There have been countless Marvel video games that have begun development but never quite saw the light of day, getting canceled before they could ever be released. While full-on Avengers games are few and far between, there is a wide range of team-up and Marvel superhero titles that boast many of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Of course, today it's easy to jump into Spider-Man PS4 or Marvel's Avengers for a dose of Stan Lee's famous characters. Looking back through the timeline though, there were far fewer retro games on offer; many of these 8-bit hits continue to be classics in the video game community even to this day.
Honorable Mention: Iron Man And X-O Manowar In Heavy Metal (1996)
There's something about this title that's entirely unique. As one of the earliest games featuring one of the most important Avengers, Iron Man, In Heavy Metal is certainly historically significant. What's more, crossover titles like these are certainly rare to come by and therefore the Realtime Associates game deserves a spot on the list.
While the animation itself had been praised, reviews did suggest that the gameplay was almost mind-numbing. Nonetheless, there's something charming about a simple side-scroller that would certainly not be commissioned in today's era of franchise separation. The game surprisingly featured the characters from Valiant Comic's X-O Manowar series.
The Amazing Spider-Man And Captain America In Dr. Doom's Revenge! (1989)
Team-up titles are always a lot of fun and this Paragon Software Corporation game, published by Medalist International, allowed players to control two of the most famous Avengers in Marvel's history. Fans could switch between both Spider-Man and Captain America in this side-scrolling adventure.
Of course, Dr. Doom is a heavy hitter amongst Marvel's nefarious foes and provided a great obstacle for players to overcome. This retro experience has a fun premise and connects to the comics incredibly well, although players may be disappointed by some of the game's lackluster mechanics.
Avengers In Galactic Storm (1995)
This arcade-style fighting game, developed and published by Data East, is a full-on Avengers title. As such, it boasts a varied roster of characters, all of which have joined the team at some point in their comic book career. However, there are very few slots available throughout these fighting teams.
Pitting the Avengers against the Kree, the playable characters consisted of Black Knight, Captain America, Crystal, Thunderstrike, Doctor Minerva, Korath, Shatterax, and the Supremor. Intriguing gameplay mechanics, the use of assists, and a compelling narrative make this a title that both comic book and MCU fans should check out.
Marvel Nemesis: Rise Of The Imperfects (2005)
A far more recent title, this Marvel game was created and published by EA and Nihilistic Software. Launching on more modern consoles including the PS2 and the original Xbox, the game saw a group of Avengers and a smattering of villains face off against an invading alien army; many of these characters had not previously held their own video game title.
Notable names include Wolverine, Spider-Man, Venom, Daredevil, Elektra, and Iron Man. Mixed reviews definitely harmed the title a little, but it brings with it a completely different story which actually saw a comic book series linked into the Nemesis universe.
Captain America And The Avengers (1991)
This arcade title is a true throwback and one of Marvel's earliest attempts at creating an Avengers game. Another Data East project, this game is often regarded as an underrated gem, often overlooked by some of Marvel's slightly later 8-bit creations.
Of course, the game didn't exactly feature state-of-the-art, groundbreaking gameplay mechanics, or visuals for that matter. However, it brought the spirit of Marvel Comics to life with its roster of heroes like Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Captain America in the lead roles. The brawler would continue to be published on a wide range of consoles, from the SNES to Game Boy and Genesis.
Marvel Super Heroes: War Of The Gems (1996)
A spin-off game to a title that will also be discussed, War of the Gems was a Capcom title and mainly supported by SNES. The premise of the game was for Earth's Mightiest Heroes to recover all of the Infinity Gems for Adam Warlock, a narrative largely inspired by the source material.
This side-scroller was definitely a button-mashing type of game, but one that contained a lot of wacky enemy types and some unique takes on the heroes within its roster. Players could pick between Hulk, Wolverine, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Captain America, with fans reacting positively to the title.
Marvel Super Heroes (1995)
The game that started the franchise and the first major co-op between Marvel and Capcom in the video gaming world, Marvel Super Heroes also saw the team going after the Infinity Gems, in a comic book-based story which surprised and delighted fans.
Considering there were no other games quite like it at the time, it certainly deserves a high ranking thanks to its significance in the genre. Doctor Doom and Thanos were the two considerably mighty threats for players to face, as they took on the identity of both heroes and villains, including Magneto, Psylocke, Blackheart, Captain America, and Spider-Man.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006)
The Ultimate Alliance franchise has somewhat become the blueprint for any future Marvel team-up titles and indeed could influence the updates in the Avengers game from Square Enix. It even managed to spawn two sequels, one of which is a successful Switch title.
From its reliance on the Ultimate Comics to its huge roster and focus on underrated characters from the source material, the story really came first in this RPG. The gameplay itself was chaotic but a lot of fun, with Activision creating a game with a long-lasting legacy full of positive reviews.
Marvel Vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998)
Marvel Vs. Capcom has become a universally recognized franchise that sees both Marvel heroes and Capcom characters pitted against one another in a traditional fighting game. This really started with the 1998 arcade title, which captured the imagination of fans.
Garnering positive reviews thanks to its now well-known gameplay style, beautiful animation, and imaginative combos, players could take on the roles of some of their favorite Avengers such as Hulk, Thor, or even Venom, and take on Capcom legends such as Mega Man and Ryu.
Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter (1997)
It's becoming slightly more common to see Marvel characters appear in alternate gaming universes. Fortnite is a perfect example of that. The video gaming world was changed forever though with the first installment of the Marvel and Capcom crossovers.
Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter was really the fighting game predecessor to the likes of Marvel Vs. Capcom and long-term titles like Injustice (with the original Mortal Kombat pre-dating this, however). The graphics were colorful, the fights were intense, the rosters were packed. Most of all though, the reviews were stellar, boosting this title into becoming the ultimate retro classic for Avengers fans.