DIGITISER
  • MAIN PAGE
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Game Reviews
  • FAQ

5 WORST SUPER-HERO GAMES

21/4/2015

7 Comments

 
Picture
And so, we come to the second part of our Super-Hero celebration, which isn't a celebration at all - it's a ghastly parade of super-heroic horrors. Psyche! 

It can't be easy creating games featuring characters who sometimes possess the powers of gods, and fly at supersonic speed, and can do - y'know - more or less anything.

But still... it's remarkable just how wrong some games have been over the years. Suffice to say, the default position of most super-hero games is "beat 'em up". 

Appropriately, this tawdry selection looks as if it's been beaten up with the ugly stick. 

5. THE INCREDIBLE HULK: THE PANTHEON SAGA (PlayStation)
Picture
The Pantheon Saga is one of the more forgotten Hulk stories, so it was quite the surprise to recall it was ever transformed into a video game... and even more of a surprise to have it transformed into such a horrible video game. It was a sort of side-scrolling, Final Fight-esque beat 'em up, but in 3D - so some of the levels had you walking into and out of the screen (though Hulk didn't so much walk as look like someone with arthritic knees gliding on ice).

What made it so wrong, apart from the appalling visuals, and the complete disconnect from the character's comic book adventures, is how underpowered The Hulk felt - lightly tapping his enemies multiple times, rather than punching them into outer space, or into clouds of red mist, as he should be.
4. WATCHMEN: THE END IS NIGH (PS3/Xbox 360)
Picture
So. You succeed in getting a license to make a game based upon the film that's based upon probably the greatest comics series of all time. 


You have the opportunity there to make something that's a commentary on super-hero video games, in the same way that Watchmen was originally a commentary on super-hero comics - a political and artistic satire that may have been translated semi-successfully into a movie in a literal sense, but lost much of its deeper meaning in the process. Here was a chance to readdress that balance, and create the definitive super-hero video game.

So, you could do that. Or you could just make a really average beat 'em up that's not about anything in particular other than punching thugs in the face, in a succession of rain-slicked alleyways. Guess what they went for?
3. SPAWN: THE ETERNAL (PlayStation)
Picture
We appreciate that Todd McFarlane's Spawn comic has its fans, and has somehow attracted a number of big-name creators over the years, but they're always wresting with the fundamental horribleness of the original character concept; that ghastly 90s mishmash of cape, chains, and demonic possession. Just awful. It says it all that McFarlane's first action figure take on the character came with a plank of wood with a nail in it.

More awful still was this sort of Tomb Raider-esque beat 'em up - coming at a time when the creators' imaginations were some leagues ahead of where video game visuals were at. Given that it was based upon such a stylised comic book aesthetic, there's a certain irony in this being one of the worst-looking games of all time. Ghastly.
2. SUPERMAN (Nintendo 64)
Picture
Based upon the warmly-regarded Superman: The Animated Series, it's fair to say that Superman 64 (as it's more commonly known) isn't just one of the worst super-hero games ever - it's one of the worst games ever, full stop. 


The flat, texture-less visuals were presumably intended to reflect the art deco look of the show, but just ended up looking unfinished - a fact not helped by excessive use of the N64's fogging feature to disguise a lack of draw distance. Given that the title character has supervision, this was more like playing a game starring someone with severe cataracts.
1. CATWOMAN (PlayStation 2)
Picture
Catwoman should be an interesting character for a video game, given that she inhabits the grey area between hero and woman. Unfortunately, like the godawful movie this is based upon, this fails on almost every level. Coming across like a sort of bondage Tomb Raider, albeit without any of the subtlety of design which made that series such a hit. 

Crippled by appalling controls and a camera system that seemed to do whatever it wanted (and what it mostly wanted was to frustrate and irrigate the player). Interestingly, while Halle Berry may have wanted nothing to do with it, various thug and cop voices were provided by Hank "Chief Wiggum" Azaria and Jeremy "Hawkeye" Renner. Fact!

FROM THE ARCHIVE:
  • 5 BEST SUPER-HERO GAMES
  • 10 BEST VIDEO GAME DOCUMENTARIES
  • 10 PLACES TO GET DRUNK AND PLAY GAMES


7 Comments
Rivhard Hugues
21/4/2015 06:03:42 am

I'm never more frustrated by a camera than when it is trying to irrigate me!

Reply
Harry Steele
21/4/2015 06:06:25 am

LEX: SOLVE MY MAZE!

Reply
Mr Smith
21/4/2015 06:31:57 am

Is Superman breaking wind in that image, or is he standing in front of an elephant that's covered every part of its body (apart from its trunk) with invisibility cream?

Reply
Keith
21/4/2015 11:58:29 am

I'm surprised that superheroes have never really been used as the focal point of a proper open world sandboxy game. I can't think of any better fit for the idea of a main storyline combined with creative side missions, and it would even make the eventual bits where you are ridiculously overpowered seem less of a reason to stop playing. Imagine a story with the scope of a GTA game where you played a superhero.

Reply
kelvingreen link
21/4/2015 12:49:11 pm

Isn't that Saints Row 4?

Reply
Keith
22/4/2015 03:05:17 am

kind of, but I'd like one less crazy, and more in keeping with the tone of superhero comics etc

kelvingreen link
21/4/2015 12:50:01 pm

I am surprised and aghast that Superman 64 isn't the worst. I can't imagine something worse, but there it is.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    This section will not be visible in live published website. Below are your current settings:


    Current Number Of Columns are = 2

    Expand Posts Area =

    Gap/Space Between Posts = 12px

    Blog Post Style = card

    Use of custom card colors instead of default colors = 1

    Blog Post Card Background Color = current color

    Blog Post Card Shadow Color = current color

    Blog Post Card Border Color = current color

    Publish the website and visit your blog page to see the results

    Picture
    Support Me on Ko-fi
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    RSS Feed Widget
    Picture

    Picture
    Tweets by @mrbiffo
    Picture
    Follow us on The Facebook

    Picture

    Archives

    December 2022
    May 2022
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    November 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014


    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • MAIN PAGE
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Game Reviews
  • FAQ