Prime Video’s Secret Level, an anthology of animated short stories based on various video game properties, will arrive on December 10, but after screening this first batch, our heads are already spinning with ideas for a hypothetical second season.
In my review for CGM, I found a lot of genuine surprises among its 15 episodes—from great homages to Warhammer 40,000 to Dungeons & Dragons, to an unexpectedly interesting extension of Concord, to a genuinely funny take from Arnold Schwarzenegger in the New World: Aeternum. Yet I also wished for a little more thematic and visual variety, and found a couple experiments like the highly-conceptual Pac-Man episode a misfire.
Should the anthology see an order for a second batch of episodes, here are five other video games we’d recommend to Tim Miller and his Blur Studio:
5) Fallout
It’s almost a surprise that Fallout wasn’t among the titles honoured in Secret Level season 1, given the success of Amazon’s live-action adaptation. Granted, perhaps the powers-that-be didn’t expect the show to do so well, or thought it might be a tad gratuitous to use the license in two different properties, but there’s a lot of potential to be found in this particular wasteland.
The source material of Fallout is so rich and varied that there’s any number of angles that Blur Studio could use in adapting Bethesda’s baby. There’s any number of American cities that a short could explore. Or, hop into the history of any particular Vault, either original or borrowed from a game (like Vault 108 from Fallout 3, full of clones named Gary who can only say “Gary”). They could even lean into the lore of the original games, before Bethesda took over the series from Interplay, and adapt something relevant that modern fans may not have experienced yet.
The tone is fitting, and the nature of the franchise’s interconnections is so accommodating that a Secret Level short could easily present a story that’s strong independently, but also enriches the games and show.
4) Diablo
For some, the phrase “Secret Level” brings to mind one thing, and one thing only: the infamous cow level from Diablo II. The existence of a “cow level” began through word-of-mouth like so many rumours in the 90s, was denied by Blizzard, then ultimately incorporated into Diablo II as a potent farming spot, and the whole process has since become a running joke.
“The game I want to see Secret Level tackle most also happens to be the least likely to ever happen.”
Again, Blur Studio has a lot of lore-based options for adopting this particular franchise. Where Fallout (admittedly another Microsoft-held IP) has liberty to lean into humour and grittiness equally, Diablo is a little more serious, bovine Easter eggs aside. The show’s realistic CGI is already reminiscent of Diablo‘s cinematics, especially in the Space Marine 2 episode, and it would be interesting to see the show apply it not only to the denizens of Hell, but to the morally complex Angels as well.
…and if they pull a hard swerve mid-episode to delve into some demonic bovine mayhem, that might be all the better.
3) Celeste
Another standout episode for me was the Spelunky episode, which adapted the cult classic into a hybrid art style, combining Blur Studio’s CGI with the game’s basic aesthetic. For a second season of Secret Level, there’s another indie darling that could use a similar reimagining: Celeste.
Maddy Makes Games’ challenging platformer, like Spelunky, has a simple concept that proves difficult to master—and has found a home on many Nintendo Switches and Steam Decks since its release in 2018. Its themes of overcoming anxiety and depression would make compelling inspiration for a short film, showing the protagonist, Madeline, dealing with her personal issues and the literal personification of them, “Badeline.”
Even if Celeste isn’t used, Secret Level should be looking to more creative and visually vibrant games like it and Spelunky to fill in its roster, and fewer generic shooters.
2) Pitfall
Jack Black may be calling dibs on as many video game gigs as he can these days, but before Super Mario Bros and Minecraft, he was associated with a different classic video game: Pitfall.
This Atari 2600 classic is ripe for an adaptation in Secret Level‘s style. The game itself is bare-bones, like any old Atari staple, but there’s enough thematic inspiration to make a substantial film, let alone a 15-minute short. Whether the show uses its main gritty and realistic look to make something visceral, or embraces a more Spelunky or Mega Man-esque vibe, they could do something really special with the adventures of Pitfall Harry.
Or they could give it the Pac-Man treatment and make it an abstract yet horrifying reimagining. That would also be a choice.
1) Metroid
The game I want to see Secret Level tackle most also happens to be the least likely to ever happen.
Nintendo has been dancing around the idea of adapting its properties into movies for several hardware generations now, only recently dipping a toe into those waters with the surprisingly good Super Mario Bros (which survived casting Chris Pratt as Mario). Now they’re about to embark on a sequel for the plumbers, and The Legend of Zelda will be up next. But it’s, once again, their science fiction heroine, Samus, who should also be in the spotlight.
If Nintendo would relinquish the reins temporarily, Secret Level would be an excellent testing ground for how Samus’ adventures could translate into a movie or TV series (either CGI or live-action). The animation style has the realistic look of the Metroid Prime games, and I could easily envision how Samus might look in its engine. That same atmosphere would suit many of the alien planets she explores, from darker climes like Norfair to the luminescent Phaaze.
Essentially, a Metroid episode in Secret Level would be a perfect “backdoor pilot” for a larger adaptation, which Nintendo would then handle themselves. While the first season is, in my own words, “a mixed-bag,” all of its parts show its potential to form a solid whole for one of my favourite game franchises.
