Superhero games didn’t suddenly appear during the Batman: Arkham era or with modern MCU blockbusters. Long before capes and costumes became guaranteed best-sellers, studios experimented with comic-style action on hardware that pushed developers to be creative. Many of those early attempts were rough around the edges, but several delivered clever ideas and gameplay that still feel surprisingly bold today. They just slipped out of sight as the industry moved on.
Superhero Games With The Best Graphics
From space travel to travel by web, these superhero games all look cutting-edge thanks to their top-of-the-line graphics and stellar art direction.
Younger players may never have heard of several superhero games listed here, and even long-time genre fans might only remember a name without recalling how the game actually played. That’s part of the beauty of rediscovering them: even if they're forgotten, a good game is still fun even years into its life.
Freedom Force
A Superhero Strategy Game Built Like A Classic Comic
- A tactical RPG where the player leads a quartet of superheroes to defend Patriot City from villains, monsters, and other threats.
- Allows players to improve existing powers or add new ones.
When playing this game, the feeling is pure old‑school comic book energy. As the leader of a small superhero squad, players guide them through missions around Patriot City to bust villains, save civilians, and stop monsters. Another cool thing about Freedom Force is that it lets players mix and match their heroes’ powers as they level up, so there’s freedom to upgrade existing abilities or even add new ones.
Although it must be said that controlling four heroes at once can get chaotic, especially when mobs of enemies swarm in, that chaos also adds to the excitement. Customization gives the experience huge replay value, as one playthrough might lean on brute‑force punchers, while the next on speedsters or telekinetics.
Freedom Force Vs. The 3rd Reich
A Time-Traveling Sequel With Bigger Battles
- Sends the superhero team on a time travel mission to Nazi‑era Europe.
- Players battle Axis powers in altered timelines across destructible 3D maps.
This sequel ramps up the ambition by sending that same superhero squad on a wild time travel mission. It takes players to an alternate history where the Axis powers won, so enemies aren’t just typical crooks anymore; they're Nazi super‑soldiers, mad scientists, and wartime threats.
Tactically, Freedom Force vs. The 3rd Reich is more of the same as the first Freedom Force, as players control up to four heroes, give orders in real time, and mix powers. However, the backdrop is changed, so everything feels darker and more intense. Players still get to experiment with different combinations of heroes, use powers creatively, and approach each mission with strategy rather than brute force.
Comix Zone
Played Inside Actual Comic Panels
- A side‑scrolling beat ’em up set literally inside the panels of a comic book.
- Players move from panel to panel, fight enemies, and solve light puzzles.
The superhero in Comix Zone is comic book artist Sketch Turner, who gets sucked into his own creation. Suddenly, the world becomes panels of a living, breathing comic book. Walls, floors, and enemies look hand-drawn, dialog bubbles appear above characters, and everything is stylized like a retro superhero or action comic.
Comix Zone is a forgotten gem that really deserves a sequel. It came out near the end of the 16‑bit era in 1995, when everyone was already looking toward newer consoles. That timing meant it didn’t get as much attention as it might’ve in that generation's prime. For anyone who loves retro games, comics, or just something off‑beat and creative, Comix Zone remains one of the most imaginative superhero-ish games ever made.
Spider‑Man And Venom: Maximum Carnage
A Side-Scrolling Brawler Based On The 1990s Storyline
- Side‑scrolling beat ’em up where you play as Spider‑Man and Venom (or their allies).
- Team up with other Marvel heroes to stop the villainous Carnage and his gang.
Based on a massive comic crossover event, Spider‑Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage throws together Spider-Man and Venom with a whole crew of Marvel allies, and tasks them with tearing through hordes of villains as they try to stop a crime wave in New York City. The gameplay is classic side‑scrolling beat-’em-up fodder that allows players to walk, punch, kick, web‑sling (if players choose Spider‑Man), or crush enemies with symbiote strength (if players pick Venom).
The 10 Best Retro Marvel Video Games
Marvel's Spider-Man may lead the way in terms of modern examples, but there have been some equally excellent retro superhero games over the years.
The game even lets players call in backup from other Marvel heroes once certain items are found, adding extra flavor and variety. Some may say Maximum Carnage is a bit rough around the edges: enemies often look the same, levels repeat, and the difficulty is steep. However, for those who like raw, old‑school action and don’t mind a challenge, they will have a swell time playing it.
Captain Commando
An Arcade Beat-’Em-Up Featuring Capcom’s Futuristic Hero Squad
- Players take on futuristic enemies with a variety of moves and team dynamics.
- Fun for fans of old-school beat ’em ups, even if its “superhero” lean is loose.
Although not a “superhero game” in the classic comic book sense, Captain Commando is more of a futuristic sci‑fi game with over-the-top action. Players fight waves of futuristic enemies using a variety of cool-looking moves and weapons. The vibe is arcade beat ’em up style, fast‑paced, and is tons of fun. For an arcade game from 1991, Captain Commando delivered something special with four‑player co‑op. Each hero comes with their own unique stats and fighting styles.
The core gameplay is like a suped-up version of another Capcom classic, Final Fight. Characters move side to side (and a bit in and out of the screen), pummeling waves of enemies with punches, kicks, and combos. Players can run, jump, grab enemies, and even dash for running attacks.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
A Free-Roam Power Fantasy Built Around Hulk’s Abilities
- An open-world action‑adventure where players control Hulk.
- Cause chaos and destruction across a massive city.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is often described as one of the most satisfying superhero games ever made, and for good reason. Younger gamers may not even know it exists, but controlling the Hulk in an open world gives players that raw power fantasy, as he can run, jump, climb buildings, smash tanks, and throw cars. He basically treats the city like a playground of destruction.
Missions exist, sure, but the real fun comes from just letting loose: grabbing vehicles, hurling enemies, destroying city blocks, or even clashing with tanks and helicopters. As the game progresses, Hulk earns new abilities and super moves. For fans of big, messy power fantasies, and for anyone who wants to feel unstoppable, Ultimate Destruction deserves rediscovery.
The Darkness (2007)
A Dark First-Person Shooter With Demonic Powers
- Takes a darker, anti-hero approach.
- Play as a mafia hitman possessed by a demonic force, granting him supernatural powers.
The Darkness shifts the tone of this list from bright comic book superheroes to an anti-hero in a darker, grittier realm. The protagonist is Jackie Estacado, a hitman possessed by a demonic force, giving him supernatural powers like summoning nightmarish “Darklings,” wielding shadowy tendrils, teleporting through darkness, and more.
Players who revisit The Darkness today still talk about the brutal violence and dark atmosphere. The game sends Jackie into dim back alleys, abandoned subway tunnels, and run-down rooftops. In fact, some countries, like Germany, required edits to the game's more violent sequences, and others outright banned the game because some animations were considered very violent.
InFamous: Festival Of Blood
A Mix Of Superhero‑Style Powers And Vampire Horror
- Survive one deadly night of fighting hordes of vampires.
- The game swaps the series morality system for vampiric mechanics like biting civilians to restore health.
This entry in the larger InFamous series swaps the familiar morality-based hero vs. Villain approach for something more supernatural. The protagonist turns into a vampire and must survive a single, deadly night. With vampire powers come new abilities like supernatural speed, dark energy attacks, bat‑like movement, and a constant balance between strength and survival in a city overrun by danger and darkness.
10 Best Supervillain Games, Ranked
For those with a penchant for mayhem and chaos in their games, these supervillain games might just fit the bill.
It’s not the typical cape and tights hero experience. Instead, it’s more like The Darkness, as it leans into horror, atmosphere, and a darker sense of power, forcing the player to navigate moral gray zones, unexpected threats, and a narrative built on survival and dread.
Batman: The Brave And The Bold – The Videogame
A Lighthearted Co-Op Beat ’Em Up Styled After The 90s Cartoon
- Batman teams up with various heroes (Hawkman, Robin, Green Lantern, etc.) To take down supervillains.
- A 2D side‑scrolling beat ’em up platformer based on the animated series.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame is one of those superhero games that many people forget even existed, even though it delivers pure Saturday morning cartoon fun. It takes players straight into Batman’s world, pairing him with heroes like Green Lantern, Blue Beetle, Aquaman, and the always-dramatic Plastic Man. Instead of sticking to one long campaign, each level plays like an episode of the show, complete with witty dialogue, comic-style intros, and villains who enjoy running their mouths as much as they enjoy causing trouble.
The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame never tried to compete with the Arkham games, even through it was released during Rocksteady's heyday. Instead, it embraced charm and personality, and because of that, it became a small gem hidden in Batman’s gigantic video game history. It’s the kind of forgotten superhero game that surprises anyone who goes back to it with how simple, funny, and stylish it is.
X‑Men Origins: Wolverine
A Violent Hack-And-Slash Game That Stands Above Its Film Tie-In
- Adapts a dark, violent reimagining of Wolverine’s backstory.
- A raw and gritty hero’s journey rather than a traditional heroic triumph.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is one of those rare movie tie-in games that completely embarrassed the film it was based on. Instead of copying the PG-13 tone of the movie, the developers went all-in on Wolverine’s actual combat style. Players can see limbs flying, bones cracking, and Logan slicing through enemies with a level of brutality that felt shocking for the time. It’s easily one of the most accurate portrayals of Wolverine's powers in any game.
Because of expired Marvel and film licenses, X-Men Origins: Wolverine was removed from all digital stores years ago. Physical copies still exist, but prices keep climbing, and most younger players have never even seen it on a shelf, let alone played it.
Upcoming Superhero Games People Are Excited For
If you love superheroes, be they from Marvel or lesser-known universes, you may want to check these games out.