Top 10 Marvel Games Ranked — Full Breakdown & Transcript

[00:00] Based on true believers, with the recent arrival of both Marvel's Wolverine and Marvel's Pokemon Fighting Souls, we thought it would be the perfect time to look back on the history of Marvel video games and select the most standout entries featuring our favorite Marvel superheroes.

[00:15] This list features games based on any Marvel license, from solo vigilantes to teams of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. First, some ground rules. We've picked just one game per sub-series, that I expect to see all three Insomniac Spider-Man games on here, for example.

[00:31] All entries are primarily based on a Marvel IP, so we're not including things like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 just because Spidey makes an appearance, or Fortnite for having a lot of Marvel collaborations. The game can't be 100% unplayable,

[00:44] our IP gazillions of Marvel heroes, and overall quality, historical relevance, and how successful it is at fulfilling the superhero fantasy of feeling like you're within the Marvel universe are all taken into account. With that covered, let's dive into IGN's Top 10 Marvel Video Games.

[01:06] X-Men Konami was the king of arcade hits through the 1990s, delivering many instant classics like The Simpsons, King of Anti-Turtles in Time, and Dance Dance Revolution.

[01:19] Also included in that lineup is its take on X-Men, which continues to be one of the most endlessly replayable arcade games in Konami's catalog. Based on the pride of the X-Men animated pirate, a precursor to X-Men the Animated Series,

[01:32] X-Men Arcade features six playable mutants traveling across the globe in an effort to thwart the schemes of Magneto, the villainous Master of Magnets. His words, not ours. I am Magneto, Master of Magnets.

[01:45] X-Men Arcade doesn't even take a full hour to complete, but its classic beat-em-up design is polished to a mirror shine. So much so, it's impossible not to enjoy it with a group of friends. The goofy translations only add to the game's charm,

[01:59] and punching your way through armies of Sentinels, Reavers, and Magneto's lieutenants is still as entertaining now as it was back in 1992.

[02:11] The last time it was re-released outside of specialty arcade cabinets was on the Xbox 360 and PS3. So we're going to need a fresh port of it, that.

[02:30] Holding Grand Central hostage at rush hour? Now that's criminal. One of the best examples of LEGO's long, long video game history also happens to be a Marvel game. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, released in 2013 by veteran brick game developer Traveller's Tales.

[02:46] Featuring over 100 playable characters from the comics and universe, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes unquestionably has the best roster of any LEGO Marvel game, since it doesn't excise Fantastic Four and X-Men characters like its successors,

[02:58] LEGO Marvel's Avengers and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2. That's not to say there isn't fun to be had in those games, but the first LEGO Marvel Adventure was one of the last games to feel like it was based on the classic era of Marvel comics. before everything became strangled by MCU synergy during the mid-2010s.

[03:14] Running around a LEGO version of New York with your favourite Marvel heroes while working to thwart the schemes of Doctor Doom and eventually defeating a giant LEGO Galactus is still some of the most fun you can have in a game flaunting the LEGO brand.

[03:35] After developing multiple Marvel fighting games in the early 90s such as X Children of the Atom and Marvel Super Heroes Capcom crossed over one of their own brands with the Marvel Universe in X vs Street Fighter

[03:47] The rest, as they say, is history, and the Marvel vs. Capcom series has remained one of the company's most beloved franchises ever since. Choosing between MVC2 and MVC3 was hard. The former is arguably more historically important and has a larger character roster,

[04:02] but the latter has secured this spot thanks to its gorgeous 3D graphics, improved musical score, and absolutely chaotic gameplay, which has been driving fighting fans bonkers since the game's original release.

[04:14] The incredible animation work makes each match a visual feast to behold, and the game brought in many new important roster choices such as Phoenix, Dormammu, and Modok. The Ultimate release added even more iconic Marvel heroes like Doctor Strange, Hawkeye, and Rocket Raccoon,

[04:29] thus making it the definitive version of one of the best fighting games ever made.

[04:47] But another Marvel fighting game has since entered the arena. Marvel Tocon Fighting Souls is the latest team-based slice of action to feature some of comics' most famous heroes and villains. You may have never seen them quite like this before though, thanks to DeveloperArc Systemwork's

[05:03] incredible art design, lending a stylish anime aesthetic to each character and stage. But it's more than just a looker, with deep, tag fighting systems at the core of its sharp action. Building your team of four and working out the nuances of each character is a joy, with

[05:19] each borrowing abilities ripped straight from comic book panels. Whether that be Storm pushing and pulling enemies by harnessing the Weber, or Spider-Man zipping around the screen and hanging from the top of it to fate opponents, each design shows a real love for their place of origin.

[05:32] Plus, there's even time taken to respect all of the most famous fighting games that have come before it via Deadpool, whose moveset is packed full of attacks from Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter and many others. It's the closest we've come to the full package when it comes to Marvel fighting

[05:47] games. It's hard to launch a new live service game in today's market. Just ask Warner Brothers about Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, or Sony about Concord.

[06:03] But NetEase Games managed to pull it off with Marvel Rivals, the most literal interpretation of the hero shooter genre. From slicing through enemies with Magic Soul Sword to diving on opponents as Venom, or swallowing whole teams as the adorable Jethro Lanchdark,

[06:19] Rivals fulfills the fantasy of playing as Marvel's most iconic heroes. These characters shoot, or otherwise maim and support, each other across a variety of maps that also pull from Marvel's rich comic history,

[06:31] using the multiverse to deliver a wide variety of locations such as Asgard, Krakoa, Hoon Loon and the Tokyo of 2099. The bait formula of moreish 6v6 matches and excellent art direction

[06:43] have been supplemented by a tsunami of fresh content over the game's first year, including a dozen new playable heroes and numerous new maps and modes. It's difficult to evaluate games like Rival since they're constantly evolving and adding new stuff, but as it stands

[06:56] it's exactly the sort of game that's easy to get lost in while playing with friends or climbing ranks in competitive. For your daily dose of Marvel gaming, it doesn't get much better than this. Fuck. Oh. Good. God.

[07:10] City's been quiet lately. maybe my luck finally changing When it comes to movie tie games few have been as well received as Spider 2 Released alongside the Sam Raimi film of the same name it eschewed traditional self levels for an open world approach

[07:26] Something geekly ambitious back in 2004, and allowed you to freely swing around New York City to your heart's content. While not technically the first superhero game to use the open world format, would you believe that honor goes to the 1997 Batman and Robin games?

[07:40] Spider-Man 2 did popularise the idea with the gaming masses. The web-swinging mechanics were revolutionary for their time, as you needed to actually attach your webs to environmental geometry instead of just firing them up for them to latch onto the Skybox like in previous games.

[07:54] Developer Treyarch also expanded the movie's story with characters from the comics, including fan favourites like Black Cat, Mysterio and Rhino, on top of the requisite encounters with Doc Ock. Fight me! Stand and fight me!

[08:07] It all adds up to an entry that changed how superhero games would be made for years to come. Plus, what other game lets you deliver pizza as a side activity? Now, at this point, you're probably wondering where is Marvel's Wolverine?

[08:22] Well, simply put, it just misses out on the list. Anticipation had been high for many years when it came to Marvel's Wolverine, but it couldn't quite live up to the standard already set by Insomniac's Spider-Man series.

[08:34] The action is enjoyably ferocious at first, but wears thin well before the story's conclusion. It's still an okay game, just not quite good enough to break into the top ten here. We gave it six out of ten, and you can sink your claws into the full review elsewhere on IGN.

[08:53] Similarly, while we enjoyed last year's beat-em-up from tribute games, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, quite a bit, the nostalgia we still hold for the X-Men arcade game meant it didn't quite sneak onto the list in the number 10 spot. Now, back to the list.

[09:08] The Red Sea on you now, or I shall destroy it. Not on my watch. If you're looking for a game that truly transports you into the Marvel Universe, then one of the best examples has to be Raven Software's Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

[09:21] Built off a foundation developed for the studio's earlier X-Men Legends games, Ultimate Alliance is a cooperative action RPG where you guide a team of four Marvel heroes In their fight through an epic adventure, that's essentially a company wide crossover event come to life.

[09:34] Doctor Doom has assembled the masters of evil, and the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men and other unaffiliated heroes like Spider-Man have to team up to take them down. Such a strong roster means you're free to recruit your own super team made up from your favorite heroes.

[09:49] The reason Ultimate Alliance is still so beloved by Marvel fans is because it makes full use of the Marvel mythology. featuring characters and locations from virtually every corner of the Marvel Universe instead of just one.

[10:01] And unlike LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, which has the abstraction of everything being made of LEGO bricks, Ultimate Alliance feels like a world in characters of Marvel Comics that's been ripped right off the page and transplanted onto a TV screen without any compromises.

[10:15] It might not be the newest or prettiest game on this list, but the vibe and experience haven't been replicated by anything before or since, even if there are sequels. You're in for the fight of your life, but it has to be done.

[10:29] If it goes hard, you're lucky. I'm gonna need some backup. You might not expect Paractus, the developer behind Civilization and XCOM, to create one of the best Marvel games, but that's exactly what we got with Midnight Suns.

[10:41] A tactical RPG with turn-based combat, deck building and lifespan mechanics, Midnight Suns is a bizarre mix of elements that somehow coheres into something rather special You take on the role of the Hunter an original character who fights alongside established Marvel heroes like Blade Ghost Rider Iron Man and numerous others

[10:59] The Hunter and their allies fight in battles that emphasise strategy and team synergy, and then hang out between missions to develop interpersonal relationships. Featuring a lengthy single player campaign, an engrossing narrative with strong character

[11:11] writing and plenty of ways to customise the build of your Hunter and their allies, Midnight is an underappreciated gem that's short of charm, if you're willing to go along with its quirks. Now there's a real rah-rah spirit I can get behind.

[11:23] But next time, Marvel, don't call them friendship levels. Let us date our favorite Marvel heroes. You can't tease me with a skull at which romance and not deliver.

[11:37] Commander has no time to meet with law-breaking pirates like you. Desti, Kate, we're not pirates. We're legally incorporated heroes for hire. After the disappointment of Marvel's Avengers, who knew that Square Enix would publish one

[11:49] of Marvel's best ever games shortly afterwards? That would be Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy from developer Eidos Montreal, a single player action adventure game starring the space-faring super team. Taking on the role of Star-Lord, you can give orders to Gamora, Rocket, Root and Drax during

[12:04] combat, comboing team-made abilities for maximum effect. But the combat isn't the star of the show here, it's the story, which is a beautiful, character driven tale that gets surprisingly emotional on multiple occasions.

[12:16] With fantastic performances from the main cast, a sharp script that merges elements of the Guardians comic personas with the MCU's revisionist takes on the characters, and an incredible musical score from Richard Jakes, this game is arguably a more satisfying blockbuster

[12:28] experience than any of the Guardians movies. If you haven't played it, you're missing out on one of the best superhero stories released in any medium in years.

[12:42] is quiet pita quilla. No, Jilly. Hey, fella. Oh! Wait a minute! Speaking of great superhero stories, Insomniac Games of Ratchet and Clank and Resistance fame

[12:56] delivered one of the very best in its first Spider-Man game. Creating an original version of Spidey's mythology, Insomniac used a fresh version of a familiar world as part of a larger effort to refine the many gameplay advancements that have been made in Spider-Man games

[13:08] since Treyarch's groundbreaking web swinging. And balance all that with top shelf production values to deliver the most satisfying Spider-Man game ever released. Some may argue in favour of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, but the sequel's novel focus on switching

[13:20] between playing as Peter Parker and Miles Morales, as well as minor gameplay improvements, are offset by a much weaker script that doesn't emotionally resonate in the same way the first one did. And so Marvel's Spider-Man is the best overall Spider-Man game, featuring a lively world

[13:34] brimming with side activities, smart reworks of many of Peter's supporting cast, and plenty of action from start to finish. We'll see if Insomniac will finally top its best effort with the upcoming Wolverine game, and the inevitable Spider-Man 3, but for now, this is the best it gets if you want to play

[13:50] as everyone's favourite web-slinger. And as Marvel's flagship character, it just feels right that his best game is also the greatest Marvel game ever made. And there we have it, the 10 best video games to have come out of the House of Ideas.

[14:12] Did your favourite make the list? Let us know what you think of our rankings in the comments, as well as your thoughts on the best Marvel games. For more lists, why not check out our Top 10 Survival Horror Games and our Top 10 Best Call of Duty Campaigns, and for everything else, stick with RGN.

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