video games dating back to 1979.
Unfortunately, while fans have seen a number of great live-action and animated versions of Superman over the years, there haven't always been as many great video adaptations of the character, with the really bad games making the few hidden gems and blowout hits even better in comparison.
Best: Superman: The Man Of Steel (1989)
The 80s saw the release of quite a few games starring Superman across various systems that existed before modern consoles like the Commodore 64, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, but none were quite like 1989's Superman: The Man of Steel.
The game featured three separate modes that included both overhead and side-scrolling sections similar to the other 1989 hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game, though it added an additional 3D flying section as players battled against the combined forces of Darkseid and Lex Luthor.
Worst: Superman Returns (2006)
Movie tie-in games can be really hit-or-miss, and 2006's Superman Returns was a good example of a great attempt that showed a lot of potential at early looks and beginning moments of gameplay but fell short on the execution.
The game was one of the first to finally capture the feeling of flying through the air with speed boosts and high vantage points over the decent-sized open-world city of Metropolis with a unique form of city health instead of character health, but repetitive gameplay, armies of robots and frustrating controls ultimately sunk the game.
Best: DC Universe Online (2011)
While Superman isn't a playable character in 2011's DC Universe Online, the MMO featured the character in a number of different storylines and missions along with various of the Superman family, and the game itself featured some great flying and power mechanics for the custom-created characters.
However, when looking at great and memorable Superman appearances, the game wowed fans with a cinematic trailer that featured an incredible post-apocalyptic battle between heroes and villains and an enraged Superman that teased the day the heroes lost and set the stage perfectly for the game that keeps finding new life on different consoles.
Worst: Superman: The Man Of Steel (2002)
2002's Superman: The Man Of Steel released on the Xbox and featured a comic storyline inspired by the comics and featured a number of fun elements like Mongul's Warworld and the Phantom Zone in one of the better-looking Superman games of the early 2000s.
Unfortunately, the game featured sometimes confusing controls that largely focused on flying around and putting out fires (the game did feature a number of useable powers), though the overly strict timed areas and repetitive missions detracted from the other highlights.
Best: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008)
While Superman and other of the Justice League had appeared in fighting games before, 2008's Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe changed things forever when the ultimate fighting game crossed over with the heroes and villains of the DC Universe.
DC Characters received stylized new looks and a captivating crossover story while Mortal Kombat and fighting game fans experienced dynamic new stage and battle modes. Superman in particular was an incredibly enjoyable character with a wide array of power options, though the magical aspect of the universal merger leveled the playing field for players.
Worst: Superman (1987)
1987 saw the release of the very first Superman game on the Nintendo, though it might have been more appropriate to have titled it Clark Kent, as players were only able to use Superman with enough "Super Power" otherwise they would turn back into the odd-looking Kent.
This led to a lot of time spent traveling around as Superman while trying to save Metropolis from Lex Luthor by solving puzzles, with very little time fighting as Superman and getting a chance to enjoy the various powers at his disposal.
Best: The Death And Return Of Superman (1994)
One of the biggest comic storylines of the 90s was adapted as The Death And Return of Superman as a beat-em-up side-scroller released for Super Nintendo and Genesis that gave players the chance to play as not one, but 5 different Supermen.
The game followed the storyline fairly faithfully as Superman dealt with Metropolis crime before Doomsday arrived, leading to his death. This led to the arrival of four new Superman who each received individual levels that made for an incredibly fun game that was almost impossible to finish without the modern-day luxury of saving.
Worst: Superman (1979)
While this may be a debated entry for classic gamers and fans of the original Superman game on the Atari 2600, as it was fairly revolutionary for its time and well-received by fans, though might seem unrecognizable as a Superman game upon first glance.
Players had to navigate a stick figure with a cape through nearly indistinguishable levels of buildings in order to repair damage from Lex Luthor while avoiding Kryptonite, which takes away Superman's powers until he finds and kisses Lois Lane. It was a great start for video games, but not necessarily for Superman.
Best: Injustice 2 (2017)
NetherRealm Studios had previously wowed gamers with 2013's Injustice: Gods Among Us fighting game that saw a dark Superman gather his allies and spread his totalitarian rule over the world while Batman and his Insurgency opposed him.
2017's Injustice 2 improved upon the original's gameplay mechanics and hero customization options with a story that further developed the unique world by temporarily uniting Batman and Superman's forces against a common threat.
Worst: Superman 64
Without a doubt, Superman 64 is the worst video game appearance of the character that has gone down in history not just a bad Superman game, but one of the worst games ever made for a number of reasons, but mostly because it just wasn't any fun.
The game was based on Superman: The Animated Series and saw a number of Superman's allies kidnapped by Lex Luthor, forcing him to navigate through a foggy, poorly-designed Metropolis with frustrating flight, movement, and camera controls, unforgiving timed areas, and numerous glitches that earn the game the bad press.
