairy Tale Freakdown'' is also a good example, being very easy, having bad controls and the mugshots of the characters [[UnintentionalUncannyValley trying too hard to emulate a CGI appearance]] (the game was released on the ''UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor'').
** Even more insulting is that the first ''VideoGame/{{Shrek}}'' game was supposed to show off the hardware capabilities of the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, and was actually supposed to be an original IP before being repurposed into a ''Shrek'' game. The end result is a wannabe TechDemoGame that impressed absolutely nobody, suffering from mediocre gameplay, terrible CameraScrew, and abysmal audio. Its supposed UpdatedRerelease for the UsefulNotes/GameCube (named ''Shrek Extra Large'') is ''[[PortingDisaster even worse]]'', with a graphical downgrade and poor frame rate issues.

* ''[=SpongeBob HeroPants=]'' (a video game tie-in to ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOutOfWater''), is the second of two ''Franchise/{{SpongeBob|SquarePants}}'' games released under Creator/{{Activision}} and a direct follow-up to ''[[VideoGame/SpongeBobSquarePantsPlanktonsRoboticRevenge Plankton's Robotic Revenge]]'' while suffering from many of the same problems. Dull platforming, tiresome combat, mediocre graphics (doesn't help that it was stuck on handhelds and the then previous-gen UsefulNotes/Xbox360), and a plot that barely has anything to do with the film except for the fact that the cast's superhero forms return (including a [[UnintentionalUncannyValley horrifically-rendered photorealistic CG Sandy]]). It served as a FranchiseKiller for the [=SpongeBob=] video game franchise until Creator/THQNordic got the publishing rights to the series back and put out ''Battle For Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated'', a remake of ''[[VideoGame/SpongeBobSquarePantsBattleForBikiniBottom Battle For Bikini Bottom]]'' which revived the series. Though [=SpongeBob=] still wouldn't get any entirely new games until ''[[VideoGame/SpongeBobSquarePantsTheCosmicShake The Cosmic Shake]]'' in 2023, which proved that the series is back on track.

* The UsefulNotes/{{NES}} game based on ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfTomSawyer'' has Tom on a mission to save Becky who has been kidnapped by Injun Joe. Sounds somewhat like what might have been in the book. Except on the way, Tom has to go through different levels with pirates, purple gorillas, demons, giant octopi, enormous alligators, a giant helicarrier airship, and a Loch Ness monster. It goes without saying that none of this was in the Creator/MarkTwain book.

** ''Animorphs: Shattered Reality'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation is a classic example. Horrific controls, crappy graphics, annoying and downright weird sound, no sense of storyline whatsoever, and the main gimmick only being used in specific (rare) instances in-game; [[FridgeLogic these things make baby Andalites cry.]] This is not made any better by the fact that the game looks like a re-skinned ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot''. Even the animations look almost exactly like Crash's, and the Wumpa fruit has been changed to "A" coins.
** By far the worst of the trifecta has to be the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor game, simply titled ''Animorphs''. While ''Shattered Reality'' is a straightforward PlatformGame and ''Know the Secret'' is an ActionAdventure title, ''Animorphs'' is a RolePlayingGame that, to put it altogether too mildly, takes a great deal of inspiration from the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games. Boasting a largely incomprehensible script, forgettable music (criminal in that the music of the previous two titles is one of their few redeeming features), no strategy of any kind, lackluster gameplay, a faulty [[PasswordSave password system]] in place of a save feature, many GuideDangIt moments, and [[ObviousBeta a truly horrid amount]] of [[GameBreakingBug game-breaking bugs]], it's quite clear that this is the one ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' title that truly deserves the label of UsefulNotes/{{Shovelware}}. The game received bad reviews from Website/{{IGN}}, though oddly enough, Nintendo Power gave it a 3 out of 5.

* ''VideoGame/DrJekyllAndMrHydeNES'' is a game for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]], loosely based on the book ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde'' by Creator/RobertLouisStevenson. Featuring mangled controls, FakeDifficulty everywhere (the [[DemonicSpiders mad bombers]] can easily take your health away in one bomb if you're right in the bomb's way and Jekyll moves really slow), EverythingTryingToKillYou including cats, dogs, birds, etc. Hyde's levels aren't much better. You have to press Up+B to shoot a fireball, which isn't so bad...but sometimes it only works when it wants to. The Hyde levels are technically "timed" in a sense if you catch up to where Dr. Jekyll went insane, you'd instantly get a GameOver (but at least you get continues). Furthermore, [[BadExportForYou the American version inexplicably removed two levels that were in the Japanese version and repeated two levels to compensate]]. WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd considers this the worst game he's played that involves actual gameplay.
* ''Extreme Sports with Literature/TheBerenstainBears'' would have been passable as an [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] game, but it came out in late 2000 for UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor. Every event in the game is the same, a downward course with terrible controls, only made different by the graphics like boating, skateboarding, or snowboarding. The game has no background music and sound effects right out of the UsefulNotes/Atari2600. If you do manage to beat the game it won't take long, only about ten minutes.

** The [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo SNES]] version of ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' is really bad, even by the standards of that console's generation. Good luck trying to get anywhere in ''that'' game. If you [[GuideDangIt lose your instruction booklet]], you're pretty screwed, as it has the layouts of all of the (very large) cave maps. If a character dies, [[{{Permadeath}} their death is permanent]], and you're usually [[{{Unwinnable}} unable to advance the plot without them]]. However, it doesn't tell you this, so much time can be wasted before you realize you screwed yourself over by letting Pippin get eaten by a dog.

* The UsefulNotes/{{NES}} ''Literature/WheresWaldo'' game (released by Creator/{{THQ}} in 1992), owing to the severe graphical limitations of the system, is barely playable (as all the people in the crowds are identical stick figures, and thanks to palette limitations, Wally/Waldo himself isn't always wearing the same colors!) and has none of the visual fun that makes the books memorable. The [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo SNES]] and UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis game ''The Great Waldo Search'' is better, but still not that great, being one of the shortest games on either system. Every time you make a menu selection, you get to hear the same low pitched "Where's Waldo" voice sample. Every. Damn. Time.

* ''KISS Pinball'' for the PC and UsefulNotes/PlayStation consists of two pinball boards which are both utterly generic aside from the graphical styling and a few voice clips. The soundtrack is made of generic rock riffs and contains no Music/{{KISS}} songs. The UsefulNotes/PlayStation version also suffers from nauseous camera panning.
* The ''VideoGame/MakeMyVideo'' quartet (C+C Music Factory, Music/{{INXS}}, Kriss Kross, and [[Creator/MarkWahlberg Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch]]) are often considered ''the'' worst games ever put out for the UsefulNotes/SegaCD, and some of the worst InteractiveMovie games on top of that. Gameplay, such as you can even call it that, amounts to arranging clips of poorly compressed and grainy video for three songs per artist, with no reward outside of sitting through your creation.
* ''VideoGame/RevolutionX'', featuring Music/{{Aerosmith}} is a mixed case. It makes for a rather decent, albeit NintendoHard (especially if you're playing alone) light gun arcade (making it essentially SoOkayItsAverage), but the home conversions for [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Genesis]] and UsefulNotes/{{SNES}} are nothing short of awful, with severely downgraded graphics, limited continues (thus ratcheting up the difficulty in getting to the end) and the music looping indefinitely to the point of annoying the hell out of the player. And worse yet, the SNES and Genesis version could offer Super Scope & Menacer support (it's still a rail shooter, after all), but nope.

* ''ComicStrip/DickTracy'' on the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] is a good example of how ''not'' to balance a video game. To start with its many issues, it is incredibly NintendoHard, and it is guaranteed to cause several {{Game Over}}s. While it has a PasswordSave - it only keeps track of what case the player starts at. Any clues or weapons obtained after a GameOver will have to be collected again. The game also has no idea whether it's following the movie or not, such as using characters' likeliness from the film but not the story proper. There are a lot of DemonicSpiders and GoddamnedBats during the overhead and side-scrolling segments, many of which pose a threat to Dick Tracy himself. Platforming is extremely suspect, especially during the pier levels where Tracy's SuperDrowningSkills come into play. You also have to interrogate suspects to see if they're involved with the crime or not, and you can't back out once you talk to them. There's also a lot of {{Railroading}} involved - even if you collect the last clue that says the suspect did it first, you must have every clue beforehand. Then the last case throws a curveball at the player: after finding the final clue that tells the player they need to arrest Big Boy Caprice, [[GuideDangIt the game doesn't tell you where he is]] [[spoiler:(he's at the Club Ritz)]] or why Pruneface is there as one of the six suspects in the first place when he doesn't appear at all. At least the graphics and soundtrack are good, but that is what keeps this game from truly being bad.

** The UsefulNotes/{{Famicom}} game ''A Week of Garfield'' starts going wrong with its ExcusePlot, where [[CharacterDerailment Garfield inexplicably wants to save Odie]]. In actual gameplay, it's a side-scrolling platformer with ugly graphics and primitive level design. Beating a level requires jumping around randomly to make a key appear. Difficulty comes mainly from having to face enemies like spiders with a pathetic kick attack and no MercyInvincibility or extra lives. The array of weapons Garfield can use are limited and inaccurate.
** The UsefulNotes/Commodore64's ''VideoGame/GarfieldBigFatHairyDeal'' is an adventure game. The problem is that it's ripe with {{Moon Logic Puzzle}}s and {{Red Herring}}s, plus it has [[GuideDangIt absolutely no hints]] for what you have to do. It's even UnintentionallyUnwinnable if Garfield ends up eating an important item he happens to be carrying around. The graphics are also rather ugly, and the soundtrack consists of one looping track. The [[PolishedPort Amiga release]] helps it out a bit, but it's still not a game worth recommending.
** Garfield had a string of generic platformers between the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance and UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, the worst being ''Garfield: The Search for Pooky''. The game's start screen is written in Comic Sans and miscapitalizes the title, which sets the tone perfectly. The cutscene graphics are poorly cropped directly from the comic, ripe with scaling and coloring errors, and the dialogue is awkwardly written. [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/garfield/images/9/98/Search_for_Pooky_screenshot.png It has to be seen to be believed.]] The gameplay suffers from weird physics and boring sidescroller levels.

*** The original game for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS garnered [[MemeticMutation much ridicule from gamers over its absurd premise]], and when they finally got their hands on it they found the game was hardly any good in practice either. The presentation is bland, the gameplay is exceedingly run-of-the-mill, the karts control very poorly, extra content is frustrating to unlock, and there's hardly anything distinctly "''Garfield''" about it besides the playable characters. The game is also absurdly easy due to the rampant ArtificialStupidity of the AI drivers. Sharing a system with ''VideoGame/MarioKart7'' (which, mind, was ChristmasRushed onto the [=3DS=] as an emergency and ''still'' ended up a stellar game for the system) only serves to highlight how bland and unambitious the game is compared to other kart racers at the time.

** The 2021 game for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch was developed by Sabec, developers of such venerated classics as ''Calculator'' and ''Piano''. Wildly overpriced at $12.99, it's an arcade-y EndlessGame where the player must collect hearts or letters thrown by Olive Oyl, essentially a low-budget remake of Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s 1982 arcade title. The gameplay is utterly mindless; the stages (all three of them) consist of low-poly, seemingly untextured models purchased on the cheap from a stock model library, and are much too large to support the gameplay; and [[ObviousBeta glitches]] wreak havoc on any genuine attempts to play the game--swimming around or even ''opening the HOME Menu'' can cause Popeye to die for no reason.
* ''[[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} Snoopy's Silly Sports Spectacular]]'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem is a compilation of sports-themed mini-games similar to ''VideoGame/TrackAndField''.[[note]]The game was originally released in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}} in 1988 as a WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck game, but due to Creator/{{Capcom}} holding the exclusive North American license for Creator/{{Disney}} games, Creator/{{Kemco}} had to use ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' characters instead when they released the game in UsefulNotes/NorthAmerica one year later.[[/note]] The game only has three characters from the ''Peanuts'' franchise; Snoopy, Spike, and Woodstock. Each event has questionable controls, and some events, such as "Pile of Pizza" and "River Jump" are near-impossible to complete as a result. Watch WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd review the game [[https://www.twitch.tv/videos/200483345 here]].[[note]]Skip to 22:33:42.[[/note]]

* ''Wrestling/HulkHogan's Main Event'' for the UsefulNotes/Xbox360, which fails to take advantage of the Kinect capabilities as promised. Unlike the other wrestling games listed here, this isn't a product based on a wrestling company, although it does promote Hulk Hogan's former role in [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]].

** ''WCW Nitro'' on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, which looked good on paper and in screenshots, but quickly falls apart once you pick up a controller. The game has a very limited moveset (shown [[https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps/199285-wcw-nitro/faqs/4311 here]]) done with ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' like button combos, with most moves being shared among all the wrestlers, giving players the weird visual of guys doing moves they'd never do in real life (ever see Wrestling/KevinNash do a piledriver?) The fully digitized graphics look nice in photos but the actual animation is pretty rough, not helped by the nausea-inducing camera that constantly rotates around the ring. Add in the lack of any special features and game modes and really the game's only redeeming quality is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO1qYK01Q28 hilarious FMV promos]] you can view in the wrestler select screen. Still, WCW was hot at the time and [=PS1=] owners didn't really have any better options, so the game still sold like crazy, giving us...
** ''WCW Thunder'', the sequel to ''Nitro'', which improved '''nothing''' and even added a GameBreaker in the test of strength move, which allows you to drain an opponent's health just by tapping the circle button. Do this 3 times, hit your finisher, and you can win any match against the CPU in 30 seconds and blow through the world title mode in under 10 minutes. Fortunately the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmO0LzkZTug&t=315s halirious promos]] returned, unfortunately this game was also ported to the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 (titled as ''WCW Nitro'') as a cheap cash grab (which lacked the select screen promos due to hardware limitations). The worst part was that the [=N64=] got [[SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames two really good]] WCW games, while [=PS1=] players got the shaft.

** While most of Creator/{{THQ}}'s ''wrestling'' games based on Wrestling/{{WWE}} tend to be well regarded, two of their attempts to branch into different genres were not so lucky. First there was ''Betrayal'', a UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor BeatEmUp panned for "[[ArtificialStupidity idiot AI]]" among other things. Then there was ''Crush Hour'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, which is essentially a poor man's ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'' whose only redeeming feature is the {{Narm}}tastic commentary provided by Wrestling/JimRoss ("TWISTY ROCKETS!").
** ''WWF Wrestling/WrestleMania'' for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] is the first Wrestling/{{WW|E}}F-licensed game, and easily the worst. The entire game consists almost entirely of punches and kicks. The only grappling hold (in a ''wrestling game'') is a body slam. On top of that, the controls are just awkward and unresponsive, making the simple act of pinning the opponent difficult. The quality of the game (or lack thereof) can't even be blamed on system limitations, as decent wrestling games do exist on the NES (''VideoGame/ProWrestling'' and ''Tecmo World Wrestling'' come to mind).

** ''WWF Raw'' for the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} was criticized for its grappling system, lack of play modes that previous WWF/WWE games had, and only having 35 wrestlers on its roster. It's a regression from wrestling games that came out the year before on previous gen consoles.
** ''WWE 2K20'' was the first WWE game developed by Visual Concepts[[note]]Mainly known for their well regarded ''2K'' sports games series, which was created after Electronic Arts refused to provide any of their sports games to the UsefulNotes/{{Dreamcast}} (though as of 2022 the only license they have left is the NBA)[[/note]]. For one, it's a noticeable step down from 2K19, the last WWE game that was developed by Yuke's. It's also an ObviousBeta, as many bugs were present at its release. It also eschewed features out from the previous installment. It was so critically reviled that the developers skipped the next year to work on the next installment (meaning there is no ''WWE 2K21''). Thankfully, ''2K22'' was seen as a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel, fixing many issues that 2K20 had.

* While ''VideoGame/FIFASoccer'' games in the late 2010s normally rate with [[CriticalDissonance wildly deviant reviews]], ''FIFA 20 Legacy Edition'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch is nigh-universally panned as nothing more than a [[MissionPackSequel reskin of previous games]], with the new features of mainline ''FIFA 20'' nowhere in sight. The highest professional Metacritic review is a Spanish site at 65, with the majority giving it sub-50 ratings; [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/09/27/fifa-20-legacy-edition-switch-review IGN]] in particular gave it a '''40 out of 100''' and called it a "macrotransaction". As for fan reviews, with the exception of a few devout fans who will give it a 10 out of 10 no matter what, the reviews are almost unanimously negative, and the user Metascore sits at '''0.2 out of 10''' because of it.

** Creator/{{Activision}}-era games ''NASCAR: The Game 2011'' and ''NASCAR The Game: Inside Line'' (the latter was re-released for the PC market on July 24, 2013 through UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} as ''NASCAR: The Game 2013'') were each riddled with dozens of problems and [[NintendoHard so difficult that even some Sprint Cup drivers had trouble playing them]]. Because of these issues, Creator/{{Activision}} ended up losing their contract to Deep Silver when it came time to start development on ''NASCAR '14''. However, Eutechnyx remained the developer, and reviews indicate that, while vast improvements were made, they're still a long way from resolving the game's issues.

%% ** ''Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation is a D&D ''FightingGame'' based on their ''horror setting''. The game was so hideously bad, it's often credited with killing the setting it's based on.

* Released to much fanfare and to-do, the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 game ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' was widely panned as SoOkayItsAverage. It captures very, very little of the essence of the setting and is a fairly dull online shooter. The [[PortingDisaster PC port is even worse]], for all the reasons already listed, as well as requiring Windows Vista (at a time where it was still incredibly expensive and ridiculously buggy) to even install it.

* ''Six Flags Fun Park'' is a strange MinigameGame released for the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoDS DS]] that is more or less a gruelling experience with a [[UnintentionalUncannyValley hideous art style]], bland {{Waggle}} filled gameplay and practically has [[InNameOnly nothing to do with]] the titular amusement park and might as well have a generic name (though this could be due to licensing reasons).
* '' Ride/UniversalStudios Theme Park Adventure'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube. The game is a MinigameGame where you play as a random kid in the eponymous theme park trying to get on the rides based on Creator/{{Universal}}'s [[Film/{{Jaws}} famous]] [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture movie]] [[Franchise/JurassicPark franchises]]. The game is saddled with extremely monotonous and boring gameplay. In order to get on any of the attractions and rides in the park, you don't do anything reasonable like trying to get tickets, no. You have to run around the park picking up garbage, and there's a ''lot'' of it. Navigation around the park is difficult as the camera doesn't follow your character, and you're given no map, so it's very easy to get lost. To make matters worse, the minigame attractions themselves are very brief, one-note, have bad controls, a bad camera, or contain all of the four problems, making the excruciating, convoluted effort to get access to them not even worth it. The WebVideo/AngryVideoGameNerd looks at the game [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVf9-wEzGvc here]].

* Two of the games from the ''Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, namely ''Julie Finds a Way'' and ''Kit Mystery Challenge'' were given scathing reviews, mainly due to piss-poor gameplay and controls. The ''American Girls Premiere'' game for the PC and Mac is [[SoBadItsGood/VideoGames a different story, though]].

** ''VideoGame/LegoRacers'' has a reworked iteration on the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor, and it's an eyesore to put it lightly. The game is what can best be described as a ''VideoGame/PolePosition'' clone, but worse in every single way, including dull, repetitive visuals, very loose and slippery controls, and a draw distance so low that it's impossible to see what's coming. The sound design is also painful, with obnoxious sound effects and poorly remixed music from the original console/PC version.

*** The UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance version of ''The Game'' isn't as well-known as the PC and console versions, but that's probably for the better. The controls are terrible and they tried to introduce some sort of camera system, but it's just laughable and doesn't really help you. The targeting system doesn't seem to work most of the time, the graphics are terrible, and the perspective is really butchered. The music is fairly decent, but that's about the only redeeming quality; the game is almost unplayable.
*** The creators of ''Bionicle Heroes'' thought the game wouldn't be as fun if it stayed true to the story. So they took a BroadStrokes approach, and rewrote it from scratch, explaining that the evil Piraka have used the [[MaskOfPower Mask of Life]] to transform Voya Nui's creatures into random monsters. That was an easy way of making {{Mooks}} out of characters who had no business wandering about on the island (though they're still referred to in-game as being not copies, but the ''real'' things). In the end, it received slightly better reviews than ''The Game'' but proved to be even more divisive than its predecessor among the fanbase for its excessively [[DenserAndWackier comedic tone]], a ''stark'' contrast to the rest of the franchise and even by Traveller's Tales standards, and making the characters completely unrecognizable. Three of the bosses are characters that have been dead for 1000 years and another one [[AdaptationalVillainy isn't even a villain]] (in fact, he was the BigGood of the 2006 saga no less). Even if the game is completely non-canon, it still [[ExcusePlot lacks an actual story]], which most other LEGO games do have, outside of a poorly-voice acted intro cutscene, after which the game drops all pretense of story. The gameplay itself, meanwhile, is repetitive and tedious: you just walk on a mostly predetermined path (only one character can jump, and you don't have control over even that), shoot mindlessly, and at random intervals open secret areas. That's it. It's also way [[ItsEasySoItSucks too damn easy]], as you spend more than half of the game in an invincible GoldenSuperMode. When you beat the six main bosses, they become playable, but what fun you have with them is lost after a while, because when you acquire the final boss, he overrides them. At least the level design is visually pleasing and creative, the unlockables are kinda fun, and the game has a nice soundtrack. The UsefulNotes/NintendoDS and UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance versions on the other hand, while not as well-known as the PC and console versions, [[SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames fare better enough to escape this]].

** ''The Transformers'' for the UsefulNotes/Commodore64 and UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum back in the mid-1980s, published by Ocean Software. Memorable incidents include Autobots dying from a fall of any distance, Autobots dying from landing on a slope after flying, Autobots dying from not being pixel-perfectly positioned when switching characters, Autobots dying from the bizarre collision detection, Autobots dying for no apparent reason, Autobots dying... perhaps the game was designed by Decepticons? Except for the fact that the Decepticons are even MORE fragile, as the game inverts the typical 'touch me and you die' game mechanics -- any Autobot who is flying or in vehicle mode will instantly kill any Decepticon by ramming them. This means that Bumblebee, who has ridiculous amounts of shields, is a death machine in car form.

* ''VideoGame/PacMan'' for the UsefulNotes/Atari2600, one of the most infamous examples. See PortingDisaster and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man_(1982_video_game) that other Wiki]] for details.

** The textures and other graphical effects are subpar, looking more like a [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] game from 2002 than a UsefulNotes/WiiU game from 2014.

* Any Creator/{{Nintendo}} game not actually made under its name is crap, but the most infamous examples are the four games made for the [[UsefulNotes/PhilipsCDi CD-i in]] the mid-1990's. The three ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaCDIGames Zelda]]'' games in particular have awkward controls and repetitive gameplay, while ''VideoGame/HotelMario'' has equally repetitive gameplay, where Mario must close all the doors to the seven hotels to save Princess Peach, completely abandoning the core mechanics of any official Mario game, where every enemy can be killed just by stepping on it. The cutscenes of each game, despite being a haven for YouTubePoop, don't fare much better, suffering from poor voice acting and awful character designs and animation. [[DisownedAdaptation Nintendo executives hated the games]], and a second ''Franchise/{{Mario}}'' CD-i game, ''Mario's Wacky Worlds'', was eventually aborted.

* While most official (or officially-approved in the case of the games in htfgames.com) ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'' games tend to be SoOkayItsAverage due to being plain arcade games or just one of those "generic" Flash games, the absolute low point when it comes to the games is probably ''Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm'' for the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} and PC. Before the smartphone games, it was the only major release (the older mobile games are rather obscure), and it's the only one to be released for a console, at that. Graphically, it stays true to the show... but perhaps too much. The mostly-solid bright colors look unpleasant, the Happy Tree Friends' 3D models look plain (what with the stiff, flat face whose expressions only change when they gets certain injuries), and the blood and gore graphics are very dull and cheap-looking. Gameplay-wise, it's just an uninspired ''VideoGame/{{Lemmings}}'' clone minus the behavior-changers (you can only freeze, thaw out, scare off, or burn the Happy Tree Friends) and with more ArtificialStupidity. While every level has environment-based gimmicks and traps, they all feel the same. The game's rather short (at around 2 hours for an experienced player), it doesn't make use of all the ''HTF'' characters (not counting the episode that comes with the game and the Xbox achievement icons, only 8 out of 20--Lammy and Mr. Pickels didn't exist yet--main characters are in-game) and [[BonusFeatureFailure the special episode it promises is already readily-watchable on YouTube]] ''in its entirety.''

** ''Bigfoot'' on the UsefulNotes/{{NES}} runs right into this trope. Developed by Beam Software and published by Acclaim, it has a [[SomeDexterityRequired convoluted control scheme during side-scrolling races]], having rubber-banding AI and zero continues or passwords. If you don't have $1,000 to enter a race, then you automatically get GameOver. The overhead races aren't much better, because you can easily get stuck in a tree and wreck your truck without warning.
** ''VideoGame/SpiderManAndVenomMaximumCarnage'': Subverted, as the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo SNES]] game has good controls, good music, and is actually all-around decent[[note]]It's probably best known for being one of the few SNES games that has a colored cartridge, in this case red. The port of Doom also had a red cart, and Killer Instinct had a black cart[[/note]]. When the Nerd declared it SoOkayItsAverage, then discovered it was made by LJN, [[GoMadFromTheRevelation it blew his mind and made him suffer a breakdown]]: "IT'S NOT SHIT! '''''[[SkywardScream IT'S NOOOOOOOOOOT SHIIIIIIIIIIT!!!]]'''''"

** ''Ariel: WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' was developed for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, and so could offer fancier graphics than Creator/{{Capcom}}'s [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] game ''VideoGame/TheLittleMermaid'', which is better in almost every other way. It also ''tries'' for greater complexity of gameplay, but ends up forcing the player to swim around labyrinthine levels with unresponsive controls and terrible collision detection hunting for [[ForcedTransformation transformed]] friends to shoot musical notes at; these musical notes are also a very weak primary attack. Flounder and Sebastian can be summoned, but don't really help much. After slowly putting down FinalBoss Ursula, the ending consists mainly of a [[AWinnerIsYou "Congratulations!" screen]].
** ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' had two games for the Genesis, each based on one of the title characters. ''Belle's Quest'' was a fairly lame collection of minigames, and ''Roar of the Beast'' was an uninspired platformer. The UsefulNotes/{{NES}} and UsefulNotes/{{SNES}} games did not improve much on ''Roar of the Beast'' either.
** Unlike the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 and PC versions, the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor version of ''VideoGame/ABugsLife'' has simplistic graphics with a weird color scheme (Flik and Dim, who are both blue in the movie and console versions, are consistently colored ''purple''), repetitive stages, FakeDifficulty and annoying sound effects.

** ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' has [[VideoGame/DarkwingDuckCapcom a stellar NES licensed game]] published and developed by Creator/{{Capcom}}, mainly because it uses a modified version of ''VideoGame/MegaMan5''[='=]s game engine. [[VideoGame/DarkwingDuckInteractiveDesigns The game developed by Interactive Designs for the]] UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16, on the other hand, is vastly inferior. It suffers from a lot of problems, such as stiff and sluggish controls which only serve to make the [[PlatformHell platforming parts even harder]], boring music, unfair difficulty[[note]]If Darkwing stays in one spot, such as a platform, for too long an anvil lands on his head. That costs one of your lives, naturally.[[/note]], and only four bosses (Tuskernini, Megavolt, Moliarty, and Steelbeak; the UsefulNotes/{{NES}} version at least lets you fight the other members of the Fearsome Four).
** The UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis is home to some of the most memorable Creator/{{Disney}} licensed games, but ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'' isn't one of them. Developed by Creator/{{Infogrames}} and mostly based on "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment (Wizard Mickey is the playable character, and level 1 combines that with "The Nutcracker", with the other three being amalgations of the other segments), the game suffers from sloppy programming, awkward controls, haphazard level design, tinny music that hardly does the film's soundtrack any justice, gameplay that alternates between [[NintendoHard Sega Hard]] and FakeDifficulty... and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Chernabog]] [[DemotedToExtra isn't even the]] FinalBoss [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot despite the final level taking place on Bald Mountain.]] Once you complete the game, you are rewarded with [[AWinnerIsYou a cheap animation of Mickey shaking hands with Leopold Stokowski]]. The worst part is that [[ChristmasRushed the game was rushed out to tie in with the film's 1991 VHS release]], and one of the developers admitted in an interview that the game needed at least two more months of development to iron out its flaws. The game ranked #6 on ''Mega'''s "10 Worst Mega Drive Games of All Time", and is reviled by Genesis fans across the net, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N43TFSTbpdQ including]] WebVideo/UrinatingTree. Adding insult to injury, Roy Disney insisted that [[NoAdaptationsAllowed no adaptations of his uncle's work be made]], so he demanded that all future sales and advertising cease and every unsold copy be destroyed.

** ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis looks rather nice, at least in the first couple of levels, and Goliath is very mobile, but the combat is atrocious; attacks never seen to deal a consistent amount of damage, with fights either ending in half a second or turning into long-protracted affairs. Goliath's grab attack is AwesomeButImpractical since the hit detection on it is terrible and most enemies you can grab will just start meleeing you the instant you get into range to use it. On top of that, the difficulty curve is [[NintendoHard extremely steep]], capped off with having only one continue and no passwords.
** ''VideoGame/GravityFallsLegendOfTheGnomeGemulets'' for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS. While its spritework, dialogue, and characterization are well-done and show-accurate, thanks to Creator/AlexHirsch overseeing the project, the game suffers from incredibly monotonous gameplay, music that sounds more fitting for a western, boring boss battles that are blatant rehashes/reskins of one another, and the game itself being far too easy. The game is ''very'' low on the creepiness factor, and this is ''NightmareFuel/GravityFalls'' we're talking about.

** While the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] and UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis versions of [[VideoGame/TheLionKing the 1994 game by Westwood Studios]] belong on [[SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames the other list]], these ''[[Franchise/TheLionKing Lion King]]'' games are vastly inferior;
*** The [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] and UsefulNotes/GameBoy versions of ''VideoGame/TheLionKing'' are considered [[PortingDisaster porting disasters]] of their [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendo SNES]] and [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Genesis]] counterparts. The UsefulNotes/GameBoy version just cannot handle the combat from the 16-bit games. Moreover, the game slows down and flickers when a few enemies appear on screen. The NES version is even worse, because not only is it an ObviousBeta, it is also a porting disaster of the Game Boy version with the only upgrades being the resolution and color graphics. To twist the knife further, [[CoversAlwaysLie the game box claims there are ten levels, but there are actually six]], meaning the player can never play as Adult Simba. Mercifully, the game was [[NoExportForYou released only in Europe]]. Twisting the knife even further, there exists [[https://bootleggames.fandom.com/wiki/Super_Lion_King a bootleg NES port]] that is widely considered to be superior to the ''official'' NES release.
*** While ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}: Simba's Mighty Adventure'' for the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation PS1]] follows the plots of [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 the first]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride two movies]] fairly well, and has high-quality video clips from said movies (albeit [[TheOtherDarrin dubbed with the game's voice actors]]), the game suffers from sub-par graphics, even for [=PS1=] standards, unresponsive controls that lock on occasion, Simba's attacks (rolling and roaring) getting him hurt more often than the enemies, collecting the tokens required to beat the levels [[ItsEasySoItSucks being far too easy]], and mediocre unlockable bonus games. Things only got worse when it was ported to the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor. Hardware limitations obviously meant the video clips couldn't stay, and in turn players received even sloppier graphics, repetitive gameplay, and none of the memorable music from the films, with one incredibly annoying song playing throughout the ''entire game''.

** There were two video games based on ''Film/TheRocketeer'': the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem verison developed by Ironwind Software and Creator/RealtimeAssociates and published by [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Bandai]] in 1991, and the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem verison developed by Creator/NovaLogic and published by IGS in 1992. The NES game has colorful cutscenes that follow the movie, but still suffers from an overabundance of enemies who can easily kill you while it's hard for you to kill them, as well as a jet pack that requires you to find fuel for it, and even then, should only be used sparingly. While the game does provide a password system, you still get a GameOver after losing one life. The SNES game, despite being on a more advanced console, is even worse, as the first few levels require you to beat an airplace race, and in order to win it, you must pay close attention to what's going on in the tiny box in the HUD, not what's going on on the main screen, when it should be the other way around. In the shoot-em-up levels, which appear later in the game, you can actually destroy your health power-ups, and while enemies can change direction to attack you, you can't. Your reward for beating both games is an AWinnerIsYou ending. ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'' has reviewed both these games, saying that the SNES version in particular may have surpassed ''VideoGame/TheWizardOfOz'' and ''VideoGame/HongKong97'' as the worst SNES game he's ever played.

** ''WesternAnimation/TheDisneyAfternoon'' inspired [[VideoGame/DuckTales a]] [[VideoGame/ChipNDaleRescueRangers few]] [[VideoGame/GoofTroop classics]], but ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' resulted only in mediocre at best games. [[VideoGame/TaleSpinCapcom The NES game]] by {{Creator/Capcom}} is regarded to be an okayish side-scrolling shooter that's probably Capcom's weakest Creator/{{Disney}} tie-in — albeit still the best game based on this show. [[VideoGame/TaleSpinSega The Sega Genesis game]] is a generic platformer with murky, unappealing graphics, and boring level design. The UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 game is seen as the bottom of the barrel, however, as despite having better graphics than the [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Genesis]] game, it's brought down by atrocious controls, severely faulty collision detection, and all-around uninspired gameplay (faults it shares with the even more notorious ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' [[VideoGame/DarkwingDuckInteractiveDesigns tie-in game]] on the same system, which was developed by the same company).
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'' has a phenomenal tie-in game released for fifth-gen consoles. To tie in with its follow-up [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTarzan TV show]], another Tarzan game was made called ''VideoGame/TarzanUntamed'' for the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] and UsefulNotes/GameCube, and to say it's a disappointing follow-up is an understatement. The game features bland, uninspired linear level design that is extremely on-rails with almost no freedom of movement, the visuals are dull and ugly (even being outshined by the aforementioned game despite being released on far inferior hardware), the controls are stiff and heavy, all three bosses require ButtonMashing to defeat, which can be difficult without the use of a turbo controller, and the game is extremely short.

*** The UsefulNotes/GameBoy port of [[VideoGame/ToyStory the first game]], based on [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory1 the first movie]]. The gameplay feels very slow and plodding, the graphics try and fail to emulate the movie, controls are terrible, and it's missing many of the levels that its console counterparts have.
*** The UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor version of the ''VideoGame/ToyStory2'' game. Like its predecessor on the Game Boy, the controls and physics are terrible, the graphics are boring, the music is annoying and the game doesn't seem to understand the source material very well; [[AdaptationalVillainy having the LGMs and Rex as enemies]] with no reason for it.
*** The UsefulNotes/NintendoDS version of the ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' game. The controls were stripped down completely, it feels less imaginative than its console counterparts, and it lacks the game's most popular feature, the Toy Box mode[[note]]the same one that would serve as the inspiration for ''VideoGame/DisneyInfinity''[[/note]].

* Pack-in-Video developed a good chunk of video games based on either movies or TV shows in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Some were either [[SoOkayItsAverage otherwise average]] or just bad. Some of those games include ''VideoGame/KnightRider'', ''VideoGame/FridayThe13th'', ''Film/{{Predator}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Rambo}}'', and ''Film/DieHard''...all of which were released on the UsefulNotes/{{NES}}, published by either [[Creator/LJNToys LJN]] or Creator/{{Acclaim}} (although ''Film/DieHard'' and ''Predator'' were published by Creator/{{Activision}}).
* Creator/RadicalEntertainment was responsible for quite a number of bad licensed games in their early years; the aforementioned ''[[Film/TheTerminator Terminator]]'' for the UsefulNotes/{{NES}} was their first game, no less. It makes one wonder how the hell they went from dreck like ''WesternAnimation/BebesKids'' to great games like ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' and ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsHitAndRun''.

* ''Chuck E. Cheese's Party Games'' is just a boring pack of minigames that can be played with tokens in order to win tickets. Running out of tokens requires you to do pizzas in Pasqually's Pizza Parlor in order to win tokens. Not to mention in order to beat the game you must claim the golden chest which costs [[FakeLongevity 30,000 tickets when you can only win only few tickets around 5-100]] and gets boring whenever you will play the same games again and again. There's even an [[ThatOneAchievement achievement]] that requires you to claim the golden chest with every character meaning that requires ''''[[FromBadToWorse 300,000 tickets]]'''' in total. [[SarcasmMode Have fun!]

** ''WCW Nitro'' on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, which looked good on paper and in screenshots, but quickly falls apart once you pick up a controller. The game has a very limited moveset (shown [[https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps/199285-wcw-nitro/faqs/4311 here]]) done with ''VideoGame/MortalKombat'' like button combos, with most moves being shared among all the wrestlers, giving players the weird visual of guys doing moves they'd never do in real life (ever see Wrestling/KevinNash do a piledriver?) The fully digitized graphics look nice in photos but the actual animation is pretty rough, not helped by the nausea-inducing camera that constantly rotates around the ring. Add in the lack of any special features and game modes and really the game's only redeeming quality is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO1qYK01Q28 hilarious FMV promos]] you can view in the wrestler select screen. Still, WCW was hot at the time and [=PS1=] owners didn't really have any better options, so the game still sold like crazy, giving us...

** For ''NASCAR Heat 5'', the rights were handed to Motorsport Games, who immediately removed Monster for a team made up of 704 staffers, with the resulting product being widely criticized for being a MissionPackSequel. Motorsport quickly pivoted to the next release, simultaneously announcing that the ''Heat'' branding was being dropped while also declaring that their own internal development team had been readying a game for ninth-generation consoles since 2019. Said game, ''NASCAR '21: Ignition'', was [[HistoryRepeats hyped to high hell and back]] by the publisher - only for streams of the early release version to reveal ''another'' [[ObviousBeta bug-infested alpha build]] masquerading as a AAA release. (Common glitches include: spotty collision detection that causes cars to react like they hit an invisible brick wall for no reason or simply phase through the track into a bottomless void; ArtificialStupidity that can't maneuver around stalled cars a full straightaway in front of them, then can't figure out how to back up once wrecked, creating massive wads of cars that clog entire tracks and break races; and a spotter that randomly starts yelling "Two-Two-Two-Two-Three-Three-Three-Three" for up to a minute at a time if the player car stays three wide for too long.) Motorsport Games then displayed some of the worst PR mismanagement of the fallout ever seen in gaming or racing circles, eventually culminating in the cancelation of the planned stand-alone follow-up in favor of DLC to update the driver rosters and rules, while also quietly giving their CEO ''a 632% pay raise''. Around this time, reports came out claiming that NASCAR is looking to sever ties with the publisher immediately, as is UsefulNotes/IndyCar,[[note]]their own game was originally slated for fall 2022, but was indefinitely delayed that spring, with no word on any progress since then as of October 2023[[/note]] with overseas licensers like the British Touring Car Championship and the FIA/[[UsefulNotes/TwentyFourHoursOfLeMans Le Mans]] having already canceled their agreements amidst a slew of lawsuits and allegations of the company's executives creating the parent company as a Ponzi scheme, complete with documentation of previous such allegations dating back to 2004, coming into the public record. Thanks to all of this, most critics and fans have dubbed ''Ignition'' "[[WorstWhateverEver the worst NASCAR game of all time]]".[[note]]prior common candidates for that indignity include ''Heat Evolution'' and ''NASCAR: The Game 2011''[[/note]]

* The ''Franchise/{{Tamagotchi}}'' virtual pet toys' [[VideoGame/{{Tamagotchi}} first Game Boy adaptation]] is notorious for how easy killing a Tamagotchi is (even moreso than the Tamagotchi Ocean, which is considered NintendoHard) and the frustrating mechanics of the games. Even if you don't neglect it, it might suddenly just decide to die out of nowhere. The entire Game Boy trilogy's death scenes are also infamous for their disturbing ways of playing out, even to some adults.