It can be hard to find good comic books, let alone good comic book games, without turning to the two titans of the industry Marvel and DC. It’s true that both Marvel and DC have released some of the most well-acclaimed comic book games of the last few decades, but they aren’t the only ones.
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Outside of DC and Marvel, you will find comic book games that turn the superhero formula on its head, take inspiration from comic books without directly referencing any specifically, or are tied to some of the most well-known franchises not tied to the big two. WhileMarvel and DC dominate, lots of hidden gems are forgotten about over time or don’t get the attention they deserve.
7Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Gameis the video game adaptation of the movie adaptation of the classicgraphic novel seriesScott Pilgrim. Like the movie, the game takes its name from one of the several installments in theScott Pilgrimseries, but unlike the movie, it’s a lot closer to the source material.
The game takes its art style from classic pixelated RPGs while staying true to the style of the graphic novels, too. It has a lot more time to translate the dense story to a video game format – certainly more time than the film – and it’s a super engaging, super fun experience that everyone should playeven if they have never reador watched anything to do withScott Pilgrim.
6Telltale’s The Walking Dead
The Walking Deadhas turned into something of a cultural phenomenon since it first hit shelves more than a decade ago. Many fans of the TV show eventually turned off the program for dragging on too long, but gamers have long revered Telltale Games' take on the series,Telltale Games’s The Walking Dead.
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The game is a point-and-click adventure that follows Lee and Clementine as they make their way across a ravaged America. They are new characters to the series, and players will form a deep attachment to them in what many people call Telltale Games' best game. The game takes place in the same world as the graphic novel and TV show, but it’s still a fresh take.
5Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade Game
TheTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesactually began as a one-off comic book back in the ’80s that turned into a franchise series after it gained popularity. In 1989, Konami made theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesarcade game, a classic side-scrolling beat-em-up game that up to four players could play at once.
The gamewas amazing for the time, and it still holds up today. In fact, many beat-em-up type games owe their existence to this game, as the genre as a whole was pioneered byTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesand similar games of its era. It was so popular that it got a port for the NES, and it’s still one of the most fun co-op experiences ever.
4The Simpsons Arcade Game
Speaking of games that the arcade version ofTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesinspired,The Simpsonsgot the same treatment in the ’90s and spawned one of the most memorable arcade games of all time. It stars Bart, Lisa, Marge, and Homer traveling across Springfield and the world at large in a side-scrolling beat-em-up fashion.
WhileThe Simpsonsisn’t a franchise thatcamefromcomic books, the series spawned a number of limited-edition special runs as well as some ongoing series. Additionally, the sound effects and graphics used when in combat are very comic-book inspired, straight out of the 1960sBatmanTV show.
3Infamous
Infamousis the first in a series of games that center on totally original superhumans made by Sucker Punch Productions, the studio behind the games. TheInfamoustitles are not comic book-based games, but the narration and superhero themes make them comic book-based in spirit.
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Infamous' cutscenes are all inspired by comic book panels and take their style from the pages of gritty bold comic books like300. The studio also recently releasedGhost of Tsushima,though the two games are very different both tonally and gameplay-wise.
2Asterix and Obelix XXL: Romastered
Asterix and Obelixis one ofFrance’s most well-knowncomic book series and has been in continuous production since the late ’50s. The duo has had many video game adaptations over the years, and in 2020 a remastered version ofAsterix and Obelix XXLwas released for just about every current gaming system.
Asterix and Obelix XXL: Remasteredis a co-op beat-em-up featuring plenty of Romans to defeat, historical jokes to roll your eyes at, and the same heart and style of the original beloved comic books.
1Spawn: Armageddon
Spawn: Armageddonfollows one of comic books' greatest antiheroes, Spawn. Surprisingly to some, Spawn doesn’t belong to either of the big two superhero comic book companies, neither does it belong to Image Comics under which the series is published. It’s one of the few big-name comic books owned independently by its creator.
Spawn: Armageddonis a PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube title that usesnimble combo-oriented combatin an explorable and interactive world – it has been compared to the originalGod of Warseries in terms of gameplay. It’s a hidden gem for any gamer looking to stay away from DC or Marvel while keeping all of the classic superhero elements in place.
