Summary
Marvel fans are spoiled for choice when it comes to video games, especially when compared to DC fans who are so starved that they still long for a return to theBatman Arkhamera.
Since 1982, we’ve had a nonstop outpour of Marvel-licensed games. While some have gone on to be the best superhero games to have existed, some have been real stinkers, and some have been so deranged they’d even make Grant Morrison raise an eyebrow. That’s no small feat. After all, it’s not easy to make an anthropomorphic duck wielding a bazooka feel even weirder than he already is. But here we are.
7Kellogg’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Game
They’re Not-So-Gr-r-reat!
During the height of the Andrew Garfield era, fans of bothSpider-Manand Kellogg’s products alike were treated toKellogg’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Game. This AR-based app lets players see through the eyes of their favorite wall-crawler, using web-shooters to take down enemies and complete various minigames.
This wasn’t Kellogg’s first or last attempt at milking Marvel. Before this, they released a somewhat obscure demo version of the PS1Spider-Mangame to coincide with theTobey Maguire movie. Later, they jumped on theMCUhype train withKellogg’s Marvel’s Civil War VR.
It’s only fair to include the movie tie-in game forMarvel’s strangest live-action outing,Howard the Duck. As most would expect, the game was a dud, much like the movie. This is a shame, consideringHoward the Duckhas an incredible back catalog of comics, some of Marvel’s best output from the 1970s.
But back to the game: Howard embarks on a rescue mission for his pals on Volcano Island, a location that appeared in neither the movie nor the comics. This all goes to show how much the developer cared about the IP.
5Captain America in: The Doom Tube of Dr. Megalomann
Not the Kinda Doom We Wanna See
This appears on the list mainly because of its title (Doom Tubeshould not be confused with DC’s Boom Tubes). Out of all theiconicCaptain Americavillains to choose from—Red Skull, Baron Zemo, Arnim Zola—the game instead shines the spotlight on its own original character, Dr. Megalomann.
This fascinating villain has an incredibly fresh and unique backstory where he is checks notes an evil scientist with an underground lair. Well, at least the game received thisglowing review: “The graphics aren’t going to win any awards, but they’re a nice size and very clear.”
This game raises a ton of questions right off the bat. Who isX-O Manowar? What does this have to do with Heavy Metal magazine? And why was this even made? Let’s put those questions to rest: 1) He’s a superhero from Valiant Comics. 2) Absolutely nothing. And 3) Money.
It’s a baffling crossover. Sure, both characters were popular at the time of release, but they’re so similar that it only highlights how unoriginalX-O Manowaris as a character. And for the 10 people deeply offended by that statement, yes, we know there’s more to him than just the suit.
Some comic nerds will always get a kick out of telling people thatMen in Blackis, actually, aMarvel Comicsproperty. Once the high from sharing that “interesting” tidbit fades, there’s more enjoyment to be mined from the far more perplexing movie game tie-in.
Remember how the franchise is an action-comedy? Well, Gigawatt Studios decided to turn this officially licensed game into aResident Evil-style survival horror. It has no connection to the movie’s plot whatsoever and does its own thing, a move that’s as bold as it is brainless.
One of the first-ever Marvel games to hit the shelves was definitely one of its weirder titles. This text-based graphic adventure was the first in a trilogy released by Adventure International, a studio that had ambitious plans for the series. Unfortunately, bankruptcy would keep the world from seeing the QCU (QuestprobeCinematic Universe) in full form.
But what we did get was undeniably wild. Well, as wild as a game where players move by typing “north,” “south,” “east,” and “west” can be. The game starredBruce Banner and his big green alter egoas they attempted to escape a computer simulation. Along the way, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, and Ultron made surprise appearances, adding some extra Marvel flair to this bizarre mix.
First-person superhero games are already a strange concept. But aboomer shooterset in theX-Menuniverse using theQuakeengine? That’s on a whole new level of baffling. Now add the fact that it’s technically an expansion forQuake, and you getX-Men: The Ravages of Apocalypse.
The game kicks off with Magneto tasking the player to stop Apocalypse from building an army of mutant clones. And how does one stop that? By mowing down wave after wave of them, leaving behind piles of beloved (and bloodied)X-Mencharacters. That’s right—players can shoot fan favorites like Wolverine, Cyclops, Psylocke, and Storm right in the face.
