Why has never been a good Superman video game?

[The Master Meglomaniac]

Why has never been a good Superman video game? Does the character just not work in a vidoe game setting? Most video games either make too powerful (like Superman returns, where he can't be hurt at all, thus making the game far less interesting) or too weak (like Death and Return of Superman, where punks with chain saws could hurt him). Plus Superman has one of the worst games of all time, Superman 64.

[Xero Kaiser]

Ever played a game with god mode activated? It's fun for about 17 seconds.

[Mr. Palmer]

I thought he was a fun character in JUSTICE LEAGUE HEROES.

[The Batman]

The Superman Returns video game lost points for repetition - you have to fight the same enemies over and over and over again - but otherwise I thought that it handled Superman and the control of his powers very well. I liked that the health meter was for Metropolis rather than the Man of Steel but that you still had to worry about something like Kryptonite.

The only thing I'd have liked to see, besides greater variety in enemies, was his X-ray and telescopic vision included.

[rwe1138]

I thought that the Death & Return of Superman game for the SNES was pretty good for a side-scroller.

[Kid Kamikaze10]

I thought that the Death & Return of Superman game for the SNES was pretty good for a side-scroller.

It's pretty much the best Superman game.

Plus, it had Eradicator, and terrible costume Superboy. :biggrin:

[Beta Ray Bill]

Plus Superman has one of the worst games of all time, Superman 64.That's the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread... couldn't even figure out how the damn thing worked or what the hell you were suppose to do. Terrible, just terrible.

[The Master Meglomaniac]

I thought that the Death & Return of Superman game for the SNES was pretty good for a side-scroller.

No it sucked, it wasn't well reviewed, Superman could get beaten up by punks with chain saws, the controls sucked and cyborg was the boss of half the level. Talk about repetitive.

The Superman Returns video game lost points for repetition - you have to fight the same enemies over and over and over again - but otherwise I thought that it handled Superman and the control of his powers very well. I liked that the health meter was for Metropolis rather than the Man of Steel but that you still had to worry about something like Kryptonite.

The only thing I'd have liked to see, besides greater variety in enemies, was his X-ray and telescopic vision included.

Metropolis as the health meter turns the game into a giant escort mission, that's way that game sucked (try and find a good review for it.)

[suttercain]

The Superman Returns video game lost points for repetition - you have to fight the same enemies over and over and over again - but otherwise I thought that it handled Superman and the control of his powers very well. I liked that the health meter was for Metropolis rather than the Man of Steel but that you still had to worry about something like Kryptonite.
.

Agreed. But the problem I had with it is that it wouldn't allow me to save to the Xbox hard drive after I had already done it once. I cleared the cache tried what EA told me too and nada. I deleted the files, saved the game fine, but trying to save it again... wouldn't let me. That made is crappy for me.

[The Batman]

Metropolis as the health meter turns the game into a giant escort mission, that's way that game sucked (try and find a good review for it.)

Escort mission? It's a health meter all the same and it's one that lets you better get into Superman's head. If you want to play as Superman, you're likely going to be less worried about your own health since you're so GD powerful and more worried about the "health" of the world around you afterall.

If anything about the game "sucks" it's the repetition and the lack, past a certain point, of any kind of challenge.

[The Batman]

Agreed. But the problem I had with it is that it wouldn't allow me to save to the Xbox hard drive after I had already done it once. I cleared the cache tried what EA told me too and nada. I deleted the files, saved the game fine, but trying to save it again... wouldn't let me. That made is crappy for me.

Yeah that is shitty.

I've got it for the PS2 and I've had it freeze up on me but that's because my console is ancient.

[Pyro]

I always liked Superman: Shadow of Apokalips. You could use all of his powers and fly around Metropolis and save people in interesting scenarios. It may not have been the best game ever and there were tons of robots to deal with, but I still liked it.

[dancj]

The Death and Return of Superman was great fun. Yeah he was massively underpowered, but if you can accept that it's a cracking beat-em-up

[datriadx18]

They already have the right template with the Superman Returns videogame. I just think they need to correct the repetitive nature of the missions, and make the city filled with more stuff to do.

[Kage Kisaragi]

The Superman Arcade game was awesome. It's the only time I ever saw him throw the Solar Ball. lol he could gather energy in his fist and unleash it a punch that threw a fist size yellow energy ball. Awesome they name is Superman.

[Hulk_Is]

I always seem to play "Death and Return..." once every year. Don't know why, but it's always fun and challenging. Just try walking up to Cyborg Superman LOL.

[Sean Whitmore]

I think the timing of this lined up nicely. The Angry Nintendo Nerd (http://cinemassacre.com/AVGN/Nes_Nerd_videos.html) has just completed two reviews:

Superman for the Atari and the NES... (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/35585.html)

...and the much, much requested Superman 64. (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/35929.html)


SEAN

[B. Kuwanger]

It's that I don't think anyone wants to make a Superman game. They'll usually want to make a game based on an event, or a movie, or new technology that happen to star Superman. Spider-Man had Maximum Carnage, USM, and all three films, but he also had decent games that had nothing to do with what was going on with the property, because people actually wanted to make Spider-Man games.

For plain reasons the character doesn't lend himself well to games, and no one really wants the challenge of making it work. But every once in a while someone is told they have to try, and pretends to do so long enough until their "work" can be wrapped up and put out.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

It's not that Superman doesn't lend himself to games, as you put it, but that there hasn't been a developer with good ideas for a Superman videogame.

I opened a thread somewhere (I can't find it right now; the search function seems to be broken or something) in which you can see lots of ideas to make of a Superman videogame the one he truly deserves.

[pariah-1972]

I think because the character is too powerful and too iconic so theres this intimidation factor possibly.


A lot of licensed games come across as very lazy and don't try very hard to live up to the standards set forth by the character.

[Tetsuo_man]

I think it's may just be dc's track record on liscensing out there properties to games in general. I mean look at how many bad batman video games there are out there.

[The Batman]

It's not that Superman doesn't lend himself to games, as you put it, but that there hasn't been a developer with good ideas for a Superman videogame.

I opened a thread somewhere (I can't find it right now; the search function seems to be broken or something) in which you can see lots of ideas to make of a Superman videogame the one he truly deserves.


I still think that if you broadened the world and the sorts of enemies that he gets to fight that the Superman Returns game could be the basis for a good Superman game.

[pariah-1972]

I think it's may just be dc's track record on liscensing out there properties to games in general. I mean look at how many bad batman video games there are out there.I had to find that out the hard way a few months ago.

[The Batman]

The only Batman video games I've played were the ones that came out after the 1989 movie (Nintendo, Commadore 64, and Sega Genesis versions) and that Batman: Venegence they released for the PS2.

None of them were great, Batman was purple in the Nintendo one, but they weren't horrible.

[pariah-1972]

The only Batman video games I've played were the ones that came out after the 1989 movie (Nintendo, Commadore 64, and Sega Genesis versions) and that Batman: Venegence they released for the PS2.

None of them were great, Batman was purple in the Nintendo one, but they weren't horrible.Just don't ever play Dark Tomorrow whatever you do.

[Tetsuo_man]

The only Batman video games I've played were the ones that came out after the 1989 movie (Nintendo, Commadore 64, and Sega Genesis versions) and that Batman: Venegence they released for the PS2.

None of them were great, Batman was purple in the Nintendo one, but they weren't horrible.

Victor Lucas and Tommy Tallarico would argue there has never even been a decent batman game. Man i miss the days before the G4 merger when G4 was actually good.

[The Batman]

Yeah, but the definition of "decent" that a game critic uses is going to be different than the definition of "decent" that some who's just looking for a fun way to kill an hour is using.

[The Batman]

Just don't ever play Dark Tomorrow whatever you do.

Don't plan on it. I still can't beat the Batmobile/Posion Ivy chance from Vengence.

[Tetsuo_man]

Yeah, but the definition of "decent" that a game critic uses is going to be different than the definition of "decent" that some who's just looking for a fun way to kill an hour is using.

Well it was also sorta an ongoing joke on judgement day and eletric playground (the two shows victor and tommy were on as well as they produced) that there were no good batman games.

[The Batman]

Oh I believe it, especially if you're a video game critic. Like I said, their definition of good is going to be different then mine because I'm just looking for fun, not trying to be critical (in the good meaning of the word).

I wonder though, why it's so hard to get a good Batman game. I mean, if you take the gameplay of a Metal Gear Solid you're already half way there aren't you. Stealth, hand to hand, gadgets: they can get it to work for Solid Snake so why not the Dark Knight Detective?

[Tetsuo_man]

I wonder though, why it's so hard to get a good Batman game. I mean, if you take the gameplay of a Metal Gear Solid you're already half way there aren't you. Stealth, hand to hand, gadgets: they can get it to work for Solid Snake so why not the Dark Knight Detective?

That's actually a good point. Though i'm wondering what type of already established game could be used as a blueprint for a good superman game.

[B. Kuwanger]

I think about that all the time. If you could put Punisher, Nick Fury, or Batman into something even close to MGS...

It's not that Superman doesn't lend himself to games, as you put it, but that there hasn't been a developer with good ideas for a Superman videogame.

Nah, I'd still say that. Aside from the last few years in DBZ fighting games, there hasn't really been a combat engine able to work in close quarters combat, long range attacks, and flight. And a Superman fighting game wouldn't be the best route.

[The Batman]

That's actually a good point. Though i'm wondering what type of already established game could be used as a blueprint for a good superman game.

I'm telling you, the Superman Returns game nailed the powers and how to control them to a 'T'. It just needs to up the variety of the opponents you fight because after awhile it's the same mutants, robots, and alien gladiators again and again. That and maybe adding in the vision powers more or making the environment a little more usable. You can throw alot, but not everything.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

I still think that if you broadened the world and the sorts of enemies that he gets to fight that the Superman Returns game could be the basis for a good Superman game.

Could be. I played the demo, and I found flaws that were annoying, like when people don't react realistically when they see Superman. Or that Metropolis lacks life (yeah, there's people and cars, but it still misses something, I believe).

And they could have put more effort in the graphics department. But yeah, as a basis alone, SR could work.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Nah, I'd still say that. Aside from the last few years in DBZ fighting games, there hasn't really been a combat engine able to work in close quarters combat, long range attacks, and flight. And a Superman fighting game wouldn't be the best route.

I agree, wholeheartedly.

I'm telling you, the Superman Returns game nailed the powers and how to control them to a 'T'. It just needs to up the variety of the opponents you fight because after awhile it's the same mutants, robots, and alien gladiators again and again. That and maybe adding in the vision powers more or making the environment a little more usable. You can throw alot, but not everything.

Ah, you reminded me of another flaw *I* saw. I think that to "upgrade" Superman's powers is a wrong approach. I'd prefer that, by leveling up, you unlocked *moves/ways to use the powers* instead of making the powers, er, more powerful.

[super_wolverine_man]

I thought he was a fun character in JUSTICE LEAGUE HEROES.

i agree, i really enjoyed that game a ton, the only thing is, I wish, it would have been a free roamer.

[DeadXMan]

We need a Gta type Superman game with total damage envioment.
and maybe some elements from Spider-man 3 game (wear you hear the Police radio) and pick up crys for help but not the same stuff over and over again
and have coniquinces to your actions (like used heat vistion to bring down a cat or fail to save a train)

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Indeed. That's a good idea. It seems EA wanted to have something like that in SR, but they failed.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

The thread I was talking about has been found. Here (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=164810).

[TROUBLEZ]

Man, I thought all the Batman games were fun. Batman the movie for the NES, arcade and Genesis were great. Batman Returns for the SNES was awesome. And the Batman Animated for SNES and Genesis were also good (well the genesis one was too damn hard, but still kind of fun).

Superman though, i dunno.

The arcade was fun back in the day, and I thought the 2p was Captain Marvel. You could actually fly unlike the super deformed NES version. Upon playing it now, it's not as fun. I don't recall any villains from the comics in it, and the levels are kind of boring.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Man, I thought all the Batman games were fun. Batman the movie for the NES, arcade and Genesis were great. Batman Returns for the SNES was awesome. And the Batman Animated for SNES and Genesis were also good (well the genesis one was too damn hard, but still kind of fun).

Don't forget Return Of The Joker for NES. that game was kewl.