As Peter Parker dusts down his red and blue suit for his latest movie outing in The Amazing Spiderman - with Andrew Garfield reprising the iconic role - there is inevitably a video game to go with it. Set for a June 29th release date in the UK, this latest Activision title was developed by Beenox, the studio behind previous Spidey titles Shattered Dimensions and Edge of Time, and given the level of anticipation surrounding the movie, the Canadian developer will have to go some way to avoid disappointing the Marvel character's legion of loyal fans.
However, for every great movie game adaptation there are ten terrible ones, and super hero video games are no exception. Which category The Amazing Spider-Man falls into will depend on how effectively Beenox have incorporated the freedom and adventure you associate with the character, but in the meantime, read through some of the best and worst super hero video game adaptations of all time.
Batman: Arkham Asylum, Released August 2009 by Rocksteady Studios
Arguably the best super hero video games of all time, Batman: Arkham Asylum came on the back off the fabulous Dark Knight movie which cemented Christian Bale as one of the greatest Batman's after Batman Begins reintroduced the Gotham City hero to us in 2005.
With a thoroughly engaging story mode which is complimented by a stunning visual and audio presentation, Batman: Arkham Asylum should prove popular with all gamers regardless of whether they are fans of the franchise or not.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Released in 2006 by Raven Software
Following the massive commercial success that was the Avengers Assemble movie, it is clear that there is no such thing as too many super heroes in one place. Pitting a team of the greatest Marvel characters to ever grace our movie screens - including Spider-Man, Iron Man and Wolverine - against the 'Masters of Evil' led by the maniacal Dr Doom, Marvel Ultimate Alliance offered up a hugely entertaining romp around a variety of great environments.
Considering the scope of the Marvel Universe, MUA did an excellent job of recreating it with incredible detail producing a game which was unmissable for super hero lovers.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Released in May 2009 by Raven Software
The second title in our 'Best Ever' list from US developer Raven Software, this game debunked the theory that you couldn't make a great game out of a poor movie. Despite the disappointment of the Wolverine film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine provided an engaging and occasionally brutal action-adventure which offered the steel-clawed star the stage he deserves.
Though buggy in places, that didn't stop this being one of the best super hero video game offerings around.
Catwoman, Released in 2004 by Argonaut Games
The voice talents of Halle Berry couldn't stop this stinker of a video game more than matching up to the awfulness of the movie it was based on. Despite decent graphics, the terrible gameplay and poor control lead to a game that Gametrailers.com said would "make you want to drown kittens."
Superman: The New Adventures aka Superman 64, released in 1999 by Titus Software
There aren't many Superman video games around, which could either be because it is a considerably older franchise, or because this game was so knuckle-chewingly excruciating. Set in a virtual Metropolis created by Lex Luthor, Superman must fly through a maze of rings scattered around the city. It was as bad as it sounds. Considered by many to by one of the worst games of all time, (not just super hero games), unresponsive controls, terrible visuals and wafer-thin story transpired to concoct a planet-sized ball of Kryptonite to the Superman brand.
Regardless of how well Beenox do with the latest Spiderman instalment, it is almost guaranteed to be a commercial success. Done properly though, The Amazing Spider-Man could prove to be one of the best video games ever made. No pressure then.
This guest blog was written by John Rooney on behalf of Hitari, who will be stocking The Amazing Spiderman Xbox 360 game as well as all of the other latest releases.
However, for every great movie game adaptation there are ten terrible ones, and super hero video games are no exception. Which category The Amazing Spider-Man falls into will depend on how effectively Beenox have incorporated the freedom and adventure you associate with the character, but in the meantime, read through some of the best and worst super hero video game adaptations of all time.
From Hero...
Batman: Arkham Asylum, Released August 2009 by Rocksteady Studios
Arguably the best super hero video games of all time, Batman: Arkham Asylum came on the back off the fabulous Dark Knight movie which cemented Christian Bale as one of the greatest Batman's after Batman Begins reintroduced the Gotham City hero to us in 2005.
With a thoroughly engaging story mode which is complimented by a stunning visual and audio presentation, Batman: Arkham Asylum should prove popular with all gamers regardless of whether they are fans of the franchise or not.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Released in 2006 by Raven Software
Following the massive commercial success that was the Avengers Assemble movie, it is clear that there is no such thing as too many super heroes in one place. Pitting a team of the greatest Marvel characters to ever grace our movie screens - including Spider-Man, Iron Man and Wolverine - against the 'Masters of Evil' led by the maniacal Dr Doom, Marvel Ultimate Alliance offered up a hugely entertaining romp around a variety of great environments.
Considering the scope of the Marvel Universe, MUA did an excellent job of recreating it with incredible detail producing a game which was unmissable for super hero lovers.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Released in May 2009 by Raven Software
The second title in our 'Best Ever' list from US developer Raven Software, this game debunked the theory that you couldn't make a great game out of a poor movie. Despite the disappointment of the Wolverine film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine provided an engaging and occasionally brutal action-adventure which offered the steel-clawed star the stage he deserves.
Though buggy in places, that didn't stop this being one of the best super hero video game offerings around.
... to Zero
Catwoman, Released in 2004 by Argonaut Games
The voice talents of Halle Berry couldn't stop this stinker of a video game more than matching up to the awfulness of the movie it was based on. Despite decent graphics, the terrible gameplay and poor control lead to a game that Gametrailers.com said would "make you want to drown kittens."
Superman: The New Adventures aka Superman 64, released in 1999 by Titus Software
There aren't many Superman video games around, which could either be because it is a considerably older franchise, or because this game was so knuckle-chewingly excruciating. Set in a virtual Metropolis created by Lex Luthor, Superman must fly through a maze of rings scattered around the city. It was as bad as it sounds. Considered by many to by one of the worst games of all time, (not just super hero games), unresponsive controls, terrible visuals and wafer-thin story transpired to concoct a planet-sized ball of Kryptonite to the Superman brand.
Regardless of how well Beenox do with the latest Spiderman instalment, it is almost guaranteed to be a commercial success. Done properly though, The Amazing Spider-Man could prove to be one of the best video games ever made. No pressure then.
This guest blog was written by John Rooney on behalf of Hitari, who will be stocking The Amazing Spiderman Xbox 360 game as well as all of the other latest releases.
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