10 Best Superhero Video Games Of All Time

It seems like everywhere you look, some billion dollar company is trying to capitalize on the superhero hype. Merchandising is how these companies really make their money. Sure, the box office and DVD/Blu-Ray sales might rake in hundreds of millions of dollars, but still, they aren’t the top earners. Collectibles, action figures, t-shirts, beach towels, sneakers, stickers, cell phone cases, and almost anything else imaginable can be turned into a profitable marketing plan if Superman or Iron Man’s faces are sprawled across it.

Video games based on superheroes have been popular titles for publishers since the original Nintendo hit US shelves in 1985. Every nineties kid has experienced a Spider-Man game where you couldn’t reach street level, or an 8-bit side scrolling X-Men game that tested the limits of human patience thresholds. As time progressed, and gaming consoles became more powerful, superhero games became more advanced.  Side-scrolling melee became open-world chaos, and our favorite wall-crawler could finally interact with the good people on the ground. Developers and publishers, eager for a piece of the seemingly limitless comic book revenue, have pushed out an excess of superhero games over the last three decades.

Unfortunately, most of them have been horrible, and the gaming and comic communities have spent years bashing the lackluster effort and sloppy dynamics imposed upon their favorite characters. However, when a developer does approach the product with patience and care, the results are  nothing short of astounding.  Anyone who has beaten the brains out of the Joker in Arkham City can relate. Recreating some of the most iconic heroes in the world is not an easy task, and with great power comes great responsibility.

These are the ten best superhero video games of all time.

Release Date: October 22, 2013

Developer: Traveller’s Tales

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Featuring over  one hundred unlockable heroes and villains, Lego Marvel Super Heroes remains the most successful Lego game to date. The story is simple. The good guys and the bad guys put aside their differences to defeat Galactus, a planet-eating tyrant roughly the size of a galaxy. Although the humor may be childish at times, Traveller’s Tales built an amazing game with a captivating story, perfect for gamers of all ages

Release Date: September 20, 2005

Developer: Raven Software

Publisher: Activision

After the success of X-Men Legends, Raven Software was granted enough freedom to build the game they truly wanted to create. The sequel centers around Apocalypse, a blue-skinned mutant who believes he is a God, and gives players a multitude of playable characters, as well as series-defining four-player co-op. The story lacks real substance, but it does feature a brilliant combat system and myriad memorable interactions from over fiifty additional X-Men heroes and villains.

Release Date: August 23, 2005

Developer: Radical Entertainment

Publisher: Sierra Entertainment

Hulk Smash! In this underrated Hulk-centric game, players are free to utterly demolish an extensive and interactive open-world metropolis, taking full control of The Hulk's colossal strength, speed, and mobility. The Hulk was truly unstoppable; he could run up walls, smash through buildings and cars, leap hundreds of feet, and simply destroy anything and everything in sight. The graphics weren’t amazing, but the gameplay was so fun that both gamers and critics couldn't resist the unbridled glee found in tossing unassuming civilians to their death. Brutal. 

Release Date: October 7, 2003

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Capcom created their own superhero for Viewtiful Joe, a side-scrolling beat 'em up style game that employed gorgeous cell shading graphics to bring the stages to life. The story follows Joe, a layman-turned-superhero after he and his girlfriend are sucked into an alternate reality. The original story and engaging gameplay earned Viewtiful Joe a bundle of prestigious awards and critical acclaim. Not to mention, the sheer difficulty evoked memories of some of the toughest old-school classics.

Release Date: February 15, 2011

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

This is one of my favorite fighting games of all time, superhero or otherwise. While that may be admittedly biased, the Marvel VS Capcom series has maintained a very strong following throughout the gaming community. Street Fighter developer Capcom combined their own extensive roster with Marvel’s Mightiest Heroes to bring players the ultimate brawl. The forumla is simple - gamers pick three players to formulate a squad, and can call upon their allies at any given time to join the battle. The gameplay is hectic, and to untrained eyes it may seem like chaotic button mashing, yet true fans know that Marvel VS Capcom 3 is an intricate and detailed fighting masterpiece.

Release Date: April 16, 2013

Developer: NetherRealm Studios

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

NetherRealm Studios knew they had something special when they created Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe back in 2008. At the time, the studio was still called Midway, but a merger with WB Games in 2010 created a fusion between the two teams. The story is set in an alternative universe where Super Man becomes a villain after the Joker tricks him into killing Lois Lane. The original DC Universe collides with this alternate universe and grants fans every DC battle imaginable. Friends become foes, and Batman and Super Man clash (years before the movie had any influence) over world dominance. Injustice: Gods Among Us is Mortal Kombat with superheroes, and it’s brutally riveting. 

Release Date: June 23, 2015

Developer: Rocksteady Studios

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

The final chapter in the Arkham series gave gamers the one thing that was missing from all other games: the Batmobile. Batman’s classic ride was transformed into a mutating sports-car-tank, capable of responding to remote commands and functioning as a catalyst for plot development. And with the addition of extra mobility came an inevitable expansion; Gotham City grew to incorporate entire city streets, highways, and garages for gamers to explore. The plot wasn’t as strong as the previous title, and Batman fans were not amused by the retelling of the Jason Todd story, but the gameplay stood out as the most polished of the series. 

Release Date: October 24, 2006

Developer: Raven Software

Publisher: Activision

Raven Software built on the addictive 4-player franchise they created with X-Men Legends and created a march more ambitious game. With twenty-three playable characters, another twenty console exclusive set of playable characters, and over one-hundred more featured characters, Marvel Ultimate Alliance was a masterpiece of comic book crossover madness. Gamers created customizable teams to defeat Marvel’s most notorious villians, and four-player co-op was the most enjoyable game play element. At least, before online gaming completely rendered couch co-op obsolete. 

Release Date: June 28, 2004

Developer: Treyarch

Publisher: Activision

The first Spider-Man movie destroyed the box office, and led to billions of dollars in merchandising and licensing. When it was time for the sequel to roll around, Treyarch was ready to create the most ambitious Spider-Man game ever. For years, the virtual web-slinger could only swing from building to building, or was forced to side scroll on the ground levels. Treyarch removed the boundaries and gave Spidey an open world environment in the Big Apple. Swinging through New York was seamless and smooth, and the battle/combo system was entertaining and easy to conquer. Just to make the game as authentic as possible, Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina and the rest of the cast performed all the voice acting for the game. Spectacular.

Release Date: Oct. 18, 2011

Developer: Rocksteady Studios

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

The second installment of the Batman Arkham series expanded on what the first entry did so well. The sandbox styled game doubled in size for the sequel, and for the first time in Batman history gamers could truly experience Gotham City. Classic voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill (Yes, Luke Skywalker plays the Joker) from the 90’s Animated Batman series returned as the titular hero and his arch nemesis. The story was amazing, the gameplay was polished, and the side missions were entertaining and time-consuming. Arkham City did everything right, rewarding gamers with the definitive Batman experience.