7 Spider-Man Video Games That Are 10/10 Masterpieces

Spider-Man is one of the most popular superheroes of all time. The Marvel Comics icon created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in the early 1960s has gone on to appear in TV shows and movies, including the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day . The webslinger has also had a pretty significant video game impact.

Many of the best Spider-Man games paved the way for other superhero games and tropes, prompting developers to take things seriously.These games proved that comic book hero games weren't a gimmick, but a genre of games that would reach and appeal to the masses.

Ultimate Spider-Man was overshadowed at the time because Spider-Man 2 came out the year prior. Some gamers thought Ultimate Spider-Man was just a more cartoony version of Spider-Man 2 , but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The brilliance of adapting the Ultimate Spider-Man comic and making the game look like you’re exploring the pages is genius.

The cel-shaded animation works wonderfully to give the game its identity while still honoring Mark Bagley’s art style. That combined with the open-world design makes for a fun experience. What sets it apart is how gamers can also play as Venom. Being Venom is what you expect, and it’s the best part of the game. The sheer power and speed that Venom has sets it apart from playing as Spider-Man. The uniqueness of feeding on people to regain health doesn’t get talked about enough as a creative game mechanic.

Ultimate Spider-Man is a fun way to explore a classic comic series. It uses past game design to its advantage and offers something new with the art and Venom mechanic. It's an overlooked classic that needs more attention from gamers.

While everyone talks about the Spider-Verse movies, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions should also be included in the conversation. The game focuses on four different Spider-Men across the multiverse trying to restore balance before their worlds crumble. What makes this game special is the uniqueness of each world and its Spider-Man.

The four sections are from different Spider-Man runs. There’s the classic mainline Spidey, Ultimate Spider-Man from the early 2000s, Spider-Man 2099, and Spider Noir. They reflect the visual component, but go one step beyond to make the gameplay feel unique. The different sections never feel too gimmicky, as each level is spectacular. While the multiverse concept might be played out for some people, Shattered Dimensions was a novel concept at the time.

For the many terrible movie tie-in games, Spider-Man 2 is one of the best out there. It’s not just a great tie-in game, but one of the best superhero games of all time. Some might say it’s a Grand Theft Auto III clone, but how they use Spider-Man is genius. The web-swinging was revolutionary at the time because Peter Parker wasn’t attaching his webs to clouds, but each building he was swinging from.

Exploring Manhattan often felt novel at the time as the city felt alive. The side activities might seem repetitive, but it’s a great excuse to swing around the city. As this game couldn’t get any cooler, it also has Bruce Campbell as the narrator, which adds so much suave to the mix. Some might think Spider-Man 2 is outdated, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Spider-Man 2 is a bona fide classic that still holds up.