10 Video Game Franchises That Deserve Their Own Netflix Series

This might be the most obscure entry on this list, and it probably isn't first on the mind when considering possible sources for Netflix adaptations. However, that may actually be one of its strongest attributes. The Metal Slug games involve a sizable cast of interesting characters whose backstories will remain unknown to most gamers who don't read instruction manuals. Take, for instance, Nadia Cassel, a struggling supermodel who only joined the military to lose weight.

Metal Slug's somewhat cartoonish atmosphere plays against the serious military backdrop surprisingly well, and a Netflix series could capture this juxtaposition by incorporating certain elements with a bit of a slow burn.

For instance, the multinational cast of characters could meet while being imprisoned by the evil General Morden on his private island (featured in Metal Slug 7). Here, they would learn to fight for the sake of survival while also discovering the existence of the games' less realistic enemies, such as mummies and man-eating plants.

By giving the characters an origin of this fashion, the games' aesthetic traits could receive a bit of story-based validity. The eponymous "Metal Slug" is a decrepit-looking yet powerful tank, and forcing the characters to build their weaponry from scraps found on the island would justify its appearance while also showcasing the mechanical prowess of characters like Tarma Roving and Eri Kasamoto.

Fan service, character development and story progression could all overlap in ways that might not be as achievable when adapting games with more developed stories than this dialogue-free side-scroller.