Comic book characters have been a big part of people’s lives since early childhood, whether they realize it or not. They also may not have been introduced through the medium of comic books either, as these characters have gone on to excel in other areas too. There have been a vast amount of TV shows, films and various games based on the likes of Superman, Batman, and Spiderman over the years; so you could say it’s games in their various forms, where comic book characters have really hit dizzy heights.
Before the era of computer and video games, there were board games and these gave people and families hours of fun. It comes as no surprise really that comic book characters such as The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, and Aquaman found their way in this sector with many fans quick to buy a comic book based board game. One of the best must be the 3D board game known as Super Powers Skyscraper Caper. This allowed players to play as their favorite DC Comic character as they looked to take on villains such as The Joker and Lex Luthor. Players were aiming to push the villain from the skyscraper and this game provided plenty of entertainment.
Then came along video games and these literally took the world by storm. Now comic book fans and those who enjoyed watching Superman et al on both the small screen and the bigger screen would get the chance to play as their favorite protagonist as they fought against evil to save the world. Two titles which really stand out are Batman: Arkham Asylum and Spider-Man. The latter is a next-gen game which really brought Batman to life in a video game with a great storyline and clever melee and stealth features. Spider-Man was the first ever game where players really got to experience all his abilities, including swinging from building to building. There were also plenty of recognizable characters too including Venom and Octopus.
Comic book characters have also gone on to be hugely popular and successful in other areas of gaming too. With the advancements in technology when it comes to smartphones and tablets, more games are being produced for the smaller screen. We’ve also seen online casino and slots developers use comic book characters as a base for content too. Gaming giants such as Microgaming are always on the lookout for ways they can attract and retain players; so it was a natural course to focus on popular superheroes. This innovative gaming company supplies established online casino brands like Unibet with best of breed online casino games like Thunderstruck, which is an exciting 5 reel slot game based on Thor, the God of Thunder.
It’s likely as time progresses that we will continue to see comic book characters play a leading role in the entertainment industry. There are always new films on the horizon and with that comes more games in various forms. With new technology such as virtual reality and augmented reality now going mainstream, could we see some games developed using this tech in the not too distant future?