Top 10 Comic Book Video Games
Really good comic book video games used to be something of a rarity. For some reason, it was hard for players to get a truly great comic book game. Most of the time, they were cheap shovelware looking to tie in on a movie. However, occasionally gamers were gifted with the rare gem that’s both fun to play, and also let’s us feel like we are a super hero. Today, good superhero games are more common, although there are still many duds to be found. So here is our Ten Favorite Comic Book Video Games.
Top 10 Comic Book Video Games
Honorable Mention: Sentinels of the Multiverse
Sentinels of the Multiverse is actually a great game. However it only gets an honorable mention, because it’s actually a digital translation of a tabletop card game. Now that doesn’t stop Sentinels of the Multiverse from being pretty fantastic, mind you. But I didn’t feel like it qualified for this list. Even still, it’s worth getting for your tablets.
10. Lego Marvel Superheroes
There are a whole mess of Lego superhero games to play. It was pretty hard choosing a specific one, as they have all been pretty solid. However, Lego Marvel Superheroes is an open world game that features a massive roster with a ton of things to do in the game. Lego has pretty much perfected its games at this point, and Lego Marvel Superheroes is easily one of the best.
9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT): The Arcade Game was easily the best TMNT games released at the time. Originally, gamers only had the dreadful TMNT Nintendo game to play, which was single player only and insanely hard. However TMNT: The Arcade Game (eventually ported over to consoles) let four players play at their favorite turtle at the same time. I spent hours dropping quarters into this machine at the arcade.
8. Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Released to coincided with the movie, Scott Pilgrim vs The World was one of the rare times when a movie tie-in actually worked. This was a retro side-scroller where players took control of Scott Pilgrim as he beat up bad guys throughout the game. With some great music and pixelated art, this game was clearly an inspired piece of work.
7. Injustice: Gods Among Us
DC Comics had been attempting to dethrone Marvel vs. Capcom with little success. That was until Injustice came out. Injustice: Gods Among Us was a truly fun fighting game with a host of DC characters on the roster that all felt quite balanced. Yes, the Joker could actually hold his own when fighting Superman.
6. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Based on the popular X-Men: Legends series, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance took the series up a notch with over 100 playable characters to use during the game. Players would start with a roster of 4 heroes, and be allowed to switch the out even during the level. I have high hopes for another incarnation of the series on modern consoles.
5. X-Men: The Arcade Game
Much like the TMNT: Arcade Game, the X-Men one was another side scroller, beat ‘em up type of game. While the familiar mutants featured in the game looked like their comic book parts, many had really wacky abilities. For example, Wolverine would shoot laser out of his claws and Colossus would center an explosion on himself. Despite these inaccuracies, the game ended up being both a ton of fun to play and high addictive.
4. Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 set the gold standard for what a super hero video game should be back then. An open world game that was often compared to Grand Theft Auto, players got to control Spider-Man as he swung through New York City, fighting bad guys and helping citizens. Players were finally given a solo super hero game that was something other than a crappy tie-in.
3. The Walking Dead: Telltale Games
The Walking Dead is almost more of a story than a video game. Telltale Games wisely decided to detach this video game from the TV Show (and even the Comic Books) and give us a whole new group of survivors. The Walking Dead has an almost “choose your own adventure” like feel to it, as the choices you make will affect the game down the line. The story is enthralling and expect to become very attached to the characters in the game.
2. Batman: Arkham Asylum (City)
While the Arkham Series is alive and kicking still, Batman: Arkham Asylum still holds a special place in my heart. It might not be able to rival the scope of the later games, yet it was ground breaking in its debut. It was the first time I felt like someone actually captured the essence of what it was like to be Batman. From the fluid combat, to the puzzle and riddle solving, this was truly what it should feel like to be Batman. Batman: Arkham Asylum was an absolute gift to gamers and comic book fans alike.
1. City of Heroes
Still my favorite MMO to date, I would play this game again in a heartbeat if the servers were still active. City of Heroes wasn’t based on any partial IP, so gamers had to create their own super hero. However the character creation engine was absolutely amazing. I know people that would create a hero, take a screen shot, delete it, and start again. DC Universe Online is the only real alternative players have for this genre right now, and it can’t hold a candle to the awesomeness that was City of Heroes. Please come back to us!
