The 10 best superhero video games of all time

There are plenty of fantastic video games that feature iconic superheroes. From Marvel vs. Capcom during the time of arcades to the PlayStation 4’s Spider-Man, there are plenty of titles for superhero fans to enjoy. Here is a list of the ten best superhero video games.

Superheroes in entertainment media have evolved significantly in the last decade, thanks to the advent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the rise of nerd culture. While many feel that there may be an overexposure to superheroes, there’s no denying that a lot of great media centers around them. There are great superhero movies, comics, TV shows, and, of course, video games.

Best Superhero Video Games

There are plenty of fantastic video games that feature iconic superheroes. There are excellent games not only on DC superheroes and Marvel superheroes but on original heroes too. We feel as if it is time for us to give out our opinions of what are the best superhero video games.

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10) Viewtiful Joe

Viewtiful Joe is an original superhero created by Capcom and starred in the video game of the same name for the Nintendo GameCube. The controls for the first Viewtiful Joe are a little clunky, and the platforming is not always the best. However, the title has a good style, featuring beautiful cel-shaded graphics that make the game pop. The game is silly and light, but it will put a smile on your face from the moment you start the game to when you defeat the final supervillain.

9) X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a bad movie. Video games based on movies are usually substandard. Somehow though, the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game is pretty cool. It is a fun hack and slash, action-adventure game released in 2009. The game surprisingly plays well, and the graphics for the time were pretty good. Seeing Wolverine heal his wounds in real time is pretty impressive. The game also has the actor who portrays Wolverine in the movies, Hugh Jackman, voice the character in the video game, and that is pretty awesome.

8) inFAMOUS 2

The inFAMOUS franchise has the traditional trappings of a classic superhero story but is laced with dark themes and questionable morality. The choices you make as Cole MacGrath in inFAMOUS 1 and 2 determine what morality Cole settles on, transforming him into either a hero or villain. The answers are not always the easiest, making the franchise a test of where players lie in the morality spectrum. inFAMOUS 2 is the better game of the original duology, presenting more robust gameplay and a darker storyline than the first. The series continued with inFAMOUS: First Son and Dying Light.

7) LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and LEGO Batman

You can never go wrong with a LEGO-based video game, and the LEGO Batman and Marvel Superheroes are some of the best in the LEGO catalog. The LEGO Batman game features a simpler storyline where Batman fights against villains from his rogue’s gallery, like the Joker and the Riddler. Meanwhile, the LEGO Marvel Superheroes features a more encompassing campaign that stars the best Marvel Heroes from all corners of the universe. Both games are short, simple, and fun. They are the perfect games to play with kids.

6) Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance has a simple premise — play as four of your favorite Marvel superheroes simultaneously and go on missions to save the world. The franchise is an action role-playing game series where you punch and slash your way through your enemies. The first one, which was released on consoles back in 2006, is still the best in the franchise. The original Ultimate Alliance has an exciting story, plenty of side quests, and a massive character selection. The graphics are beautiful for what they were, and the combat is simple and fun. Even after all these years, the original Ultimate Alliance is still an enjoyable game, with plenty of content to keep you busy.

Related: The 10 best Marvel comics games of all time, ranked

5) Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

After the disastrous launch of the Square Enix-published Avengers game, not many were expecting much with the publisher’s next Marvel game, especially one released so soon after Marvel’s Avengers. However, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy proved everyone wrong and is one of the best superhero games. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy features an engaging campaign with tight controls that compliments the title’s game style. The story is a mixture of silly moments and genuine character development. Though Marvel’s Avengers ended up being a solid game after years of updates, Guardians of the Galaxy was amazing the moment it hit stores’ shelves.

4) Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is unbalanced, with several characters being better than others. Many character sprites are re-used from other Capcom games, and certain combos don’t work as intended. However, MVC 2 makes up for it by being an enjoyable game to play. The game has 56 playable characters, one of the largest and best rosters in any fighting game. What other games can you say that let you play as Cyclops and face a psychotic little girl with a red hood? It may fall short of being a perfect game on a technical level; however, it certainly is one of the best superhero games on a fun level.

3) Injustice 2

Injustice: Gods Among Us is a fighting game that stars the heroes from the DC Universe and is developed by NetherRealm Studios, the same studio that made the Mortal Kombat series. It would later spawn a sequel, Injustice 2, in 2017. Injustice 2 improves almost everything else from the first game. The graphics in the game are gorgeous, and the gameplay is more polished and responsive than in the first game. The roster in the first Injustice is better, but it is cool to see less-popular characters like Swamp Thing and Doctor Fate in Injustice 2. Overall, Injustice 2 does everything a sequel should do, and it is one of the most entertaining fighting games to play.

2) Spider-Man

Insomniac’s Spider-Man game on the PlayStation 4 radically expanded what made the Spider-Man 2 video game tie-in fantastic while improving on every aspect. While the combat in Insomniac’s Spider-Man comes across as being too similar to the Batman Arkham games, there is enough variety to make it feel different. The fighting is a joy to play, and the side missions are some of the best in any video game.

Of course, a fantastic Spider-Man game wouldn’t be complete without web-slinging, and this game has the best web-slinging ever. You do believe you are Spider-Man swinging through New York. The web-swinging is simple to use in the game and incredibly satisfying. No matter how many hours you put in the game, you will never get tired of web-slinging.

1) Batman: Arkham City

The combat in Arkham City was mostly the same as in the previous Arkham game, but City has a far larger world to explore. Whereas you were limited to just the asylum in the first game, you have an entire city to explore in Arkham City. The overworld is beautifully rendered in the game’s engine and filled with many Batman references. Arkham City also had more gadgets for players to use. The boss fights were also far more inventive than what they were in the first game. Mr. Freeze boss fight remains one of the most fun and well-executed bosses ever.

Related: The 10 best DC comics games of all time, ranked

The game’s story is excellent, filled with dark symbolism and poignant moments. The voice cast gives the performances of a lifetime, and the ending perfectly encapsulates Batman’s relationship with his arch-nemesis, the Joker.