DC Comicshas created some of the most famous comic book superheroes in comic book and pop culture history. Though there have been bad games that include Superman 64 - which is the worst superhero game ever - there have been some quality games involving some of DC’s hall of fame-worthy list of heroes.
For this list, we’re axing our one per franchise/character rule since the list of standalone video game titles doesn’t expand to the whole cast of DC characters, and most of them center around a certain hero. There are no rules for how these games are ranked outside of pure quality and when it comes to more recent games, their story will be taken more into consideration when ranking them, as older games mostly followed the movies they were based on.
10/10 The Death and Return of Superman
Superman really hasn’t had much success when it comes to his own standalone games, but The Death and Rise of Superman is the lone diamond in a pile of dirt. Released in 1994 on the NES and Genesis, you pummel through opponents as the last son of Krypton in this beat’em up video game and you also play as other forms of Superman as well as the original Superman succumbs to the injuries he suffered at the hands of Doomsday.
Though it is still weird seeing Superman take melee damage from enemies as his invincibility from things like bombs and chainsaws is removed.
9/10 Injustice 2
Injustice 2 introduced a lot of cool DC characters to its various arenas like Captain Cold, Doctor Fate, and Swamp Thing. but its story just doesn’t compare as well against its predecessor, which is part of what causes it to place at the number nine spot on our list. In its campaign, you can choose who fought who in its story to alter it, but the ramifications of those decisions never really amounted to anything more than a slight changing of a line making your decision feel inconsequential as each scene basically ended with the same result.
The game also introduced random gear drops that when equipped would upgrade each character’s stats. With that also came microtransactions which could be purchased to gather more crystals which allowed you to unlock cosmetic items and shaders. That sort of defeated the purpose of playing its Multiverse mode which was similar to Mortal Kombat’s Towers Of Time where each tower - in this case, world - offered different challenges and rewards. Its controls are great, the special moves look fantastic, and even included the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as DLC characters, it just feels like more could’ve been done to make this sequel really stand out more.
8/10 Green Lantern: Rise Of The Manhunters
While the 2011 movie led by Ryan Reynolds was a flop, its video game tie-inGreen Lantern: Rise of the Manhunterswasn’t all that bad, and featured Reynolds as the voice of Hal Jordan. Its story involves an invasion of the Green Lantern’s home planet Oa by a robot group called the Manhunters and takes place during the funeral of Abin Sur - whose ring chose Hal Jordan to replace him as his sector’s newest protector.
The non-Nintendo versions of the game allowed you and a friend to play together and save Oa. One would control Hal, the other Sinestro - before he became a Yellow Lantern. The game outside of Injustice allowed you to fight as a Lantern and really get the feel for what it’s like defending the universe with its beat’em up and rail shooter-designed gameplay. It really made you wonder why there haven’t been plans for a current-gen Green Lantern game.
7/10 Batman Returns (SNES Version)
Depending on the system you had in the early 90s, you got different experiences when it came to Batman Returns. While the Segan and Nintendo versions - there were also DOS and Amiga versions - follow the movie’s story, the SNES version is much better and plays more like a Batman game than the Sega Genesis and CD versions which were designed as platformers.
Konami developed the NES and SNES versions of the game which were designed as beat’em ups. Each of its seven stages contained a boss fight and you had an array of weapons and gadgets at your disposal. Nintendo Power also ranked it the eighth best SNES game of 1993.
6/10 Batman: The Telltale Series
Batman: The Telltale Series put a new spin on Gotham’s famous vigilante by giving us choices that impacted its story. Instead of entering detective mode, we got to decide the type of Batman we wanted to be - to a point. We could choose to intimidate someone at a local warehouse by either hitting a can to intimidate and scare them or breaking their arm, forcing them to tell us what we wanted to know.
The game series from its story to its choices really showcased a Batman that wasn’t so much by the book in his tactics and had a bit more of an edge to him - a decision during the altercation with Falcone is pretty intense. It added layers to him and really felt immersive because you are trying to navigate both his and your morals as you play. Its story might not be on the level of other Batman games, and it had a random aesthetic bug causing his cape to sometimes take a weird shape when he ran, but it’s a game that has a lot of replay value.
5/10 Batman: The Video Game (NES)
Batman on the NES was pretty difficult, and though he didn’t have his famed grappling hook like in the Genesis version, he could do a pretty cool wall jump maneuver instead. The famed side-scroller also gave you the opportunity to defeat enemies by using a variety of gadgets including Batdisks, Batarangs, and more.
Based on the 1989 movie, Batman had you kicking ass across multiple Gotham-themed levels including its streets, sewers, and the famed cathedral from the movie’s final act. The game also featured famous villains like Deadshot (shown above), Killer Moth, and Joker. It was a side-scrolling platformer and Sunsoft did a really good job with its development.
4/10 Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum really changed what a Batman and even a superhero-based game could be. Its developer Rocksteady introduced a fighting system that’s been adapted by other franchises like Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. It also really put a unique spin on how to showcase some of the enemies in his famous rogue’s gallery. From Scarecrow’s stealth levels to Killer Croc’s lair - which feels like a videogame version of Jaws.
But what keeps it out of the top three on our list is its overreliance on detective mode. While it’s cool to be able to keep track of enemy locations and find hostages, Arkham Asylum’s visuals felt like they couldn’t be fully enjoyed due to having to use the feature while exploring different parts of the island.
3/10 Injustice: Gods Among Us
Injustice: Gods Among Us just might have the most shocking opening scenes in a fighting game since the death of Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Seeing Superman kill Joker after being tricked into killing his own wife and son is still a jaw-dropping moment. The game’s story is wonderful as it pits various DC Comics characters into rival factions and each chapter allows certain characters to shine as each chapter centers around a certain one.
The controls are simple and it felt nice to actually play a DC-centered fighting game that was actually really good. While there have been other DC fighting games released on older consoles, Injustice improved the experience of creating dream matches involving certain DC characters.
2/10 LEGO Batman
LEGO Batman: The Videogame allowed you to fight crime in Gotham by land, sea, and air. Taking control of either Batman or Robin you could gain abilities like walking on tightropes and picking up enemies and had a free play mode where you could replay levels.
The game also has 32 levels where you could for the most part roam around freely and in true LEGO form construct various objects. It’s definitely top two worthy because of its gameplay style, its interesting use of building mechanics, and the design of its characters.
1/10 Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham Cityis number one on our list for a multitude of reasons. It lowered the need to use detective mode, contained one the best twist in any DC Comics-based video game, gave you all of your gadgets at the beginning of the game, and allowed you to beat up bad guys while playing as Bruce Wayne.
The setting of Arkham City was a true no holds barred arena containing various surprises and allowed you to play as Catwoman and each territory - which was run by a different gang - had a different life to it. It also has the best boss fight which is against Mr. Freeze. The game is a masterclass in how to make a proper Batman and superhero game and allowed you to wear the freaking costume from Batman Forever. Its story - unlike Arkham Knight - wasn’t predictable, and the death of the Joker was truly shocking and honestly some of Mark Hamill’s best work voicing the clown prince of crime.
