So, a bunch of news about Spider-man: Brand New Day recently: good ol’ webhead’s next outing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe got a short, 8-second teaser and a bunch of leaked set images—not much in the way of new information if you ask me.
It is important to notice, though: August 1st is often celebrated as “Spider-Man Day” and, as such, we’re here to properly celebrate Spider-Man’s legacy (since Marvel won’t, for some reason…) but on a different medium—video games.
Yeah, Peter Parker has seen its share of virtual adventures and pretty much all of them received high praise, but the ones below? Those belong in a special place in the pantheon of Spider-Man games.
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Table of Contents
Why is August 1st called “Spider-Man Day”
So, first and foremost, let’s talk about the date. August 1st is celebrated in the United States as “National Spider-Man Day” and a lot of people—myself included—were not aware of this information.
In fact, I only came across this groundbreaking discovery after I started researching for this article, and as PRG was already thinking of writing Spider-Man-related content, things just fell into place. Gotta love when coincidences just align like this.
Anyway, the reason for “National Spider-Man Day” is a simple, non-mysterious one: August 1st marks Spidey’s debut—this same date, in 1962, over six decades ago, Peter Parker came into the picture on the cover of Amazing Fantasy #15.
Now, comic book buffs with far more knowledge about this than me might argue that the book itself came out somewhat earlier, the printed date was prominent, marking the date for celebration in years to come.
It is worth noting that the character’s creators—Stan Lee and Steve Ditko—came up with the idea so teenagers could have a hero they could relate to: throughout the 60s (and 70s, and 80s…), most heroes were full-grown adults, and younger characters were little more than sidekicks. By creating Peter Parker, a high school student from Queens who juggles with his studies and the very grown-up responsibility of having great powers (see what I did there?), Spider-Man was an instant hit, and would later be the central pillar for his appearances in several other media.
Yes, “Spider-Man games” is what we’re going for here: gotta contextualize some of our keywords or Google will nuke us, you know…
These are our picks for the best Spider-Man games out there
Now, as a disclaimer, we’ll just say that this is by no means an absolute ranking, and all you see below, as far as listings go, is just our take. Spider-Man games tend to be very fun even when development studios miss the mark (looking at you, Web of Shadows), but these?
Oh brother, we had a blast with all of these!
Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994)
Maximum Carnage is one of the earliest memories for a lot of people when it comes to Spider-Man games.Releases in 1994 for the SNES, the game was closely based on the comic book arc of the same name, and gave you the control of not only Spider-Man, but his long time rival Venom.
The plot details merge between comic and game, as New York City is overrun by the villain Carnage and his crew composed by Shriek, Doppleganger, Demogoblin, and Carrion. This game was a fan favorite for letting you switch between the agile Spider-Man and the brutal Venom, each with their own unique moves like punches, kicks, web grabs, and even web shields. You could also call on other Marvel heroes like Black Cat and Captain America for a little backup, adding to the superhero spectacle.
It’s classic game’s take on the classic genre of side-scrolling beat-em-ups, with a flair of strategy and a lot of collectibles and replay factor. Any retrogaming fan would recommend this one in a heartbeat.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Long before Insomniac Games took over Spider-Man games for the most recent generation of platforms, the webbing hero had an amazing outing on PlayStation 3 and other consoles, through one of the earliest partnerships between Activision and Treyarch.
Based on the movie of the same name (Sam Raimi’s trilogy’s second film, to be precise), this game achieved revolutionary status by crafting a city that felt truly alive, offering many options for exploration and side quests: you could swing your webs anywhere, with the perception of actually attaching them to building instead of, you know, throwing a random white line upwards and hoping no one would notice.
This physicality was also shown in gameplay mechanics, with a combat system that was not only deep, but it also took a page from Spidey’s comics and incorporated features like his trademark “spider sense”. Oh, and Tobey Maguire and Alfred Moline reprised their movie roles as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus, respectively, which added to the immersion of a year that was very much “spider-man-esque.”
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (2010)
Long before the MCU started flirting with the idea of a multiverse, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions was already doing that in 2010. Functioning as the cornerstone for many a “several Spider-people together” kind of product, this game lets you play as four distinct versions of the web-slinger: Amazing, Ultimate (with the symbiote suit), Noir, and 2099. Each Spidey came from their own unique universe, complete with a distinct visual style and even different gameplay mechanics, making it into, essentially, a Spider-Man fanboy’s dream.
It is also worth noting that the gameplay variety was not just for show, but properly contextualized within each character’s canon: Noir was the stealthy one, given his comic run’s penchant for a “detective” kind of vibe, while 2099 was the one who relied the most on offensive athleticism and brute force.
Also, the varied art styles truly stand out, and sound-wise, the game is packed with familiar voice actors, adding to the immersion for true Spider-Man fans.
Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)
As Spider-Man games go, Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man was probably the most revolutionary video game release in many, many years, essentially redefining what a super hero game should be. Hailed as one of gaming’s greatest creations, this title reimagined Peter Parker as a seasoned crimefighter, skipping the origin story to drop you right into the action.
And we mean it in the most truthful way possible: “dropping”, as in “literally throwing you in a battle scene with little time to get the hang of its physics-based athletic combat and web-swinging”. It was so well-done that there were actual articles out there stating how little most gamers wanted to fast-travel, preferring to traverse the city’s skyline through fast-paced web swinging, looking for collectibles that were distributed everywhere.
This game shines because it perfectly balances the epic superheroics with Peter Parker’s relatable human struggles. You’ll experience fluid, dynamic combat, enhanced by gadgets and environmental interactions, all while swinging through a “gorgeous” and vast open-world New York City.
And the fact that it brought other two Spider-Man games as follow-ups is telling…especially because they too feature on this list…
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)
Given that a lot of people loved how perfectly balanced Marvel’s Spider-Man was when it comes to playtime, Miles Morales’ entry felt, to a lot of gamers, like a glorified DLC charged at full price.
While it is true that this is a smaller and more intimate affair than its predecessor, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, however, proved to be epic in its own way, easily establishing the “other Spider-Man” as a hero in his own right. As a key PlayStation 5 launch title, it was a true example of a “next-gen showcase” in regards to visual flow: it had perfect graphics, little to no loading times and very stable framerate.
As for the gameplay, Miles’ unique skillset gave gamers a fresh look, amplifying combat mechanics while making them slightly familiar, so people wouldn’t be put off on their expectations. And much like the main Spider-Man, Miles Morales’ narrative take is also a compelling coming-of-age story, that shows a young, superpowered character struggling between heroic responsibility and personal life within a vibrant Harlem community.
But its key positive point lives in the fact that Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales helped pave the way to…
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023)
… Play as both Spider-Men, with skillsets exclusive to each other, in an even bigger, more detailed New York City, while adding the much-loved fan service Spidey’s fans have come to demand adore.
The latest entry in Insomniac’s acclaimed series, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, is widely considered the best Spider-Man title to date, as it takes everything great about the first two games and makes it bigger, better, and more polished.
This PlayStation 5 exclusive leverages the console’s power to deliver a technically superb visual experience, making New York City feel “absolutely fantastic and even more livelier than ever.
Also, story-wise, it just feels right, as Miles is now fully experienced in the use of his powers, but still acts somewhat brashly, placing Peter Parker in a sort of active mentor figure, showing him that powers mean nothing if misused by those who have them. Come on, now: hate all you want on the game’s so-called “wokeness”, you can’t argue this is the most Spider-Man thing ever.
Honorable Mentions: Spider-Man Beyond His Own Games
Marvel vs. Capcom Franchise
Spider-Man has been a consistent and beloved (albeit obvious) staple in the Marvel vs. Capcom fighting game series, proving his versatility and enduring appeal beyond his traditional action-adventure genre. In fact, in our research, we found out he was in all of them, which is proof of his major appeal.
The series is particularly famous for focusing on Todd McFarlane’s visual style, using these games to portray a more exaggerated look on Spider-Man: body-bending poses, the web that looks like grey-ish purple spaghetti, which contributed to his added charisma and sleek, speedy moveset in the fighting franchise.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (2000)
Bet some of you didn’t even remember this, huh? Yeah, I used to grind and BS noseslide my way across the virtual parks of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, and completely forgot I used to go after every nook, cranny, collectible and point milestone possible in order to unlock one of the silliest cameos for Spider-Man in gaming.
This bizarre, yet brilliant, inclusion was part of a cross-promotional tie-in, as THPS2 then-developer, Neversoft Studios, was also working on one of the many Spider-Man games Activision released at the time. In fact, the skater version of Spider-Man was the kickoff to a trend of adding random stuff to the skateboard franchise.
And this wasn’t some Spidey-skin on an already present skater, but a brand new, unlockable character, with his own move set and enhanced stats that easily made him one of the best in the entire game. In fact, I remember some impromptu “tournaments” I’d set up with my younger brother and older cousin, where we specifically prohibited Spider-Man from being picked—or a severe beating would ensue.
Sadly, the modern-day remake, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 and 3+4 did not bring Spider-Man back (but they both have Jack Black’s Officer Dick, soooo….).
