When not dominating the world of comic books and movies, Marvel and their exciting characters have made the leap to the video game medium as well. Expanding upon their gigantic universe, Marvel games have spanned the gamut of styles and have been a part of gaming since the beginning.
Featuring legendary characters like X-Men, Marvel's video games are a treat for both avid comic book fans, and casual gamers alike. Even though there are many classics, s on Ranker took to the site to vote for their favorite games from Marvel.
Spider-Man (2000)
Arguably Marvel's most popular single character, Spider-Man has starred in many great video games of his own. Spider-Man was one of the web-slinger's first forays into three dimensions and the game featured a wide variety of exciting villains from the comics.
The level design of the game kept the action high and the gameplay fluid, and it never felt repetitive like previous beat-em-ups had. Swinging on webs and crawling on walls was a fun mechanic to play around with, and the boss battles ranged in intensity from start to finish. Spider-Man's quest to clear his name is made doubly complicated by a potential symbiote invasion that he must foil, and the plot feels like it was ripped straight from the pages of the comics.
X-Men Legends (2004)
The X-Men are a team that is tailor-made for video games, and they were no strangers to the medium by the time they starred in X-Men Legends. The game took advantage of the large roster of X-Men characters in order to give the player a wide variety of team-up options.
The game is from the perspective of a young mutant who can control volcanic activity, together with other X-Men, she must foil Magneto's plan for world domination. With its top down view and team based moves, X-Men Legends rewarded players for making exciting combos. The game also features a leveling system that allows s to upgrade their particular squad as the game progresses, and the bosses get more powerful.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
While the film of the same name got a lot of things wrong, the video game tie-in of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was an exciting hack-and-slash style adventure. With a healthy does of graphic violence and language, Origins was one of the darkest Marvel games up to that point.
Loosely following the plot of the film, the is put in control of the famous clawed mutant as he traverses the globe, dispatching enemies. Relying on a hack-and-slash style of gameplay was perfectly in line with Wolverine's character, and the gameplay allows for fun uses of his powers. Utilizing environmental attacks, as well as Wolverine's usual arsenal, allows the player to interact with the game more than most hack-and-slash games.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009)
Sequels are rarely as good as their originals but Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 gave its predecessor a run for its money. Giving players control of a large swath of the Marvel hero universe, Ultimate Alliance 2 had more replay value than the original.
Borrowing its story from the Secret War and Civil War storylines from the comics, the game gives the player two story options depending on which side they choose. The top-down, beat-em-up style is the same from the original, and is very easy to learn for new players. Pitting some of the most popular Marvel heroes against one another is another fun addition to the game, and the player will find themselves returning to see the story play out from the other side.
Deadpool (2013)
The "Merc With A Mouth" was not the usual Marvel hero, but Deadpool's popularity has made him an undeniable fixture of the comic imprint. Deadpool the game was approached with the same tongue-in-cheek energy that he comics exuded, and he often breaks the fourth wall to lambast the player.
Wanting to star in his own video game, Deadpool bullies a developer into making one and he is quickly wrapped up in a story of international intrigue. Outside of the breaking of the fourth wall, the action of Deadpool puts s in control of his usual arsenal of weapons as well as a wealth of other attacks. The hack-and-slash style game also features third-person shooter elements to keep the gameplay fresh and lively.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (2010)
Spider-Man has seen many iterations over the years, and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions hoped to unite some of his most popular counterparts. The game's interesting storyline was so unique that it actually inspired one of the best storylines in Spider-Man comics.
During a fight with Mysterio, a strange artifact is shattered, with its pieces ending up in several different dimensions. The takes control of four different Spider-Men in order to retrieve the disparate pieces before they wreak any more havoc on their dimensions. The action of the game is extremely fluid and it is fun to control the different Spider-Man characters. Also, the game takes place in several different environments which adds to the variety of the gameplay.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (2013)
There have been LEGO Marvel Super Heroes was the perfect combination of both franchises' best aspects. By giving the control of such a large roster of characters, LEGO Marvel brought to life many of Marvel's less ed heroes.
With a loose plot revolving around Galactus, and his potential invasion of earth, the is able to select heroes based on their specific abilities, and each hero has their own special skills. The gameplay is engaging and there is a nice balance of action and puzzle solving. The game is also very re-playable because of its massive scope.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
While movie tie-in games are often not very good, Spider-Man 2 was of the same high quality as the film it was based on. The game very loosely follows its subject matter and instead opts to tell an amalgamation of different stories in one game.
Utilizing an open-world style, the player is free to explore New York and partake in side-missions, while also following the linear story. The explorative aspects are the best part of the game and it is fun to swing around as the famous wall-crawler. When engaged in missions, the action is tight and the controls allow the to get the most of their experience.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006)
Though many Marvel games had been produced by the time the 2000s rolled around, none had the same scope as Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Instead of focusing on one character or group of characters, Ultimate Alliance attempted to bring in the Marvel universe as whole for an exciting adventure.
Hoping to defeat Dr. Doom, the takes control of a team of Marvel heroes and embarks on a top-down style hack-and-slash adventure through some of Marvel's most recognizable landscapes. The game's controls were fun and responsive, and the was able to upgrade their favorite heroes in order to make a stronger team as the game progressed.
Spider-Man (2018)
Another in a long line of great Spider-Man games, 2018's Spider-Man built on many of the successes of previous games about the web-slinger. Taking the open world concept to new heights in the game, Spider-Man draws from all forms of media for its inspiration.
When Mister Negative threatens to take over the city with a deadly virus, Spider-Man must step in to stop him while also dealing with his own personal problems. The open world environment allows players to explore and collect items almost infinitely, which keeps the game going as the player follows the linear story at their leisure. The game utilizes a chain attack system that allows the to involve environmental actions for more variety in the combat.