Although the latest Marvel Avengers game was a little underwhelming, that doesn’t mean that the House of Ideas has always had missteps when it comes to gaming. Some of the most fun and enjoyable games in gaming history have sprung from the Marvel universe. From webheads to X-Men, fans of the Marvel comics, films, or animated series have plenty of options to choose from if they want to extend their 616 immersion into the gaming world. Here are the best games that Marvel has ever unleashed into the world if you wish to play as an Avenger, a mutant, or any one of the amazing heroes that Marvel does just so well.
3) X-Men (1992)
There’s always going to be a soft spot for this arcade game, especially after it was released on the PS2 and the Xbox 360. If you didn’t play this game in an arcade in the 90s, then you missed out on experiencing the sheer delight of this side-scrolling beat ’em up. It wasn’t the perfect game, but for something released in 1992, it’s still a lot of fun. However, players and Marvel fans alike are still (rightly) furious over the lack of attention paid to Nightcrawler’s powers. Despite that, there’s nothing quite like smashing through a squad of Sentinels before facing the final boss, Magneto. Just epic stuff, and a giant leap forward since NES: Wolverine.
2) The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (2005)
There’s never been a Marvel game quite like Ultimate Destruction. Players would take on the role of the Hulk, and they could roam around breaking stuff. Sounds ridiculous, right? The game is considered a classic simply because there’s something insanely satisfying about being allowed to smash everything, and the combat mechanics were way ahead of their time. From running up walls to using cars as boxing gloves, players could fight an increasingly challenging number of enemies, including the fan-favorite Abomination.
1) Spider-Man (2018)
There was never going to be another answer to the best Marvel game of all time, and the 2018 Spider-Man remains the undisputed winner. Building on their past experience making Spidey games, Insomniac created something truly special with Spider-Man that went way beyond the fantastic graphics and combat mechanics. The story was better than Far From Home, and players could interact with all of the classic rogue’s gallery including Kingpin, Doc Ock, and Norman Osborne. It’s a lot of responsibility to create a Spider-Man game, especially considering that this Cash Lady poll puts the wall-crawler as one of the world’s most popular superheroes. The sequel is also very cool, but it rarely reaches the original’s dizzy heights (although the Miles Morales DLC is very cool).
Honorable Mention
It’s worth mentioning Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 from 2011. It might not be considered a true Marvel game because it features characters like Mega Man and Captain Commando, but it was a solid Playstation game that paved the way for more crossover beat ’em ups. No story, just combat, and a huge choice of Marvel and Capcom characters. Not a bad way to spend a day!
Marvel games can sometimes be very hit and miss; but they make the letdowns more than worth it when they’re good. As the MCU settles into a whole new phase, we can expect to see even more games coming from the House of Ideas. Let’s hope they’ll be more Spider-Man than Marvel Strike Force!
