Superhero Games

City of Heroes

PC
Release: April 2004

Nearly five years old but still the best multiplayer superhero game available. The gameplay is strictly MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) RPG (Role Playing Game) but don't let the rather steep learning curve put you off. To this day City of Heroes is still great fun to play; thanks largely to the number of free updates - including the opportunity for players to create their own missions and story arcs.

The Punisher

PC, PS2, Xbox
Release: April 2005

Marvel fans have long looked at The Punisher as one of the darkest offerings from the veteran comic stable. This 4-year old above average outing is the only chance gamers have to play the role of Frank Castle, a guy who thinks revenge is almost a term of endearment. Blood and guts galore in this third person arcade brawler. It's not quite as good as Max Payne - but then Max doesn't have The Punisher's heritage.

Superman Returns: The Videogame

Multi-Format
Release: November 2006

As the Man of Steel, players hone their unworldly super powers such as Flight, X-Ray Vision, Heat Vision, Super Hearing, Super Strength, Super Speed, and Super Breath to fight villains that only Superman can defeat. The latest Superman offering was only given a luke warm reception by gamers - largely due to horrendously frustrating boss battles and sub-par graphics.

Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Multi-Format
Release: June 2007

Credited as the longest running comic book in history, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer was a mediocre third-person squad based beat-em-up that allowed gamers to play as any of the four characters in the squad. Linear levels (of which there were 17) and repetitive button bashing let this title down - but it still remains arguably the best Fantastic 4 game to this day.

Iron Man

Multi-Format
Release: May 2008

The movie, starring Robert Downey Jr was great. The licensed game was an absolute turkey. A control system that required the player to have a permanent claw like grip in order make Iron Man fly, was further compounded by graphics that looked like they came from the 16-bit era. A monotonous 'kill everything you see' gameplay ethic had players nodding off before the end of the second level. Avoid!

The Incredible Hulk

Multi-Format
Release: June 2008

Sega's rage - fuelled big green wrecking machine was for some, a treat to play and a sight to behold. But for fans of gameplay its worth checking out the 2005 version by Vivendi. Either way, there's no denying that picking up a car and hurling it into a tank is nothing but pure unadulterated joy.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Multi-Format
Release: October 2008

The most recent outing for everyone's favourite webslinger was also one of the most popular. Spidey could swing from building to building in this vertigo-inducing, free-roaming crime fighter caper. Start a fight at street level; continue up the sides of buildings, before finishing on the rooftops - truly interactive Spider-Man fun. The ability to switch between red and black suits (giving our hero more powerful abilities) was a nice touch in the latest addition to this long-running franchise.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Multi-Format
Release: May 2009

The X-Men games have been around since the turn of the Millennium. The latest instalment that co-incidentally launches in time with the next X-Men movie, focuses solely on Wolverine, the hairy man with the razor sharp claws - and by far the most fun character out of all the mutants. With razor-sharp adamantium claws unsheathed, the future X-Man starts his story at the beginning and enacts lightning-quick combat, evasive manoeuvres, in-depth combo attacks, and an array of brutal finishing moves. Enough action for any Wolverine fan to get their claws into.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Release: Summer 2009

The forthcoming Batman game from veteran games company Eidos is the one that fans of DC Comics' iconic superhero are looking forward to the most. Rather than the undeniable fun of the previous Lego outing, Arkham Asylum is a much more grown-up game involving story-driven detective style gameplay centring on Batman's mission to deliver his arch nemesis The Joker to the Arkham Asylum Correctional Facility. Cutting-edge graphics and an original script written by DC Comics' legend Paul Dini are just a few of the highlights of this summer blockbuster.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh

PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Release: 2009

Much like the film, the videogame of Watchmen has been shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Originally expected to simultaneously launch with the blockbuster movie, the game has now been put back to 'sometime in 2009'. Similarly, little is known about the plot except the game will go beyond the film and allow players to fill the boots of both Rorschach and Nite Owl - two of the main urban vigilantes, in what has been touted as a 'mature action brawler'.