Indiana Jones and the Videogame Adventures
Growing up, I was a massive fan of the Indiana Jones movies, I would watch them all the time on VHS, but the chance to enjoy the gaming adventures were few and far between. The game I remember playing the most was Indiana Jones Greatest Adventures for the Super Nintendo, though a friend had Fate of Atlantis which I enjoyed playing as well.
There was a reason for my love of Indiana Jones, here was a character that was smart and savvy and almost always found themselves caught up in an adventure they were not necessarily ready for. This fondness of Indy lead me to picking up the Jack Ryan books, but that is another story. I was never a comic book kid, flying around and using powers is cool, but that was not for me.
I distinctly recall seeing images in Hyper, a local gaming magazine for Infernal Machine for the Nintendo 64 and was gutted when it was never released in Australia. But then a few years later, I remember picking up my Xbox console and enjoying Forbidden Tomb and Obi-Wan Adventures, the latter being Star Wars of course, but Forbidden Tomb reignited my connection with the character.
With a brand new Indiana Jones game set to release in 2024 and the first proper game in 15 years, I thought it would be fun to take a look at all the videogames that Dr Jones Jr has appeared in. They are in release year order, starting with 1982’s Raiders of the Lost Ark and while some of these games should now be in a museum, some are still worth revisiting today.
Just one little note, the games below are where Indy is the main character, so Pinball and Lego Star Wars or any game where he pops up as a guest, are not in the list.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Release Year: 1982 | Platforms: Atari 2600
The first ever Indiana Jones video game, also has the honour of being the first ever videogame tie-in. It was also so advanced for the Atari 2600, it required two controllers to play, one for moving Indy and the other selecting items.
Indiana Jones in the Lost Kingdom
Release Year: 1984 | Platforms: Commodore 64
Another one of the very early games, The Lost Kingdom has the honour of being the first original story for a videogame staring Indiana Jones. One of the biggest elements for this game was that on the box was the line “Nobody told Indiana Jones the rules. And no one will tell you”, as the game was known to be quite difficult and required a far amount of brain smarts to solve some of the puzzles.
Indiana Jones a Chrám zkázy
Release Year: 1985 | Platforms: ZX Spectrum
While not an official release, we included this game as it shows just how powerful the Indiana Jones series is. This series of games was created by František Fuka and while the first game’s title translates to Temple of Doom, the developer made the game before the movie released in his country, the Czech Republic. Even better he made it on holiday and when people said the game was too hard, he made an easier sequel and the third game was loosely connected to the third movie.
There are 5 games in total in this series and while they were only ever released in Czech and for the ZX Spectrum, they are fun to see, as you have to remember, they were made long before the internet.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Release Year: 1985 | Platforms: Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum
The first of two games based directly on the second movie, this release hit a number of platforms, but the Arcade release was perhaps the star, as it was built upon the 2nd generation of the Atari System. The reason why this was a big deal, was that it allowed for digitised speech and music to be included, which meant that you could actually hear Harrison Ford’s lines as Indiana Jones and even music from John Williams.
Indiana Jones in Revenge of the Ancients
Release Year: 1987 | Platforms: Apple II, Macintosh, MS-DOS
Mark another one down in the original story category, because while the box art features shots from the movies, Revenge of the Ancients tells a wholly original tale. This is also another text based adventure, like Lost Kingdom above and in this one you take Indy on an adventure to obtain the Mazatec Power Key before the Nazis do.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Release Year: 1988 | Platforms: NES
Perhaps the second weirdest game on the list, only after the Czech creations, the second Temple of Doom game was released three years after the first attempt. While it follows the same basic plot as the first game, both of which follow the movie, this was one was special in that the creator, Tengen, released it on an unofficial cartridge, which resulted in Nintendo arguing in court and the game being pulled from stores.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Action Game
Release Year: 1989 | Platforms: Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, C64, DOS, Game Boy, Game Gear, MSX, Genesis, Master System, NES, ZX Spectrum
The first of many games that were released around the Last Crusade movie, this version was classed as the Action Game. While it was adapted from the movie, all reports show that it was not entirely a great game and a short one at that. It was also unique in that the game had a direct competitor/sister version in The Graphic Adventure
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
Release Year: 1989 | Platforms: MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, Mac, FM Towns, CDTV
While the Action Game for The Last Crusade hot consoles, arcade and even handhelds, the Graphic Adventure game was mostly for PC. This is one of the iconic point and click adventure games that Lucasfilm Games were known for in the late 80s and early 90s. Using a system called Indy Quotient, or IQ and depending on how you used it, you could solve the games many puzzles in different ways.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Release Year: 1991 | Platforms: NES
The third iteration of games based around The Last Crusade, there were actually two different versions released for the NES, one made by Taito and the other by Ubisoft. The Taito version is considered one of the best NES games created, with the music and visuals being highlights. The Ubisoft release had solid gameplay, but was very much a different look.
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Release Year: 1992 | Platforms: Amiga, DOS, Macintosh, FM Towns, Wii, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux
Here we are, one of the best adventure games ever made, Fate of Atlantis. This was the 7th game to use Lucasfilm Games SCUMM engine, which was also used in titles like Monkey Island and Manic Mansion. This game featured voice lines, upon its cd re-issue, and not counting any samples in earlier games, makes it the first game to feature audio dialogue. As a point and click adventure game, there was a lot for players to explore, and discover the puzzles.
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
Release Year: 1993 | Platforms: NES
Perhaps one of the oddest games in the list, not only was this the first game for the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles TV series, the game also had two different stories within. The first few stages of the game were an adaptation of a story from the show, where as the latter stages told an original story. The gameplay is mostly the same as other platformers above, but this was mixed in a little Ghosts and Ghouls, as Indy would lose his weapons when hit and would only then have his fists at the end and if he took a single hit then, he would die.
Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures
Release Year: 1994 | Platforms: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The first game that told the story of the first three movies, or the only movies at that time. The game also has a distinction of being the first of two games by Factor 5 for Indiana Jones. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the game, is that it uses the same engine as the Super Star Wars games and the gameplay here mostly matched as well, just swap out a lightsabre with a whip.
Instruments of Chaos starring Young Indiana Jones
Release Year: 1994 | Platforms: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive
The second game released that was connected to the TV series, and was very different to the NES release. While it also took Young Indy on a global adventure, it told an original story in doing so. The game was different in that it also gave Young Indy grenades as part of his toolkit. Reception to the game was mixed, with many finding the game to challenging, just due to the sheer number of enemies in the game.
Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures
Release Year: 1996 | Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh
Perhaps not a game per say, the game was only for computers and would run in a windowed mode. This was so that you could still do other tasks and play a little in between. The game is also one of the earlier examples of the game creating a random level when you load in, even the plot that you would experience would be random, the endings were fixed though.
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
Release Year: 1999 | Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color
One game, three different releases. When the game first launched it was on PC and made by LucasArts themselves, then Factor 5, the same folks behind the Greatest Adventure games, ported the game to the Nintendo 64 and enhanced much of the game. There was also a Game Boy version that THQ were responsible for. The games all started the same way, but all did things slightly differently in the end and while many folks loved the games, the PC and Nintendo 64 were often praised for the controls being quite uncontrollable at times.
Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb
Release Year: 2003 | Platforms: Xbox, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, OS X
Perhaps one of the best known games in the Indiana Jones series, Emperor’s Tomb was different in that it was set before Temple of Doom. The gameplay was an evolution of what Infernal Machine offered, but didn’t do much to fix the control issues, it was however praised for its spirit, evoking a real sense of the movies. It is also one of the rare 3d titles, that you can still buy today, at least on PC.
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Revolution
Release Year: 2007 | Platforms: DVD
One of the three games I am sure you have never heard of, I know I hadn’t. The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones was a series of DVD games and each offered a different story. Revolution had you guide Indy and his cousin Frank along the boarder between the USA and Mexico. The game was reported to be very difficult as well, with little information on what was going on. YouTube channel Noiselandco is the only place I found any record of them being played.
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
Release Year: 2008 | Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360, Mac OS X
After Travelers Tales developed two Star Wars games and its Complete Edition, 2008 saw them release Lego Batman and Lego Indiana Jones, with that latter one being the one we care about. The game kept the same formula that the Lego Star Wars games offered and provided the chance to enjoy the first three movies.
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Special Delivery
Release Year: 2008 | Platforms: DVD
This was the second release of three, of those DVD games. In Delivery, you again guide Young Indy and his Belgian unit of Ubangi soldiers through the thick of the Congo jungle, transporting munitions while avoiding hazards. Educational as well as entertaining, this game presents challenges, riddles and puzzles that are best answered by your knowledge of the historical facts and figures contained within. YouTube channel Noiselandco is the only place I found any record of them being played.
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Hunting for Treasure
Release Year: 2008 | Platforms: DVD
The final game in the DVD series of games, you again guide Young Indy and Remy as they search for Alexander the Great's lost diamond. Educational as well as entertaining, this game presents challenges, riddles and puzzles that are best answered by your knowledge of the historical facts and figures contained within. YouTube channel Noiselandco is the only place I found any record of them being played.
LEGO Indiana Jones Mobile Adventure
Release Year: 2008 | Platforms: Mobile phone
While the iPhone launched in parts of the world in 2007, it would be years before it became the standard of mobile phones, which meant the old style of games were something we were seeing for years. One such game was Lego Indiana Jones Mobile Adventures. It adapted the first three movies and put them into a Lego themed side-scrolling game, beyond that though, there wasn’t much to write home about.
LEGO Indiana Jones Adventure
Release Year: 2008 | Platforms: Browser
If you thought DVD games were weird, then a Browser game from 2008 should not surprise you. The game is the only one that I could find that is an auto-runner and its your job to collect treasure as Indy runs through the level, you also need to click on things that you need Indy to jump or dodge. As a browser game, its entirely possible that someone has it saved somewhere on the internet.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Release Year: 2008 | Platforms: Mobile phone
Another mobile game from THQ, this one dropped the Lego aesthetic and told a simple story, that of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The unique about the game was that it let you play as both Indy and Mutt, the first non-Lego game to allow for you to play as more than Indy. When you were playing the titular character, it was more akin to a side-scrolling game, with the occasional Prince of Persia style trap to dodge. Mutt on the other hand is more of an auto-runner, with you giving him directions on where to move and jump.
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Release Year: 2009 | Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Mac OS X, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable
It was barely 12 months between the release of the first Lego Indy game and this one, but there were a lot of changes inside, the biggest one was that it also added the fourth movie to the series. It wasn’t just new content, but the game also offered up some slightly open-world hubs and the ability to create your own levels. Sadly these new additions were not enough to save it from the barbs of critics, though players seemed to love it.
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
Release Year: 2009 | Platforms: Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii
What started out as the Indiana Jones game for the then next-gen Xbox 360 generation, using the same tech that went into The Force Unleashed series, Staff of Kings was pivoted to the Wii and PlayStation 2. The game on PlayStation 2 was a fairly standard experience, much like Emperor’s Tomb from years earlier, but on the Wii and the DS release, motion and touch were big deals. The problem was with the latter, the motion controls didn’t work as people were wanting them to, which undercut the games ability to make you crack a whip.
Indiana Jones and the Lost Puzzles
Release Year: 2009 | Platforms: Mobile Phone
The last mobile game, at least at the time of publishing, The Lost Puzzles evoked that scene from The Last Crusade where Indiana was spelling out Jehovah on the tiled floor, sorry Iehovah. The goal in this puzzle game was simple, you just needed to make a chain by stepping on the same coloured blocks, all the while avoiding the obstacles that appear. The game had a few modes as well, giving a lot of replayability to what seems like a simple puzzle game, but can be quite tricky at times.
Indiana Jones Adventure World
Release Year: 2011 | Platforms: Web Browser
While this didn’t launch as an Indiana Jones game, Adventure World for Facebook wasn’t making a big splash for the longest time, but that changed once they added Indiana Jones to it. In the game your player character would explore maps, discovering puzzles and treasure, there was even a dedicated Indiana Jones themed map. As far as authenticity goes, Hal Barwood, who designed and wrote Fate of Atlantis and Infernal Machine created new story beats for the game, sadly it was shut down a year after Indy was added.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Release Year: 2024 | Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft Windows
It is a little hard to write about a game that has not released yet, but such is the way of the world of games. When it was announced that MachineGames were creating an Indiana Jones game and it was set in between Raiders and Crusade, my attention was grabbed. The developer have had quite a successful run of games where you punch (and more) Nazi’s and while they were adversaries to Indy over the years, that was not always the case. So a great developer, a solid looking game, this could honestly be one of the best games yet for Dr Jones.
Not counting guest appearances, there have been 26 officially licenced games for Indiana Jones, 31 if you count the “a Chrám zkázy” series. While there have been 11 games that retell the story of a movie or movies in the case of the Lego series, there are more original whip-cracking tales. Some of the games are clearly products of their time and even now watching these videos, you would be hard pressed to enjoy the game, but some still hold up today.
While I never got to play Infernal Machine on the Nintendo 64, it took 20 odd years, but I managed to get it on PC from GOG and found myself very happy while playing it. I am not sure I could pick a favourite game that features Dr Jones as they all do things a bit differently, but I do know that I have enjoyed almost all the games I have played and hope for many more years of adventures to come.
Do you have any fond memories of any of the games above? Be sure to let us know.
