Few things in the gaming universe spark as much enthusiasm as watching a favourite character embark on a new adventure outside the original storyline.
It is from this passion within the audience that producers of various franchises bring spinoffs to life, taking memorable elements from a franchise and transforming them into different experiences, often reaching far beyond consoles.
Although not all of them are truly successful, there are several examples where different derivations became even more popular than the games themselves.
That is what we will be discussing in today’s article.
When video game franchises break the mould
Many of the most fascinating spinoffs were those transported into a completely different context from what the original stories suggested. Take a look at some examples below.
Mario
It would be impossible not to mention the Mario franchise in an article about popular spinoffs.
Mario has inspired generations of gamers. And that, one could say, is thanks to his incredible spinoffs.
Having made his solo debut as the star of his own game in 1983, alongside his subsequent sequels, the main character was placed in a variety of roles. Mario became a racer in Mario Kart, a golfer in Mario Golf and a tennis player in Mario Tennis.
It is worth mentioning that in one of his adventures as a racer, Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have sold nearly 77 million copies combined and claimed fifth place in the ranking of the best-selling games in history. Furthermore, 10 games featuring Mario as the main character sit among the 60 best selling games of all time.
What began in arcades and reached the Famicom was later expanded to a considerable range of consoles. Even so, that was not enough for the franchise. In 1993, Mario made his first appearance in cinemas. In 2023 and again in 2026, he returned to the big screen. Both films took in more than $1 billion at the global box office, making it, by a considerable margin, the highest grossing film franchise based on a video game.
Pokémon
Pokémon is definitely another franchise that knew how to change genre masterfully. Even though the main series games have kept to the classic turn based RPG formula, it was outside that format that the franchise found some of its greatest commercial and cultural successes.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon was one of the first great examples of this reinvention. Rather than strategic battles, players had the chance to take on the role of a Pokémon, move through a considerably sized setting and explore procedurally generated dungeons.
In Pokémon GO, meanwhile, the franchise offered audiences an entirely new experience by using augmented reality based on geolocation, making its app one of the most downloaded in the world in 2016.
It’s worth mentioning that the connection between the television series, the films and the video games was extremely important in helping the franchise reach the level of popularity it enjoys today. In fact, across its 24 released films, Pokémon has taken in more than a billion dollars combined at the box office, putting it among the very best-performing video game franchises in cinema.
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider is another franchise that has managed to move well beyond the format that first made it famous.
Lara Croft made her video game debut in 1996 before becoming one of the most recognisable characters in gaming. That popularity soon carried over into cinema, with Angelina Jolie taking on the role in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2001 and returning for a sequel two years later. The series was later rebooted in 2018, this time with Alicia Vikander in the leading role. Across the three films, Tomb Raider generated more than $700 million at the global box office.
However, cinema has not been the only direction the franchise has taken. Tomb Raider has also appeared in comics, animation and even online slots, with licensed titles of this kind becoming a familiar element of libraries on platforms like Netbet Casino as major gaming properties continue to find audiences well beyond their original formats.
The biggest video game franchises in cinema
Mario and Pokémon are among the video game franchises that have generated the most revenue at the cinema. But they are not alone. Discover the other titles that make up the top five highest-grossing video game franchises on the big screen.
Minecraft
The best selling game in history. That is the status the beloved Minecraft holds, having sold more than 350 million copies while still maintaining a huge base of active players, with more than 200 million monthly players to this day. Without a shadow of a doubt, a phenomenon. However, there are different reasons to focus on its film adaptation.
The first is the fact that it became the third highest grossing video game inspired film in history, behind only the two Super Mario Bros. films. With a single release, it generated more than $960 million at the global box office. Another important fact is that even though the game was already highly popular, it saw impressive percentage jumps following the film’s release: around 35% in console sales, 35% in in-app purchases and a 41% increase in daily active users.
Resident Evil
Many players who were introduced to video games at the end of the last century and the beginning of this one discovered horror in game form with Resident Evil. The narrative was perfect for becoming terrifying on the big screen too, and that is exactly what happened. From the first film, released in 2002, to the latest, released in 2021, there were seven productions in total and a box office take of more than one billion dollars.
Sonic
The fastest hedgehog in video game history became known worldwide in 1991, with the release of the game Sonic the Hedgehog. The success was such that the game remains on the list of the 60 best selling games of all time, with nearly 24 million copies sold.
On cinema screens, the franchise reached another impressive milestone. Combined, its three live-action films have surpassed one billion dollars and were met with a largely positive critical response, cementing Sonic as one of the strongest box office performers among video game adaptations.
Last Updated: August 14, 2026
