Play the Game in the Opening Scene: A Multidisciplinary Lens for Understanding (Video)Ludic Movies, Including Super Mario Bros., Resident Evil and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

This study by Enrico Gandolfi and Roberto Semprebene, published in Game Journal in 2015, proposes a multidisciplinary framework for analyzing video game-to-film adaptations, often called "videoludic" movies. The framework examines adaptations across four dimensions (production, agential, representational, and economic/cultural impact) and four analytic bridges (narrative, aesthetic, encyclopaedic, and dynamic), with each adaptation assessed along continuums of coherence and dependency relative to its source game. The central argument is that the success of such films depends on how they balance fidelity to the game's identity against accessibility for audiences who have never played it.

The authors apply this framework to three case studies: Super Mario Bros. (1993), Resident Evil, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Super Mario Bros. receives the lowest rating for coherence (C-), as its substantial departures from the source, including a cyberpunk New York setting and altered characters and narrative goals, combined with dense game references, alienated general viewers. The film's production cost of roughly $48 million against a domestic gross of about $20.9 million illustrates the commercial consequences of this mismatch, despite the game's large player base.

By contrast, Resident Evil combines high coherence (C+) with low dependency (D-), drawing on horror conventions that allow it to reach viewers unfamiliar with the franchise. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, adapted from graphic novels that themselves borrow video game grammar, shows high coherence (C+) and high dependency (D+). The authors conclude that this deep engagement rewards gamers but creates marketing and accessibility challenges, a factor they link to the film's modest box office of about $47.7 million on a $60 million budget.