Marvel is undoubtedly one of the biggest franchises in modern history. They are an absolute juggernaut for comics, movies and merchandise. Over the years, Marvel have loaned their characters out to all sorts of different mediums at times to varying degrees of success with some of the early movies before the Marvel Cinematic Universe not being up to par (I’m looking at you, Hulk…) This article, though, is going to look what I think are the 10 best Marvel video games in my opinion.

10. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

Ultimate Alliance is at number 10 on my list. The first game in the Ultimate Alliance franchise centers around the Marvel heroes taking on Dr. Doom and his A.I.M. The gameplay is a beat ‘em up where the player takes control of a team of up to 4 characters and fights their way through levels to save the world from Doom A.I.M., and of course, Loki. Many people loved this game when it first came out. Honestly, I think it still holds up today. I could easily sit and play through it again even now.

9. Spider-Man 2

This one will be controversial, given how popular this game is, and how low on the list I rank it. Spider-Man 2 was a great game, but so are the other games on this list. It was difficult to rank them all. If we were to base this list on how big an impact the games had with the introduction of new mechanics, etc., Spider-Man 2 would easily be closer to the top of the list. This game is loosely based on the second Spider-Man movie of the Sam Rami era with some extra bad guys thrown in. What set this game apart is that it is the first open world, free roam Spidey game which was ahead of its time. The game is very enjoyable and definitely captures the spirit of the character.

8. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2

The second Marvel: Ultimate Alliance game is absolutely one of my favorites. It is based on one of my favorite story arc of Civil War. The game play is not to much different from the first one, just more polished. However, its forte is in the story. This game nails the epic Civil War story. You get to play both sides of the conflict at various points throughout the game. The teams making up of heroes and villains just make it very engrossing. This fantastic game will suck you in and tug at your heartstrings from start to finish.

7. Spider-Man: Edge of Time

Spider-Man: Edge of Time is an utterly fantastic game. It tells the story of a rift in time bringing two Spider-Men from different eras to work together to save the world. The game’s interesting mechanic is what makes it great. What you do in the modern day era affect the world in the future. The game switches between present-day and the future with the two Spider-Men having to work issues out to get through the levels. Another big bonus for me was the inclusion of Miguel O’Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099 who has one of the coolest spider suits we have ever seen, and is just a very interesting character overall.

6. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

What can I say about Web of Shadows? This game is just great especially if you are a fan of Venom. Not only does is it another epic showdown with the Symbiote, but the game also reintroduces Spidey to the black suit. What follows is just some stellar gaming where you spend the whole game in a trade off between the black suit’s power and Peter's morals, making difficult choices as you go. The more evil choices you make, the more control the symbiote has over Spider-Man. In addition, this game has some increrdible boss fights as all the bosses are venomized, adding another layer of danger!

5. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Shattered Dimension is the predecessor to Edge of Time already mentioned above. The game centers around another one of Spider-Man villains, Mysterio. Old fish bowl head attempts to steal an ancient tablet, which will help him take over reality itself. However Peter shows up to stop him. The tablet gets broken, basically fracturing reality. Madame Webb then recruits Spider-Men from different dimensions to help track down and secure the scattered pieces of the tablet and restore order to reality. the game play is fantastic as you face off against a good portion of the Spider-Man rogues gallery in different dimensions and settings

4. Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro

Going retro here for number 4, Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro for PS1 is just the perfect follow-up to the original PS1 game. It takes a lot of the good things from the first game and builds on it with better combat mechanics and more immersive environments. In addition, we have another well crafted story revolving a decent Spidey foe in Electro. This game does not hold up as well as the others due to the PS1 graphics and limitations at the time, but it is still a good play. You should try it out of you can.

3. Spider-Man for PS1

The original masterpiece Spider-Man for PS1 made me fall in love with superhero games. My favorite character in a video game and I could play as him? Sign me up! Eight-year-old me loved every minute of it and I still do today. This game had it all for a young Spidey fan, from Rhino and Scorpion to Venom, Carnage, and Doc Oct. In addition, we have the icing on the cake with Stan Lee’s outstanding voice-overs and cameos by Black Cat and the Human Torch. Like its sequel Enter Electro, the graphics and limitations of the console do not hold up these days. Regardless, this game will always have a special place in my heart.

2. Deadpool

Ahh Deadpool, what a game it is. The whole thing is just a wild ride of violence, humor and breaking fourth wall. Honestly this game is so fun and it does not ever get old. It is just a smashing playthrough with endless Deadpool “sais.” “It slices and dices. It chicken fried rices.” Who could forget memorable moments like the slapping Wolverine scene, when the game “runs out of budget,” or when he edits the script at the start of the game. Deadpool is just a love letter to Marvel’s funniest character. It is one game that no one should skip!

1. Marvel’s Spider-Man for PS4

My number one spot goes to not only the best Marvel game and best Spider-Man game, but in my opinion the greatest superhero game of all time. This game hits all the marks from gameplay to story. The swing mechanics make you feel like Spider-Man zipping around the sandbox of New York City. I honestly spent easily my first three hours of this game just swinging around the city. The combat system in the game is like a faster version of the system used in the Arkham games, making you feel like the web head as you flip around the fights. It is also the perfect Spider-Man story, showing how hard it is to balance his Peter and Spidey lives. The ending will just make you cry. It is a fantastic, worthy of the Game of the Year awards it received!

I know this list was very Spider-Man heavy but it is undeniable that he rarely had a bum note in the video game department.

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Top Ten Marvel Video Games