Despite the overwhelming surge of first person shooters that are dominating the gaming industry, every now and then we get to see some new face of a superhero game peek through the curtains of originality and test the waters of the video game market. Needless to say, many get ripped to shreds by the vicious sharks that are gamers everywhere. But some games manage to stay afloat, and they stay in the memories of gamers and fans forever. However, only one game can be deemed the GREATEST of all time! I've chosen the best of the best. Some of you might not agree with my picks. Some of ya'll may think I've left a good game out. Please feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments section.
Now here is the competition...
1. Marvel vs. Capcom 2
This is arguably gaming's greatest crossover event. It's also one of the best fighting games of all time. If you don't find this game in an arcade anywhere in the world, then slap the manager silly. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is a great game that boasts awesome combos, fun gameplay, great controls, and has an impressive list of characters to choose from. However, the outdated graphics leave something to be desired for new-generation gamers. The sequel
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 comes out February of next year and seeks to remedy this problem with a worldwide release on next-gen consoles. (But at what cost?)
2. Spider-Man (2000) This is another game that younger gamers might not be familiar with. Harking back to the dawn of 3D gaming, Spider-Man boasts spectacular gameplay and story for its time. When this game came out, gamers were all over it. (especially since the competition was Superman 64.) I've personally never played it, but I hear from fans everywhere what an amazing game it is. Since I can't I can't offer more on it, I ask that fans produce your argument in the comments section.
3. X-Men Legends Another game which I regret to say that I have never played. X-Men Legends was one of the first superhero games to be released for the PS2. There's not much I can say about this game except that it's one of the first superhero RPG's and is adored by fans everywhere. Apparently this game's gameplay style was the inspiration for the pitch-perfect Marvel Ultiate Alliance, which I can tell you right means that it MUST be good!!
4. The Punisher Despite the fact that the game's release coincided with the 2004 movie, and despite the fact that it has the same Punisher logo and same actor, this game has NOTHING to do with the movie. While the Punisher is not technically a superhero, he is a comic book character, and the game DOES feature some wonderful cameos by actual Marvel superheroes. Some of ya'll are probably scratching your head at this game being included in the competition, but this is truly a GREAT comic book game! A thousand times more faithful to the comic than the movie was, this game easily captures the gruesome carnage of Frank Castle. Inarguably the most unique aspect of the game is the interrogation system, in which Castle grabs his foes and tortures or scares to piss out of him to reveal secret information. Once the poor chap spills the beans you can spill his guts all over the floor, often in some of the most creative ways possible. (one interrogation includes
a [frick]ing rhino.) Or you can let him live. But you're a total buzzkill if you do that. Other impressive features include an amazing storyline, awesome voice acting, and delightful cameos.
Warning:GRAPHIC SCENES FOLLOW!!
5. City of Heroes I've mentioned before how this game gobbled up virtually all of my early teen years. This is the first Massively Multiplayer Online Superhero Game, beating out the cancelled Marvel MMO and the soon-to-be-released DC Universe Online. The game establishes its own universe and history and allows players to create their own superhero. Your superhero can literally be ANYTHING you want it to thanks to the vast amount of powers and costume choice that are available to you. Even if you have undying loyalty to Marvel or DC, City of Heroes WILL fight to take your heart away from those two companies. Some criticisms state that CoH suffers repetitive gameplay, but that's an issue with virtually every MMO (even WoW.) City of Heroes has two expansion packs: City Villains (where you play as your own villains), and Going Rogue (Which allows you to cross the line between good and evil.) If you're a superhero fan and play this game, then don't expect to ever put it down. (or have a social life.) BTW if you're looking to roleplay, then the server you want is Virtue. Roleplay is HARDXCORE in this game.
NOTE: In the last video, at 0:10, the MONSTROUS robotic guy on the left is me. ;D
6. Spider-Man 2 Movie: The Game This is the game that opened up the concept of superhero free-roam. Simply put, this is the absolute BEST Spider-Man game that's ever been released. When I finished the game, I still kept playing just for the sheer fun in web-swinging around the city and beating up bad guys. You could web-swing for HOURS and never get bored of it! The games shows off Spider-Man's abilities to the peak of video game potential. There were SO many combos and moves that you could do as Spidey. In your attempt to master one combo, you'd discover 3 other combos in the process. You literally felt like Spider-Man in this. My other favorite part of this game was the fact that Spider-an ACTUALLY makes wisecracks!! Like, ALOT! It actually makes you wonder the potential for Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man, because he really pulls it off in this game. Other fun moments include the story arcs with Mysterio, Shocker, Rhino, and Black Cat!
7. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Bringing back the concept of superhero free-roam is The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. A new feature, however, is the fully destructible environments. (because let's face it, it's just NOT the Hulk without completely destroying shit!) The power of the Hulk in this game is ungodly, unmatched, and unlimited. Like Spider-Man, the list of combos and shit you can do is endless. You can have insane amounts of fun just going around and destroying everything. There is no such thing as an obstacle once you get the Hulk moving. Cars and trucks are like tissue paper to you. What's cool is that some of the features in this game were inspiration for stuff we saw in the 2008 Hulk film. (including the the car used as a [frick]ing boxing glove!) When you're not busy destroying shit, you can entertain yourself with the story mode which features several classic Hulk characters.
8. Marvel Ultimate Alliance The first superhero game to be released on the next-gen consoles, this game is without a doubt Marvel's pried possession. Picking up on the style that was implemented by X-Men legends, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is the ultimate RPG for Marvel fanboys. Simply put, there is NO place in the Marvel Universe that this game doesn't take you to. You'll travel from the SHIELD Helicarrier to Atlantis. From Mesphisto's realm to Asgard. From the Inhumans' base to one of the Skrull homeworlds. And if your favorite character isn't playable, then don't worry. Chances are that character is featured in the game one way or another. Each NPC's appearance feels vital to the story, especially when that character has special dialogue with someone on your team. The game boasts an impressive arsenal of characters, especially compounded with the downloadable hero and villain packs. (which is worth every penny.) The game also boasts one of the greatest narratives of any superhero game, and also has unbelievably amazing cinematics that feel much more like part of a movie than a video game. The only downside I can think of is that a few of the characters' default costumes are Ultimate. (like Cap and Thor.) However, that can be remedied with a costume change after the second level. Unfortunately, they'll keep their Ultimate costumes in the cinematics. However, the characters are 100% classic 616 in personality and history. I'll tell you right now that this game is getting my vote for best superhero game of all time.
9. X-Men Origins: Wolverine The only good thing to come out of that shoddy movie was this badass video game. The game boasts awesome action, an awesome showcase of Wolverine's abilities, and amazing cinematics. But the real reason this game is on the list is the mindless, bloody gore. It's the Wolverine that we've always wanted to see. This game will satisfy anyone's bloodthirsty, primal nature. A cool feature in this is Wolverine's healing factor and how you can actually see him taking massive damage and then healing it back.
An interesting side note... Has anyone noticed how that the movie games that are actually GOOD are the ones that are more faithful to the comics than the movie they are based off? Case in point: Spider-Man's quipps, Punisher's bloodthirsty nature, and Wolverine's gore.
Batman: Arkham Asylum Ahh how could we forget about DC? They've got to receive some loving right? Batman: Arkham Asylum is the most recent great superhero game to come out and it sure did create a stir.
Now, I'm going to rant a little bit. I was annoyed when this game came out. I wasn't annoyed because it was a good DC game and I'm a huge Marvel fan. I was annoyed by the ridiculous amount of hype surrounding it. It was like the second coming of Christ for a game that, IMO, was not better than some of the other games here on this list. None of those other games recieved
nearly the amount of hype and coverage that Batman AA got. It's more than obvious that the success of The Dark Knight is what generated most of the hype rather than the actual quality of the game. Even if the game sucked, gamers and critics would have still praised it, simply because of The Dark Knight's standing. I remember seeing the Guinness Book of World Records create a category for "Best Superhero Game" specifically for Batman AA and precisely when Batman AA came out. Where was that category when every other game on this list was released?? I've grown CERTAIN that WB/DC showed some green in order to get that category made just for Batman. But what really needs to be addressed is how, even today, a lot of biased fanboys pretend that DC has a monopoly on video games when clearly this entire list proves that Marvel's the one dealing the deck. DC's playing Marvel's game.
Nevertheless, I mustn't let that blind me to the fact that Batman: Arkham Asylum is, in fact, a brilliant game. The game boasts an amazing combat system, excellent graphics, brilliant dialogue and voice acting, a very impressive narrative, and awesome gameplay. Each Batman villain steals the show when they give Bats a run for his money. And the riddler side missions are really fun to complete. An amazing Batman movie AND video game? This is like a Batman fan's dream come true. It could very easily take the prize for greatest superhero game of all time.
Alright, True Believers!! It's time to cast your vote! Which game will officially be declared the GREATEST superhero game of all time?!?!?!