Spider-Man is one of the most impactful fictional characters in history. Since the Spider-Man comic book debut in 1962, the character has grown into an international phenomenon with multiple movies and TV shows centering him as the protagonist. In fact, Spider-Man is the most popular action movie protagonist of all time.

While we love watching Spidey kick ass in his action movies, we also love playing as him in video games. Spider-Man video games have existed almost as long as gaming has. So, we’ve opted to rank the best to worst Spider-Man video games of the past 3 decades.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the third game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Although sequels often disappoint, that’s not the case here. As the third game in the series, we expected this title to be a culmination of its two predecessors. And it delivered a masterful plot that combines the Peter Parker and Miles Morales stories into one.

You get to play as both Peter and Miles, using their respective powers and skill sets. Aside from Venom as the main villain, you will also encounter Tombstone, Martin Li, Black Cat, The Flame, and Kraven the Hunter. The two different points of view make the gameplay that much more immersive. Our only complaint is that it can switching characters can hurt your gaming flow at times. That’s why it’s second on our list of the best to worst Spider-Man video games of the past 3 decades

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the sequel to the first game in this series. It’s also number two on our list of best to worst Spider-Man video games of the past 3 decades. Insomniac and Sony released this title in 2020, and like the rest of the games, it’s a big hit. It scored an 85/100 Metascore on Metacritic, a testament to its well-developed plotline and top-notch gameplay. This game built on its predecessors mechanics, adding the electricity powers as Miles’ original flair.

Although Spider-Man is one of the most popular superheroes, the Miles Morales’ version hasn’t been explored all that much. That is why we found this video game so refreshing. You get to play as teenager Miles, who is trying to deal with his dad’s passing and his newfound powers. Since Peter is in his twenties, Miles gives us that teen neighborhood Spider-Man vibe in this series.

Marvel’s Spider Man: Remastered

Marvel’s Spider-Man is undoubtedly one of the best action-adventure games of all time. The developers had their work cut out for them because there were multiple failed superhero video games prior. So, when Marvel’s Spider-Man dropped it made all of us stop and pay attention. The fighting mechanics are unbelievably fluid, the parkour moves feel natural, and the web swinging is intuitive.

While the original Marvel’s Spider-Man dropped in 2018, the Remastered version followed only two years later. Although this isn’t usual practice for remastered games, none of us had any complaints. Peter faces off against Martin Li and S.A.B.L.E. after defeating Fisk, making this game intense and action-packed.

Spider-Man: The Movie

Games based on movies were all the rage in the 2000s, and Spider-Man was no different. After the massive hit that was the movie Spider-Man (2002), Treyarch, LTI Grey Matter, and Digital Eclipse developed Spider-Man: The Movie. This game follows the movie plot to a T, so it may not be terribly original, but it is incredibly entertaining.

The game mechanics were ahead for their time, given that it was a title for PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox. You get to battle against Shocker, the Vulture, the Scorpion. And to top it all of, this game, with its cliffhanger ending announces the Green Goblin. Although the graphics may be outdated from this point of view, it is still a fantastic game. It may be last on our list of best to worst Spider-Man video games of the past 3 decades, but it’s definitely worth your time.