The 10 Best Marvel Games

Face front, True Believers! With Tribute Games’ side-scrolling bushed 'em up Marvel Cosmic Invasion launching onto each strategy nether the sun, we thought it would beryllium the cleanable clip to look backmost connected the past of Marvel video games and prime the astir standout entries featuring our favourite Marvel superheroes. This database features games based connected immoderate Marvel license, from solo vigilantes to teams of Earth’s mightiest heroes.

First, immoderate crushed rules: we’ve picked conscionable 1 crippled per subseries, truthful don’t expect to spot each 3 Insomniac Spider-Man games connected here, for example. All entries are chiefly based connected a Marvel IP, truthful we’re not including things similar Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 conscionable due to the fact that Spidey makes an appearance, oregon Fortnite for having a batch of Marvel collaborations. The crippled can’t beryllium 100% unplayable (RIP Gazillion’s Marvel Heroes), and wide quality, humanities relevance, and however palmy it is astatine fulfilling the superhero phantasy of feeling similar you’re wrong the Marvel Universe are each taken into account.

With that covered, let’s dive into IGN’s Top 10 Marvel Video Games.

10. X-Men: The Arcade Game

Konami was the king of arcade hits passim the 1990s, delivering galore instant classics similar The Simpsons, TMNT: Turtles successful Time, and Dance Dance Revolution. Also included successful that lineup is its instrumentality connected X-Men, which continues to beryllium 1 of the astir endlessly replayable arcade games successful Konami’s catalogue. Based connected the Pryde of the X-Men animated aviator – a precursor to X-Men: The Animated Series – X-Men Arcade features six playable mutants traveling crossed the globe successful an effort to thwart the schemes of Magneto, the villainous Master of Magnet (his words, not ours).

X-Men Arcade doesn’t adjacent instrumentality a afloat hr to complete, but its classical bushed ‘em up plan is polished to a reflector shine, truthful overmuch truthful it’s intolerable not to bask it with a radical of friends. The goofy translations (“Welcome to die!”) lone adhd to the game’s charm, and punching your mode done armies of Sentinels, Reavers, and Magneto’s lieutenants is inactive arsenic entertaining present arsenic it was backmost successful 1992. The past clip it was re-released extracurricular of specialty arcade cabinets was connected the Xbox 360 and PS3, truthful we’re going to request a caller larboard of it, stat.

9. Captain America: Super Soldier

The Marvel Cinematic Universe changed the crippled for rather a fewer classical Marvel heroes, astir notably those associated with the Avengers. Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America were hardly nobodies earlier the MCU, but their popularity skyrocketed acknowledgment to the occurrence of Marvel Studios’ archetypal question of films. Said films besides received a fewer crippled tie-ins courtesy of Sega, but the lone 1 that’s worthy looking backmost connected is Captain America: Super Soldier.

Starring the First Avenger connected a WWII ngo not shown successful the film, the crippled features semi-open level plan that unfolds crossed the campaign, and a rhythmic melee combat strategy – some of which are intelligibly inspired by Batman: Arkham Asylum. There are galore foes to face, including respective important villains from the comics, specified arsenic Baron Strucker, Madame Hydra, and Iron Cross.

Video games based connected movies don’t typically play retired well, but the cardinal crushed Captain America: Super Soldier fares amended than its forgettable MCU tie-in peers is due to the fact that it’s the lone 1 that genuinely goes to lengths to marque you consciousness similar the leader it’s based on. Throwing Cap’s shield, deflecting force projectiles, and cracking Hydra skulls with a plethora of unsocial peculiar determination animations feels fantastic, and truly sells the phantasy of playing arsenic a ace soldier.

8. Lego Marvel Super Heroes

One of the champion examples of Lego’s long, agelong video crippled past besides happens to beryllium a Marvel game: Lego Marvel Super Heroes, released successful 2013 by seasoned ceramic crippled developer Traveller’s Tales. Featuring implicit 100 playable characters from the comics universe, Lego Marvel Super Heroes unquestionably has the champion roster of immoderate Lego Marvel game, since it doesn’t excise Fantastic Four and X-Men characters similar its successors, Lego Marvel’s Avengers and Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. That’s not to accidental determination isn’t amusive to beryllium had successful those games, but the archetypal Lego Marvel escapade was 1 of the past games to consciousness similar it was based connected the classical epoch of Marvel comics, earlier everything became strangled by MCU synergy during the mid-2010s. Running astir a Lego mentation of New York with your favourite Marvel heroes portion moving to thwart the schemes of Doctor Doom and yet defeating a elephantine Lego Galactus is inactive immoderate of the astir amusive you tin person successful a crippled flaunting the Lego brand.

7. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

After processing aggregate Marvel warring games successful the aboriginal ‘90s, specified arsenic X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel Super Heroes, Capcom crossed implicit 1 of their ain brands with the Marvel Universe successful X-Men vs. Street Fighter. The rest, arsenic they say, is history, and the Marvel vs. Capcom bid has remained 1 of the company’s astir beloved franchises ever since.

Choosing betwixt MVC2 and MVC3 was hard; the erstwhile is arguably much historically important and has a larger quality roster, but the second has secured this spot acknowledgment to its gorgeous 3D graphics, improved philharmonic score, and perfectly chaotic gameplay, which has been driving warring fans bonkers since the game’s archetypal release. The unthinkable animation enactment makes each lucifer a ocular feast to behold, and the crippled brought successful galore caller important roster choices specified arsenic Phoenix, Dormammu, and MODOK. The Ultimate merchandise added adjacent much iconic Marvel heroes, similar Doctor Strange, Hawkeye, and Rocket Raccoon, frankincense making it the definitive mentation of 1 of the champion warring games ever made.

6. Marvel Rivals

It’s hard to motorboat a caller unrecorded work crippled successful today’s market; conscionable inquire Warner Bros. astir Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueign c oregon Sony astir Concord. But NetEase Games managed to propulsion it disconnected with Marvel Rivals, the astir literal mentation of the “hero shooter” genre. From slicing done enemies with Magik’s soulsword, to diving connected opponents arsenic Venom, oregon swallowing full teams arsenic the adorable Jeff the Land Shark, Rivals fulfills the phantasy of playing arsenic Marvel’s astir iconic heroes. These characters sprout (or different maim/support) each different crossed a assortment of maps that besides propulsion from Marvel’s affluent comic history, utilizing the multiverse to present a wide assortment of locations specified arsenic Asgard, Krakoa, K’un-Lun, and the Tokyo of 2099.

The basal look of moreish 6v6 matches and fantabulous creation absorption person been supplemented by a tsunami of caller contented implicit the game’s archetypal year, including a twelve caller playable heroes and galore caller maps and modes. It’s hard to measure games similar Rivals since they’re perpetually evolving and adding caller stuff, but arsenic it stands, it’s precisely the benignant of crippled that’s casual to get mislaid successful portion playing with friends oregon climbing ranks successful Competitive. For your regular dose of Marvel gaming, it doesn’t get overmuch amended than this.

5. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

When it comes to movie tie-in games, fewer person been arsenic well-received arsenic Spider-Man 2. Released alongside the Sam Raimi movie of the aforesaid name, it eschewed accepted self-contained levels for an unfastened satellite attack – thing profoundly ambitious backmost successful 2004 – and allowed you to freely plaything astir New York City to your heart’s content.

While not technically the archetypal superhero crippled to usage the unfastened satellite format (would you judge that grant goes to the 1997 Batman & Robin game?) Spider-Man 2 did popularize the thought with the gaming masses. The web swinging mechanics were revolutionary for their time, arsenic you needed to really connect your webs to biology geometry alternatively of conscionable firing them up for them to latch connected to the skybox similar successful erstwhile games. Developer Treyarch besides expanded the movie’s communicative with characters from the comics, including fan-favorites similar Black Cat, Mysterio, and Rhino connected apical of the requisite encounters with Doc Ock. It each adds up to an introduction that changed however superhero games would beryllium made for years to come. Plus, what different crippled lets you present pizza arsenic a broadside activity?

4. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

If you’re looking for a crippled that genuinely transports you into the Marvel Universe, past 1 of the champion examples has to beryllium Raven Software’s Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Built disconnected a instauration developed for the studio’s earlier X-Men Legends games, Ultimate Alliance is simply a cooperative enactment RPG wherever you usher a squad of 4 Marvel heroes successful their combat done an epic escapade that’s fundamentally a company-wide crossover lawsuit travel to life. Doctor Doom has assembled the Masters of Evil, and the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and different unaffiliated heroes similar Spider-Man person to squad up to instrumentality them down. Such a beardown roster means you’re escaped to enlistee your ain ace squad made up from your favourite heroes.

The crushed Ultimate Alliance is inactive truthful beloved by Marvel fans is due to the fact that it makes afloat usage of the Marvel mythology, featuring characters and locations from virtually each country of the Marvel Universe alternatively of conscionable one. And dissimilar Lego Marvel Super Heroes, which has the abstraction of everything being made of Lego bricks, Ultimate Alliance feels similar the satellite and characters of Marvel comics person been ripped close disconnected the leafage and transplanted onto your TV surface without immoderate compromises. It mightiness not beryllium the newest oregon prettiest crippled connected this list, but the vibe and acquisition hasn’t been replicated by thing earlier oregon since, adjacent its ain sequels.

3. Marvel’s Midnight Suns

You mightiness not expect Firaxis, the developer down Civilization and XCOM, to make 1 of the champion Marvel games, but that’s precisely what we got with Midnight Suns. A tactical RPG with turn-based combat, deck-building, and life-sim mechanics, Midnight Suns is simply a bizarre premix of elements that someway coheres into thing alternatively special. You instrumentality connected the relation of The Hunter, an archetypal quality who fights alongside established Marvel heroes similar Blade, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, and galore others.

The Hunter and their allies combat successful battles that stress strategy and squad synergy, and past bent retired betwixt missions to make interpersonal relationships. Featuring a lengthy single-player campaign, an engrossing communicative with beardown quality writing, and plentifulness of ways to customize the physique of your Hunter and their allies, Midnight Suns is an underappreciated gem that’s definite to charm if you’re consenting to spell on with its quirks. But adjacent time, Marvel, don’t telephone them “friendship” levels. Let america day our favourite Marvel heroes. You can’t tease maine with a Scarlet Witch romance and not deliver.

2. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

After the disappointment of Marvel’s Avengers, who knew that Square Enix would people 1 of Marvel’s champion ever games soon afterwards? That would beryllium Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy from developer Eidos-Montreal, a single-player action-adventure crippled starring the space-faring ace team. Taking connected the relation of Star-Lord, you tin springiness orders to Gamora, Rocket, Groot and Drax during combat, comboing teammate abilities for maximum effect.

But the combat isn’t the prima of the amusement here; it’s the story, which is simply a beautiful, character-driven communicative that gets amazingly affectional connected aggregate occasions. With fantastic performances from the main cast, a crisp publication that merges elements of the Guardians’ comic personas with the MCU’s revisionist takes connected the characters, and an unthinkable philharmonic people from Richard Jacques, this crippled is arguably a much satisfying blockbuster acquisition than immoderate of the Guardians movies. If you haven’t played it, you’re missing retired connected 1 of the champion superhero stories released successful immoderate mean successful years.

1. Marvel’s Spider-Man

Speaking of large superhero stories, Insomniac Games of Ratchet & Clank and Resistance fame delivered 1 of the precise champion successful its archetypal Spider-Man game. Creating an archetypal mentation of Spidey’s mythology, Insomniac utilized a caller mentation of a acquainted satellite arsenic portion of a larger effort to refine the galore gameplay advancements that had been made successful Spider-Man games since Treyarch’s ground-breaking web-swinging, and balanced each that with apical support accumulation values to present the astir satisfying Spider-Man crippled ever released.

Some whitethorn reason successful favour of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but the sequel’s caller absorption connected switching betwixt playing arsenic Peter Parker and Miles Morales, arsenic good arsenic insignificant gameplay improvements, are offset by a overmuch weaker publication that doesn’t emotionally resonate successful the aforesaid mode the archetypal 1 did. And truthful Marvel’s Spider-Man is the champion wide Spider-Man game, featuring a lively satellite brimming with broadside activities, astute reworks of galore of Peter’s supporting cast, and plentifulness of enactment from commencement to finish. We’ll spot if Insomniac volition yet apical its champion effort with the upcoming Wolverine crippled and the inevitable Spider-Man 3, but for now, this is the champion it gets if you privation to play arsenic everyone’s favourite Web-Slinger. And arsenic Marvel’s flagship character, it conscionable feels close that his champion crippled is besides the top Marvel crippled ever made.

And determination we person it, the 10 champion video games to person travel retired of the House of Ideas. Did your favourite marque the list? Let america cognize what you deliberation of our rankings successful the comments, arsenic good arsenic your thoughts connected the champion Marvel games.

Carlos Morales writes novels, articles, and Mass Effect essays. You tin travel his fixations connected Twitter.