Secret Leveltakes you on a journey through some of the most iconic video game franchises, such as Mega Man, Pacman, and Warhammer. It also serves as a way to advertise upcoming games and expansions from time to time.
With Secret Level intending to touch some of the most iconic franchises in gaming history, there are a few that would make perfect subject matter whether they want to stay true to the source material or create a brand-new reinterpretation. So, which games and franchises have had enough of an impact to earn themselves a Secret Level episode during a future season?
If you’re going to expand a concept small enough to fit into a short anthology, then Space Invaders seems ripe for the picking. Like Pac-Man, it has a long history asan arcade legendwith one of the most basic premises.
Aliens are coming, and you have to shoot their ships down before they reach you. That’s all there is to it, and for a series like Secret Level, you really need to capture the core concept in the animation medium.
Halo has plenty of moments that can make for a good animated short. Perhaps you may take one of the most powerful moments in the franchise, such as the final stand in Halo Reach, and turn it into an action-packed episode.
Halo has also led to many iconic multiplayer moments, which is another route an episode can go in. Rather than showing a piece of the story, Secret Level can recapture what playing multiplayer felt like in the classic era of Halo through the eyes of the playable characters.
The Elder Scrolls isone of the greatest fantasy series of all time. It’s also very flexible in terms of content. Since each game takes place during a different era of Tamriel and different regions, a Secret Level episode has all the freedom to explore any idea it wants.
This can mean exploring any subject matter from major events across Tamriel’s history or even adapting one of the many books found within the games. The source material provides endless opportunities for animation to adapt.
Tomb Raider is the definitive archeologist and explorer in the video game landscape. She is gaming’s very own Indiana Jones.Tomb Raider has had many different incarnations over the years, giving Lara Croft a fearless personality as well as an origin story that follows her early days.
Tomb Raider is a perfect fit for animation, as it features live-action films and anime on Netflix. If Secret Lair wants to showcase the best franchises, then Lara Croft is one character that cannot be dismissed.
There is a way to kill two birds with one stone by adapting the original Donkey Kong arcade game. Adapting this classic title would allow both Mario and Donkey Kong to make appearances in Secret Level.
It’s a tale as old as time, with Donkey Kong stealing Pauline and taking refuge on top of a construction site. Then, it is up to Mario to avoid barrels and climb ladders in order to reach them. It’s a simple premise, perfect for a short adaptation.
It wouldn’t be a celebration of gaming history withoutan entry from Valve. If any game is small enough to fit into the short format, it’s Portal. Just throw in the clean scientific laboratory aesthetic and a few puzzles to show the portal gun in action.
With a silent protagonist, a Portal short would be perfect for telling a story through visuals alone, allowing the movement and flow to reel the viewer in. The world of Portal also has plenty of other avenues it can explore, such as Aperture’s early days or even test subjects prior to Chell.
Fighting games have a special place in the hearts of competitive gamers everywhere. If any fighting game should get the animated treatment, it’s Street Fighter. Street Fighter has been an arcade classic for years, and it has some of the most iconic characters to make it work.
From Chun-Li to Ryu, seeing these characters go toe-to-toe in an animated fight seems like the way to go. It’s also an opportunity to squeeze in as many references to in-game moves and combos as possible, such as the legendary Hadouken.
Boomer shooters are an iconic genredue to their pixel graphics and early first-person shooter camera angles. If any game leaves the door open for a unique interpretation, it’s Doom.
Doom has had its fair share of live-action duds, but one scene that always gets fans is when it tries to adopt the first-person camera angle for a scene. An animated short in first-person would be a unique experiment for the animated medium while capturing the blood and gore that comes with the territory of fighting demons.
One game series that is perfect for an animated adaptation in Secret Level is Dark Souls. Dark Souls intros are some of the most interesting lore drops for the world of the first flame. They give you just enough info to get the player invested in the journey ahead.
Secret Level is the perfect opportunity to explore more of this world, whether it takes place during the peak of the age of fire or reveals more of what it is like when the flame starts to fade once more. With the flame being rekindled countless times before Dark Souls 3, there is plenty of space to squeeze in a short story.
Tetris is one ofthe most influential puzzle games of all time. It is also one of the simplest to get into. All you need is to make unbroken lines and prevent the blocks from touching the top of the screen.
If Secret Level’s Pac-Man is anything to go by, this means there are any number of ways Tetris can be translated into animation, whether it be something traditional or more unexpected. From black and white Game Boy launch titles to artistic expressions of humanity in Tetris Effect, Tetris is one for the history books.
