Perhaps one of Thor: God of Thunder’s coolest bonuses is an arcade-style brawler mode called Frostgrinder Assault. Among them is Thor: Ragnarok alum Hela, in her first interactive appearance, and Surtur, who reduces the mighty Thor to a spec as he towers across two-screens. Thor: God of Thunder by WayForward is a throwback to some of the best side-scrolling action games from the 16-bit era, complete with gorgeous sprites, fluid animation, and challenging boss fights. Like with Iron Man in 2008, the Thor title of the time that stood out was for the original DS.
Thor: God of Thunder screenshot Image: Sega THOR: GOD OF THUNDER (DS, 2011) Still, this is a great concept with potential that’s yet to be explored. A few indoor stages are also a drag compared to the faster-paced exterior environments.
The issue with Iron Man is that it’s not terribly long. It takes a minute or two to get accustomed, but it doesn’t take long before you’re boosting around as the Armored Avenger blasting tanks, helicopters, and turrets with your repulsors, missiles, and chest-mounted Unibeam. You control Iron Man with the D-pad and aim with the touch screen. Three different games titled Iron Man released in 2008, but the star of the trio was the version crafted for the Nintendo DS.ĭeveloped by the studio now known as Behaviour Interactive, Iron Man on the DS can best be described as an homage to Geometry Wars and other twin-stick shooters. Iron Man screenshot Image: Sega via MobyGames IRON MAN (DS, 2008)Īt the dawn of the MCU, Sega rekindled a dormant relationship with Marvel and produced titles based on all the Phase One outings except 2012’s The Avengers. It marked the video game debut of X-23, a major character in Logan who incidentally now holds the Wolverine mantle in the comics. X-Men: The Official Game also received a version for the Game Boy Advance developed by WayForward, the team behind the Shantae platformer series. You’ll have a huge grin on your face as you pinball back and forth between enemies, hitting a confused foe and then “Bamfing” away to safety. This ability is put to great use when combined with swinging from poles, balancing precariously on rails, and engaging in combat. The acrobatic X-Man controls like a certain Persian prince with the added power to teleport with a button press. X-Men: The Official Game features three playable characters, but Nightcrawler is the star of the show, even upstaging fan-favorite Wolverine. In fact, the game reveals why Nightcrawler departed the team between films. So it’s difficult to say if the game is canon now, but in 2006, Activision released X-Men: The Official Game, which was meant to bridge the second and third entries in the first X-Men trilogy. X-Men: The Official Game screenshot Image: Activision via MobyGames X-MEN: THE OFFICIAL GAME (GC/PS2/XBX, 2006)īetween retcons, time travel, and now with Marvel Studios dipping its toes into the multiverse, it has become difficult to untangle the continuity of Fox’s X-Men film franchise.
Batman’s Tumbler is also one of the best Batmobiles in a video game, making you wonder if Eurocom called up Burnout developer Criterion for some tips on how to ride that thin line behind realism and arcade-like mayhem. And the game includes original recordings from the entire cast, many of whom also appear in some behind-the-scenes material.
While die-hard Sam Fisher fans won’t break a sweat with this one, it’s highly enjoyable to move through the shadows as the Dark Knight, using the environment and your array of gadgets to frighten enemies into situations where you can deal with them silently.īatman Begins, like EA’s Lord of the Rings tie-in games of the era, does a wonderful job blending movie footage with in-game assets.
Batman Begins screenshot Image: Electronic Arts BATMAN BEGINS (GC/PS2/XBX, 2005)ĭuring the heyday of the Splinter Cell series, developer Eurocom liberally borrowed from the beloved stealth series for its adaptation of Batman Begins, even going so far as giving the Dark Knight a camera gadget to survey rooms before entering.