Sure, let’s dive into the wild world of Mission: Impossible video games. So, apparently, there’s a new movie in the franchise on the horizon. But what’s missing? A new game to go along with it, of course! I mean, come on, why haven’t we gotten a Just Cause-style Mission: Impossible game yet? It’s a travesty, really. The original TV show had games, even the first movie with Tom Cruise had a game (without his likeness, though). So, what gives? Why are we left hanging without a new game to play?
The very first unofficial Mission: Impossible video game dates all the way back to 1979. Yep, you read that right. Developed by Scott Adams and Irene Adams, this text adventure game was inspired by the colleagues who created the Colossal Cave Adventure in 1976. It featured a spy named Phelps on a mission to prevent a nuclear reactor from being destroyed by a time bomb. The game faced legal threats due to its resemblance to the TV show, leading to various name changes like “Secret Mission.” It’s quite fascinating that one of the earliest text adventures was essentially a rip-off of the Mission: Impossible concept.
Fast forward to 1990, and we see the release of a Nintendo Entertainment System game based on the 1988 reboot of the TV series. Developed by Konami, this top-down action game allowed players to switch between three characters with unique skills as they embarked on missions across Europe. Following this, there were other iterations of the game released over the years, with varying degrees of success and critical reception. From console games to mobile tie-ins, the Mission: Impossible franchise has seen its fair share of video game adaptations. However, it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen a proper console or PC game in the series. Will we ever get that fantastic Mission: Impossible game we’ve been waiting for? Only time will tell.
