Table of Contents
Every Marvel fan has that one game they wish they could experience for the first time again. Maybe it's swinging across New York in Spider-Man. Maybe it's smashing cities as Hulk. Whatever it is, these games stayed with people. And with several new projects on the way, the list might be about to get a little longer.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy didn't make a huge first impression, but it built a stronger reputation over time. Even though you only play as Star-Lord, being able to command the rest of the team made battles feel engaging and exciting. The combination of action, humour, character interactions, and a great soundtrack of licensed songs captured the spirit of the Guardians perfectly.
Marvel's Spider-Man
The web-swinging in Marvel's Spider-Man still gets a lot of praise. You can lose an hour doing absolutely nothing productive, just moving around New York. But that's not really why the game stuck around in people's minds. The real surprise was the story. Insomniac created a version of Spider-Man that felt familiar while still telling its own story. A lot of fans consider it one of the best Spider-Man stories outside of the comics.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine built a reputation that’s become even bigger than the movie it’s based on. Mention the movie and you'll probably get mixed reactions. Mention the game and most players immediately remember slicing through enemies and watching Logan's body heal in real time. Even after all these years, it's still the Wolverine game most fans compare everything else to.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
Sometimes you don't need a complicated idea. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction understood that better than most superhero games. You're Hulk. Things break. Simple as that. The game gave players an open world to tear apart. Causing chaos across the city never really gets old. The combat had plenty of variety, and exploring the maps felt great. Even today, many fans still believe it's the Marvel game most deserving of a remake.
More to Come
The good thing is that Marvel fans have a lot to look forward to.
Marvel's Wolverine is probably the most anticipated release on the way. Insomniac's take on Logan looks darker than what’s been done before. Fans have been waiting years for a new Wolverine game, and this one seems worth the wait.
Marvel: TOKON Fighting Souls is doing things differently with tag-team combat and anime style visuals. The 4v4 fighting look fun, and the roster already includes plenty of familiar heroes and villains.
Then there's Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, which brings Captain America and Black Panther together during World War II. It's a different setting from most Marvel games, which makes it stand out straight away.
Further down the road, there are also Iron Man and Blade coming. Both are still in development, but could end up being major releases when they finally arrive.
One Comeback We'd Love to See
Some Marvel fans probably remember when Marvel characters showed up in places you wouldn't necessarily expect, like casino games. During the 2010s, Playtech had created a pretty popular collection of Marvel-themed online slots based on Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, Thor, X-Men and several others.
Then Disney's position on gambling associations shut that down. The licences expired in 2017 and the games went away with them. The mechanics continued through Playtech's other games, but the superheroes were gone. Though a return seems unlikely right now, it would be a nice surprise if Marvel and Disney ever found a way to rekindle that relationship. Many fans would love the chance to play online slots with their favourite characters again.
Final Thoughts
These games understood the characters in a way that stuck with players. People still go back to them. Still talk about them. Sometimes they get compared to everything that comes after. And that might be the best sign of all. Now there’s a new set of games on the horizon and whether they manage to do the same is to be seen, but for once, there’s plenty to look forward to.
