With great Spider-Man video games also comes the great responsibility to rank them in a Top 10 list. That’s right: since the first Spider-Man game in 1982 there have been dozens of Spidey games, ranging from side-scrolling web-’em-ups to open-world swing-fests. We’ve taken all of those friendly neighborhood adventures into consideration and come up with a ranking that includes even PlayStation’s latest, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
So strap on your web-shooters and dive off a skyscraper as we swing into our list of the 10 best Spider-Man video games.
You can check out our ranking by watching the video in the player above, flipping through the slideshow gallery below, or keep scrolling to read the article.
10. Spider-Man: The Movie (2002)
Platform: PS2, Xbox, Gamecube
Developer: Treyarch
Spider-Man: The Movie was released in 2002 and did just enough right to make it a fun superhero action brawler. The story has Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe voicing their characters from the movie, although Maguire’s performance isn’t exactly amazing. The game is criminally short, too – around six hours for the main story – but that’s offset by the fact that once you finish it you can replay as the Green Goblin, complete with Goblin Glider and pumpkin bombs, and there’s even a new story following Harry Osborn. The outdoor levels have us swinging around shooting webs aimlessly into the sky, but they offer a sense of freedom, as Spider-Man zips around battling drones in the air and goons on rooftops. Combat feels authentic to Spider-Man: you can launch into an airborne enemy, fire off webs, change direction midair, and swing away to keep your combo going – something we could only dream of doing in previous Spidey games.
9. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (2010)
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360
Developer: Beenox
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is easily the most polarizing entry on this list. For every spectacular thing it has to offer, there’s something just as un-spectacular to web it up. Featuring Mysterio as the big bad, the story sees a magical tablet shattered and spread across the multiverse, which prompts us to take control of four different Spider-Mans (yes, that’s the grammatically correct way to say it) to go find them. Each Spider-Man – the classic Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man 2099, and Ultimate Spider-Man – offers their own twist, with fun signature powers such as stealth and bullet-time abilities, and there are some cool levels and boss battles featuring awesome redesigned villains that allow you to put them to good use. On the other hand, Shattered Dimensions is far shorter than you’d expect – the story wouldn’t get a passing grade in your middle school English Comp class, and its janky camera is so good at getting you killed that it may as well be the seventh member of the Sinister Syndicate. Still, those frustrating elements are often worth enduring to enjoy this unique and creative Spider-Man game.
8. Spider-Man (2000)
Platform: PS1, Dreamcast, N64
Developer: Neversoft
Neversoft’s Spider-Man delivers on nearly all fronts. It’s colorful, full of personality, and gushing with love, not only for Spider-Man but the whole Marvel Universe. From the Baxter Building appearing on the New York City skyline to a cameo from the Punisher, not to mention narration from the one and only Stan Lee, this game is a Marvel fan’s dream. It even features voice actors from Spider-Man cartoons of the era (Spider-Man: The Animated Series and Spider-Man Unlimited). Gameplay incorporates all of Spidey’s powers, including crawling up a skyscraper while an attack chopper tries to blow you up and using webs for everything from boxing gloves to exploding shields. It’s filled with comic book Easter eggs (including literal comic books) and cool little touches, like how, when you pick up temporary armor, your suit will switch to the fan-favorite metallic Armored Spider-Man costume.
The story is a short-and-sweet mystery involving an impostor Spider-Man (we’ll give you one guess to who that could possibly be), and it’s packed with iconic Spidey villains with their cartoonish personalities cranked up to 11. Plus, Neversoft created a brand-new villain just for the game: a Doc Ock + Carnage combo known as Monster-Ock. This Spider-Man game does have its fair share of wonky elements, like how you could run out of webbing or fall off a building to your death (use your webs, bro!), but still, it’s hard to be anything but charmed by this entry in Spidey’s game catalog.
7. Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994)
Platform: SNES, Sega Genesis
Developer: Software Creations
Spidey may have starred in video games dating all the way back to the Atari era, but precious few of those are actually any good. Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage finally turned things around for the wallcrawler in 1994. This arcade-style beat-’em-up takes direct inspiration from the comic book crossover of the same name, and that’s half the fun. Maximum Carnage is like a Spider-Man comic book brought to life, from the colorful 2D sprites right down to the cutscenes that recreate panels from the books. The option to play as either Spidey or Venom is a major feather in its cap, too, as are the many unlockable Marvel characters sprinkled throughout.
Maximum Carnage may be punishingly difficult at times but it remains one of the best examples of the superhero brawler subgenre that was so prevalent in the early ‘90s. And, hey, how often did SNES and Sega Genesis cartridges come in red?
6. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (2008)
Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: Amaze Entertainment
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows tells a story that’s a bit darker than usual, where Spidey fights off a symbiote invasion of New York City with a little help from his iconic black suit and a roster of unexpected Marvel allies. What’s bizarre about Web of Shadows is that it was released on console and handheld, with the exact same title and box art, but as two completely different games – one an open-world action-adventure game and the other a 2D side-scrolling brawler. They share a similar plot and the ability to use the different skills provided by either Spider-Man’s standard costume or the symbiote suit, but – surprise twist! – the console version is pretty bad, while the DS version is much better. The Metroidvania-style design was a fresh spin for 2D Spidey games, and its rewarding combat system and ever-growing map are borderline addictive. Web of Shadows is a fun, bite-sized Spider-Man experience – but only on the Nintendo DS.