10 Greatest Ever Superhero Fighting Games

It wasn't so very long ago that the idea of an Iron Man, Aquaman, or Captain Marvel movie would have been inconceivable, but such is the prevalence of the Superhero genre in over the past decade or so that we are seeing more and more of our favourite heroes make the jump from page to screen.

Gaming, however, has always been one step ahead of Hollywood in this regard, with Super Hero games showing up on systems as early as the NES and Sega Master System. And what do we love to see our DC and Marvel legends do more than anything else?

That's right - punch each other in the face.

While the action, adventure, dungeon crawler, and even role playing genres can all point to examples of caped and cowled heroes among their ranks, it is in the one-on-one fighting genre that our super saviours really shine.

Whether your allegiance is to Marvel and the Avengers or DC and the Justice League (or you're one of those rare people who understand it is okay to like both), there is a Bat Cave full of Superhero fighting games out there which cater to all tastes.

What better way to kick things off than with a bit of controversy?

Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is a 2005 game released by EA which tied into the Marvel comics series of the same name. With versions appearing on everything from PS2 to Nintendo DS, the game was quite a big deal at the time.

It was, however, poorly received by critics.

Where it differed form other Marvel-centric fighting games was the presentation. Eschewing the bright, colourful, cartoony graphics we will see in later Marvel entries, Imperfects went for a more realistic, gritty aesthetic which, while certainly differentiating it from other such games, did make it look a little too dark at times.

Despite poor reviews, the game did actually have a fair amount going for it. It abandoned the Street Fighter-esque 2D plain in favour of full 3D movement, featured destructible environments and usable objects, and featured a diverse cast of characters for the time, including the likes of Daredevil, The Human Torch, and even Venom.

Throw some online play into the mix alongside a decent storyline and single player campaign, and Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is actually a much better game than it is often given credit for.