Eight great gaming series that became movies

Delve into the world of Hollywood's obsession with our favourite games.

Loosen up your thumbs, grab your wireless controller, ready your Blu-ray Disc Remote Control and feast your eyes on some of the best games that made the triumphant leap from PlayStation classic to big screen blockbuster.

STREET FIGHTER

Capcom's astronomically popular Street Fighter series has Dragon Punched its way to the silver screen not once, but twice with 1994's Jean-Claude Van Damme starrer, Street Fighter, and again in 2009 with Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. The series that helped put feuding fighters Ryu and Ken on the map has also been the subject of a number of anime movies including Street Fighter Alpha: The Movie and Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind. Check them out on Blu-ray Disc and DVD today.

RESIDENT EVIL

Resident Evil is the second Capcom series to make it into our list thanks to an eerie mansion full of films that started out with Paul W.S. Anderson's 2002 terror trip, Resident Evil. While the game series is famous for turning the walking dead into superstars, Anderson's films have transformed its leading lady, Milla Jovovich, into one of the biggest female action stars in cinema. Check out Jovovich's latest high-kicking adventure, Resident Evil: Afterlife, in stunning stereoscopic 3D on Blu-ray Disc now.

PRINCE OF PERSIA

Jordan Mechner's sprawling PlayStation 2 epic, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time exploded onto screens in 2010 with a superstar cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley and former Bond girl, Gemma Arterton. The first in a planned trilogy, the film closely follows the storyline of the critically acclaimed game that has been recently re-released in glorious High Definition and stereoscopic 3D on PlayStation 3. Pick up a copy of the film on Blu-ray Disc and then download the classic game from PlayStation Store.

RED FACTION

THQ's sci-fi action adventure, Red Faction: Armageddon on PlayStation 3 found itself as the driving force behind a two hour long TV movie on the SyFy channel in 2011 called Red Faction: Origins. The film, starring Terminator 2's Robert Patrick, serves as a bridge between 2009's Red Faction: Guerrilla and Red Faction: Armageddon, delving into the backstories of both games' main characters and how they connect the PlayStation series together.

TEKKEN

TEKKEN is another famous PlayStation brawler that's made the successful transition from game screen to big screen over the years. 2010's live action beat 'em up, TEKKEN was followed by the recently revealed TEKKEN Blood Vengeance. This latest iteration is a CGI movie that you'll be able to get your hands on exclusively with TEKKEN Hybrid on PlayStation 3. The exclusive release features the film plus TEKKEN Tag Tournament and TEKKEN Tag Tournament 2 Prologue all on one Blu-ray Disc and in eye-popping stereoscopic 3D. Pre-order your copy today.

MORTAL KOMBAT

The bloodiest beat 'em up on PlayStation has battled its way to the screen not once, but twice and conquered the small screen with its own TV show, a cartoon and, more recently, a live action web series called Mortal Kombat: Legacy. The original 1995 movie, directed by Resident Evil's Paul W.S. Anderson, earned over 100 million dollars and held the number one spot in the United States for three weeks at the time of its release. Check out both Mortal Kombat and its sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation on Blu-ray Disc to see how Ed Boon's world was brought to life for film fans.

TOMB RAIDER

Lara Croft's adventures have been the subject of a temple full of PlayStation classics since the days of PS one. Her first big screen outing came in 2001 starring megastar Angelina Jolie as gaming's greatest virtual heroine. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider remained the highest grossing video game to film adaptation until June 2010, when it was surpassed by Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. A sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, followed suit in 2003 alongside the release of Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness on PlayStation 2.

SILENT HILL

Konami's haunting PlayStation series has terrified gamers for years, so it's hardly surprising that Hollywood came calling in 2006, borrowing elements from the first three games in the long running spooky saga. Written by Pulp Fiction co-writer, Roger Avary, and directed by the famous French director, Christophe Gans, Silent Hill brought the horrors of the town's dark secrets to life like never before. If you think you've got the nerve to make it through the director's descent into the depths of Silent Hill, pick up a copy on Blu-ray Disc today.

Check out playstation.co.nz/ps3/movies/ for more great Blu-ray Discs available now.

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