Best Licensed Game

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

The reputation of licensed games for low-quality budgetware is well deserved, but occasionally you get a game that goes against the grain and really does something great with the setting. I feel the measure of a truly good licensed game is that it would have a solid fighting/exploration/whatever engine even without the setting. What's the best one you've played?

I'm certain the first response will be Batman Arkham Asylum, so only one of those allowed.

 

[TheFrost]

Batman Arkham Asylum (mwhahahahaha)

 

[Elemental]

Oh fuck you lol, the Arkham games were the first that came to mind when I saw the title

Hmm War For Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron are awesome games, that's about it I think, licensed games usually suck

 

[Tombsite]

Original Golden eye for the N64.
Played that way too much. Even got every single cheat code (Back then achievements had value ).

 

[Snatcher]

Take me down to Arkam City, where the night is dark and the style is gritty.
Taaaaaaaaaaaake Meeeeeeeeeeeee Hooooooooooooooomeee!!!!!!!!

(Sorry, but I had to do this )

 

[scorptatious]

I'll throw in a vote for Batman: Arkham City as well.

Although Spiderman 2 for the gamecube was also quite fun.

 

[hazabaza1]

Either The Walking Dead or Arkham City. Depends on preference of gameplay or story, I haven't quite decided which I think is better.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Do Star Wars games count? Because if they do, I think they'd take up the whole top ten. Then again, they'd also take up most of the bottom 10.

 

[Get_A_Grip_]

Arkham Asylum or Arkham City are easily the best licensed games.
Other than those The Simpsons Game (2007) was pretty solid, nothing exceptional but it's far better than most other licensed games I can think of right now.

Edit: Forgot about the Star Wars games, a lot of them are pretty good.

 

[DoPo]

Bloodlines

Is anybody shocked I said it?

Yeah, moving on, even Redemption was good, I certainly enjoyed it. Then some of the D&D games, like Neverwinter Nights, Icewind Dale and so on. And, of course, some of the Star Wars games - I still occasionally play Star Wars Episode I: Racer for the lolz. One of these days I'll even finally start KOTOR 2...

 

[G-Force]

Ghostbusters 2009
The Warriors (one of the best brawlers ever made)
The Godfather

 

[Cavan]

Riddick escape from butcher bay and assault on dark athena are up there.

 

[Ranorak]

Not sure if you can count them as licence games but Marvel vs Capcom 3 is still pretty awesome.

 

[MajorTomServo]

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3


That or Ducktales.

 

[recruit00]

Yahtzee would be proud. It has to be Spiderman 2.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

That or Ducktales.

Now that you mention it, there are quite a few good games based on Disney IPs.

Spoiler: Like for example:

Chip 'n Dale Resque Rangers
Darkwing Duck (NES)
Disney's Magical Quest 1-3
Castle/Land/World of Illusion
Goof Troop
Aladdin
The Lion King
Quackshot
Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow
Kingdom Hearts

Spoiler: There are also some good Batman games beside the Arkham series:

Batman (NES)
Return of the Joker (NES, Genesis)
The Adventures of Batman & Robin (SNES & Genesis version)
Lego Batman 2

Spoiler: Other games I can think of right now and that haven't been mentioned yet:

Xmen 1 & 2 (Genesis)
Dune II
Emperor: Battle for Dune
Rainbow Six

 

[chozo_hybrid]

Dragon ball Z Budokai 3 is one of the best ones out there in my opinion.

 

[sethisjimmy]

Arkham Asylum? Not Arkham City?
Anyway, yeah that series is great.

Also Spiderman 2.
Goldeneye is great too (the remakes, because the original unfortunately does not really hold up).
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines is amazing.
I haven't played the Ghostbusters from 2009 but I've heard good things.
I have fond memories of 007: Agent Under Fire and 007: Nightfire for the GameCube.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was also a great GameCube title.
STALKER and the Metro series are both solid.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay is awesome.

That's all I can think of right now.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

If we're including games that use tabletop licenses then the ratio of good to bad licensed games starts to even out nicely. Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines, etc, are all licensed games.

If they don't count then I'm gonna go for one nobody's mentioned yet: Metro 2033. It's a tad clunky in places, yeah, but it's just so darned compelling.

EDIT:

STALKER and the Metro series are both solid.

Damn, ninja'd