Game makers have been drawing inspiration from comic books since the dawn of digital entertainment, and it's a relationship that's spawned countless titles inspired by some of pop culture's greatest heroes (and villains). Some have been great. Some have been decent. Some have been so foul they deserve to be banished to the Phantom Zone and jettisoned out into the void of space.
In celebration of one of gaming's greatest influences, we've scoured GamesRadar's archives to bring you a collection of every single comic book game review ever published. How many can you remember...?
300: March to Glory
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
King Leonidas and 299 of his six-packed Spartans friends cut their way through Xerxes army in this hack-and-slash title for the PSP.
Review quote: You're trying to stave off the vast army of the Persian king, Xerxes with a small force of only 300 Spartan warriors. At least, we're told there are 300 of you and zillions of them. In practice, it's typically you and one to three companions hacking maybe six or eight other dudes at a time into hamburger, tops.
Aliens vs Predator
GamesRadar's review: 4/5 (Great)
Fight for your life (and species) in this continuation of the Aliens vs Predator franchise which splits its narrative between the Aliens, Predators, and the grunty Marines silly enough to get between them.
Review quote: Aliens vs Predator is a brilliantly authentic and cinematic experience, tinged with a vague sense that more couldve been done with the single-player to properly spear our eyeballs into attention.
Aliens vs Predator: Requiem
GamesRadar review: 2.5/5 (Mediocre)
The Aliens have landed in Gunnison, Colorado, and it falls to a lone Predator to clean up the infestation while contending with the human populace. This PSP exclusive is based on the 2007 sci-flick of the same name.
Review quote: "The problem is AVP tries too hard. Where Miami Vice had a simple control set-up designed around the PSP's single, restrictive nubbin, AVP attempts to wedge full PS2 gaming onto the handheld and we all know where that often leads... a clunky, frustrating game."
Astro Boy: The Video Game
Gaming's other robot boy wonder takes to the skies to protect Metro City against the nefarious President Stone in this pew-pew-pewy adaptation of the 2009 Astro Boy film.
Review quote: Surprisingly, the gameplay combines two totally old-school arcade genres: beat em-up and shoot em-up. Dodging glowing red balls, freezing enemies with ass-mounted machine guns and scissor kicking dancing robots defines arcade fun, and its even better when Astro Boy doesnt cruelly punish us for not having our reflexes from 1993.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Rockstar's next-to-perfect Batman game finds Bruce Wayne matching wits and fists with his enemies inside Arkham's looney bin where, thanks to Joker, the inmates are truly running the Asylum.
Review quote: Arkhams rusting Gothic nightmare is the closest weve experienced to a new Rapture since 2007. The density of atmosphere. The uniqueness of personality. The foreboding sense of tentatively trespassing on a long-established place much bigger and more dangerous than you Its all here in abundance thanks to some brilliantly detailed environmental design and a twisted sense of character in every area youll discover. Put simply, Arkham Asylum provides that same deeply immersive, compulsively explorable sense of horrible reality that weve been missing ever since Jacks bathysphere finally broke the surface.
Batman: Arkham City
GamesRadar review: 5/5 (Astounding)
In this (also near perfect) sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Caped Crusader takes the action to a sealed off section of Gotham City. Here he must thwart one of Joker's most poisonous plots yet while quelling a prisoner uprising that could bring the real Gotham to its knees.
Review quote: From the moment we started Arkham City, all we could think was: Arkham Asylum was practice. Compared to its sequel, the best superhero game ever and our choice forGame of the Year 2009seems like a tech demo, a first draft, merely a blueprint for what the perfect Batman game can actually be. This is it.
Batman Begins
GamesRadar review: 2/5 (Mediocre)
Christopher Nolan's 2005 Batman reboot comes to consoles in an adventure that sends players through the movie's key scenes armed with Batman's standard arsenal of gadgets, stealthy moves, and raspy one-liners.
Review quote: Get under the flashy facade and it's a clunky copy of Sam Fisher's escapades, with less moves, dumber enemies, frustrating controls and tons of pointless busywork.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
GamesRadar review: 2/5 (Mediocre)
Batman and Robin pummel DC's most animated supervillains in this colorful, whiz-bang action title based on the Brave and the Bold cartoon series.
Review quote: "Arkham Asylum this is not - both adults and kids will find themselves chuckling as they punch through levels as the Bat-ster and his host of sidekicks. With its witty banter and entertaining scenery, Batman: The Brave and the Bold might even charm you into having fun for a little while."
LEGO Batman: The Videogame
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
Bruce Wayne gets bricked in a LEGO adventure that sees Batman teaming with Robin and other allies to take down some of the Dark Knight's most troublemaking foes. Oh, and also collect gold bricks. Can't forget about those.
Review quote: Travellers Tales clearly feel comfortable in their LEGO universe, and the obvious affection they have for their conventions stud-counters, hidden minikits, sight gags, Frankenstein-ish character creation lab can make it easy to write LEGO Batman off as franchise re-skinning. However, how does this explain the sense of fun in Batman that was rare in Indiana Jones?
LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
Bruce Wayne and his stud-collecting DC friends unite to stop Joker, Lex Luthor, and their army of superbaddies from picking Gotham City apart brick by brick.
Review quote: "LEGO Batman 2s greatest strength is not only in how it balances its difficulty and length, but also in how the sandbox world will give you way more playtime and challenges to solve afterwards."
Blade Kitten
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
Krome Studio's spin on the Blade Kitten web comic tracks Bounty Hunter Kit Ballard as she wields her feline skills to capture the gang boss Terra-Li on the planetoid of Hollow Wish. Along the way, Kit is kept company by her sidekick Skiffy and floating Darque Blade sword.
Review quote: "Combat is simple, but that's why it's fun. It involves positioning yourself around enemies and then employing proper attacks and blocking. Environmental and spatial puzzles freshen things up after clearing hundreds of enemies. Complexity isn't everything."
Bone: Out From Boneville
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
Telltale Games bring Jeff Smith's loveable Fone Bone and his cousins, Phoney and Smiley, to life in adventure game that charges players with reuniting the Bone clan and surviving the mythical Valley after being ousted from Boneville. Boner.
Review quote: Thanks to their distinct personalities and a cute-but-not-sappy visual design adopted faithfully from the comic, this humorous, light-hearted point-and-click, fantasy adventure is one thing over all else: fun.
Bone: The Great Cow Race
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
Phone Bone and his Bone cousins return in Telltale's sequel to Bone: Out From Boneville. Fresh from their desert trek, the Bone crew happen upon Barrel Haven where Fone Bone falls in love, Phoney Bone plots a get-rich scheme, and Smiley kicks along for the ride.
Review quote: [Bone: The Great Cow Race offers] fans a deeper, longer adventure, packing in more minigames, more personality and much higher production values. The characters are more expressive, there's more to see and do and you can even switch between characters on the fly.
Catwoman
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
Halle Berry reprises her (far from) Oscar winning role as Catwoman in a movie tie-in that attempts to put Patience Phillips in the same league as Batman, but ends up barely making a scratch.
Review quote: Sadly, though, the game never really kicks into life. While the levels are big, well laid out and require thought to negotiate, there's little in the way of true excitement. All you do is work through one difficult trial and error exploration section before moving onto the next, punctuated by occasional fight scenes with puny enemies
City of Heroes / Villains
GamesRadar review: 4.5/5 (Great)
Though technically not based on any particular comic book franchise, City of Heroes invokes the comic book spirit for an online MMO that invites players to assume their own super-identity and fight crime (or cause it) in Paragon City.
Review quote: Instead of donning gauntlets and slaying dragons, City of Heroes lets you slip into spandex tights for truth and justice. Choose your powers - energy blasts, flaming punches, mind control, and many more - and design your costume with a deep and enjoyably-fiddly creation tool.
The Darkness
GamesRadar review: 4.5/5 (Great)
Mafia hitman Jackie Estacado wields demonic powers to rip, claw, gnash, and terrify everyone that stands between him and the wise guys who left him for dead.
Review quote: It's difficult to find seriousfault with The Darkness; while we loathe its draconian just-one-save system, it's a stunning achievement that'll keep you riveted from its startlingly realistic opening car chase to its final, epic massacre. It's enthralling, darkly comic, shockingly visceral and able to bring you close to its characters in a way that few games do.
The Darkness II
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
The sequel to 2007's The Darkness, the Darkness II finds Jackie Estacado as don of the Franchetti crime family and no longer slave to his darkling counterparts. This all changes when the Brotherhood makes a play for Jackie's Darkness powers, forcing the mob boss to embrace his dark spirits and return to his old throat-tearing habits.
Review quote: Where the original had a starkly realistic look and an unusual, strangely fluid approach to shooting, the sequel has an almost cartoonish look (its developers call the art style graphic noir), and a firmly grounded, linear, almost conventional approach to shooting. Well, except for the tentacle-like demon heads, of course.
DC Universe Online
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
DC's most notable superheroes take their talents online in a multiplayer adventure that enlists players in a war against Braniac's army of meta-humans, who are hellbent on destroying civilization.
Review quote: Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nah, it's just our hopes for DC Universe Online falling a bit from the heights we envisioned during our hands-on last month. The final product still packs a super-powered punch, but the thrill is fleeting.
Fantastic 4
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing team up to stop Doctor Doom from turning New York into his own, personal bachelor pad. Although a tie-in to the 2005 movie, Fantastic 4 takes the gamma-rayed crew all over the world in a showdown with other foes, including Nick Fury, Mole Man, Diablo, Puppet Master, and Dragon Man.
Review quote: As a whole, Fantastic 4 is a disappointment. It feels rushed, broken and not worth the asking price. If you've seen the film and you fancy taking the 4 for a whirl, rent it or borrow it. Fans, well, you might consider buying it, but only at a stretch.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
GamesRadar review: 2/5 (Mediocre)
The fantastic foursome return to stretch, burn, punch, and shield themselves through another movie adaption - this time combining their might to save the world from Doctor Doom (again, really?) and the mysterious Silver Surfer.
Review quote: The beat-'em up combat is fun for awhile, but with only about three or four types of enemies per area, and having each of those enemies fight about the same as the enemies from the last area, you'll start wishing for some more creative super villains.
Ghost Rider
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
Johnny Blaze aka Ghost Rider tears through to hell and back to save the world and his sweetheart, Roxanne, from Mephisto's apocalyptic plans. Along the way he is aided by Marvel friends Blade and Carter Slade, as well as the spirit (and possibly forehead) of Nicholas Cage.
Review quote: As if the back-catalog of shoddy comic book adaptations on PS2 wasnt shameful enough, heres another uninspired and under-developed calamity for the pile.
Gotham City Impostors
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
When Batman and Joker are away, the wannabees come out to play. Inspired by a one-off storyline from Detective Comics, Gotham City Impostors pits the Bats against the Jokerz in a downloadable fragfest crammed with gadgets, costumes, and brutal Warriors-esque violence.
Review quote: Gotham City Impostors may not do much we havent seen before, but the few new wrinkles, cartooney sensibilities, and loads of customization options make this game a vigilantes dream come true.
Hellboy: The Science of Evil
GamesRadar review: 2/5 (Mediocre)
Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and Lobster Johnson set out to stop Nazi Herman von Klempt from making humanity his bitch in a action game that shifts back and forth through Hellboy's past.
Review quote: There's just not much here to latch onto. The fighting is despairingly monotonous - you have a gun to shoot, and fists that can wallop, throw junk, or execute a small handful of combos and finishing moves. But neither this weaksauce arsenal nor the few poorly realized boss battles you'll encounter are deep or interesting enough to keep you from wanting to tear your own head off when you meet your 200th group of the same uninspired (yet oddly durable) bad guys.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
GamesRadar review: 4.5/5 (Great)
Hulk smash open world! Hulk find funny pants! Hulk smash Abomination in funny pants!
Review quote: Why's it so good? Because it makes you feel powerful. Amble down a busy street and cars skid off the road, people scurry away screaming and your immense green feet leave cracks in the pavement. That's you just walking.
The Incredible Hulk
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
Hulk smash Enclave! Hulk smash Ross! Hulk no care for complicated plot. Hulk just want to smash ... again!
Review quote: If you like the Hulk and you enjoying destroying things, you'll enjoy your time with The Incredible Hulk, even if you have to reset the system from time to time.
Iron Man
GamesRadar review: 2/5 (Mediocre)
Iron Man's DIY origins come to life in this video game adaptation of 2008's Iron Man flick. The adaptation follows Tony Stark's journey from self-obsessed gazillionaire to self-made super hero thanks to a suit that turns him into an instant, unstoppable badass.
Review quote: Question: if Iron Man can fly, why has he stumbled into every pitfall of the superhero genre? His game is messy, confusing and, at best, about as good as Catwoman or Batman Begins. Which is not good at all.
Iron Man 2
GamesRadar review: 2/5 (Mediocre)
The Starkster returns to wise-crack his way through an adventure inspired by the 2010 movie sequel of the same name. This time around, Iron Man is joined by War Machine, who together must face off against Ultimo.
Review quote: To be fair, Iron Man 2 is a somewhat better experience than its putrid predecessor -- the controls are fairly manageable this time around, while the more egregious controller-tossing objectives of the original are thankfully fewer in number. But that's as complimentary as we can be for this quick, unattractive slog through repetitive missions and even less interesting cutscenes.
Justice League Heroes
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
DC's mightiest heroes link talents to set things right after Braniac steals a sentient Mother Box from the Justice League's lair and tears Earth a new dimension in his Darkseid form.
Review quote: Though it doesn't have as many bells and whistles (like, say, online or four-player support) as other action RPGs, it's a serviceable game. If you like the heroes, then you'll have fun with it.
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects
GamesRadar review: 2/5 (Mediocre)
Marvel's elite push back against an alien invasion in this fighting game adaptation of the 2005 comic mini-series.
Review quote: Its a bog-standard brawler actually, make that sub-standard. Enter story mode and youre plunged into the thick of the action, with a woefully unexciting scrap against three robot alien things that you have to defeat through repeated stabs of the A button it doesnt get much better either.
Marvel Super Hero Squad
GamesRadar review: 1.5/5 (Troubled)
Marvel's roster gets cut down to size in this kid-friendly actioneer that pits the likes of Hulk, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Thor against the Lethal Legion, led by a cutesy Doctor Doom. Will the Super Hero Squad stop Doom from assembling the Infinity Sword? Find out next week!...(dun dun duuuh).
Review quote: Who decided that Marvels lineup of classic super heroes had to be transformed into grotesque Cabbage Patch Kids to be cool? Hardcore comic nerds will cry heresy over Marvel Super Hero Squads squat interpretation of our favorite X-Men and Avengers, though the game isnt meant for them; its aimed at an infant audience. The kicker? This PSP port of the Wii action game is a complete mess thats tough to stomach no matter how old you are.
Marvel Trading Card Game
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
Upper Deck's Vs. System takes on a superhero flavor in a virtual collectible card game starring Marvel's bravest and baddest.
Review quote: If Rogue was a video game, she would be Marvel Trading Card. It's starts off beating you senseless, then makes you fall in love with it over time, but still has a few unavoidable handicaps that keep you slightly distant.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
The who's who of the Marvel universe combine powers and abilities to save earth from the evil machinations of Doctor Doom, Galactus, and a list of other notable villains. Borrowing its action-RPG elements from Raven Software's X-Men Legends series, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is a comic fans wet dream.
Review quote: If you can suspend your disbelief and imagine Thor being stopped by a locked door (and you can get into the rehashed dungeon-crawling gameplay), there's a lot to enjoy with Marvel Ultimate Alliance. It's a well-made game that you can try again and again with numerous heroes and their plethora of powers. If you're a comic-book fan, this is probably the most satisfying videogame ever made for you.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
The sequel to Marvel Ultimate Alliance (obviously), Raven Software's action-RPG follow-up adopts the Civil War storyline, which finds the world's mutant population choosing sides when the government introduces a Superhuman Registration Act.
Review quote: Although this is a direct sequel to Marvel: Ultimate Alliance from three years ago, its actually the fourth game in a series that began with X-Men: Legends. And despite simplifying the healing and equipment systems in a positive way, the basic dungeon-running gameplay is practically unchanged.
Marvel vs Capcom 2
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
The heroes of Capcom and Marvel throw logic and canon to the wind for a chance to beat each other into submission in three-on-three battles. A port of the 2000 original, Marvel vs Capcom 2 stars 56 characters recruited from both the Marvel and Capcom rosters.
Review quote: MvC2 is about the character roster the vast, near-impeccable line-up composed of superheroes, fighting champions and 8-bit video game legends, all punching the hell out of each other for no good reason and gleefully ignoring established canon.
Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
GamesRadar review: 4.5/5 (Great)
Marvel's Doctor Doom and Resident Evil's Albert Wesker join forces to lay siege to their respective universes in a plot that just barely makes a Marvel Vs Capcom sequel believable. Familiar fighters from both dimensions make their return from Marvel Vs Capcom 2, bringing new three-button control scheme and other fighting tweaks.
Review quote: Marvel vs Capcom 3 is a celebration of everything that makes videogames great.It's a celebration ofCapcom's heritage. Of comic books and super heroes. Of laser beams, celestial brush strokes and grenade launchers. A celebration of button mashing and obscene complexity of control. Of combos, juggling and finishing moves. But most of all, it's a celebration of everything that makes the very word 'videogame' excite our minds. And it's time you joined the party.
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
A standalone retail title, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 trumps the original with 12 new characters, character tweaks, HUD redesigns, and new game modes including the Heroes and Heralds upgradable cards mode.
Review quote: Ultimately (pun intended), the vast majority of UMVC3's new features will only really be appreciated by dedicated players, and for them it's a must have, for everyone else though, it's a harder sell.
Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
Superman, Wonder Woman, and Catwoman and other DC notables square off against Mortal Kombat's fiercest combatants to stop their two worlds from colliding. No, it doesn't make much sense, but does it matter?
Review quote: "Fatalities are still in the game, but youre not going see Kano ripping off Batmans head. Its tamer than ever before, and thats a worrying thing for a series whose chief appeal has always been its shameless bloodlust."
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Two
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
The second chapter in Penny Arcade's video game experiment picks up where Episode One left off as players enlist the aid of Tycho and Gabe to track down robot with a habit of destroying houses. Building on its RPG foundation, Episode Two flexes its muscles with more adventuring, puzzles, and rhythm-based mini-games.
Review quote: Even though you have lots of (often intensely profane) dialogue options and can choose which location to travel to, very few things can be done out of sequence. On the other hand, very little content from the last game is recycled, so Episode II is an almost completely new adventure.
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
Tycho and Gabe bring their sleuthing alter-egos from the Penny Arcade web comics to consoles in a witty send up to RPG gaming.
Review quote: "The writing has the same witty, often-crude edge to it, and Gabes thick-headedness remains a perfect foil for the esoteric Tycho. If you appreciate Penny Arcades humor, you wont be left wanting for laughs here."
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Three
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
Penny Arcades sweeping downloadable epic comes to an end with a top-down, tongue-in-cheek homage to SNES-style RPGs. Developed in part by Zeboyd Games, Episode Three ditches the player-controlled character to focus on Tycho and Gabe's daunting escapades.
Review quote: Rain-Slick 3 is a lovingly well-made, if niche product. Your enjoyment of it can be gauged by the answers to two questions: Do you like old-school RPGs? Do you like Penny-Arcade? If you answered yes to both, this game was made for you.
The Punisher
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
Marvel's gun-toting antihero gets top billing in a third-person shooter featuring a heavy dose of violence, torture, and man-hugs. The Punisher's main storyline is told through flashbacks, as Frank Castle is held captive by law enforcement on Rykers Island (but not for long, as you can probably guess).
Review quote: Behind the gore, The Punisher does nothing new. But what it does, it does very well and it'll keep you going until you finish it simply because won't want to miss out on any of the spectacular torture set-pieces.
The Punisher: No Mercy
GamesRadar review: 2/5 (Mediocre)
As the title implies, The Punisher: No Mercy heralds the return of a merciless Frank Castle who is even more pissed off for seeing his franchise reduced to a thread-bare online multiplayer.
Review quote: The campaign in The Punisher: No Mercy is mindlessly easy (more so if you complete it through online co-op). The 30 minute-long story mode is a hollow set of arena battles that are bookended by incomprehensible comic book cutscenes.
Ragnarok DS
GamesRadar review: 2.5/5 (Mediocre)
Japan's popular MMORPG makes its move to the DS ... minus a bulk of the massively multiplayer online trappings. Supporting up to three adventurers at one time, Ragnarok DS challenges players to figh their way to the top of the treasure-rich Mirage Tower.
Review quote: If theres one thing that Ragnarok DS can be accused of its being utterly charmless. After the initial ooh, look how nice and big the sprites are! has worn off youll realize that Ragnarok DS is a charisma vacuum, and the only thing it really shares with its beautiful PC namesake is that its a thankless, repetitive grind.
Rogue Trooper
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
Lifted from the pages of 2000 AD, Rogue Trooper puts players in control of Rogue, a blue-skinned, genetically modified soldier who sets off on a kamikaze path of vengeance on the war-torn planes of Nu-Earth.
Review quote: The unremarkable graphics and sound do little to break the mold, but the ability to use the bio-chip brains of your dead buddies (currently residing in your gun, helmet and backpack) to power up your weapons and gear adds a nice touch of ingenuity.
Rogue Trooper: Quartz Zone Massacre
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
The Genetic Infantryman (G.I) Rogue gets another shot at redemption in this Wii-make of the 2006 original sporting motion controlled killing and a new, four-player offline multiplayer mode.
Review quote: The game is a surprisingly competent third-person shooter that first appeared on Xbox in 2006 and has gained a new control system makeover and a slightly enhanced splitscreen mode for its launch on Wii.
Sam & Max Save the World (Season One)
GamesRadar review: 4.5/5 (Great)
Sam and Max embark on the case of a lifetime where hypnotic bears, toy mafias, moon bases, and living internets are just all in a day's work.
Review quote: "None of the episodes are terrifically long or challenging, but they're all a lot of fun, and if you're a newcomer to the series, Sam & Max Episode One is the best way to experience it."
Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space (Season Two)
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
Adventure gaming's top detectives return for another season of point-and-click antics, this time coping with everything from zombie apocalypses to killer robots, vampire nightclubs, and Satan himself.
Review quote: Its typically anarchic stuff peppered with the usual acidic humor and in-jokes, but its the usual high standard of logical problems to solve thatll keep you coming back for more.
Scott Pilgrim Vs the World
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
Scott Pilgrim brawls his way through Ramona Flower's seven evil ex-boyfriends [edit: six ex dudes and one psycho ex-girlfriend] in a pixelated homage to old-school gaming.
Review quote: "The gameplay invokes iconic brawlers of the late 80s and early 90s, like Final Fightand Double Dragon, but it most specifically channels cult classic River City Ransom."
Amazing Spider-Man
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
Oscorp's half-breeds are terrorizing New York, and there's only half-man half-spider who can stop them. Beenox returns to assuming developing duties on this high-flying sandbox title which picks up immediately after the 2012 Spider-Man Hollywood reboot.
Review quote: The Amazing Spider-Man (based off the movie of the same name) should have been Spideys triumphant homecoming the first Spider-Man game in years to feature an open-world version of New York City. Instead, it's a repetitive adventure thats barely saved from mediocrity by a couple of interesting concepts.
Spider-Man 2
GamesRadar review: 2.5/5 (Mediocre)
Spider-Man goes toe-to-claw with Doctor Octopus and a cast of old fiends in this open-world Spidey game based on the Spider-Man 2 movie.
Review quote: "Yes, Spidey may look almost as good as his PS2 game, but this PSP version is lacking in atmosphere and totally disappoints. Most annoyingly, the developer hasn't included anything new, instead simply opting to take out the best bits."
Spider-Man 3
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
Lured to the dark side by his new black suit, Peter Parker fights temptation and evil in this adaptation of the Spider-Man 3 movie. More than a standard cash-in, Spider-Man 3 expands upon the film's plot with original sequences starring the Lizard, Scorpion, Sandman, and of course Venom.
Review quote: You know how city folk get scared and run away in Grand Theft Auto or Crackdown? None of that here. These zombified dolts keep walking in a straight line no matter what happens, be it Spidey and the New Goblin getting into a fireball tossing match or a gang war erupting in the streets. They'll blindly walk into walls, get stuck in corners, obstruct your path... the list keeps growing every time we play, and we're already at the end, after 15 painful hours.
Spider-Man: Edge of Time
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
In this tale of two Spideys, both the original Spider-Man (Peter Parker) and Spider-Man 2099 (Miguel O'Hara) work together in their individual time-lines to save New York from a dystopian future.
Review quote: Edge of Times real hook is that the game stars two different Spider-Men, so what does it do to make each unique? Not a whole lot. They both swing around, they both punch guys and tie them up with webs, and aside from minor moments theyre basically the same guy.
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe
GamesRadar review: 2.5/5 (Mediocre)
Spider-Man enlists the help of superheroes and villains alike to end the reign of a mysterious baddie bent on taking over the world through mind control and meteors (trust us, it makes sense). Fusing accessibly gameplay, a cutesy style, and cartooney humor, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe brings a lighthearted addition Spider-Man's gaming library.
Review quote: Spider-Man: FoF seems developed specifically with children in mind. The game is disturbingly dumbed-down at times, and the strikingly bland levels would feel right at at home in an early Crash Bandicoot title. And that's not to mention the lack of polish.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
The Tablet of Order and Chaos has been smashed, and it's up to Spidey's interdimentional alter-egos to pick up the pieces. Shattered Dimensions sees players traversing four different Spider-Man realities Amazing, Noir, 2099, and Ultimate to crush old foes and restore order to the splintered universe.
Review quote: For long time Spider-Man fans, this is probably the most rewarding of any Spidey title ever. The attention to detail in each universe is astonishing, especially compared to the kind of rough bits in other places.
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
GamesRadar review: 4/5 (Great)
The world famous webcrawler quells a symbiote invasion in New York, while fighting to stay pure under the influence of his black suit. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows places Peter Parker in an open-world setting where he must find a cure to symbiotic scourge, and contend with mutated versions of classic enemies.
Review quote: Spider-Mans gone through a lot of ups and downs, and even on his best day he's never had what most critics would call a "masterpiece". Yet when done right, like Shadows mostly does, nothing beats swinging freely through a huge New York skyline, bashing one foe after another. If the developer could have just tightened up a few minor technical issues and injected a little more soul into the proceedings, this might have been Spidey's best game yet.
Ultimate Spider-Man
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man goes cel-shaded in a Spidey epic inspired by the War of the Symbiotes story from the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. The stylized, web-em-up pits Spider-Man against a huge cast of baddies including Carnage, Shocker, Green Goblin, Electro, Rhino, and a Venom-ized version of Wolverine.
Review quote: The bold primary colors, thick lines and multiple framing all help turn Ultimate Spider-Man into a rainbow eyewash for your tired retinas. But even with the fresh coat of paint, it's like applying deodorant without showering it only masks yesterday's staleness.
Superman Returns
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
Clark Kent ditches the glasses and dons his iconic tights to defend Metropolis against Mongul's army, Lex Luthor's plans, Bizarro's rampage, and other villainous plots. Bits and pieces from the 2006 Superman Returns movie are woven into a game that soars beyond its cinematic script.
Review quote: Superman Returns is about as free-roaming and open as going to a grocery store that has no food. You can fly around all you want, but you can't actually interact with much.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
GamesRadar review: 2.5/5 (Mediocre)
Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo crack-wise, eat pizza, and battle Foot Clan in this gaming reenactment of the 2007 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles CGI movie.
Review quote: TMNT isn't the game we'd hoped for; the one that would finally have the teen turtles growing from the basic brawler playpen into gameplay adulthood and taking their place in the over-21 line. Rather, it's more a case of them going back to Jr High and snapping the lady turtles' training bras because they're still too immature to actually ask them out.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack
GamesRadar review: 1/5 (Troubled)
Ubisoft's TMNT entry for the Nintendo DS finds the mutated crew cleaning up Shredder's mess from the future. Designed as a nod to the TMNT's classic arcade beat-em-ups, Arcade Attack blends retro fighting goodness with modern 3D flair.
Review quote: "Arcade Attack is a fighting game so tedious that we suffered a total neural shutdown about five minutes in. We managed to stay awake through the risibly scripted opening cutscene only because its fan fiction written by an eight-year-old dialogue amused us greatly.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare
GamesRadar review: 2/5 (Mediocre)
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tackle Triceratons, Agent Bishop, and alternate dimensions in this video game retelling of season three of the 2003 TMNT cartoon series.
Review quote: Nightmare suffers badly when it veers off-course. At one point, the turtles are aligned at the bottom of the game screen and forced to hurl throwing stars at enemies. It's a ridiculous segment wholly disregarding the fact that the turtles are nimble, acrobatic creatures.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
The heroes in a half shell face off against familiar foes and allies in this four player, 2.5D Super Smash Brothers-esque brawler.
Review quote: "Moves are designed to tick the cool box with little to no consideration for practicality. Donatellos bo staff twirls and Shredders lightning-charged sword (er, yeah that one) may have been fun to program, but theyre all flourish and no function."
Teen Titans
GamesRadar review: 2.5/5 (Mediocre)
Born of the animated series, Teen Titans (Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy) are transported into a deadly video game where they are put their paces by The Master of Games.
Review quote: "Although there are fun moments when new enemies are introduced - insanely cute exploding bunny rabbits, for instance - the vast majority of the time you're simply beating down another generic goon on the road to another simplistic boss fight."
Thor: God of Thunder
GamesRadar review: 2/5 (Mediocre)
Thor's 2011 cinematic debut is retold in this movie tie-in which seeks to expand the Thunder God's adventure with new characters and other-worldly locations. As in the film, Thor must defend Asgard and the universe against his brother Loki, while also fending off enemies like Ulik, Surtur, and Ymir with his trust Mjlnir hammer.
Review quote: "[Thor] lulls you into a false sense of security with some semblance of competence and then hammers you back into reality with obnoxious glitches and boneheaded design decisions."
Thor: Son of Asgard
The thunder god gets apped in this iOS adventure which finds Thor cleaning up the remains of Loki's mess back in Asgard. Released for iPads and iPhones, Thor: Son of Asgard imagines the Odinson's life after the events of 2011 film.
Review quote: "Let's be honest: these console-like hack-and-slash games rarely turn out exquisitely well on the iPad and iPhone, but Thor even struggles with mediocrity. Despite the decent price and universal playability, this sub-par superhero adaptation disappoints."
Young Thor
GamesRadar review: 2.5/5 (Mediocre)
Before the chiseled abs and golden mane, Thor was a precocious god child like anyone else. In Young Thor for the Nintendo DS, the hammer-twirling tike pounds his way through Asgard and Midgard to rescue the Norns and save the world tree Yggdrasil.
Review quote: "The combat is extremely uneven, and the controls can be imprecise at times. However, if you're looking for 1/20th the God of War experience at 1/20th the cost then you'll still be able to find some fun in this inexpensive package."
The Adventures of Tintin: The Game
GamesRadar review: 3/5 (Solid)
Tintin, Snowy, and the loveable drunk Haddock depart on a quest to track down the long-lost Unicorn ship in this platforming video game adaptation of the 2011 CGI movie.
Review quote: Tintin is at its best when it behaves like a bowdlerized version of platformers like Shadow Complex and Super Metroid - sidescrolling Tintin, Snowy, and the befuddled Captain Haddock along corridors, caves, and medieval ruins.
Turok
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
The planet-hopping, dino-hunting, manly-man of old returns in an FPS action title that sees Corporal Joseph Turok fighting raptors and T-Rex's after crash landing on a far-off planet. Released in 2008, Turok is a reboot of the N64 franchise with very few ties to its comic book ancestor.
Review quote: Ultimately, Turok was always about the spectacle, and despite the numerous changes Propaganda Games has made to the formula, this one fact about the series remains.
The Walking Dead: Episode 1 & 2
GamesRadar review: Pending
Robert Kirkland's cult zombie comic gets the Telltale treatment in a tense, point-and-click episodic adventure through post-apocalyptic America. Veering from the characters established in the Walking Dead comics and TV show, Telltale's game tells an original story from the perspective of survivor Lee Everett and his young ward, Clementine.
Review quote: [The Walking Dead] strikes a strong balance between Telltale's older point-and-click adventure games and the action-based gameplay of Jurassic Park. Whereas the latter felt like you were directing a movie instead of actually playing a game, Walking Dead makes you feel like you're actually controlling Lee as he bashes in undead heads.
Wanted: Weapons of Fate
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
Wesley Gibson continues his journey to track down the Immortal and discover the secrets of his assassin family in this video game follow-up to the 2008 action film Wanted, which in turn is based on the Top Cow comics of the same name.
Review quote: "Like a cheeseburger straight from Burger Thing, [Wanted is a] poorly made, slightly limp, and a shameful treat. And like a bargain-basement cheeseburger, its one youll enjoy every second of."
Watchmen: The End is Nigh
GamesRadar review: 2.5/5 (Mediocre)
Set before the events of The Watchmen film, The End is Nigh finds Rorschach and Nite Owl on the hunt for The Underboss, an escaped crime boss who may or may not be caught up in a larger government conspiracy.
Review quote: The real breaking point for this innocuous title is the price tag. Yes, Watchmen is one of the best looking downloadable games weve seen on a console (even if the lighting takes the murky color palette to nearly opaque darkness), and yes, the voice acting and production values are impressively high-end. Still, paying $20.00 for such a shallow experience just doesnt seem right.
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2
GamesRadar review: 1.5/5 (Troubled)
The Watchmen's Nite Owl and Rorschach track down a missing girl named Violent Greene but find the situation isn't as black and white as they first expected. Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2 is Deadline Games's latest chapter in its downloadable beat-em-up series.
Review quote: Theres no depth or substance, just acres of mindless combat punctuated with the odd lockpick minigame. Fans of the film will despise this.
X-Men: Destiny
GamesRadar review: 2.5/5 (Mediocre)
Professor X is dead and the X-Men are fractured. It's up to a new batch of mutants to pick up the pieces and chose whether or not to help the remaining X'ers build a peace between mutants and humans, or help the Brotherhood of Mutants achieve total mutant domination.
Review quote: Some boss battles are absolutely thrilling, and the plot, while somewhat convoluted, definitely feels like a proper X-Men story, but the dull, monotonous battles and lack of polish hamstring the game. Its a shame, too, because most of the ingredients are here for a fun experience.
X-Men: Legends
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
Raven Software's action-RPG follows the young mutant Alison Crestmere (aka Magma) as she teams up with the X-Men to stop Magneto and General Kincaid from doing bad things to the citizens of Earth.
Review quote: Thanks to the accessible way the game unfolds (as combat experience translates to fresh characters, enhanced skills and increasingly potent signature moves) the desire to fight remains pin-sharp all the way through.
X-Men: Legends II: Rise of the Apocalypse
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
Marvel's mutant saviors band together once more to save their leader, Professor X, and to stop the evil Apocalypse from using mutants as living batteries. X-Men: Legends II builds upon the action role-playing mechanics introduced in 2004 X-Men Legends.
Review quote: Activision has subscribed to the theory that more is better for this sequel. There are more mutant powers, more varied levels, more secrets, more hidden characters, and more options than the original. In some cases it totally works.
X-Men: The Official Game
GamesRadar review: 2.5/5 (Mediocre)
Not to be confused with those shady unofficial games, X-Men: The Official Game follows Wolverine, Iceman, and Nightcrawler through the events featured in the X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand films.
Review quote: It's not even like X-Men is total garbage, either. You can have some fun slamming the ragdoll soldiers around, watching them crumble and collapse over fences and computer terminals, but after the thousandth guy bites it, you'll be ready to move along.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition
GamesRadar review: 3.5/5 (Solid)
Wolverine slices and dices his way through Africa, Canada, and the notorious Alkali Lake Facility in a game that explores Logan's origins as an experiment gone wild. More than a rehash of the 2009 film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition builds on Logan's backstory using plots and characters from the X-Men comic franchise.
Review quote: Making things die in this game is a ridiculous amount of fun. The thrill of being a super-fast, super-strong, virtually indestructible mutant with retractable, razor-sharp claws is captured perfectly by the slick, dynamic combat.
Take it away...
Ah, the memories. Those wonderful, conflicted memories. But while GamesRadar has been around for a good chunk of time, we're fully aware there were plenty of games based on comic books released before we arrived on the scene. Help us bathe in superhero nostalgia by sharing your classic favorites in the comments below...
