Gamer's Outpost LLC

by Chris Reed

Superhero movies have been making a killing at the box office for more than a decade now, but all too often the video games based on these spandex-clad characters are a little lackluster (*cough* Superman 64 *cough*). Thankfully, we can find some diamonds in the rough. Here, in no particular order, are some of the best superhero video games ever made.

1. Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3

When it comes to superhero Fighting games, Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is about as good as it gets. Each player picks three fighters from a massive roster of Capcom characters and Marvel superheroes, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, and Hulk. Then you tag-team your way through your opponents, pulling off big flashy moves unique to each character.

To the untrained eye, the results might seem too chaotic. But once you get a little experience under your belt, you’ll find a game with all the depth and balance of Capcom’s best fighting titles.

2. Spider-Man 2

The 2004 game Spider-Man 2 was one of the better open-world games of the era, thanks in no small part to its swinging mechanic. It was great fun to web-sling through the skyscrapers of Manhattan, taking in the vistas and stopping to thwart the occasional crime.

Beyond that, though, the game sported voice acting from the cast of the movie, narration by cult hero Bruce Campbell, and plenty of fun side missions. Other Spider-Man games have come out before and since, but this one just might be the best of the bunch.

3. X-Men

In the 1990s, some of the most fun you could have with your friends was going to the arcade and crowding around the four sets of control inputs on the X-Men arcade game. Each player could jump, attack, and use a limited superpower against the hordes of Sentinels and other enemies the game sent after you. It was challenging as all get-out — which ensured you’d keep pumping in quarters — but the four-player cooperative gameplay was second to none.

4. Freedom Force

Everyone loves the Bioshock games, but before those were conceived, developer Irrational Games made Freedom Force, one of the best squad-based tactical games around. Before each mission, you assemble a team from a list of superheroes. Then you go out into the city and stop the bad guys before they can finish their bad deeds, whether that means thwarting purse-snatchers or fending off an alien attack. It’s all great stuff that’s clearly inspired by the early years of superhero comics, and it works fantastically in the game.

5. Hulk: Ultimate Destruction

The angry green giant hasn’t enjoyed the video game spotlight as often as Spider-Man or the X-Men, but he starred in one really fun game in the PlayStation 2 era. Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is an open-world game in which — as the title suggests — you can wreak havoc on the city.

Just about everything in the game is destructible, from the cars to the lamp posts, and even some of the buildings. Better yet, you can use pieces of the stuff you demolish to break other things and fight off enemies. If you enjoy the occasional unhinged rampage, this game’s for you.

6. Lego Marvel Superheroes