- “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” is a visually stunning movie that follows Scott Pilgrim as he battles his girlfriend’s seven evil exes using video game rewards and references.
- “Wreck-It Ralph” is an animated comedy full of video game references and Easter eggs, following the journey of Wreck-It Ralph as he tries to become a hero and teams up with a young racer named Vanellope von Schweets.
- Both movies, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” and “Wreck-It Ralph,” are beloved by video game fans for their clever nods to classic games and inventive styles, making them must-see films for those who appreciate video game culture.
“Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” is dubbed by many as the ultimate video game movie. Though it is an adaptation of graphic novels, it riffs off of video game tropes and iconography to create a visually stunning masterpiece. It stars Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim, a nerdy slacker who has to defeat his new girlfriend Ramona Flowers’ (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) seven evil exes to win her over. Meanwhile, he attempts to win a record deal for his band, of which he is the bassist.
To Scott’s dismay, Ramona’s exes include everything from a super-powered vegan to evil twins. Thankfully, Scott earns classic video game rewards like coins, extra lives, and special weapons that he’s able to use in his battles. “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” has become a must-see film for video game fans thanks to its many cultural references, including callbacks to classic games, 8-bit animations, and a soundtrack full of video game theme music.
Fans of “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” may find it hard to find something similar to watch, as few production studios have attempted to match its surreal and adventurous take on a video game movie. Thankfully, there is another great flick to watch that has an abundance of fun references, though it differs in execution.
Wreck-It Ralph is an ode to arcade games
The animated comedy “Wreck-It Ralph” is full of video game references and hidden Easter eggs. It takes place inside an arcade where video game characters are sentient and they hang out after hours in a power strip. Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) is a villain in the game “Fix-It Felix Jr.” who desperately wants to be a hero. He decides that he’ll win a medal to earn the respect of his fellow video game characters, and enters a shooting game in order to do so. After obtaining his medal, Ralph crash lands in another game called “Sugar Rush,” where he meets a young racer named Vanellope von Schweets (Sarah Silverman). She sells his medal to gain entry to a big race, and the two of them team up to both help her win and get him his medal back.
Much like “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” “Wreck-It Ralph” is chock full of video game references. The film itself takes place in an arcade and the cast is made up of video game characters. In a support group meeting, Ralph is joined by fellow villains Bowser (from Nintendo‘s “Mario” franchise), Zangief (“Street Fighter”), and even the zombie Cyril (“The House of the Dead”). There are also tons of blink-and-you-miss-it cameos from video game characters like Chun-Li (“Street Fighter II”), as well as sight gags like graffitied quotes from iconic games.
Though “Wreck-It Ralph” is different from “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” in many ways, video game lovers will appreciate both for their clever nods to classic games and their inventive styles.
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Read the original article on Looper.
