Ever since I rented a VHS of Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends in the early 90 from the video van guy, Spidey has been my favorite superhero. We had a guy that would pull up in the street and rent videos out of his van! I recently ranked the Batman Arkham games, but today I’m trying something really hard and that is picking my five favorite Spider-Man games. However, there is a twist! Spider-Man 2 is due out right about the time I am writing this and it looks awesome. Now, it is a given that Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales should be on this list, as that is so predictable I have decided to focus on the Top Five Retro Spider-Man Games.
This is my personal top five games and the consoles I played them on, if yours is different, be sure to let me know in the comments section.
Number 5
Spider-Man
PlayStation
Released in 2000, Spider-Man was a game changer for the world of Spider-Man video games. It has a very similar style to the epic 90s Spider-Man The Animated Series and it was just so much fun to play. This would also be released for the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Dreamcast, but I always think of this as a PlayStation game. Spidey was fun to control and I liked how each stage was like its own issue of a comic book. It may be a tad on the rough side by today’s standards, but I can fire this up, play through it, and have an amazing time.
Number 4
Spider-Man Friend or Foe
Xbox 360
This is also on Wii and PS2, but it was the Xbox 360 where I played this! This is an absolute hidden gem. I played through this with my son when he was younger and we had a great time. This is kind of like an old school beat em up one player plays as Spider-Man and the other plays as one of his many villains. Venom, Green Goblin, and more! The PSP would even add more! Anyway, this is just a super fun action game that is based on the Toby McGuire Spider-Man continuity which is something that I think makes this even more fun. I have tried the other versions and they are ok, but the Xbox 360 is where you want to play this.
Number 3
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
Xbox 360
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows was available on pretty much anything that could play a video game when it was released, but it was on the Xbox 360 I played this. This is the first of three fun Spider-Man 3rd person action games, it would be followed by Shattered Dimensions and Edge of Time. This game has a great gimmick where we can change between the regular red suit and the black suit, each one offering a different way to play. The story is awesome as it has a symbiote invasion and we even see some symbiote infused Marvel legends like Wolverine! I had a great time with this and think that the story is really the star here, by far this is my favorite of this era of Activision Spider-Man games.
Number 2
Spider-Man 2
Xbox
I bet there are many people who thought that the Spider-Man 2 movie tie in game would be number 1! I loved this game and I played it on the original Xbox, but it is also on PS2 and Game Cube. This was the first open world Spider-Man game and I love how it had a new web slinging mechanic that gave you way more control which was made even better as New York at the time felt like it was huge. The story actually goes beyond the movie, adding in more characters and extra story lines which were something that I really did enjoy.
Number 1
Ultimate Spider-Man
Game Cube
I love the Ultimate Spider-Man video game! It was based on the 2000 comic book reboot of the same name and it has some incredible cell shaded graphics that I think have aged very well. This is a 3rd person action game and while many people will think of Spider-Man 2 when they think of this era of Spidey games. I legit think that this is a better game! Not only do we get to play as Spider-Man in this game, but we also get to play as Venom. The game is also very cinematic and retells the story of the comic book very well. I played this on the Game Cube, but you can also play it on the PS2 and original Xbox. I will say that the Nintendo DS version is worth an honorable mention as the touch screen is used in a very clever way to play as Venom.
Spider-Man 2 is one of my most wanted games of the year and I could not be any more excited for it. In all honesty, had I included Spider-Man 1 and Miles Morales, I would have had them as number 1 and 2 on my list. Be sure to let me know what your favorite Spidey games are in the comments section.