Just yesterday, we reported on two — two! – video games that are getting the big screen treatment (Mass Effect and, sadly, another Hitman film). Along with those movies, Disney is hoping its Prince of Persia strikes gold at the box office this weekend. Surely, I don’t have to remind you of House of the Dead, Tomb Raider, Doom or the other films based on video games. It’s plain to see that video game flicks will be around for awhile. The road to a successful game adaptation is littered with the remains of piss poor attempts. While there has yet to be a great, let alone good, game-to-movie translation, the industry isn’t tired of trying.

There is hope. Many games have epic stories, fascinating characters and built-in fanbases. All the elements are there, prime for the picking. So what games should be turned into big screen blockbusters? Here’s my list.

1. Fallout 3

It’s the end of the world, with guns and monsters.

Simply put, Fallout 3 is one of the best video games ever created. Bethseda Studios crafted a massive open world with limitless possibilities. The story takes place in Washington D.C. 200 years after a nuclear world war. The Washington we see is empty and dead, burnt to a crisp and filled with ravenous, monstrous creatures and crooks. The game was fantastic because of its freedom, you could do anything you wanted in any order you chose. But it was also great because of the plot, the characters and especially the setting.

The movie would have to change some things. For one, the main character in Fallout 3 never speaks. A movie lead would have to talk, but he could still be a reluctant, soft-spoken hero. But the scenarios, characters and story regarding a corrupt, violent shadow government and the poor souls left in a apocalyptic wasteland — that can all be left untouched. It’s about saving the world, what’s not to love? It would be huge, it would be dirty and brutal but it would also be excellent.

IDEAL DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow, who would surely capture the gritty reality of a nuclear future.

2. Power Blade

Secret agents, killer computers, boomerangs!

Power Blade was a blast back on the original Nintendo. You controlled a muscular, shaded hero named Nova (essentially Schwarzenegger) as he makes his way through different districts in an advanced, robotic world. Nova’s weapon of choice is a boomerang with extraordinary possibilities, The Power Blade. Nova’s job is to take control of Earth’s super computer and get it back online to avoid the planet’s complete destruction. It’s billed as a race against time as Nova moves from location to location, fighting robot after robot and making contact with other resistance fighters known as agents. Robots being blown up by a ultra-sleek boomerang? I’m on board for that.

I used to play Power Blade nearly everyday. I never made it far because the game was SO GOD DAMNED HARD but I have fond memories of it. It was action-packed, futuristic and had a killer soundtrack. Of course, a movie version would have to expand upon the rather simple story but an action hero battling with a powerful boomerang — that sounds awesome! Dystopian scenerios are always popular and the world is fiending for another great action star. If put into the right hands, this could be a fast-paced, CGI-heavy, star-studded flick.

IDEAL DIRECTOR: Paul Verhoeven if he’d do it. If not him, Neil Marshall. Both would put the emphasis on heavy action with a gritty anti-hero at the center.

3. Grand Theft Auto

Revenge, murder and cars. Simply put, The American Dream.

This one is a no brainer but no studio has tried to turn the best-selling Grand Theft Auto series into a movie. Why? It’s got fast cars, seductive temptresses, tales of revenge and murder and a cast that could employ Hollywood’s hottest. Hell, even the games have A-listers lending their voices, why not try and bring it to the big screen?

Probably because of the scope. The Grand Theft Auto franchise is huge, I mean massive. It’s also the gold standard of video games and a movie would surely fall short in some ways. But an adaptation could be superb if attempted with the right ideas in mind. Minimize the scope a little, invest more in the characters and their motives and then fill the movie to the brim with car chases, shoot-outs and zany, off-centered people. There’s a built-in fanbase who would surely flock to the theater to see this, why not reward them with a stellar adaptation? In my opinion, this would be the easiest film to make, if the money was there.

Revenge films are nothing new, neither are car chases and big shootouts. From time ttime, we see a film that handles these excellently and reminds us why we cherish all those cinematic staples. A Grand Theft Auto film could be fun, over-the-top, chaotic and destructive. With the right characters, the right story and the right film makers, it would be a smash. But please, make it R-rated.

IDEAL DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese. Remember the manic, drug-fueled montage in Goodfellas, with Ray Liotta driving around whilst being pursued by the cops? That’s kind of what I see.

4. Resident Evil 4

Like the other Resident Evil movies, only good.

The final game I’m going to profile is the one that hits closest to home for me. Resident Evil 4 is my favorite game of all time and it’s obviously dear to me. At the same time, it’s sad to see the RE franchise devolve into such a load of crap on the big screen. Granted, the first film was decent but none of the predecessors have been remotely good. It’s a crying shame because the video game series is fantastic and supremely scary as well. Milla Jovovich doing karate in a desert? That’s not Resident Evil. Resident Evil is about zombie and being trapped in close quarters with the undead. It’s about conspiracies and evil corporations hiding their deadly secrets. It’s definitely not about knee-high boots and mini-skirts or killer birds flying through Las Vegas.

Luckily, Hollywood loves reboots! Why not take a series that has long gone dry and revive it with the best game in the franchise? Resident Evil 4 follows Leon S. Kennedy as he battles evil villagers in Spain after they kidnap the president’s daughter. Along the way, he stumbles upon a cult that is hellbent on infecting the first daughter with a virus that will spread and bring the world to its knees. Worse yet, Leon himself is infected! Race against time! Mindless mobs! Giant lizards leaping out of lakes! On top of all that, the game is intense, expertly directed and intense as hell. The dialogue would have to be tweaked (it’s not the game’s strong point), the plot would have to be strengthened but Resident Evil 4 could be a thrilling movie, far better than any of the other Resident Evil films. For a short while, there was talk of this happening but it faded away. I guess people are content with Milla and her zombie dogs.

IDEAL DIRECTOR: Anyone but Paul W.S. Anderson