GAMERS DECIDE

The 10 Best Spiderman Games for PC. How Many of These Spiderman Games Have You Played?

With Spider-Man: Far From Home released, it’s a great time to look back at the best of the web-crawler’s forays into the world of gaming.

There are few heroes to have as many videogame adaptations as your friendly neighbourhood Spider-man, and the sheer volume of this catalogue makes it difficult to choose just 11 favourites.

We managed it however, so strap in true believers and let’s start.

10. Ultimate Spider-Man

Ultimate Spider-Man Gameplay

I have often felt this one didn’t receive as much love as it deserved. I played this on the Xbox when it came out back in 2005, and to this day it remains one of my all-time favourite Spider-man games.

The first thing that sets it apart from most other Spider-man games, is it’s deliberately comic-book feel, with its cell shaded characters and environments. It makes no attempt at all to look realistic, and the finished product is all the better for it. This aesthetic does come off as a little silly at times (the ridiculous size of the spider that bites Peter to give him his powers comes to mind), but overall it’s very well done.

The thing that is most likely to sell a Spider-man fan on this game however, is the fact that you aren’t just playing Peter Parker and fighting villains. In Ultimate Spider-man your time is split between Peter/Spider-Man, and Eddie Brock/Venom. That’s right, you get to play Venom, and that includes open free-roam after you beat the game.

The Ultimate incarnation of the fan-favourite symbiote has a different backstory (being an experiment rather than an alien) but that aside the story is interesting, and the game plays very differently depending on which of the two characters you are playing. Spider-man is faster and does less damager per shot, whereas Venom is a lot more powerful but is also slower. In addition, Venom gets around via jumping and climbing rather than the use of web-shooters, and his health constantly depletes slowly due to the suit feeding upon its host. Don’t worry though, because Venom can feed on just about anyone and drain health out of them.

It’s a quirky little Spider-man game, but it has a great deal of character. If you are a fan of Spidey at all, this one is a must play.

Like, there is no way whatsoever that he wouldn’t either feel that, or see it!

The size difference between Spidey and Venom is almost comical when you fight each other

Download Spider-Man

Spider-Man

Also available on: Mac

Alt names	蜘蛛侠, ספיידרמן, Spider-Man 64
Year	2001
Platform	Windows
Released in	United States
Genre	Action
Theme	Licensed Title
Publisher	Activision Publishing, Inc.
Developer	Neversoft Entertainment, Inc.
Perspective	Behind view

Description of Spider-Man

Super-hero games are always difficult: you want to include challenge to the players, but you want the hero to still feel “super” in the hands of the player. Spider-Man shows a bit of promise and comes close to being up to the task.

Spider-Man has wall-crawling, web-slinging action, super-strength, and even his spidey-senses in this arcade-style adventure beat-em-up. He even has Stan “the Man” Lee offering narration at the beginnings of each level! Unfortunately, what he doesn’t have are decent camera angles or a robust quality assurance inspection.

The arcade-style play can involve having to rewatch cutscenes and narration over and over again as you try to get the level right. The clumsy camera means it’s difficult to see around corners or where you’re supposed to crawl or jump or what bad-guys you’re supposed to not get shot by. The poor quality assurance means Spider-Man is full of game-breaking bugs that will prevent you from finishing the game, including ones that will corrupt saves or leave you stuck in a loading or cutscene loop.

There are a few ways to get around some of these issues; certain bugs are allegedly due to framerate issues [cutscene loops are supposed to occur when framerates exceed 30 FPS], which can be resolved with programs and tinkering that will manually cap the framerate at which Spider-Man will run. But is it worth it? Since there are many game-breaking bugs and the framerate issue is only one of them, it’s hard to recommend the PC port of this title.

Spider-Man Games In Order

Are you a fan of Spider-Man? We definitely are so we’ve created this list of all Spider-Man games in chronological order.

Spider-Man has had his fair share of ups and downs when it comes to video game releases.

Throughout history, the web-swinging superhero has appeared in various platformers, beat ’em ups, action-adventure, and open-world games.

In this list, we’ll be highlighting every Spider-Man game in order of release date.

To keep things simple, we’ll focus on games where Spider-Man is the main character, meaning no Ultimate Alliance or Marvel vs. Capcom games.

With that out of the way, let’s explore Spider-Man’s fascinating video game legacy.

Table of Contents Show

Spider-Man

Release Date: 1982

Platforms: Atari, Magnavox

Spider-Man’s debut into video games was a vertical scrolling action game for Atari and Magnavox systems. 1982’s Spider-Man is one of the earliest superhero games in history and saw players directly controlling Spidey for the first time ever.

The goal of the game is to climb up the side of a building while shooting webs, diffusing bombs, and avoiding enemies. Once at the top, you were confronted by the Green Goblin and had to avoid him long enough to diffuse a “super-bomb.”

If you managed to pull it off, the game would unceremoniously reward you with identical levels with similar objectives. Despite its repetitive gameplay, Spider-Man’s visuals were considered impressive at the time.

Questprobe: Spider-Man

Release Date: 1984

Platforms: Apple II, Atari, Commodore 64, DOS

Along with The Hulk and The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man received his very own text adventure game in the mid-1980s. Developed by Adventure International, Questprobe: Spider-Man saw you guiding the hero through a series of story-based scenarios using text commands.

Questprobe was initially meant to be a twelve-part series, but shortly after releasing the original trilogy, Adventure International would find themselves out of business. As a result, all future projects were scrapped, including a canceled X-Men game that had already been partially coded.

Spider-Man and Captain America in Doctor Doom’s Revenge

Release Date: 1989

Platforms: Amiga, Atari, Commodore 64, DOS

The next title to feature the web crawler would be a side-scrolling action game released in 1989 for the Amiga, Atari, and Commodore 64 systems. In it, the player would swap between playing as Spider-Man and Captain America as the two took on a variety of villains from both heroes’ rogue’s gallery.

While critics took aim at the game’s repetitive combat, Doctor Doom’s Revenge was praised for its bright and colorful palette. One of the game’s villains, a martial arts master named Rattan, was created specifically for the game. Lastly, it was one of the few superhero games to include an exclusive comic inside the game case, which told the events leading up to the game’s story.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Release Date: 1990

Platforms: Amiga, Atari, Commodore 64, DOS

In 1990, Spider-Man fans got another side-scrolling platformer in which the hero tried to rescue his wife, Mary Jane. Long story short, Mysterio kidnapped her and now Spider-Man has to track him down across a series of movie-themed levels inspired by Mysterio’s passion for cinema.

The animations were terrible, the controls even worse, and the gameplay left something to be desired. The Amazing Spider-Man launched on the Amiga but was eventually ported to other systems.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Release Date: 1990

Platforms: Game Boy

Not to be confused with the Amiga game, The Amazing Spider-Man is a handheld title with the exact same name released for the Game Boy in 1990. While the story still focused on Peter Parker rescuing his kidnapped wife Mary Jane, the game was structured slightly differently.

Instead of just battling Mysterio, players would also take on Scorpion, Doctor Octopus, Venom, and others throughout the story. The Amazing Spider-Man is fondly remembered for its good controls and, at the time, impressive visuals. It would go on to spawn two sequels for the Game Boy.

The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin

Release Date: 1991

Platforms: Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear, Sega CD

Debuting on the Master System and Sega Genesis, The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin was yet another side-scrolling action game that saw Spidey attempting to save Mary Jane from the clutches of a supervillain, this time Venom. However, to spice things up, the hero is also tasked with clearing his name after being framed by Kingpin for stealing a nuclear bomb.

So, in addition to rescuing his wife, he must locate different keys that can disarm the bomb within 24 hours. Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin was ported onto various systems, each featuring significantly different gameplay elements, levels, bosses, and even endings. It sold well and ultimately convinced Marvel to renew its licensing deal with Sega.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Release Date: 1992

Platforms: Game Boy

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a direct sequel to the Game Boy title released in 1990 and sees Spidey yet again framed for a crime, this time bank robbery. To clear his name, the hero must make it through a series of levels and defeat various bosses.

Along the way, the player also collected different items that would help solve puzzles in each level. Overall, the game didn’t perform as well as its predecessor and was highly-criticized for its control scheme, difficulty spikes, and lack of in-game saves.

Spider-Man: Return Of The Sinister Six

Release Date: October 1992

Platforms: NES, Master System, Game Gear

In 1992, the web crawler made his first appearance on the NES in Spider-Man: Return Of The Sinister Six. Yet again, the game saw players clearing a series of levels, each culminating in a boss encounter.

It was released during the tail end of the NES’s lifespan, so it didn’t really get that much attention or fanfare. Those who did play the game had the luxury of dealing with its terrible graphics, generic gameplay, and insanely high difficulty.

Spider-Man And The X-Men In Arcade’s Revenge

Release Date: November 1992

Platforms: SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear, Game Boy

Just a month later, Spider-Man would enter the 16-bit era in Arcade’s Revenge for the SNES. The game starts off with you controlling Spider-Man as he goes around the city diffusing bombs. However, he soon discovers that the supervillain Arcade has kidnapped the X-Men.

You’re then able to play as each of the four X-Men (Storm, Wolverine, Cyclops, and Gambit) as they try to escape. It’s fondly remembered for letting players use a wider pool of abilities than previous Spider-Man games.

The Amazing Spider-Man 3: Invasion of the Spider Slayers

Release Date: 1993

Platforms: Game Boy

Invasion of the Spider Slayers is the final game in the Game Boy trilogy and released around the same time as the Spider Slayer comic book storyline. As a result, most of the game’s story mirrored the events of the comics.

Despite the quality of the game’s narrative, it was ultimately panned by critics for its lackluster visuals, mainly due to the limitations of the then-aging game Boy’s hardware. It also didn’t help that gameplay was the same as earlier titles, and players still couldn’t save in-game.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal Foes

Release Date: March 17, 1994

Platforms: SNES (Super Famicom)

Released exclusively in Japan, Lethal Foes is credited as the first Spider-Man game to feature player-controlled swinging mechanics. While it was nowhere near what we have today, it was definitely a step in the right direction.

The game was structured around timed checkpoints and saw you racing to defeat a series of bosses throughout multiple levels. Other than that, it’s what you would expect from a Japan-only 90s side-scrolling action game.

Spider-Man And Venom: Maximum Carnage

Release Date: September 16, 1994

Platforms: SNES, Sega Genesis

Maximum Carnage closely follows the events of the Carnage storyline that was taking place in the comics at the time. Some of the cutscenes in the game are even digital transfers of actual sections from the comic books.

In terms of gameplay, players would switch between controlling Spider-Man or Venom as they tried to defeat Carnage and his gang of supervillains. It was reminiscent of the Double Dragon beat ’em up series, with players able to collect power-ups that unlocked other Marvel heroes who would aid in battle.

Spider-Man: The Animated Series

Release Date: February 13, 1995

Platforms: SNES, Sega Genesis

1995’s Spider-Man was based on the popular Spider-Man animated series and featured an art style inspired by the cartoon. The game included six different side-scrolling levels and a surprising number of boss battles, over twenty, in fact.

Players were only able to control Spider-Man but were treated to a cameo by The Fantastic Four in the game’s story. Spider-Man appeared on both the SNES and Sega Genesis consoles.

Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety

Release Date: November 1995

Platforms: SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis, PC

Serving as a direct sequel to 1994’s Maximum Carnage, Separation Anxiety loosely followed the Venom storyline in the Spider-Man comics at the time. Just like its predecessor, the game was a side-scrolling beat ’em up in which one or two players could control either Spider-Man or Venom as they set out to defeat Carnage, yet again.

Other Marvel heroes made an appearance in the form of power-ups that would help the player progress. Separation Anxiety wasn’t as successful as the first game, with critics citing its confusing title and an overall lack of gameplay improvements.

Spider-Man: Web of Fire

Release Date: March 1996

Platforms: Sega Genesis 32X

Web of Fire is unique in that it’s the only Spider-Man game to release on Sega’s 32X system and the last title to appear on the console in North America. It’s another side-scrolling action-platformer that featured six different levels culminating with boss fights.

While the main antagonists were H.Y.D.R.A and the New Enforcers, Web of Fire also includes many enemies not found in other Spider-Man games. Despite lackluster sales, the game has gained a cult following over the years.

Spider-Man

Release Date: August 30, 2000

Platforms: PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Dreamcast, PC

Spidey took a few years off from video games before making a comeback on the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. Released in the year 2000, Spider-Man took advantage of new 3D technology to deliver the most immersive web-crawling experienced to date.

For the first time, players could explore 3D environments by swinging-freely using Spider-Man’s webs. However, there were still some hardware limitations, resulting in an ever-present “fog” throughout the world. The game was praised for its story and voice cast, including Spider-Man creator Stan Lee acting as narrator.

Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six

Release Date: May 30, 2001

Platforms: Game Boy Color

The Sinister Six is a direct sequel to the Game Boy Color version of 2000’s Spider-Man and sees the web-slinger taking down the notorious legion of supervillains yet again. Players explore six different levels, each culminating in a boss fight, before confronting Doctor Octopus and rescuing Aunt May.

Gameplay was on par with previous handheld Spider-Man games but featured the ability to climb up the side of certain buildings. Additionally, there was a weird unlockable mini-game in which Spidey and Doctor Octopus work together to rescue teddy bears as they fall from a burning building.

Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro

Release Date: October 19, 2001

Yet another direct sequel to 2000’s Spider-Man, Enter Electro, only appeared on the PlayStation. In it, Spider-Man is tasked with preventing Electro from using a power source called the Bio-Nexus Device. Throughout the game, he also encounters various supervillains from his rogue’s gallery, including Hammerhead, Sandman, Shocker, and Lizard.

Members of the X-Men also occasionally show up to lend Spider-Man a hand, and improvements were made to the game’s web-swinging mechanics. Interestingly, the original version included a final battle on top of NYC’s twin towers. Following the 9/11 tragedy, copies of the game were pulled from distribution, and this section was changed completely.

Spider-Man: Mysterio’s Menace

Release Date: September 19, 2001

Platforms: Game Boy Advance

Spider-Man made his first appearance on the Game Boy Advance in Mysterio’s Menace, another side-scrolling beat ’em up with an extra level compared to previous releases. It’s pretty standard as far as handheld Spider-Man games go, with the player navigating 2D levels that culminate in boss fights.

Mysterio’s Menace introduced weapon and suit upgrades that would change up gameplay, such as replenishing health with the symbiote suit. It was received well overall, with most of the praise directed towards its vibrant graphics and fluid animations.

Spider-Man: The Movie

Release Date: April 16, 2002

Platforms: GBA, GameCube, PC, PS2, Xbox

Coinciding with the release of a live-action film, Spider-Man: The Movie was a 3D action game that closely mirrored the plot of the blockbuster with some additional enemy types and story beats. The game featured both indoor and outdoor levels, as well as the ability to swing around the city’s rooftops.

Unlike many movie tie-ins, Spider-Man sold exceptionally well and was generally well-received by critics. The main highlights include an array of secret unlockables, alternate costumes, and playable characters, along with narration from Bruce Campbell.

Spider-Man 2

Release Date: June 28, 2004

Platforms: GBA, GameCube, PC, PS2 & Xbox

After taking some more years off, Spider-Man returned to the video game scene in another movie tie-in based on Spider-Man 2. The game depicted a much more realized New York City that could be explored freely as an open-world.

In addition to following the events of the film, players could take on side quests, discover hidden secrets, or just swing around at their leisure. Spider-Man 2 was ported to just about every piece of relevant hardware at the time; however, performance varies from system to system.

Ultimate Spider-Man

Release Date: September 22, 2005

Platforms: GBA, GameCube, PC, PS2, Xbox

Ultimate Spider-Man is another open-world style game that featured a heavily stylized art style inspired by the comic of the same name. Players had the option to play as either Spider-Man or Venom, each with their own abilities, as they took on story missions throughout Manhattan.

Additionally, the game included side quests and racing challenges against Shocker and the Human Torch. It was well-received across all platforms and has aged surprisingly well due to its more cartoony graphics.

Spider-Man: Battle for New York

Release Date: November 14, 2006

Platforms: Nintendo DS, GBA

Battle for New York is another game that adopts the Ultimate comics’ stylized look while telling a story revolving around the Green Goblin.

The player must navigate a series of side-scrolling levels while playing as either Spider-Man or Green Goblin. In the DS version, players could use touch screen controls to complete different tasks.

Spider-Man 3

Release Date: May 4, 2007

Platforms: PC, GBA, Nintendo DS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360

Coinciding with the release of the third film in the Sam Raimi trilogy, Spider-Man 3 mostly followed the framework that had been provided by previous open-world Spider-Man games. However, there were some improvements, such as larger environments to explore and a wider arsenal of powers.

That being said, the game didn’t go over too well with critics. This can be attributed to overall franchise fatigue after years of Spidey being in the spotlight both on and off the big screen.

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe

Release Date: October 2, 2007

Platforms: PC, Nintendo DS, PS2, Wii, Xbox 360

Friend or Foe took the Spider-Man universe in some interesting directions. For one, many of the game’s villains would become allies after Spider-Man defeated them in battle. Additionally, the game sought to marry the stylized look of the Ultimate comics with the beat ’em up gameplay of older Spider-Man games.

The end result was an over the top 3D action game that was ported to pretty much every home console available at the time. Critics took aim at the game’s juvenile story, shotty controls, and subpar graphics.

Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows

Release Date: October 21, 2008

Platforms: PC, Nintendo DS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360

Web of Shadows shied away from the Spider-Man movies and instead focused on telling a new story involving Venom and the alien symbiote taking over all of New York. Spider-Man is tasked with saving the city and defeating other villains along the way.

At one point, players encounter the X-Men’s Wolverine, who accuses Spider-Man of being a villain himself. Reviews were mixed, with complaints targeted at the game’s overall lack of polish and rough controls.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Release Date: September 7, 2010

Platforms: Nintendo DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360

Developed by Beenox, Shattered Dimensions closely follows the story of the Tablet of Order and Chaos, which gets destroyed, resulting in a ripple effect across multiple dimensions. This brings together four different versions of Spider-Man from alternate universes.

Amazing Spider-Man, Noir Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, and Ultimate Spider-Man are each made playable characters with distinct playstyles and abilities. Shattered Dimensions was widely praised and is still regarded as the best entry to date by many fans.

Spider-Man: Edge of Time

Release Date: October 4, 2011

Platforms: Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360

Beenox tried to recreate the success they had with Shattered Dimensions, only they didn’t fare as well the second time around. Edge of Tomorrow tells an original story involving two versions of Spider-Man: Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099, as the pair work together to restore a rift in time.

It featured a unique cause and effect game mechanic that would allow one Spider-Man to affect the other’s world by interacting with the environment. While the story was celebrated, players were critical of the game’s overall quality and repetitive design.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Release Date: June 26, 2012

Platforms: Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360

Based on the 2012 film of the same name, The Amazing Spider-Man is a 3D open-world game modeled after previous entries. The story is set months after the events of the film and sees Spider-Man battling villains Rhino, Lizard, and Scorpion.

It was fairly well-received, with the biggest criticisms targeted at the game’s laughably low difficulty.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Release Date: April 17, 2014

Platforms: PC, 3DS, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Android, iOS

Similar to 2012’s Amazing Spider-Man, AS2 was inspired by the film of the same name. It sees Peter Parker now-two years settled into his web crawling career, resuming his search for his Uncle Ben’s killer across a sprawling 3D open-world.

It didn’t perform too well and would end up being the last Spider-Man game developed by Beenox.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Release Date: September 7, 2018

Platforms: PS4, PS5

Marvel’s Spider-Man is a fantastic, modern take on the Spider-Man mythos that strikes the perfect balance between honoring the comics, video games, and films Spidey has appeared in. Maintaining the open-world style gameplay of its predecessors, the game presents a much more experienced Peter Parker trying to juggle his personal life and passion for web-slinging.

It performed well commercially and critically and has even earned the title “Best Super Hero Game of All Time” among certain circles. While the game may lack some innovation and revisits many of the same open-world tropes as its predecessors, it features the absolute best web-swinging mechanics of any Spider-Man game to date.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Release Date: November 12, 2020

Platforms: PS4, PS5

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a follow-up to Insomniac’s game that shifts focus from Peter Parker to his young apprentice, Miles Morales. With Peter missing in action, Miles is forced to step up and fulfill his web-slinging duties to keep New York City safe.

The sequel maintains the open-world design of the first while telling an original story in which Miles learns to harness his powers and comes to grips with his new responsibilities. Released alongside the PlayStation 5, Miles Morales is the first Spider-Man game to launch with a new console.

You Might Like These Too

Samuel is GamingScan’s editor-in-chief. He describes himself as a dedicated gamer and programmer. He enjoys helping others discover the joys of gaming. Samuel closely follows the latest trends in the gaming industry in order to keep the visitors in the flow.