Licensed video games (Video games that are based off a property that originated in different media, such as movies and TV) tend to be pretty bad for several reasons, whether its the licensors,developers not caring about quality, the game being rushed, etc. However, there are several instances in which a licensed game comes out and it actually turns out to be good. There's a sense of effort into it, showing that those involved in its development really did want to give the fans a game worth their cash. This is where we honor such games as proof that games based on propities can be good.
My example is the Spongebob Squarepants movie game. The game is a 3D platformer that actually did a decent, if very loose, job of following the movie. It offered a wide variety of level design, as well as a lot of bonus levels, puzzles and beat-up-all-the-enemy levels. The platforming was solid, and the game offered a surpising amount of challenge. Not to mention that with 68 tokens (think of the stars from Mario 64), the game had a decent amount of replay value for completionists. And I do like how it doesn't have the whole "lives" system, even if it diminishes the challenge a bit. My only real issues with the game is the lack of coop (It's Spongebob and Patrick both going on a journey to save Bikini Bottom! How do you not add coop with a premise like that?) and that Spongebob and Patrick move a bit too slow. Nevertheless, it's a solid game that I would easily recommend to any fans of Spongebob and 3D platformers. Trust me when I say that it's better than Epic Mickey.
Any licensed games you'd like to recommend?
Level 5 CPU