Comic books are insanely great, and so are video games. Put them together and what do you get? Well, aside from one of the most ardent combined fanbases in existence, the answer is some damn fine games.
Having recently reinvigorated my love for both mediums (a.k.a. lost several full days playing through the below titles), I felt like it was high time that we gave Cult of Mac readers a definitive list of the greatest games to ever come out of the comic book universe.
What follows after the jump are eight titles which not only represent superb gaming fun, but also do justice to their four-color characters, and the comic book medium as a whole.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then let’s begin.
Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013)
Anyone who ever wondered as a kid (or a grown-up kid) who would win a fight between Superman and The Incredible Hulk has long dreamed of a truly great beat-em-up pitting hero against hero. Although there have been some great efforts over the years (the Marvel vs. Capcom series just missed the cutoff for this list), it truly took next-gen graphics to convey the kind of apocalyptic battle sequences that would ensue if the world’s (or at least DC’s) top heroes ever decided to go toe-to-toe.
Injustice: Gods Among Us works as a beat-em-up, but perhaps more impressively it works as an engrossing video game story. And that’s something I’ve never said about a fighting game before.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
While Batman, Superman and some of the other big-name heroes seemed at home in the 16-bit era, Spider-Man is a character who benefited enormously from video games’ leap to 3-D in the late 1990s. Coinciding with the 2004 Sam Raimi movie sequel, Spider-Man 2 remains a high benchmark for everyone’s favorite neighborhood web slinger: giving you a fully-realized New York City to explore as well as some fun side missions, great action, and entertaining one-liners.
Imagine Spider-Man plopped into a (slightly lighter) Grand Theft Auto game, and you’re not far off.
X Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
I can’t tell you how excited I was about seeing this movie in theaters — or how crushed I was when it turned out to be the most disappointing film this side of Alien vs. Predator. Borrowing its hack-and-slash stylings from the likes of God of War and Devil May Cry, this is the closest a game has ever gotten to putting you in Wolverine’s bright blue boots.
Just make sure to pick up the “Uncaged” version of the game, which adds lashings of gore to an already fun mix.
Comix Zone (1995)
I remember Comix Zone first and foremost from the seemingly never-ending ads which appeared for it on the back of comic books in the mid 1990s. In some ways, including it here is a bit of a cheat as its hero, (yes, really!), was created specifically for this title, but I’d argue that no video game before or since has so perfectly captured the look and feel of a comic book.
You play a stereotypically ‘90s starving artist and freelance rocker — complete with glorious ponytail — who gets sucked into the pages of a comic. From there it unfolds like a Streets of Rage-style side-scrolling beat-em-up, with the difference being that the screen is divided into a series of comic-style panels. This allows for neat effects like villains being drawn on by giant artist hands, plenty of speech bubbles, and even the chance to burst through panel borders in true Jack Kirby style.
As both a time capsule and a video game, Comix Zone is tremendous. Fortunately, you can even find ports on today’s modern crop of consoles.
City of Heroes (2004)
Like a World of Warcraft for the superhero-loving set, City of Heroes was a massively multiplayer game which let players create a hero and then use their powers to bring justice (or, thanks to a later expansion pack, injustice) to Paragon City. Sporting a fantastic character creation tool, great special effects, and some immersive gameplay, this is a title still looked back on fondly by gamers.
Like Comix Zone, it wasn’t based on a pre-existing comic book property, but when the game shows this much love for the world of sequential art super-heroics, it’s hard to argue that it doesn’t deserve a place on this list.
Death and Return of Superman (1994)
Another side-scrolling beat-em-up, Death and Return of Superman is notable for two things: being one of the only good Superman games ever released, and accurately following the sweeping early ’90s death and rebirth of Superman storyline incredibly closely to the point where it felt like you were playing through your favorite comics. In addition to playing as Supes himself, Death and Return of Superman also put you in control of four other characters: The Cyborg, The Eradicator, Superboy and Steel. In the end, one of them turns out to be the final boss as well as a playable character, which makes this a rarity in gaming history.
Batman: Arkham City (2011)
Is there any way the Arkham series could have missed making this list? Simply put, Batman: Arkham City is the game every Batman fan has wanted since they first discovered the Dark Knight character. Written by The Animated Series’ Paul Dini and featuring the astounding voice talents of Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and others, this game is close to flawless.
There have been enough bad Batman games over the years (Batman: Dark Tomorrow, I’m looking at you!) to make me realize just how tough it is to make a superb one. From its superb focus on stealth to its jaw-dropping action sequences, Batman: Arkham City is that game.
LEGO Batman 2 (2012)
What the heck — Let’s have one more superb Batman game to round off the list. What I love about LEGO Batman 2 is its sheer irreverence. Unlike the early LEGO titles, by the time LEGO Batman 2 rolled around, there was a whole voice cast to play with. That opened up a ton of hilarious possibilities, all of which were executed perfectly by the skilled voice actors. Beyond this is a great open world game, packed with fun missions and rewarding Easter Eggs for longtime fans.
Arkham City may be the game Gotham needs, but LEGO Batman 2 is the game we deserve!
