While the rest of the world went utterly crazy over the recent Super Mario Bros. movie, I bucked the trend by going to the cinema to see Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves instead. I'm not entirely sure why I picked that movie – I've never had a massive affinity towards the tabletop game, and, truth be told, my fondest D&D memories are connected to the Saturday morning cartoon show from the 1980s. Also, I still carry the scars from watching the utterly dreadful 2000 Dungeons & Dragons movie, so you'd think I would have known better.
I came away pleasantly surprised; the film doesn't take itself seriously and has some neat action sequences – but it also encouraged me to pick up the D&D video game I connected with the most as a kid: Warriors of the Eternal Sun on the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive.
Developed by Westwood Studios – the same company behind the superb Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder – this top-down RPG served as a gentle introduction to D&D for my younger self, and I still have a soft spot for it, even today.
Thankfully, it's not a particularly expensive game to pick up these days and is well worth a look if you're keen to see how these RPGs have evolved over the years. It's notable for the involvement of Ed Annunziata, who would later work on the Ecco series.