Beyond the 8-Bit Screen is an exploratory podcast determined to find the best methods and worst pitfalls when it comes to adapting video games into big-screen media. Video games are a large target for movie or TV show adaptations, but many are a disservice to the original content and receive extreme backlash. What did they do wrong, and what other directors did things right that the community can learn from? Let’s talk about the jump from 8-bit to the big screen.Â

In the season finale, Malakiy Lopes and Micah Tassy join me in digging into the newly released Five Nights at Freddy's movie. Between all the content, retracted content, lore, confusing lore... where was I? Well, there's plenty to talk about.

Tyson Brien and Joel Pitts return once more to explore the Netflix hit adaptation of the Witcher. This is the most unique case in this season, since it adds a precursing book into the mix. We'll talk about differences between all three to dive into the pros and cons of the series.

Tyson Brien, Ben Depres, and Joel Pitts all return to commiserate what the community might regard as one of the worst adaptations… ever. We'll talk about the different attempts at an adaptation, favoritism in casting, and eventually get distracted by the lack of bras in the apocalypse.

Tyson Brien and Abigail Woodard join me to explore the wide world of Assassin's Creed and the rather narrow world of the movie. We'll discuss the balance of historical versus modern sequences, “interesting” choices on what to adapt, and more! Take a leap of faith with us– we promise it's a better landing than the movie.

Eric Swenson, Emylie Zollo, and Joel Pitts join me to explore the Pokémon franchise. Together, we discuss the games, show, movies, and even manga to understand the layers of adaptation and the challenges of having a show that is produced while the games are made. What are the pros and cons of the show's details compared to game technology that took years to evolve?

Guests Ben Depres, Lexi Lindsey, Joel Pitts, and Malakiy Lopes explore the transformation of League of Legends into Arcane, the Netflix original series. Journeying through Riot's history of frat culture, sexism, and sudden rise to fame, we analyze how it evolved from a male-gaze top-down MOBA into one of the most well-received and acclaimed adaptations to date.