While some other Marvel characters are still waiting for their first game, Spider-Man has had many. In fact, since the 80s, studios have released a constant stream of games about the web-slinging hero.
Not all of them have been winners, but overall Spider-Man games have a decent track record. And in recent times, with Insomniac's Spider-Man title and its Miles Morales sequel, there has been a clear upturn in quality. If this continues, Spider-Man might end up with more classics under his belt than any other superhero. But putting the future to one side, Metacritic can show which are currently the superior Spider-Man games.
10 Ultimate Spider-Man (2005) - 78
The home console and handheld versions of Ultimate Spider-Man differed greatly. On the DS - which is the one that earned the 78 score - it was a side-scrolling beat 'em up, not a third-person action-adventure title like on some other systems.
In all versions, the stand-out feature was that both Spider-Man and Venom were playable. And the game would switch between their perspectives regularly throughout the story. As each of them had distinct abilities, it led to a lot of variation in the gameplay, something critics praised. The DS version also got credit for how well it incorporated the system's dual-screens.
9 Spider-Man Unlimited (2014) - 79
At this point, Spider-Man has been featured in his fair share of mobile games. One of the better-reviewed ones was Spider-Man: Unlimited. It was an endless runner, which initially seemed like a strange genre for the web-slinging hero.
However, the game did enough for it to feel like a true Spider-Man adventure. For instance, it still included swinging and climbing, classic villains, and multiple iterations of the hero. The quality of the game was also helped by the responsive controls and nice visuals.
8 Spider-Man: The Movie (2002) - 79
Movie-tie games don't have the best track record. Yet this game based on Sam Raimi's 2002 flick was not bad. The 3D beat 'em up gameplay was enjoyable enough, and it was easy on the eye too.
The wonky camera and even worse voice acting did threaten to derail the whole thing. But overall, it was a fun, albeit brief adventure. It certainly doesn't join the long list of bad movie-based video games.
7 Spider-Man 3 (2007) - 79
Spider-Man 3 was another title that was a different game on each system. And once again, the DS version ruled above the others. A big reason why was that the handheld system allowed players to use the touch screen to bring an extra layer of interactivity to the experience.
In regards to the story, it followed the plot of Sam Raimi's divisive third Spider-Man film. As a result, players got to don both the traditional suit and the black symbiote version. Overall, it was an okay if unspectacular game.
6 Spider-Man 2 (2004) - 83
In some fans' eyes, this title sits alongside Insomniac's 2018 effort as the best-ever Spider-Man game. At the very least, it was the greatest Spider-Man movie tie-in. As such, it expanded upon the tale of the Sam Raimi film about the titular hero's conflict with Doc Ock.
The game was set in Manhattan, which looked beautiful - at least for a 2004 title. But more importantly, it was a delight to swing around. Particularly for the way Spider-Man had to actually shoot his webs at buildings instead of an invisible surface in the sky.
5 Spider-Man: Mysterio's Menace (2001) - 84
As long as it's well-made, not every game needs to be incredibly expansive, and Spider-Man: Mysterio's Menace epitomized that. The main hero simply punched, kicked, and used his web powers to defeat goons in this Game Boy Advance title.
While it wasn't among the best superhero games ever, reviewers found it to be a decently enjoyable adventure. Although, an area where it truly did excel was in its presentation, as both the visuals and sound were stunning for the time.
4 Ultimate Spider-Man: Total Mayhem (2010) - 85
Total Mayhem wasn't too well-known, but in a lot of reviewers' eyes, it was Spider-Man's best mobile game. In the action brawler, Spidy was pitted against plenty of low-level goons as well as some of his toughest adversaries.
While the fighting could get a little repetitive, it was enjoyable overall. Plus, everything looked great as the vibrant colors on the character models and the environment added a little beauty to the violence.
3 Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020) - 85
The latest game to feature Spider-Man may go down as the most important as it is one of the launch titles for the PS5. It follows on from Insomniac's 2018 Spider-Man game, particularly its City That Never Sleeps DLC. Miles is put front and center this time as he acclimatizes to being a hero.
The critics have quickly fallen in love with the game, claiming it's insanely fun. And despite not being quite as big as its predecessor, beating up bad guys and swinging around the city is still fluid and engaging.
2 Spider-Man (2000) - 87
There haven't been many Spider-Man games that deliver compelling narratives, yet this early millennium title certainly gave it a good shot. In it, the titular hero was tasked with clearing his name and stopping a symbiote invasion at the same time.
The narrative was made more engaging by the game's excellent voice cast, some of which reprised their roles from a few of Spider-Man's '90s cartoons. Unfortunately, the gameplay didn't quite equal the quality of the story, but it was still solid.
1 Marvel's Spider-Man (2018) - 87
In 2018, Insomniac released a Spider-Man game that was above everything that came before. It virtually did nothing wrong. The gameplay was fluid and fun, the boss fights were amazing, and everything looked stunning.
Most of the game's praise, though, was directed at its story. The deep character-driven narrative was supremely well-told and featured several brilliant performances. As far as superhero adaptations go, it's among the best in any medium.