The Best Spider-Man Games Ranked Worst to Best

With the recent release of Insomniac’s new Spider-Man game, it seems appropriate to rank all of the Spider-Man games after the year 2000. There are a TON of Spider-Man games, but with many of them being on older systems, arcade cabinets, or mobile devices, comparing them to modern games wouldn’t be fair. For this list we will rank all of the home console and handheld Spider-Man games.

The Spider-Man Games, All 17 Ranked

16. Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six (2001)

This is the absolute worst of the worst. The hit detection is awful and the repetitive beat-em-up style gets old super quickly. I know it’s an older game for the GBA and the system was limited in what it could do, but that doesn’t take away from how boring this game is. At least it has a catchy soundtrack.

The Spider-Man Games, All 17 Ranked

15. Spider-Man: Mysterio’s Menace (2001)

Mysterio’s Menace suffers from the flaws of The Sinister Six, but ranks higher because it looks better and has some killer art in between levels that are presented in a very comic book style. Still, this one gets old really fast.

14. Spider-Man Friend or Foe (2007)

Again, Friend or Foe is way too repetitive to recommend. What it does have going for it is the amount of cameos from the Marvel Universe and the ability to play co-op with a friend. However, the bland story and lack of depth with the level layout make Friend or Foe a ‘meh’ entry within the vast list of Spider-Man games.

13. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Again, Friend or Foe is way too repetitive to recommend. What it does have going for it is the amount of cameos from the Marvel Universe and the ability to play co-op with a friend. However, the bland story and lack of depth with the level layout make Friend or Foe a ‘meh’ entry within the vast list of Spider-Man games.

The Spider-Man Games, All 17 Ranked

12. Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro (2001)

This game isn’t bad, it just doesn’t stand the test of time and is over-shadowed by it’s predecessor, Spider-Man (2000) that laid the groundwork for what this game would be. The controls and camera are hard to get used to, but at least the voice acting and puzzles are enjoyable.

11. Spider-Man Battle For New York (2006)

This is probably the best handheld Spider-Man game. Now, considering most of them aren’t that great, that isn’t saying much. Battle for New York does have some variety in its gameplay and even allow you to play as Green Goblin. It’s still a beat-em-up that gets repetitive, but the comic scenes are hard to ignore because of the beautiful art.

The Spider-Man Games, All 17 Ranked

10. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Oh man, talk about disappointment. This was the followup to the beloved Spider-Man 2 (2004) and it really let us down. There isn’t one gigantic problem with this game, but rather a combination of a lot of smaller things. For one, the city feels empty, but also the combat is basic, and it’s ugly, especially for an Xbox 360/PS3 game. It does have its merits, like the web swinging, and the amount of side missions, but there are still way better Spider-Man games out there. If you’ve never played this game before, I don’t see much reason to try it out unless you’re a die hard Spidey fan.

9. Spider-Man Web of Shadows (2008)

Here is yet another mediocre Spider-Man game. It’s not awful, but the lack of polish makes it forgettable, along with that horrible voice acting. Web of Shadows does have some cool Marvel cameos and an intriguing leveling system that you might enjoy, but the blandness and repetitive nature are enough to pass on this one.

8. Spider-Man Edge of Time (2011)

Repetitiveness is a running theme with a lot of the mediocre Spider-Man games, which is one of the glaring issues with Edge of Time. It’s got some pretty good voice acting and writing, too. This is the follow up to Shattered Dimensions (2010) and takes a lot of inspiration from that title. Edge of Time isn’t amazing, but it’s a fun 6 hours or so and has some lovely visuals.

The Spider-Man Games, All 17 Ranked

7. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

The Amazing Spider-Man, based of the 2012 movie has some great things going for it. The voice acting is enjoyable, the presentation is well-done, and the XP and collectibles are enough to keep players coming back. It, again, has some repetitive features that are hard to ignore and feature a clear rip off from the Batman: Arkham games, but this is still a decent entry in the Spider-Man catalog.

6. Spider-Man The Movie (2002)

This game was awesome when it came out. Sure, it might not hold up today, but the idea of a more realistic looking Spider-Man game was groundbreaking. This is another movie tie-in, but it does a lot right. The texture-work was great for the time, and it had some super voice acting. If only the swinging felt better, this might rank higher on the list. It’s overall, a great Spider-Man game that carries a ton of fond memories.

5. Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions (2010)

Here is where the entries on this list start to get great. Shattered Dimensions was a fresh take on the traditional Spidey formula, allowing for four different playable Spider-Men. While this game does not feature an open world, it has an interesting variety of linear levels with a ton of costumes to unlock, as well as different gameplay styles to keep you on your toes.

4. Spider-Man (2000)

Talk about nostalgia – I know this game may not hold up as well now, but Spider-Man (2000) did a lot right. It had more cameos from the Marvel Universe than I can count, varied gameplay objectives, and one of the most vast list of costumes out of any game on this list. It also featured some really funny and memorable list of cheats, like the infamous “What if?” mode and typing in Stan Lee backwards to unlock everything. As far as 3D Spider-Man games go, many of the contemporary greats owe a lot to this game.

The Spider-Man Games, All 17 Ranked

3. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Spider-Man 2 is one of the greats. It introduced a vast open world that felt alive, had a ton of collectibles and side missions and some fantastic voice acting. This was one of the first times I remember falling in love with a game based on a movie. It expanded upon everything that made the first one great and added way more replay value. This isn’t the best Spider-Man game ever and it does have its flaws, but this is a must play for super hero fans and Spider-Man fans alike.

The Spider-Man Games, All 17 Ranked

2. Ultimate Spider-Man (2005)

Talk about making a first impression. This is one of the most gorgeous Spider-Man games available, boasting that timeless comic book art style from the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. The swinging is great, the presentation is beautiful, and you can play as Venom! Seriously, running around and terrorizing the city as Venom is such a memorable experience and it makes this one of the best super hero games ever.

The Spider-Man Games, All 17 Ranked

1. Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)

This shouldn’t be a surprise – What Insomniac did with this version of Spider-Man was unexpected and truly great and we loved it. The irresistible collectibles, the sprawling open world, the heartfelt story, and the original take on the characters will make this go down as the best Spider-Man game in history. There’s a lot to be said about looking forward to the story bits, especially when the gameplay and swinging are as fun as they are. Insomniac nailed this one and I’m sure fans are eagerly awaiting the sequel.