Top 20 Worst Superhero Video Games
#20: “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014)
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In 2014, gaming publisher Activision released a title based on one of comics’ most beloved superheroes. But, with great power must also come great responsibility to make a good product. And, unfortunately, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is not that. The story is eye-rolling and the graphics are unpolished at best, but its greatest sin lies in its stiff combat. In fact, the poorly-realized open-world only emphasizes how janky and unfun Spidey feels to control. Since there’s a bevy of spectacular Spider-Man games to choose from, there’s never a reason to revisit this hollow interpretation. Maybe it’s for the best that Activision lost the Marvel license after this.
#19: “Iron Man” (2008)
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Based upon the franchise-spawning blockbuster of the same name, this tie-in game didn’t have quite the same glowing reception of its source material. And that’s putting it nicely. Both critics and players alike dragged this game through the mud, with particular criticism levied at its repetitive missions and incomprehensible camera. Except, this one hurt all the more because of how much potential it squandered. There’s so much to do with an “Iron Man” game, especially one with the budget to get Robert Downey Jr.’s voice and likeness. But, instead, this 2008 misfire is destined to be forgotten amid the slew of other disappointing superhero games.
#18: “Catwoman” (2004)
Video games based on movies are usually hit-or-miss, with most of them leaning towards the “miss” category. But, in the case of 2004’s “Catwoman” game, it wasn’t even based on a very good film to begin with. So, as expected, the entire thing is a rushed, unfinished mess. Most of the quote-unquote gameplay includes traversing some incredibly lazy and barren dungeons. Although, the lack of challenge is the least of its problems, considering the camera controls put up a better fight than any of the in-game enemies. The only real enjoyment to derive from “Catwoman” is in its cutscenes, which are the textbook definition of so-bad-they’re-good.
#17: “Thor: God of Thunder” (2011)
Getting Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston back as Thor and Loki is a pretty good pitch for a game. However, that’s pretty much the only thing of note in this trainwreck. Without even touching upon the clearly unfinished visuals, “Thor: God of Thunder” fails because it almost immediately devolves into a grueling mash-fest. There are a few glimmers of inspiration in its combat, but since the enemies are so spongy, you’ll be too frustrated to ever actually make use of them. The tedium just feels like a ploy to pad out a game that seriously lacks playtime. So, if you want your Thor fix, you’re better off looking just about anywhere else.
#16: “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” (2007)
The only impressive part of this cash-grab is that it’s somehow worse than the movie it’s based on, and that’s really saying something. It took its four unique, superpowered heroes and subjected them to some of the most uninspired beat-em-up gameplay in the whole genre. To make matters worse, it feels like they only had time to make one dungeon, and simply reused it until the game was an acceptable length. Although, if it had just been a single level, at least it would’ve saved us from the snoozefest of a campaign. Ironically, “Rise of the Silver Surfer” only succeeded in putting the franchise’s gaming prospects six feet deep.
#15: “Batman Forever” (1995)
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The beat-em-up genre is defined by its flashy combat and fast-paced gameplay. Unfortunately, “Batman Forever” doesn’t come close to capturing either. The sluggish pace at which you traverse levels would even make a snail look like the Flash. The dull, plodding controls don’t help, either. The boss fights are over quickly, but that’s only because you’ve stun-locked them, or they’ve done it to you, first. And if you die in the final stage of a level? Sorry, you have to start back from square one, punching through enemy hordes all over again. Hey, at least it lives up to its title. By the time the credits roll, you’ll really feel like you’ve been playing forever.
#14: “Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters” (2011)
The nicest thing to say about this movie tie-in is that it could have been worse. After all, “Rise of the Manhunters” does a pretty good job bringing the Green Lantern’s powers into the gaming space. But, it all feels wasted on a product that’s too easy and repetitive to ever reach its full potential. In fact, it’s as if the game knows how limited it is, since it will often plop Hal Jordan into mind-numbing on-the-rails shooter sections. If “Green Lantern” was a bit longer, and had a more acceptable framerate, it could’ve been something great. Then again, this is probably the best anyone could’ve expected from a game based on a box-office bomb.
#13: “Fantastic Four” (1997)
Somehow, this game took Marvel’s First Family and made them anything but fantastic. Although, since the models are so low-res, they’re practically unrecognizable, anyways. As a matter of fact, this 1997 title feels specifically designed to distract players from how bad it really is. The enemies and attack animations throw so much clutter on the screen that it’s difficult to even figure out where you are most of the time. And don’t even get us started on the boss fights. The only semi-enjoyable part of this experience is the cart-racing minigame during loading screens. Yeah, you know you’ve messed up when the “Fantastic Four” aren’t even the best part of their own game.
#12: “Silver Surfer” (1990)
In this case, what you see is, sadly, all that you get. That’s right, “Silver Surfer” is a decent-looking sidescroller with very little in terms of variance or innovation. While that’s not a crime in of itself, the game has gone down in infamy because of its insane, borderline unfair difficulty spikes. That, when paired with gameplay that’s pretty much just holding down one button, get’s old very fast. In a grander sense, the game’s fundamental flaw is that it requires mastery to beat, but offers no rewarding way to actually learn its systems. Thankfully, “Silver Surfers’” outstanding music almost makes its infuriating difficulty worth it. Almost.
#11: “The Incredible Hulk: The Pantheon Saga” (1996)
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Even people who’ve never touched a comic book know that Hulk smashes. So, it’s an unforgivable sin that you don’t end up doing much of that in this Hulk game. Rather, you mainly slug around doing puzzles that are so simple, they border on offensive. Regrettably, the combat isn’t much better. It somehow makes a beefy, overpowered hero like the Hulk feel like he’s in the middle of a pillow fight. Suffice it to say, this is a Hulk game in name alone. Although, maybe the mocking lack of difficulty is a mercy. That way, players won’t have to indulge this chore any longer than necessary.
#10: “Spawn: The Eternal” (1997)
Despite input from the character’s creator, “Spawn: The Eternal” plays more like a buggy demo than a fully-priced video game. Mainly because there’s so little to actually do. Most of the time, you’re just aimlessly walking around poorly rendered dungeons. That’s it, that’s the whole game. Sure, you also occasionally find an enemy to beat up. But, thanks to some of the worst hit sound effects in gaming history, you’ll be actively avoiding combat when possible. So, if there’s nothing to explore, and the combat is straight up unfun, it begs the question: what are you even supposed to do in this game? Unfortunately, decades later, gamers still haven’t found an answer to that question.
#9: “X-Men: Destiny” (2011)
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On paper, this is the “X-Men” game of everyone’s dreams. So, it’s a real tragedy that it so clearly prioritized style over substance. The branching story mode isn’t half-bad, but having to replay it over and over is a tough ask when the gameplay is so lacking. Criminally, “Destiny” never delivers on the promise of its mutant-powered combat. After all, unlocking and using the various abilities isn’t satisfying when you can just mash through even the toughest fights with ease. No matter the mode, it never feels like there’s a reason to engage with “Destiny” beyond its surface-level mechanics. So, it’s almost poetic that, due to legal reasons, copies of the game were recalled and destroyed.
#8: “Marvel Nemesis: Rise Of The Imperfects” (2005)
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On principle alone, a Marvel-branded fighting game with only twelve Marvel characters is pretty inexcusable. Especially since so many of them feel like copies of one another. The other half of the roster is padded out with the EA-created Imperfects, original characters with no zero charm or intrigue. The cast doesn’t matter too much though, since the game barely lets you play, anyways. The enemy AI usually just spams infinite combos or long-range projectiles until your health is depleted. So, while the flashy finishers are cool, it’s hard to appreciate them when they’re only being used against you. It’s a good thing this is the first and only time we’ve had to play with the Imperfects.
#7: “The Uncanny X-Men” (1989)
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Mutant powers are a beacon of creativity for game design, but you wouldn’t know that from this NES disgrace. For one, it’s hard to even tell the characters apart thanks to the poor sprite work. And, while each playable mutant has their own unique moves, there’s no real reason to use them. If you want any actual chance at winning, your best bet is to spam a projectile and hope your AI companion doesn’t get in the way. It’s not pretty, but it’s the only sane way to get the job done. This game is so bad that no developer has ever officially taken credit for it. Uncanny, indeed.
#6: “The Powerpuff Girls: Chemical X-Traction” (2001)
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The recipe for this licensed title was sugar, spice, and gameplay that is the opposite of “nice.” Its polished graphics are wasted on a combat system that’s brainless to the point of aggravation. Since there’s just ten playable characters and the story mode is a glorified boss rush, you’ll be doing a lot of it, too. Don’t expect to use any of the Powerpuff Girls’ iconic abilities, either. Mostly, fights boil down to throwing random objects, which takes out any player expression, skill, or fun. At a base level, this game has so little to offer, and the stuff it does bring to the table isn’t even good in the first place.
#5: “Kick-Ass: The Game” (2010)
It’s deeply ironic that a movie about deconstructing superhero tropes fell into the genre’s pitfall of cheap tie-in games. All the hallmarks of a soulless cash-grab are on full display here: there’s unrefined gameplay, horrible controls, and the inescapable feeling that the entire product was rushed out the door. Except, “Kick-Ass: The Game” takes all of that and ramps it up to the nth degree. To start, there’s a paltry lack of content in its scant playtime. And yet, even with so little to load, the game runs about as smooth as sandpaper. Although, not even a consistent framerate would fix this janky combat system. It’s truly a mystery how a game like this got a sequel.
#4: “Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker” (2000)
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It’s a real shame that one of the Caped Crusader’s best animated movies led to one of his worst games. Somehow, it’s not even consistently bad across platforms, either. Those who picked up the Game Boy Color and N64 versions complained that the game was so easy, it could practically beat itself with no input from the player. However, the Playstation port had a different enemy AI, making it unplayable in the complete opposite way. The idea of customizing your Bat-suit and gadgets is a good one, but the game is either too easy or too difficult for the player’s choice to matter at all. Which, honestly, is a pretty good metaphor for this game overall.
#3: “Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis” (2003)
This fishy hero already has a tough time being taken seriously, and game’s like this don’t help his case. Despite its title, this battle for Alantis consists of mashing through dull enemies and getting caught on invisible walls. Rinse and repeat. However, perhaps the best indicator of its quality is the fact that its entire story mode is told through still images. Allegedly, it’s meant to evoke the comic book feel, but all it does is come across as cheap and lazy. Which is a sentiment that extends to just about every corner of this game’s design. There’s an ocean of potential in an open-world Aquaman game, but the waters are incredibly shallow in this one.
#2: “Batman: Dark Tomorrow” (2003)
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Bruce Wayne has one of the most legendary gaming catalogs out there, which is precisely why a dud like “Batman: Dark Tomorrow” stands out so much. Even setting aside the superhero part, this so-called game is an unmitigated mess at every turn. It never commits to a gameplay style long enough for any of them to leave an impression, let alone generate anything resembling fun. Reportedly, developers had an ambitious open-world Gotham game in mind. But, if this was the kind of combat and exploration we would’ve gotten, we may have dodged a bullet with this scaled-down version. Still, after a critical flop as bad as this, it’s just a wonder Batman games ever bounced back.
#1: “Superman: The New Superman Adventures” (1999)
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Evidently, Kryptonite isn’t Superman’s greatest weakness. No, that belongs to bad game design. Although, that implies there’s a game at all, which doesn’t feel like the case in “The New Superman Adventures,” AKA Superman 64. Oftentimes, it comes off as more of a flight simulator, and not even a particularly good one. When it finally lets you walk, the ugly and barren environments will have you longing for the empty skies again. The only real novelty in this dumpster fire is trying to stumble upon yet another game-breaking bug. As a result, Superman 64 is often cited as not just one of the worst superhero games of all time, but one of the worst video games, period.
