For decades, Marvel Comics has brought us iconic superheroes, and it wasn’t long before those characters appeared in video games. The very first was a Spider-Man game for the Atari 2600 back in 1982. While many early adaptations were poorly made and simply aimed to make money, Marvel has created some truly great games over the years. We’ve compiled a list of the ten best, but we’ve limited ourselves to just one game per franchise. And yes, Spider-Man features prominently – he’s consistently Marvel’s most popular character, so it’s not surprising!
10) X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Most movie fans don’t consider X-Men Origins: Wolverine to be a standout film. However, the video game that came out at the same time is surprisingly good! That’s unusual, since most games based on movies are pretty bad. Here, Raven Software and Activision really went above and beyond. It’s still one of the best Wolverine games ever made, although the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine is expected to be even better. Even so, if you haven’t played X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it’s definitely worth checking out.
9) Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Capcom is known for creating some of the best fighting games, and they’ve partnered with Marvel for several titles. Many fans consider Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, released in 2011 on all major systems, to be the best. The game lets players build teams of three characters and battle each other, with several improvements to the classic fighting game formula. It’s packed with playable characters and offers a great online experience. Overall, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a really enjoyable fighting game with responsive controls, and the chance to play as iconic Marvel heroes is a huge draw for fans.
8) Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Released in 2010, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is an action-adventure game starring Spider-Man – but with a unique concept! Instead of playing as just one Spider-Man, you control four different versions: the classic Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, and the noir-style Spider-Man Noir. The gameplay centers around switching between these dimensions and mastering each Spider-Man’s special abilities to protect the entire Marvel Multiverse. The game was a surprisingly big success, offering a lot of different gameplay mechanics thanks to the diverse roster of heroes. Notably, acclaimed Spider-Man comic writer Dan Slott contributed to the game and later created the Spider-Verse comics, which ultimately served as the basis for the popular animated Spider-Verse movies.
7) Marvel Rivals
Okay, so I’ve been playing Marvel Rivals lately, and it’s seriously gotten really popular, really fast. NetEase Games dropped it in 2024 on basically everything – PC, PlayStation, Xbox, you name it. It’s a free-to-play shooter with a ton of Marvel characters – 44 at last count! The best part is you can play with anyone, regardless of what system they’re on. I’m battling people on Xbox while I’m on my PlayStation. There’s a lot of stuff to do with both player-versus-environment content, which keeps things wild, and they’ve got over a dozen maps. The story is kinda crazy – something about messed up timelines creating new worlds, and now everyone is fighting because there are two Doctor Dooms we need to take down.
6) Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
When Marvel announced a movie based on Guardians of the Galaxy, many people doubted it, as the characters weren’t well-known. They couldn’t have been more wrong! The film was a hit, leading to two sequels and even a holiday special. It also inspired Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, a 2021 action-adventure game created with Square Enix. While the game didn’t achieve huge sales, it tells a great story and plays well, so it’s worth a look if you haven’t tried it yet. It’s worth noting that the game’s characters look different from those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
5) Spider-Man 2 (2004)
The 2004 Spider-Man 2 game was a surprisingly great tie-in to the movie – a rare success in a field often known for disappointing games. Released on nearly every gaming platform available at the time, it holds up as an impressive accomplishment, even if the graphics look a bit dated now. The game retells the story of the film, featuring the original actors voicing their characters. While the handheld versions weren’t as polished, the console editions offered a huge, explorable New York City and incredibly fun web-swinging, providing hours of entertainment.
4) Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action RPG that plays similarly to the earlier X-Men Legends games. Though it has two sequels, many fans consider the original to be the best. It streamlines some of the more complex RPG features, focusing instead on leveling up character abilities with experience points, and boasts a large cast of playable characters and a captivating storyline. The game was a huge success when it came out and kept this style of gameplay popular for years, though it took a while for the sequels to arrive.
3) LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
There are lots of fun LEGO superhero games, and many of them include Marvel characters. However, the best one is LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, which came out in 2013. It was released on all gaming consoles at the time and plays much like the LEGO DC Comics games. Players can switch between different characters, each with unique powers, as they follow the story. The game centers around Marvel’s heroes working together to stop Doctor Doom and Loki’s evil plans. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes got a sequel in 2017 that’s also great, but the original is still considered the best LEGO game based on Marvel.
2) Spider-Man (2000)
Released in 2000, the Spider-Man video game was developed by Neversoft for Activision and appeared on most gaming consoles of that time. It’s a standalone adventure, not tied to any films. The story centers around Spider-Man trying to restore his reputation after someone impersonates him and commits crimes. He faces challenges from classic villains like Doctor Octopus and Carnage, as well as the Sinister Six and many others. Narrated by the legendary Stan Lee, Spider-Man is a genuinely enjoyable game, even if its graphics and gameplay haven’t aged perfectly.
1) Marvel’s Spider-Man
When it comes to Marvel games, Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man from 2018 really changed the game. It’s more than just a video game – it’s a stunning, interactive movie packed with hidden details and rich backstory. The controls are fantastic, there are tons of costumes to unlock, and you can spend hours swinging through a beautifully recreated digital Manhattan. Insomniac has since released a sequel and a spin-off, both of which are great, but the original Marvel’s Spider-Man remains their most impressive achievement so far.
What’s your go-to Marvel game? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!
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2025-12-10 17:17