5 Best Games Based on DreamWorks Movies, Ranked

Granted, when we think of DreamWorks, we don't necessarily think of all the video games that have released under its hammer. We do, however, reminisce over all the fantastic motion pictures the masters of animation have sewn together. But that's not why we're here. We're here to talk about the other thing. Specifically, the rather short handle of video games that have been loosely based on DreamWorks worlds.

To be fair, not a great deal of them immediately spring to mind at a moment's notice. Other than Shrek, which was arguably the best game DreamWorks ever supported, only few stumble back and forth between memory and imagination. A little research, however, goes a long way, and is also a sure-fire way to jog one's memory. So, without further ado, here are the best video games based on DreamWorks movies, ranked.

5. Madagascar

There's no denying the fact that Madagascar was a bit of a blockbuster hit. It effortlessly extracted all shades of emotions over its 90-minute stint, and, to be fair, it was well-loved by the vast majority that took the time to go and see it. Fortunately, although it almost came expected after its groundbreaking success, a video game adaptation soon followed suit to sponge up all the leftover hype.

Similar to the movie, Madagascar followed Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman from their beloved New York home to the tropical beaches of Madagascar. Bundling in jam-packed levels that ranged from platforming to racing, the game itself stuck true to the movie formula, only with a few original ideas laced between its structure. It was a few hours of fun for the entire family, nothing more, nothing less. Was it the best game in the DreamWorks world? Not quite. However, it was the best game in the Madagascar series, period.

4. DreamWorks Super Star Kartz

While you could quite easily lift the lid to your chest of video games and immediately clock a few dozen karting games, you would probably have to dig a little deeper to find DreamWorks Super Star Kartz, a sleeper hit that surprisingly managed to rock the world on the sly. Again, echoing the fact that Mario Kart and other games were most definitely the homewreckers for the game, it was still a hidden gem worth treading off the beaten path for.

Unfortunately, DreamWorks Super Star Kartz missed out on including several fan favourites for its character roster. Besides that, the karting game was actually quite a lot of fun. Its courses were relatively stylish, as were the slew of mechanics and multiplayer modes the game employed. Overall, it was a worthy accessory to the karting domain, complete with a whole bunch of familiar faces from DreamWorks' portfolio of cult classics.

3. Shark Tale

Like Madagascar, Shark Tale hit the nail on the head when it came to building an engrossing world with a vigorous band of original characters. And, like the former, Shark Tale was quick to follow its movie launch with a video game adaptation fit for the PlayStation 2 generation. To our absolute surprise, it wound up being one of the best games to fire out of the DreamWorks suite.

Shark Tale wasn't exactly a copy and paste template of the movie script, which is partially why players enjoyed it that much more. With a surprise on every corner of the deep blue, levels were almost unpredictable, and often sank into QTE dance routines and races to help usher the story into its next chapter. Having a bucket of genres to boot, Shark Tale somehow managed to go from being a scrap of coral in an entire ocean, to a pretty big fish in an incredibly small pond.

2. Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends

On the surface, Kung Fu Panda is a movie franchise born to be a collection of video games. After all, with the entire series being based solely on fighting, training, and countering various enemies and their sinister intentions, it practically breathes the same air as most—if not all—action-adventure formulas on the market, both old and new. Just as well, because the movie eventually managed to secure roots in our portion of the world, following up with an entire pipeline of video games.

While the earlier King Fu Panda games were able to crack the platforming aspect, none of them really explored the fighting system all that well. Fortunately, Showdown of Legendary Legends came tumbling along in 2015, breathing a second gust of wind into the Super Smash formula. While not punching quite as high, it was all in all a solid fighting game with a class selection of characters and settings to boot.

1. Shrek 2

The Holy Grail of DreamWorks Animation is, without a shadow of a doubt, Shrek. Ever since it burst its way onto the scene back in 2001, the franchise has only gone on to accrue billions of dollars in the box office and, of course, from the steady flow of video games that have carefully followed in its rather weighty footsteps. Excluding Shrek: Treasure Hunt from the roster, the series, as a whole, has actually produced some fantastic games.

Shrek 2, on the other hand, hit a little differently. Having Activision involved to pilot the ship was the greatest decision DreamWorks could have made. Making it into a full-fledged co-op experience with open-world levels and changeable characters was, in all honesty, some of the best fun you could have during its year of release. Rivalling the like of most LEGO games, Shrek 2 quickly found a place atop the throne of best couch co-op video games of all time. To this day, it still remains fastened to the apex, despite being nearly two decades old.

So, what's your take? Are there any DreamWorks animations we should have included in this list? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

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