Comic book characters are by no means strangers to the non-literary realms of pop culture. They have made appearances in film, television, novels, and also video games. While games based on an existing license are oftentimes quite terrible or below expectations, there are a few of them that stand out as legitimately good. The list below celebrates the top ten games based on comics: the ones that not only revere their source material appropriately, but provide for gamers and comic fans alike a thrilling and unique gaming experience.
10. Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure
I’ve got an idea: what if Green Lantern became gigantic and then went on to wage war against a flying cow, a flaming Cthulhu, and an equally gigantic Sinestro? Thanks to developer 5th Cell’s “Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure,” this is one of but many what-ifs that can be realized.
Based on the formula of the popular “Scribblenauts” series, which involves using a text-based object generator to solve puzzles or just play around, “Unmasked” gives players the keys to the DC Comics kingdom in addition to a playground for their already burgeoning imaginations. It’s also bolstered by a richly entertaining story with punchy humor and plenty of nods to the DC Universe. “Unmasked” is by no means the most sophisticated comic book game, but it is a very fun and interesting one that is worth as much as you put into it.
9. The Death and Return of Superman
When Superman died, it was devastating to comic book fans and especially the Man of Steel’s fanbase. But I’d be lying if I said his death and rebirth didn’t make for a compelling saga. “Death and Return” takes players through the iconic “Death of Superman” story arc and its sequel, “Return of Superman.” Additionally, not only do you get to play as Superman, but you also get to control his would-be successors: Steel, Superboy, the Cyborg Superman, and Eradicator.
The controls are as fluid as the pace of the gameplay—perfect for a classic beat-em-up—and there’s much fun to be had in beating up waves of foes as one of the most powerful superheroes around. The one flaw I have to mention is that like most games of its kind, it is repetitive and doesn’t do much to keep things fresh; even given that, though, it’s a godsend for the Man of Steel’s game career. If you like DC Comics and/or Superman, this is one game you must experience.
8. Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
Bad days make us angry. Sometimes, they make us angry enough to punch a tank. At least, that’s probably how the Hulk feels, and boy howdy does he feel that way in this rather obscure title.
Developed as an open-world sandbox adventure, “Ultimate Destruction” lets players unleash wanton destruction as the big green goliath himself. The story is disappointingly short for an open-world game, leaving something to be desired for those of us seeking good stories in our games, but other than that “Ultimate Destruction” is competent and exciting. The gameplay is what saves the game for myself and many others, as it does a fantastic job of letting you unleash the Hulk’s destructive capabilities with a wide array of attacks and mechanics. Perhaps in the future, someone will create a similar game that builds on what worked here to give gamers and comic fans an even better Hulk game. For now, though, this game is the strongest there is.
5. X-Men: The Arcade Game
This game is infamous for its silly and often head-scratching script. If you don’t believe me, Magneto introduces himself in one level as the “Master of Magnet.”
Jests aside, “X-Men: The Arcade Game” is another stellar entry in developer Konami’s long library of simplistic but addictive beat-em-ups. It is a barrel of fun from start to finish, with an easy-to-grasp control scheme, vibrant visuals and sound, and an array of cool mutant powers accompanying the very individualized characters’ playstyles. If you’ve got friends over, then the game is even more enjoyable in multiplayer, which supports up to six players. Especially if you’re an X-Men fan, you don’t have much reason to miss this gem.
6. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
What’s better than one Spider-Man? How about four Spider-Men? Developer Beenox puts that scenario into action—alongside some interdimensional mumbo-jumbo—in this oft-overlooked action game.
The big pull of this game is its use of four different playable Spider-Men: the Amazing Spider-Man, the one we all know and love; Ultimate Spider-Man, a younger Peter Parker who is given the dangerous power of the Venom symbiote; Spider-Man 2099, a scientist from a dark future where corporations run the world; and Spider-Man Noir, a vigilante who operates in the shadows and grime of Depression-era New York. Each one brings to the table a different kind play, with the most radical and individualized style being the stealth-action gameplay of Noir; all gameplay styles have the right amount of complexity and fun. Even the art styles are individualized, from the more old-fashioned, comic-book style of the Amazing universe to the high-tech sleekness of the 2099 universe. Chock-full of references and history that celebrate the Spider-Man character, “Shattered Dimensions” is a love letter to Spidey fans and a great action game to boot.
5. Injustice: Gods Among Us
The creators of the wildly popular “Mortal Kombat” franchise created yet another brilliant fighting game in the form of this DC Comics-themed fist fest. It manages to take inspiration from “Mortal Kombat” while also injecting plenty of its own flavor and originality.
Many critics and fans lauded the intense and gripping story, which sees the Superman of an alternate universe becoming a power-hungry despot who is opposed by Batman and a small group of rebels. Outside of that, we have a great selection of DC Comics icons both evil and good, beautiful visuals, and great sound. The battles, built on a framework that gives “Injustice” a voice much different from that of other fighting games, are loaded with tactics and numerous avenues for victory. “Injustice” hooks you in from the beginning and never lets up with its presentation, content, or gameplay.
4. Marvel vs Capcom 2
C’mon. You know what this one is. Hot off the heels of its successful fighting game “Marvel vs Capcom,” Capcom shocked the world with its sequel—and especially with the sequel’s roster, which packs a whopping fifty-six playable characters.
We’re here to talk about the comic book side of things, so maybe mentioning the fifty-six character count—which includes characters from Capcom video games—is slightly cheating. However, half of that fifty-six is devoted to more Marvel than you can shake a star-spangled shield at, from Iron Man to Hulk to Wolverine to Shuma-Gorath. (The last guy is a Doctor Strange villain; look him up, he’s cool.) On the gameplay front, “Marvel vs Capcom 2” is even crazier than its predecessor, with teams of three characters instead of two and plenty of new mechanics, balancing tweaks, and moves that will leave players gaping in awe. Blasting through your television screen with unbridled awesome, “Marvel vs Capcom 2” is a game comic book fans will certainly get behind.
3. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Now-defunct developer Raven Software was onto something with its solid action-RPG “X-Men Legends” series of games. It made the bold decision to expand its Marvel-related decisions beyond mutants and instead encompass the entirety of the Marvel Univese; thus, “Marvel: Ultimate Alliance” was born.
One of the best things about “Ultimate Alliance” is its sizeable roster of heroes. Heavy hitters like Wolverine and Spider-Man, along with less popular heroes like Ghost Rider or Moon Knight, are all playable characters. Many other Marvel characters are NPCs in the game that players can interact with, which is a great complement to the wealth of Marvel lore buried in the game’s side activities and lengthy main story. Besides all of this, players can go solo or with up to four friends through a dungeon crawling adventure with puzzles, tough boss encounters, plenty of enemy mobs, and numerous RPG mechanics to maintain and learn. “Ultimate Alliance” is without a doubt one of the best Marvel games money can buy.
2. Spider-Man 2
How fitting that the best movie featuring Marvel’s webbed wonder should get a great game. “Spider-Man 2” set a new precedent for both Spider-Man games and superhero games in general with its gameplay design choices.
“Spider-Man 2” isn’t a masterpiece on the story front—it’s basically the plot of the film filled with non-film-related subplots—but what it is best known for and the reason it is so beloved is because of its open-world, open-ended gameplay. The game is practically “Grand Theft Spider-Man,” featuring a detailed recreation of New York in which our hero can do everything from swinging around and fighting crime to catching stray balloons and delivering pizza. (No, I’m not joking about that last bit.) Additionally, the character’s powers are fully taken advantage of in the combat and movement mechanics, which are all geared toward high-speed, frenetic action. The comics proved that Spider-Man can do whatever a spider can, and with the tools and features this game boasts, players can too.
1. Batman: Arkham City
Though the Dark Knight has received his fair share of good games, it was developer Rocksteady that crafted the best one. Some would say “Batman: Arkham Asylum” was this definitive and unprecedented title, but I would argue that its sequel, “Arkham City,” deserves that distinction more.
The gameplay mechanics from “Arkham Asylum,” noted for their deceptive simplicity and robust features, are refined and sharpened to a razor edge in this game. “Arkham City” truly lets players be Batman, with more gadgets, more combat and stealth techniques, new challenges, and slight tweaks to the original formula that firmly plant players in the boots, cape, and cowl. On top of that, it’s filled with content: a sprawling, engaging story, a rich challenge mode, alternate playable characters such as Catwoman, and a New Game Plus campaign. Hailed as one of the best games of 2011 and one of the best action-adventure titles of all time, this game is one to own for fans of Batman, comic books, or really good games.
So there you have it: the ten best games based on a comic book. Next week, I’ll be writing a companion piece to this list. You see, for every good game in this world, there’s a bad one just around the corner…and for games based on comics, bad ones are pretty numerous. Stay tuned for the list of the ten worst games to be based on a comic book.
