Marvel Games From Worst To Best

Marvel Comics has been dominating the media space for many years now thanks to the MCU, and even if you look beyond that, they’ve had animated series, various kinds of live-action TV series, and yes, video games. In this list, we’ll be looking at some of the best and worst that Marvel has provided in that space. Oh, and I’m not going to go overboard with the Spider-Man games. Here are some of the worst to best games that have released.

#20 Iron Man

I’m going to start off by highlighting something that the MCU did in bulk when it first got started. What was that? Making movie tie-in games featuring their heroes. Iron Man from 2008 was one such title, and because of how great the movie was, it sold over 2 million units.

But that doesn’t mean the game was good. Far from it. People panned it widely, and the game even got the award of “worst game everyone played.”

#19 Thor: God of Thunder

There’s a bit of irony here. Like many other MCU video games of this nature, Thor: God of Thunder had both console versions and handheld versions. The handheld versions were in 2D and apparently weren’t too bad! Not the best, but not bad.

If you went to the console versions, however, you were screwed. It was a basic hack-and-slash title that didn’t feel like a Thor game in many aspects.

#18 The Punisher: No Mercy

You’d think it’d be a cinch to make a Punisher game! He’s a guy with guns, and there are multiple genres dedicated to shooters! But as The Punisher: No Mercy proved, just because you make it an FPS doesn’t mean it’ll be fun.

It got blasted by critics who noted it wasn’t that great, looked poor, and didn’t have a lot of depth to it.

Nowadays? They might be able to pull it off. But it’s hardly a guarantee.

#17 Fantastic Four

Yep, here’s another movie adaptation game for you. Fantastic Four tried to bank off the first live-action movie featuring “Marvel’s First Family,” and it was rather basic.

When one of the reviews cites the game as a “passable action game,” you know what you’re getting. You played as the FF and fought foes in the movie and comics.

Was it fun? Eh. 

#16 X-Men: Destiny

This one makes me sad to talk about because it COULD have been a good game, but X-Men: Destiny lacked what many great superhero titles have, and thus, it’s a footnote in history.

The title was focused on you picking one of three brand-new mutants and guiding them through a story where your choices would influence the story.

So what happened? The choices didn’t matter. The gameplay was nothing more than button mashing, and the game didn’t look good. If they had taken the time to do it right, this could’ve been in the “best” section.

#15 Silver Surfer

Yep, they made a Silver Surfer title on the NES. The irony is that, in theory, it could’ve worked. The title played to the side-scrolling shooters of the period and thus could’ve been a hit if it nailed the concept. The game’s music was actually rather praised.

The problem was that the game was far too difficult, and it was hard for anyone to enjoy. Plus, it wasn’t exactly the deepest game with its story and looks. 

#14 The Incredible Hulk

Technically, there were two games called The Incredible Hulk. One was from 2003, and the other was from 2008. The good news is that they both were lackluster compared to Ultimate Destruction, so I’ll just lump them together here.

Both games tried and mostly failed to give people the feeling of being the unstoppable monster that is the Hulk. Furthermore, the game’s weak story, lame missions, and terrible voice acting, mixed with bad graphics, didn’t help things either.

#13 The Uncanny X-Men

Would you believe that there was an X-Men title in 1989? There was! It was called The Uncanny X-Men, and it was…something.

By “something,” I mean it was a top-down ‘action’ game where you could barely tell what character you were using, and the characters didn’t look or act like the ones they were supposed to be representing.

It’s literally known as one of the worst NES games ever created.

#12 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

It’s almost never a good sign when a superhero movie gets a video game tie in, as I’ve proven, and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was another example of doing the bare bones to get a game out.

Seriously, there’s nothing to talk about here. The game followed the movie, which was also bad, and it did its own thing.

Sure, you could play as all the members of the Fantastic Four, but not in any way that was meaningful.

#11 Marvel’s Avengers

Is it unfair to put Marvel’s Avengers in the “worst” part of this list? No, not at all.

This game tried to capitalize on the momentum of Insomniac and Rocksteady’s titles and create a truly great 3rd-person action game starring the Avengers. They put Crystal Dynamics on it to create a beautifully-rendered experience that would bring in classic Avengers alongside other characters like Ms. Marvel.

The problem? The game didn’t feel like you were playing the Avengers at times. There were bugs galore; the gameplay loop felt repetitive no matter who you played as, and so on. It was so bad and sold so poorly in the long term that they straight-up stopped selling the game and cut off all remaining DLC content. That speaks volumes.

And now lets talk about some of the better Marvel games to have released.

#10 Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction

You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to make a good Hulk-themed game. They’ve tried! But it’s really hard. The only exception to that rule is Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, the first title in my “best” section of this video.

Ironically, this non-movie tie-in title allowed you to go around as the Hulk and just smash to your heart’s content. It’s a beautiful thing. Seriously, that was the main hook.

The environments were open, and there was plenty of stuff to destroy, which is why people loved it in spite of its lackluster story.

Hulk don’t need story…HULK SMASH!

#9 Marvel’s Midnight Suns

One of the more recent releases, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, was a game made by the team behind XCOM, and they wanted to bring their tactical brand of combat to the Marvel Universe.

You played an original character who is wrapped up in a supernatural threat, and that brings in a special assemblage of Marvel characters to fight alongside to take them down. The combat focused on the use of cards and teamwork, which made it rather unique.

Plus, there were character-building elements, including getting to set up certain Marvel characters into relationships…

#8 Lego Marvel Super Heroes

Did you really expect me NOT to have a Lego title on this list? Lego has done plenty of DC Comics game, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes was the “other team’s” version of that.

It’s everything you’d expect from it. You’ll play as Lego-style versions of the Avengers and other characters as you attempt to stop a plot from some classic Marvel villains.

It’s fun and simple, and it’s great for kids and casual gamers.

#7 Marvel Ultimate Alliance

It’s ironic to think of now, but for a time, the best Marvel games were action RPGs where you controlled four characters at a time and took down every enemy you saw. Marvel Ultimate Alliance was one of the best examples of that, and it’s still a fan-favorite to this day.

Getting to choose from the expansive roster of Marvel characters and see what combos work for you was exciting. Plus, from the Masters of Evil and beyond, there were tons of villains to beat down.

The franchise did well, and even got a third entry a few years back on the Nintendo Switch that also did well.

#6 Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Definitely one of the more underappreciated games on my list, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was a great attempt to bring the ‘bunch of a-holes” into the gaming space for their own adventure that felt like something Batman or Spider-Man had before.

You played Star-Lord in this cosmic adventure with the other Guardians at your back, and there was a lot to love here. The voice cast was great, the music selection was nice, and the story felt very Marvel.

#5 Marvel Vs Capcom Series

Yes, I have to include Infinite in this statement, but we can ignore it as we talk about the best elements of the Marvel Vs Capcom Series.

It’s not hard to break down. This franchise brought the beloved characters of Marvel and Capcom together for a fun romp that was also a deep fighting game.

The first three entries, and their expanded versions like MVC3 Ultimate, had deep rosters, great fighting mechanics, and fused these two worlds epically that kept fans coming back for more.

If the franchise does return, I hope it comes back to its true former glory.

#4 X-Men Legends

Make no mistake, THIS was the game that put a Gaunlet-style twist on the Marvel Comics universe and had fans begging for more. X-Men Legends was an incredible game by Raven Software that not only inspired the “Ultimate Alliance” that came later but also got a sequel that was equally beloved.

It’s not hard to see why this game was so good and a success. It lets you choose from a large roster of X-Men and put them into a 4-person squad. Then, it wrapped it up in a massive story that spanned numerous iconic tales from within the X-Men universe, and finally, it looked and sounded good!

We never got a third game in the series, and many are still ticked about that given how good these first two were.

#3 Spider-Man Miles Morales

While many might see Spider-Man Miles Morales as a “step down” from the other Insomniac Games featuring the web-slingers, I see this PS5/PC title as proof that you can take what you had before and make a good bite-sized extension that has heart and merit.

This game was all about Miles and him proving his worthiness as Spider-Man while also learning from the mistakes he made along the way.

Insomniac did a good job fleshing out his part of New York while also giving him abilities and problems different than Peter. That’s what helped set him up well for the game that came after.

#2 Marvel Snap

Who would’ve thought a card game about Marvel characters would be so addicting? Marvel Snap literally came out of nowhere and took their fanbase by storm by providing a deep gameplay experience that you can enjoy for a few minutes and then come back to it when you’re ready.

It’s simple yet hard to master. Plus, there are so many ways to build your decks that you’re gonna want to see what new strategies you can unlock!

Oh, and it’s FREE! Nothing better than that!

#1 Marvel’s Spider-Man

I love this game, and I know many of you did, too! Marvel’s Spider-Man from Insomniac Games remains one of the best superhero titles ever made, and it’s right up there with Arkham City as the best ever.

From its portrayal of Peter Parker’s life to the epic way you can freely travel around New York, to the depths of the quests you partake in, the cameos, and the fresh spins on the story, everything stands out as brilliant!

I’ll admit that some of you may have liked the sequel more, but for me, the original stands out as the best.