Video games based on DC Comics’ most popular characters have been around since the Atari 2600. There’s no shortage of fantastical heroes and villains, as well as classic stories, to bring to life with each new generation.
It’s been a random relationship between comics and games, with some games, like Superman 64, infamously being considered some of the worst ever. However, some have stood out among the rest and deserve to be hailed as some of the best DC games of all time. Games that future developers can only hope to recreate in terms of scale and adventure. Here are the best.
ten Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe
When the announcement for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe first came out, heads immediately turned. It’s an ambitious and strange concept for a game years before the Injustice franchise was even considered.
It’s not a game without its flaws, which puts it at the bottom of this list. But MK vs. DCU deserves credit for revitalizing Mortal Kombat in the public eye at a time when its relevance had drastically diminished. And there are some legitimately fun and bloody cinematic moments to be had to boot.
9 Teen Titans (2006)
For any kid growing up in the 2000s, talking about the Teen Titans show or the video game for PS2, Gamecube, and the original Xbox is both nostalgic and euphoric. It’s an action beat ’em up that lets you switch between the five Titans as they fight their way through a video game world that breaks the fourth wall.
It has all the action and humor you expect from Teen Titans. It’s nothing groundbreaking and has some dated aspects you’d expect with many games from the mid-2000s, but for Teen Titans fans it’s got all the fast-paced combat and heart to make an experience. terrific.
8 The Flash (Sega Master System)
The Flash hasn’t been lucky enough to get many games despite being one of DC’s most popular heroes on its roster. The 1991 game for Sega Master System is a hidden gem that shouldn’t be ignored for retro gamers or Flash fans.
The game handles a fast pace remarkably well for something running on a system as old as the Master System. On top of that, it has an infectious and energetic soundtrack and a number of interesting levels to keep fans interested for the duration of the games.
7 Superman: Shadow of Apokolips
Superman unfortunately doesn’t have many quality video game titles under his name. See the previously mentioned and notoriously gruesome Superman 64.
In contrast, 2002’s Superman: Shadow Of Apokolips is definitely the best Superman game, and it’s exactly what Superman games should have been all along. This game really looks like it’s taken from the 90s Superman cartoon it’s based on. It has the smooth flight mechanics and feats of strength and heroism you’d expect from any Superman game so far. But this is the game to do it best. Now, there has to be a Superman game in the 2020s to up the ante.
6 Justice League Heroes
While Marvel Ultimate Alliance and X-Men Legends have provided great superhero team-up experiences for Marvel fans, DC fans have never really had games for the biggest team on the roster. Until Justice League Heroes.
To some extent, this is just the DC version of Ultimate Alliance, with a few minor tweaks to keep it from looking like an individual copy. Either way, this style of play only works for big superhero teams. There aren’t many other games that let you play as Justice League classics like Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, or even Zatanna Zatara.
5 Lego DC Super-Villains/Lego Batman
Generally speaking, you know what you are going to get with Lego games. And that’s not a bad thing. These games have been fun for years, and Traveler’s Tales knows how to use their formula effectively.
Both the Lego Batman and Lego DC Super-Villains games pack the humor, fan fare, and enjoyable Lego gameplay that you’re sure to know if you’ve ever played a Lego game. And yet, even if you’ve played every Lego game a dozen times, you know you can always have fun coming back.
4 DC Universe Online
DC Universe Online has had its ups and downs in development since its release in 2011. But right now the game is in a great place and is best for anyone interested in something that balances the classic MMO formula with the heroes and villains of the DC Universe.
It’s got a vast universe spanning many of DC’s best locations, and the character creation system has the diversity to let you invent exactly the hero (or villain) you’ve always had in mind.
3 Batman (NES)
For a very long time, licensed games have been the bane of video game media. Nobody really knows why every movie released from the 80s through the 10s needed a video game, but the vast majority of them were pitifully bad.
Batman for NES stands out among these licensed games as one of the best ever. Based on the 1989 Michael Keaton Batman movie, this is a game for Batman fans who want that challenging experience that the NES brings with every title.
2 Injustice: Gods Among Us
Video game stories are rarely synonymous with quality. Even in great video games, the story is often something players tolerate. The story of Injustice isn’t just a good video game story, it’s awesome enough that it spawned its own blockbuster comic universe.
A video game story influencing the source material on which it is based is unknown. On top of that, the fights here are some of the best NetherRealm Studios have ever made. This game is what Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe wanted to be, and now debates among fighting game fans are raging over which one is better.
1 Batman: Arkham City
What’s there to say about Batman: Arkham City that hasn’t already been said? The Arkham Tetralogy is to Batman video games what the Nolan Trilogy is to Batman movies. Irreplaceable.
Arkham City expands on everything from its already fantastic predecessor, Arkham Asylum, and perfects it in a way that swept gamers and critics alike in 2011. It would be a miracle if another DC came along with so much grit, wit, genuinely terrifying moments and storytelling. capacity again. And until that day, Arkham City will unquestionably be at the top of this list.
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