This weekend we had a great announcement: a new Terminator game. And not just any game. Named Terminator 2D: No Fate, it promises us a 2D action video game that not only pays homage to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, but also to the Super Nintendo and MegaDrive games that we who love the movie grew up with. This is something that its studio, Bitmap Bureau, specializes in.
Known for excellent games like Xeno Crisis or Final Vendetta, they are specialists in making games with a classic flavor, albeit with an undeniable modern twist. In addition to a technique that was inconceivable years ago. And as we know that if you are reading this it is because you are as eager as we are to play it, even though it doesn’t come out until September 5, today we have come to talk about the six best Terminator video games. At least, until Terminator 2D: No Fate comes out and one has to drop off this list.
Journey to Silius
Perhaps the best Terminator game of all time is not a Terminator game, although there is a logical explanation for that. Journey to Silius is an excellent run and gun game by Sunsoft published in 1990 for NES that was originally going to have the Terminator license. The problem is that they ultimately lost the rights to the movie license during development, having to change aspects so that it was no longer Terminator. Not exactly.
But let’s be honest: it’s clear that Journey to Silius is a Terminator game. Acclaimed in Japan, received with uneven enthusiasm in the West, it has always been recognized for its excellent music and outstanding action. Perhaps part of the reason it was less successful here was due to the change in sprites, which did not help the game. But if it had been called The Terminator, trust us: today it would be more than a cult classic.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Although the Game Boy had many limitations, that doesn’t mean that true marvels couldn’t be created with it. If not, just ask Bits Studios. They created Terminator 2: Judgment Day, better known as T2 by the name on its cover, which would become one of the most beloved action-adventure games on the console. And for good reasons.
From spectacular graphics for the console, puzzles that forced us to reprogram the T-800, and old-school action, it makes for a very enjoyable game even today. It may not be the best adaptation of Terminator, but it is certainly a good adaptation that can still be enjoyed today and reminds us of the possibilities of that not-so-small, yet portable console.
RoboCop Versus The Terminator
If there is a game with as many detractors as fans, it must be RoboCop Versus The Terminator. With versions for Mega Drive, Game Boy, Super Nintendo, and Game Gear, what seems clear is that the version that received the most care and love from its developers was the Mega Drive one, being especially acclaimed. If you have played it, you will know exactly the reason for that.
More than inspired by Contra III: The Alien Wars, RoboCop Versus The Terminator plays like a slower version of Contra with significantly larger sprites. Which are RoboCop and the evil robots from Terminator. Is that enough to succeed? Well, if you like RoboCop, Terminator, and Contra, we must say yes, because the game sells exactly what it is: a crazy crossover that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but is a lot of fun.
The Terminator
While Nintendo triumphed in the 8-bit era regarding Terminator games, Sega did the same in the 16-bit era. That’s why we’re back with another Mega Drive game that, in its day, stood out among its peers. Because in 1992, The Terminator was released, and it was the game you had to have on your console if you didn’t want to be the loser on the playground.
Focusing on Kyle Reese, the protagonist of the first movie and father of John Connor, in the game we will have to survive the assault of the robots in different time phases in incredibly detailed scenarios for the time with an excellent soundtrack for the console. What was the only problem with the game? Everything that was spectacular audiovisually could become monotonous, especially due to the difficulty and the repetitive nature of its gameplay. But let’s not kid ourselves: in 1992, difficulty wasn’t something that mattered much.
T2: The Arcade Game
Let’s not kid ourselves: the place for Terminator is wherever the most spectacular graphics can be made. The franchise has always aimed to have the most cutting-edge special effects and the most outrageous action, and that is what should be materialized in its video games. That’s why, in the 90s, the video game that came closest to the movies was arcade exclusive. None of the adaptations for consoles managed to get close.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day, or T2: The Arcade Game for friends, was a cabinet with a machine gun where we had a single objective: to take down all the Terminators that came our way. With absolutely stunning CGI graphics for the time, and still quite impressive even today, it was a dynamic, brutal game where the action never stopped. Is it the definitive adaptation of Terminator? It’s hard to say such a thing. But it is undeniable that, for many people, there has been no other like it.
Terminator Resistance
The best example of a recent great Terminator game has as many passionate admirers as it does furious detractors. This is a good sign. When a game generates such strong feelings, it means there is something behind it. This is the case with Terminator Resistance, a game developed by Teyon, the creators of the absolute masterpiece that is RoboCop: Rogue City.
Is Terminator Resistance a masterpiece? Perhaps not, but it is undoubtedly an interesting game. Knowing how to capture the feeling of putting ourselves in the shoes of an ordinary human facing impossible threats, its Infiltration Mode where we embody the T-800 is the closest we’ve ever been to feeling part of Skynet. And while we wait to see what Terminator 2D: No Fate brings to the table, this is certainly a Terminator game worth advocating for.