If there’s every been a notorious bugbear in the video game industry, it’s the notion of making a Superman game. Superman can actually trace his video game history to the Atari 2600, though any newer gamer and comic book nerd will most likely only know of one game with his name on it: the notorious Superman 64.
Superman 64, whose real publication title is Superman: The New Superman Adventures, has such a poor reputation that it’s soiled the proverbial Earth from the notion of making good Superman video games.
Aside from Superman’s appearances as a playable character in NetherRealm’s Injustice fighting games, gamers have widely dismissed the possibility of a video game company successfully making a Superman game.
Some gamers and game writers would argue that it’s difficult, if not impossible, to make a good Superman game because of his powers. Of course, we’ve seen plenty of games where the playable characters get above average abilities and powers. Some games arguably give players Superman-like powers themselves.
But the issue is in the game design; if the playable character is overpowered at the start, how can you make a game with a suitably enjoyable level of challenge? While some comic book fans do know the limit of Superman’s powers, one could also say video game developers have yet to reasonably balance out any potential ways to use those limitations to make an enjoyable game.
Case in point, in Superman 64, Lex Luthor forces Supes to follow his (incredibly boring) orders as he has kidnapped Clark’s friends. In the Injustice games, NetherRealm uses the conceit that Superman is vulnerable to magic, but they haven’t been able to use that explanation in a way that is credible and consistent throughout their games. Thankfully, Multiversus dispenses with any attempt to make their IP crossover even make sense.
This takes us to the latest episode of Kinda Funny Games, where Jason Schreier was asked if he ever heard of any pitches going on in WB Games to make a new Superman game.
Schreier not only denied that he heard of any such pitches, he claimed that Rocksteady went on record to say that they will never make a Superman game. Of course, we just explained the reasons they would balk at the suggestion, but it all certainly rings ironic in light of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.
Interestingly enough, Kinda Funny Games’ founder Greg Miller interjects here to share a rumor of his own. Greg claims, back when he was still working at IGN, he heard about a pitch for a Superman video game. He cites two sources he trusted and considered reliable. Like the rest of us, he never heard anything more about it.
So would it ever be possible that a new Superman game could be made today? As we know, DC Studios’ plan is to make a media mix/transmedia universe where the same actors appear in movies, shows, and even video games as the same characters. James Gunn recently confirmed that they are working closely with WB Games head JB Perrette, but any games are years from release.
It would seem the future for many DC hero video games, including Superman, Wonder Woman, and others, will hinge on the success or failure of DC Studios Chapter 1. So let’s hope their first projects build on what Creature Commandos has already pulled off, and get us to that finish line.
