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Comic books and superheroes have received a huge renaissance within popular culture. In recent years there has been a big increase in the number of films, tv series and games based on the genres. The upcoming Batman: Arkham Knight is easily the most anticipated superhero game in quite some time.
As a result it seems fitting that Four of a Kind should focus on four of great retro video games based on this topic.
1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (SNES)
Based on very popular 1990s animated television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time was originally an arcade game before being ported onto Nintendo’s SNES console. Though the arcade version is viewed as the superior version, due to the opportunity to play with three friends, the console edition is on par.
The design was a classic side-scrolling beat ‘em up wherein players controlled one of the four heroes in a half-shell to battle familiar characters such as; the foot soldiers, Krang, Tokka, Rahzar and (of course) Shredder.
Konami got everything correct; visually the game was colourful, the mechanics were smooth, health was gained through pizza, the turtles would say “cowabunga”, players could hear familiar music throughout each level and plot was enjoyable.
2. Asterix (Sega Master System)
In terms of comic book adaptation, the name Asterix is not one heard often in modern society. However the series was very popular in the late 1980s-1900s.
Games have previously been based on Asterix but the 1991 Sega game is highly regarded. Gameplay was varied owing to the option to choose between either Asterix or Obelix before each stage. This was interesting because both characters felt distinctive.
Furthermore the difficulty varied depending on which character was controlled. The one shared aspect of each level was players had to locate a key in order to open the exit.
The graphics were very well done and the sound effects were okay, the music was questionable.
3. Batman Returns (SNES)
Often cited as one of the best Batman games of the retro era Batman Returns was essentially a clone of Final Fight. However Konami did not just apply a new coat, or in this case cowl, to another game but instead improved on the problems found in Final Fight.
The visuals are bright, crisp and animations are satisfyingly fluid, especially the cutscenes.
Gameplay is standard beat ‘em up except players could throw diverse enemies into the background, interacting with the environment, or hold two thugs simultaneously.
The music is taken straight from Danny Elfman’s score used in the Tim Burton film of the same name. Finally stages were split between aforementioned side-scrolling beat em up to Batmobile levels.
Negative aspects of Batman Returns are; the repetitive nature of the gameplay mechanics and the Sega Megadrive version being less appealing.
4. Spider-Man (Various consoles)
Released in 2000 Spider-Man the game is an example of developers who love their creation. The game uses numerous references to the web-slingers’ comic book lore in order to create an original, solid plot.
Many beloved Marvel characters also appear such as Daredevil and Blackcat. The gameplay is strong, introducing many of the standard attacks seen in modern Spider-Man games such as web gauntlets and shields, but most importantly the webs-slinging is pleasing despite attaching to the sky rather than buildings. The combat it is simple but effective and graphics are very good.
Referring to the aforementioned ‘Spidey love’ the developers retain a lot of Spiderman-esque humour and the inclusion of ‘What If? Mode’, alluding to the Marvel comics storyline, should be commended.
Honourable mentions: Dick Tracy (Sega Mega Drive, Master System), The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (Gamecube, Playstation 2, Xbox), Comix Zone (Sega Megadrive), X-Men : Arcade Game, Spider-Man 2 (Playstation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, PC), Captain America and The Avengers (SNES, Sega Mega Drive) and The Punisher (1993 arcade/home ports)
As always leave a comment in the section below to tell of your favourite comic-book inspired video games.