A Look Back at the Not-So-Super History of Superman Video Games

As the most recognizable superhero in the world, you’d figure Superman would have a legacy of video games attached to his name that was equally as legendary.

Unfortunately, the opposite is true.

Superman games have earned a notorious reputation for being some of the most underwhelming — and some might argue among the worst ever made. In this Retbit retrospective, we take a look back at the not-so-super history of Superman video games.

And there’s no better place to start than the title that embodies that ignominy more than any other: Superman 64 for the Nintendo 64.

Superman 64 (1999, Titus Interactive SA)

Superman, looking ready to fly away from his own game in Superman 64/Titus Interactive

On paper, Superman 64 had all the makings of a hit: it was released in 1999 when the highly-acclaimed Superman: The Animated Series was in full flight; it promised an open-world Metropolis to explore; it featured fan-favorite characters like Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, as well as iconic villains like Lex Luthor and Brainiac. It even marked Superman’s first foray into 3D gaming.

But Superman 64 crashed and burned harder than a Kryptonite meteor.

And not in a fun, Bizarro-style “Me am love how bad this is” way either. I mean truly awful: broken controls, a wildly uncooperative camera, sloppy collision detection, endless bugs, bland gameplay (which for some reason centered on flying through giant rings), and visuals that looked half-finished even by ’90s standards. If Lex Luthor and Brainiac ever wanted to ruin Superman’s reputation in-universe, they wouldn’t need some elaborate scheme—Superman 64 would do the job just fine.

Superman (1988, Kemco)

Another Superman game infamous for its glaring mediocrity is 1988’s Superman for the NES released by Kemco. It might feel a tad unfair to judge an 8-bit title too harshly in retrospect given the technical limitations at the time (I’m not touching the Atari 2600 or Commodore 64 Superman games for that reason), Superman for the NES… wasn’t super.

Visually, Superman looked less like the Man of Steel and more like a bloated, big-headed Astro Boy knockoff. Gameplay-wise, things only got worse: Superman could be injured by low-level thugs wielding pistols—yes, pistols—and couldn’t even use his iconic powers like flight or super-strength unless he collected interspersed power-ups in clunky fashion.

Superman (1993, Sunsoft)

Now that we’ve covered two of the most notoriously underwhelming Superman games, let’s turn our attention to Superman for the Sega Genesis, released in 1992 by Sunsoft. Visually, the game is actually a step up for its time – unlike Kemco’s NES version, this Superman bears a proper resemblance to the Man of Steel, and villains like Brainiac and Metallo are faithfully rendered in line with their comic book counterparts.

The main issue lies in the gameplay. Most of the action boils down to Superman punching, kicking, and occasionally unleashing a more powerful punch once a meter is charged. While iconic abilities like Heat Vision, Flight, and the Hyper Spin are available, they can only be used after collecting specific icons scattered throughout each level. This arbitrary limitation forces Superman to fight like an ordinary brawler for most of the game, sidelining the powers that define him in a frustratingly contrived way.

The Death and Return of Superman (1994, Blizzard Entertainment, Sunsoft)

In 1992, DC Comics, in dire need of a sales boost, decided to kill off Superman. Alongside Knightfall, which saw the iconic Bruce Wayne Batman being defeated and replaced by an edgier, younger, armored Batman, the death of Superman was a shocking move which became not only the best-selling comic that year but also generated massive, unprecedented coverage from the mainstream media.

What made the storyline even more shocking wasn’t just that Superman was physically brutalized to death by Doomsday – a hulking, genetically-engineered monstrosity with jagged bones protruding from his body – but the profound void his death left behind. The Funeral for a Friend comic book cover, depicting Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and the rest of the Justice League standing somberly over Superman’s tattered cape, remains vividly etched in my memory.

One of the most significant story developments following Superman’s death was the emergence of his so-called replacements, four mysterious figures – Cyborg Superman, the Eradicator, Superboy, and Steel – each claiming to be the true Superman.

To capitalize on the immense popularity of the comic arc, The Death and Return of Superman was released as a video game in 1994 for the Super NES and Sega Genesis. The game allowed players to control five different versions of Superman—including the original Man of Steel—and even featured flight-centric levels. However, despite these features, contemporary reviewers considered it a fairly standard beat-’em-up that brought little innovation to the genre. Still, given the historically lackluster track record of Superman games, the fact that it was merely competent was a relative success, an apt summation of the franchise’s struggles in the gaming world.

Superman: Shadow of Apokolips (2002, Infogrames, Atari SA)

Superman: Shadow of Apokolips, released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube (developed by Infogrames and published by Atari and Warner Bros. Interactive), is actually one of the better Superman games out there—though, as you’ve probably gathered from earlier entries, that’s a pretty low bar to clear.

At first glance, Shadow of Apokolips seemed to deliver on many of the promises Superman 64 failed to keep. It faithfully replicated the visual style of Superman: The Animated Series, featured a free-flying Superman in an open-world Metropolis, and allowed players to use a range of authentic powers like heat vision, power punches, and hyper spins. Best of all, there were no infamously pointless rings to fly through.

That being said, the game did have its drawbacks. While Metropolis was technically open-world, it felt empty and sparsely–detailed – most buildings lacked basic details like windows, making the city feel lifeless. And though it was refreshing to have access to Superman’s full powerset without being confined to specific “use this power now” levels, the actual gameplay didn’t quite capture the feeling of being Superman. Flight felt sluggish, and melee combat lacked any real sense of power or impact—punching enemies as the Man of Steel felt no different than it would have with Jimmy Olsen.

And while it’s certainly a treat to have had much of Superman’s powerset at your disposal (without being relegated to a “special flying level” or a “special heat vision” level), controlling Superman didn’t really feel like Superman – flying wasn’t fast and punching enemies as the Man of Steel felt no different than punching them with Jimmy Olsen – the impact just wasn’t super.

In the end, Shadow of Apokolips was a definite step forward for Superman games, it was no leap over a tall building in a single bound. Despite the game teasing a larger conflict with Darkseid — the tyrannical villain who reigns over the titular Apokolips — Superman never actually confronts him, and a sequel never materialized. Whether that was due to underwhelming sales, licensing complications, or both remains unclear, but we’re willing to wager that both were factors.

Superman: Man of Steel

Another small step in the right direction for Superman games came with Superman: The Man of Steel, released exclusively for the Xbox in 2002—the same year as Shadow of Apokolips. Drawing heavily from the comic books, the game features Superman battling enemies across Metropolis, Warworld, and even outer space. Gameplay revolves around strategic use of his full powerset, requiring players to identify which foes are vulnerable to heat vision, freeze breath, or super-strength melee attacks.

Despite some solid gameplay concepts and ambitious ideas – like flying through space and gazing down at Earth, which was visually striking for 2002 – Superman: The Man of Steel received largely unfavorable reviews. With a Metacritic score of 44 out of 100, critics pointed to repetitive missions, clunky controls, and inconsistent graphics as the game’s biggest shortcomings.

Superman Returns (2006, Electronic Arts)

Now we come to the Superman game that many fans consider both the most promising and best attempt at a Superman simulator yet: Superman Returns, released in 2006 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo DS, and based on the film of the same name. The game featured a sprawling 80-square-mile open-world Metropolis and iconic villains like Metallo, Mongul, and Bizarro—whom players could even control in a chaotic “Bizarro Rampage” mode, wreaking as much destruction on the city as possible. It also introduced one of the most unique mechanics in any Superman title to date: instead of a health bar for Superman, the city of Metropolis had one.

This clever twist shifted the focus from the implausibility of Superman being defeated by generic enemies to the real challenge – protecting a living, breathing city from supervillainous threats. The gameplay also demanded judicious use of his powers; overusing heat vision, for instance, could lead to unintended civilian harm or property damage, weakening Metropolis’ health. It was a concept that introduced real stakes to playing as a nearly invincible hero, emphasizing Superman’s responsibility as a protector.

Still, in classic Superman game fashion, Superman Returns couldn’t stick the superhero landing. Critics tore into it for its weak story, repetitive missions, clunky controls, and a camera that seemed to fight the player more than the villains did. But the real kicker? The final boss wasn’t Lex Luthor, Brainiac, or even Doomsday—it was a giant tornado. Because nothing says “epic superhero showdown” like getting into a fistfight with bad weather.

What did you think of our look back at the not-so-super history of Superman video games? What do you think it would take to finally deliver a truly great Superman game? Let us know – and stay tuned for our next deep dive into the Man of Steel’s gaming legacy.