Highlights
X2: Wolverine’s Revenge and The Punisher: No Mercy were criticized for various reasons, failing to gain widespread recognition in the video game market.
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects and Spider-Man: Friend or Foe had mixed reviews but deserve more recognition for their unique gameplay mechanics and character choices.
There has been no shortage of video games based on Marvel properties over the years with games beginning to pop up from 1982 onwards on the Atari up to the modern day on consoles like the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and the Nintendo Switch. With a wealth of characters to choose from and, since 2008, a cinematic universe to tie its entries to, it is no wonder that the global franchise that is Marvel has permeated the video game market as well.
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However, with so many Marvel games hitting physical and digital storefronts at any one time, it is sometimes difficult to keep up with what is released, and one would be forgiven for allowing some games to slip under one’s radar. Indeed, there exist many Marvel games that have, for better or worse, fallen into obscurity after their initial releases, especially in the strange phase of the 2000s when pre-MCU and post-MCU collided.
10 X-Men: The Official Game
Created as a tie-in video game to the trilogy-ending movie X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: The Official Game possesses a plot that covers the events in between the aforementioned movie and its prequel X2. Equipping players with control of three protagonists (Iceman, Nightcrawler, and Wolverine), the game rockets through a plot involving agents of HYDRA and massive Sentinels designed to wipe out mutant kind.
Hit with middling reviews, X-Men: The Official Game was praised for its admirable attempt at giving players variety with the three playable superheroes but did not manage to convince critics that it had lots more to offer. Removal from all digital storefronts at the beginning of 2014 also did not help this game as it sunk into the shadows of obscurity.
9 Iron Man
Tie-in MCU video games seemingly happened right off the bat with 2008’s Iron Man game developed by Artificial Mind & Movement. This game follows the incongruous habit of many similar movie tie-in titles by predominantly branching off from the plot of the movie they are based on, with Iron Man seeing the titular superhero battling with the likes of Whiplash, Titanium Man, and Melter.
Met with extremely poor reviews across all platforms, even the Hollywood voice talent of Robert Downey Jr. and Terrence Howard could not vindicate this lazy and carelessly thrown-together gameplay experience. Perhaps it is agreeable that Iron Man is better off left forgotten.
8 Fantastic Four (2005)
The Fantastic Four have never managed to catch a break outside the comics, with two lackluster film entries pre-MCU in addition to a strangely controversial 2015 reboot film and a whole host of video games that did not fare any better. Fantastic Four (2005) was released unsurprisingly to coincide with the Hollywood blockbuster film of the same name and is a beat-em-up with elements of platforming and puzzles.
Following a plot that veers off wildly from that of the film, Fantastic Four (2005) was not completely lampooned critically, with many video game journalists retroactively praising the game for paving the way for the much more successful Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Regardless, the game still finds itself as a mere footnote in the annals of Marvel video game history.
7 X2: Wolverine’s Revenge
Originally, X2: Wolverine’s Revenge was not meant to have any relation to the movie in its title, being a standalone story with close ties to the comic book continuity. However, just before the release of 2003’s X2 movie, the title was slapped onto the game to take advantage of the movie’s opening.
With an interesting story involving Wolverine battling the likes of Juggernaut, Magneto, and Sabretooth to find a cure for a virus that is rapidly killing him, X2: Wolverine’s Revenge is a completely passable action beat-em-up experience that received mixed reviews upon release. However, even with a surprisingly gruff voice performance from Mark Hamill as the titular X-Man, this game failed to latch itself to the wider zeitgeist.
6 The Punisher: No Mercy
Released by Hungarian video game developer Zen Studios in 2009, The Punisher: No Mercy is an FPS arena shooter exclusively accessible on the PSN store in 2009. The plot sees players control Frank Castle as he searches for criminal mastermind Jigsaw in his expected vengeful fashion.
Despite the developer being rather optimistic in ending the game on a cliffhanger, it was a divisive experience critically with some individuals lamenting the game’s short play time and repetitive gameplay. Even if the game received universal acclaim, it was only available to download for three years until it was taken off the PSN storefront.
5 X-Men Next Dimension
In the vein of fighting game franchises such as Mortal Kombat and Soulcalibur, X-Men Next Dimension pits X-Men staples like Wolverine, Storm, and Cyclops against one another in one-on-one battles using extensive combos, counterattacks, and unique super moves based on each combatant’s mutant abilities. The plot even links with existing continuity, with the game acting as a sequel to the comic story Operation: Zero Tolerance.
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Praised by some as the then-best Marvel fighting game, X-Men Next Dimension provides fans with an extensive roster of fighters with varied powers and a delightfully intricate combo system. For many, it is truly a shame that this 2002 effort has been relegated to the dark corner of forgotten Marvel video games.
4 Ghost Rider
Taking extensive cues from third-person hack-and-slash masters God of War and Devil May Cry, Ghost Rider was released in 2007 to coincide with the Nicolas Cage-starring movie of the same name. The game gives players control of Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider as he combats demons using a chain and his bare knuckles, as well as his trademark Hellcycle and vengeful hellfire blasts.
Interestingly, the game allows those who beat it on a certain difficulty to play the game again as fellow Marvelcharacter Blade, who has unique gameplay mechanics that provide the player with a different experience on a second playthrough. Also, the PlayStation Portable version has an exclusive and surprisingly expansive racing minigame. For fans of the spectral hunter, Ghost Rider may well be worth uncovering.
3 Hulk
Based on the pre-MCU Ang Lee movie of the same name and developed by Radical Entertainment (of The Simpsons: Hit & Run fame), Hulk is a hybrid beat-em-up/stealth action game dependent on whether the player is controlling the Hulk or Bruce Banner. Set after the events of the movie, the plot sees Banner grapple with nemeses like the Leader, Half-Life, and Ravage to stop the creation of a gamma-mutant army.
Praised for its visuals, tight controls, and interactive environments, critics were less impressed with the simple stealth sections as Banner and poor enemy AI. Ultimately, this effort was wholly overshadowed by its standalone sequel The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, which was much more positively received.
2 Marvel Nemesis: Rise Of The Imperfects
Perhaps most notable for pitting Marvel characters against those created by video game developer EA, Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is a fighting game that melds the simplicity of Super Smash Bros. and the match-ending moves of Mortal Kombat using recognizable characters like Captain America, Spider-Man, and Magneto.
Despite a tie-in comic book limited series, the game was mired with negative reviews focusing on its poor AI and limited gameplay. This mixed with a complicated situation regarding rights to the EA-created characters in the game has hammered the final nail in the coffin of obscurity for Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects.
1 Spider-Man: Friend Or Foe
With Mysterio combining symbiotes with his holographic technology, it is up to Spider-Man and his unlikely allies from his own rogues gallery to stop him from taking over the world. With choices of pairing Spider-Man with frenemies like Black Cat and all-out nemeses like the Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus, all with their combat styles and upgradable skill trees, players can spend hours trying out each available sidekick.
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Although criticized for its lack of challenge and repetitive nature, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe does not deserve its obscure status, being a video game that provides players with scope in the number of playable characters and engagement in an original story that goes way beyond Spider-Man’s friendly neighborhood.
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