Video games are a powerful marketing tool, which is why so many blockbuster movie and TV franchises often release in tandem with a game adaptation. The unfortunate reality, however, is that short development cycles often lead to less-than-desirable end products, as we’ve seen so often with video games. That a licensed game is bad is a foregone conclusion at this point; it’s more surprising and newsworthy to hear of one that is actually good.

This is only made worse by adaptations whose very template should pave the way for a brilliant game, whether it’s an action cooperative shooter or a point and click adventure game. While there are many, many more examples, here are eight franchises that deserve so much better than they’ve had in video game adaptations.

Ghostbsuters

A Ghostbusters video game practically designs itself. Four people, one common enemy with any number of variations in their attacks and design...it’s the perfect template for a cooperative shooter and allows for the inclusion of horror and comedy elements in its storytelling.

Sadly, the Ghostbusters license has been used to churn out some half-baked and downright boring experiences in the past decade. An especially egregious usage, considering the opportunity they could have had to create something great on the heels of the recent Ghostbusters reboot.

Ninja Turtles

The Ninja Turtles continue to be a sore spot for me. All four of them have such personality and allow for many different styles of combat, and yet, they’re commonly thrust into milquetoast and bland run-of-the-mill action games.

We’ve had great TMNT brawlers before, but the past few years have been nothing but a continuous lull of weak action games with ninja turtle skins stretched over empty characters. It’s been a constant barrage of fan service, a collection of sharp elbow prods tempting the player’s nostalgic nerve. The heroes deserve so much better.

Marvel's Avengers

Marvel’s epic superhero team is especially deserving of better video game treatment, if for no other reason than aside from Marvel Heroes on PC, their current offerings are little more than free-to-play cash-ins meant to tempt opening wallets.

Or worse, the decent Avengers games are re-released as shoddy, poorly-conceived ports for new platforms, as we’ve seen this week.

The Avengers could be a fantastic narrative-drive, squad-based action game, whether it would allow the player to inhabit different heroes or give them the option of constructing a squad to roll with on missions a la Mass Effect. A good place to start would be to bring Marvel Heroes to consoles.

Jurassic Park

We’ve been in a bit of a dinosaur dry spell in video games. They used to be easy to find alongside other 3D games, whether in arcades or on home consoles.

Dinosaurs work well in games. They’re big, impending, and dangerous, justifying the need for people to work together strategically to bring the dinos down. Considering Jurassic World’s overwhelming success at the box office, how has it been years since we last had a proper Jurassic Park game? There are so many side stories and opportunities to craft something special from a JP licensed tie-in, leaving room for everything from a third/first-person action game to a park management sim. Just no QTEs, that’s all we ask.

Justice League

Just like the Avengers, we’re long past due for a good Justice League game. We’ve seen DC do good things with Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham games, and with the upcoming release of an all-new Justice League film, there’s never been a better time to introduce the Justice League into a proper action game that isn’t an Infinite Crisis moba or a cynical movie tie-in.

Watchmen

Much like The Wolf Among Us, Watchmen would make for a pretty great adventure game filled with a moody, dark atmosphere and compelling character exploration. It’s also a license we haven’t seen all that much of (although what we did get was not really worth mentioning), but if we can adapt older comic book series, we can certainly give Watchmen the game it deserves.

James Bond

What happened to you, Bond? You were once a benchmark, the height of the first-person shooter on consoles that proved what was possible in local (and eventually online) multiplayer.

Now you’re a shell of yourself, a beat-by-beat movie adaptation starring knock-off Daniel Craigs and Pierce Brosnans in poorly rendered and bland spy missions. Considering the video game Legacy of Bond, things have fallen hard and fast for the british agent. Which is especially discouraging, considering the potential it has as a great stealth action game or first-person shooter.

Legend of Korra

She’s only had a handful of game adaptations, but the level to which the main Platinum Games' Legend of Korra adaptation was botched demands a re-do. Korra has everything a video game needs to be great; relatable characters, excellent narrative, and a wealth of powers and abilities ripe for complex, layered combat.

And yet, we got a soulless, lifeless game filled with little more than fan service and empty character shells, much like the Ninja Turtles. Korra’s letdown of a video game is especially painful when one considers their prowess as an action video game developer.

Back to the Future

It’s had a handful of adaptations, but Back to the Future’s promise far exceeds what we’ve seen of it in the video game space. Somewhere, deep inside of Back to the Future’s makeup, there’s a great open-world, time-traveling action game in which Marty and Doc have to travel to different places in time, taking side quests, using neat future gadgets and seeing the sights of America’s yesteryear. I don’t know where that game is, but it’s certainly not in the weak platformers or so-so adventure games we’ve seen.