Iron Man was released on DVD and Blu-ray today, making it the perfect time for a quick look back at the long and sometimes ugly history of Iron Man videogames.
ComicMix has assembled a hefty list of videogames in which Iron Man has appeared, going all the way back to 1991 for Captain America and The Avengers, a side-scrolling arcade and Nintendo title that would later find its way to the Genesis, SNES, Game Gear and GameBoy. Oddly, according to the author, the best version of the game was actually for the original NES, although you couldn’t actually play Iron Man in that edition. The Iron Man/X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal crossover for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, released in 1996, gets worse marks, described as “downright painful to look at” and quickly forgotten.
Games given a more positive reception include Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and the more recent Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, while more obscure appearances by the Armored Avenger include a cameo by Tony Stark in the 2005 release of The Punisher, and even as a playable character in Tony Hawk’s Underground – a skateboarding game.
As for the most recent edition to the franchise, the Iron Man movie game, ComicMix says, “Graphically, the game emulates the look of the film, and even features many of the cast reprising their film roles… Unfortunately, the game suffers in repetitive combat and poor flight control. The camera is the largest foe you’ll have to fight here, as the sensitivity is so light than just a mere tap sends it swinging wildly.” Ultimately, however, the game is a “decent… if not a bit uneven” translation to home consoles.
The full list, and sweet indulgence for your inner comic book nerd, movie nerd and videogame nerd all at once, can be found at ComicMix.com.
Published: Sep 30, 2008 08:59 pm