Video Feature: 10 of the Worst Superhero Games
Heroes don't always win and superhero games aren't always good. Here's a few of the absolute worst.
This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.
I love superheroes. They're my jam. We're lucky to live during a time where superheroes are leaving the comic page and heading into other mediums, with excellent movies like the Avengers and Captain America: the Winter Soldier, or solid TV adaptations like Arrow. Seriously, did you watch last night's season finale of Agents of SHIELD? We wouldn't have had Marvel magic like that on TV a few years ago.
Unfortunately, just like comics themselves are sometimes not great - the Clone Saga and the Rise of Arsenal say "hi" - comic adaptations can end up being downright horrible. We're a gaming site, so that's what we're focusing on. In honor of the thoroughly average Amazing Spider-Man 2 game, here are some of the worst superhero games ever released. Enjoy... or relive your memories of purchasing and playing these games.
Superman: The New Adventures
Titus Software | 1999 | Nintendo 64
Everyone probably knows this game under its more infamous moniker, Superman 64. An adaptation of the excellent Superman: The Animated Series, this game failed to deliver a Superman experience on any level. Fly through those rings, Superman!
Batman: Dark Tomorrow
HotGen | 2003 | Xbox, GameCube
Before Batman: Arkham Asylum got the formula so wonderfully right, HotGen tried and failed. Batman went up against the Demon, Ra's Al Ghul, and in most of the endings, Ra's won. But the real losers were those who bought this mess of a game.
X-Men: Destiny
Silicon Knights | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS
This game had such promise. Who wouldn't want a Bioware-style action RPG set in the world of the X-Men? Instead, we got this lifeless brawler with little customization and fewer meaningful choices. Thanks to the Silicon Knights/Epic Games legal case, X-Men Destiny was recalled. Huzzah!
Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis
Lucky Chicken Games | 2003 | GameCube, Xbox
Based on the hook-handed Aquaman with a beard - a look that was replaced that same year in the comics - Battle for Atlantis has you saving the underwater city from the Black Manta. And by "saving" I mean "punching the same boring villian over and over again." Developers, please don't step up to do something with Aquaman unless you're going to make him look better than pop culture thinks he is.
Avengers in Galactic Storm
Data East | 1995 | Arcade
Out of all the Avengers that participated in the Operation Galactic Storm crossover, Data East chose Captain America, Crystal, Thunderstrike, and the Black Knight. The Supreme Intelligence, a talking head in a jar, was the last boss. As a fighting game, Avengers in Galactic Storm has nothing on Capcom's far better CPS II games.
Catwoman
Argonaut Games | 2004 | PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, Game Boy Advance
This game was based on the Catwoman film starring Halle Berry. The film has a Rotten Tomatoes critic rating of 9 percent and a user rating of 18 percent. The game is an accurate representation of the film.
Fantastic Four
Probe Entertainment | 1997 | PlayStation
Probe decided the best way to show off Marvel's family of explorers was to create a boring Streets of Rage-style brawler. The odd part is subsequent Fantastic Four games in 2005 and 2007 did the exact same thing. Where's the creativity, folks?
Spawn: The Eternal
Sony Computer Entertainment | 1997 | PlayStation
The same year that Probe graced us with Fantastic Four, Sony Computer Entertainment tried it hand at its own superhero game based on Todd McFarlane's Spawn. It launched alongside the home release of the decent Spawn live-action film, but there was no decency to be found in the game. At least Spawn got a second chance in Soul Calibur II on Xbox.
Silver Surfer
Software Creations | 1990 | NES
The only game starring the Silver Surfer, a nearly unstoppable hero filled with the Power Cosmic, was a shooter where he dies in one hit. From anything. It was also nearly impossible, just like the Surfer's ongoing quest to understand humanity.
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects
Nihilistic Software | 2005 | Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, DS, PSP
In the midst of Capcom's excellent Marvel vs. Capcom games, another publisher tried to make its own Marvel fighting game. EA (with help from Marvel) designed the Imperfects, a host of super-powered villians for the Marvel heroes to fight. Every single design was horrible and these misfits had to hold up one-half of the game. Tall order.
The Uncanny X-Men
Unknown | 1989 | NES
I have personal experience with this one. I remember picking up this game expecting awesome X-Men action. Instead, I got vaguely-colored blobs fighting robots and other non-descript creatures. Probably one of my greatest gaming disappointments ever.