Summary
Many studios and publishers have been behind the development ofSpider-Manvideo games, but sadly, with a license like Spider-Man and Marvel, it can result in certain titles being delisted or stuck on consoles with no modern ports. While modern iterations like Insomniac’s masterpieces have rightfully captivated millions, a significant, often foundational, chapter of this illustrious digital history remains largely inaccessible to contemporary players.
From other open-world games to appearing in ensemble Marvel games, Spider-Man has fought crime in New York City and saved the Marvel universe across many genres, visual styles, and drastically different stories. Sadly, even some of the best ones have found themselves no longer accessible, outside the system they were initially released.
You can still find most of these games second-hand through stores like Amazon or eBay, so it is not impossible to find them (but you might need to spend quite a bit of money!). However, you cannot just go on an online platform like Steam or the PlayStation Store and pick them up. That needs to change.
The development team at LJN has become notorious for creating movie-licensed games that are often criticized by gamers. However, they do have a standout title in the form ofSpider-Man/Venom: Maximum Carnage. With its energetic music and vibrant 16-bit sprites, it emerged as a definitive Spider-Man game of the 90s. Despite its popularity, the game remains exclusively available on the SNES and Sega Genesis to this day.
Even if someone were to get a console that can play it, cartridges forSpider-Man/Venom: Maximum Carnageare rare and expensive. However, that is a testament to its legacy, which has Spider-Man and Venom running and punching their way through legions of enemies in the samearcade-like beat ‘em upstyle as theFinal Fightseries.
Based on the comics of the same name,Ultimate Spider-Mancommits to a cel-shaded art style that makes every character and frame look straight out of a comic book. It also makes for one of the more memorable open worlds in a Spider-Man game as Peter Parker investigates Trask Industries to uncover the mystery of the symbiote and his parents.
Ultimate Spider-Manfeatures the titular superhero with all the web-swinging and action that the character is known for, butVenom is also a playable characterwith his own story. Where Spider-Man is more agile, Venom is all about brute strength and using his symbiote tendrils to fight enemies and various villains inspired by the Ultimate universe variants.
There was a time when Activision was the definitive publisher for Marvel video games, which led to the development of multiple classics, such asMarvel Ultimate Alliance. It is highly regarded as a top-tier Marvel game, mixingdungeon-crawling RPG gameplaywith the world-building of a pre-existing Marvel universe, long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe did it.
Spider-Man is only one of many heroes that can be chosen and leveled up inMarvel Ultimate Alliance, from the Avengers to The Fantastic Four. It results in a memorable cosmic adventure with up to four heroes fighting villains like Doctor Doom, Galactus, Loki, and more as the Masters of Evil.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2dials back on the galactic and multiversal threats for a more grounded story based on theCivil Warstoryline, with Captain America and Iron Man leading opposing factions. Like in the comic, Spider-Man plays a major of the story, but other Spider-Man characters are added to the roster, including Venom and Green Goblin.
Unfortunately, despite being a strong sequel with improved visuals and gameplay across two campaigns, it has been lost to time since Activision lost the rights to Marvel. With villainsand even more heroeson the roster for each faction,Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2has even more replayability to see how each campaign differs.
Before the multiverse was all the rage,Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensionsbroke ground by having fourdifferent versions of Spider-Manworking together to stop Mysterio. It even predated the officialSpider-Versecomics, featuring The Amazing Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir, and Spider-Man 2099, each with unique abilities, visual styles, and level structure.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensionsdemonstrated the capabilities of the developers at Beenox, establishing them as the premier Spider-Man team for years. They expertly blended comic book-style narratives with engaging single-player gameplay, resulting in a game that appeals to a wide range of audiences.
Focusing only on The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099, players get to bounce across time, dealing with Anti-Venom, Black Cat, and various other villains connected to the nefarious Alchemax corporation.Spider-Man: Edge of Timefeatures much of the same gameplay asShattered Dimensions, but is polished even more thanks to only having two Spider-Men for Beenox to worry about.
Although its predecessor was well-received,Spider-Man: Edge of Timestruggled to find an audience and sold poorly upon its 2011 release, leading it to quickly fade into obscurity. However, over time, the game has developed a dedicated fanbase, with some players claiming it to be on par with or even superior toShattered Dimensions.
Insomniac Games set the new standard for open-world games with theirMarvel’s Spider-Manseries, but Shaba Games and Treyarch did that previously in 2008 withSpider-Man: Web of Shadows, which was so impressive that Insomniac took inspiration. It allowed gamers to swap between the regular and symbiote versions of Spider-Man on the fly with the click of a button, granting them unique abilities, combos, and dialogue.
In addition to the gameplay, players can pick and choose the path Spider-Man takes through the story to make him as good or as dark as they want. With a plethora of Marvel heroes and villains to encounter in the fight against Venom’s slow invasion of theopen-world New York City,Spider-Man: Web of Shadowsremains a cult classic for being unlike any other Spider-Man game.
