Welcome to the super list of the best DC Comics video games.
We have seen the Marvel universe explode in popularity over the years since the launch of “phase one” of their film adaptations.
But let’s not forget that Marvel has its own Nintendo-vs-Sega type competitor – DC Comics.
The launch of “New Fun #1” by DC Comics in February 1935 predated the very first Marvel comic by 4.5 years.
And with their own film universe starting to get its footing, DC Comics should not be counted out.
There have been a large number of video game adaptations over the years… some great, some not so great. But a number of DC Comics video games can be spotted on any “greatest video games of all time” type lists.
So let’s break down our favorites: Here are our best DC Comics video games of all time!
Table of Contents
10. Superman Arcade (1988)
Let’s start this one off with something a little different… as I tend to do.
If you’re looking for an exciting arcade game that has a little beat ’em up, a little shoot ’em up, then look no further than the 1988 Superman Arcade title.
The game was developed by Taito, who also brought us classics like Space Invaders, Qix, Bubble Bobble… the list goes on.
Was Superman their greatest achievement?
Nah. But, it was certainly a worthy addition to the world of superhero video games in the late 80s. It was also one of the only ones, so… you know, it ranks high by default.
The game features its own unique storyline, antagonist, and even has a second player Superman character (whose existence is never explained).
Superman is a character who has yet to really have his own worthy video game adaptation. But the original Superman arcade game was a decent entry and felt worthy at the time of its popularity.
9. DC Universe Online (2011)
DC Universe Online is a free online multiplayer action game featuring a large cast of DC Comics characters.
The original game was released in 2011 on the PS3, and has since seen releases on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
You play as your own player created character following a new path through the world of DC Comics and experience a unique storyline in that world.
Like many “free” games, the game is supported through micro-transactions. And the episodic content is only available to those who pay for it.
But for fans of the DC universe who want to experience all that the online world has to offer, paying a small fee helps keep those updates coming.
And of course, you are supporting the makers of the game. It’s easy to hate on micro-transactions, but hard to complain when you got the initial package for free.
At one point, DC Universe Online had over 18 million users, and had nearly half a million active players and 40k paying subscribers at the end of 2020.
The community in DC Universe Online is still active, and as crazy as you might expect with half a million self created super heroes running around.
8. Batman: The Video Game (1989)
Yup, it’s the caped crusader we know and love: Batman.
It wasn’t his first video game outing, and certainly not the last. But in our opinion, it’s one of the best Batman video games of all time.
Batman: The Video Game was developed by Sunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and they were certainly no stranger to the video game boom of the 80s and 90s.
Sunsoft were responsible for a ton of games we grew up on, including Spy Hunter, Trip World, Aero the Acro-Bat, and Flashback, to name a few.
Batman: The Video Game just happened to be one of their earlier entries in the history of video games… and they did quite well.
They were also responsible for the Game Boy and Sega Genesis ports. But it was the NES version of the Batman game that really hits home for us.
It has a look and feel that is unique to the Nintendo console, and it just reminds us of our childhood.
The NES version of Batman: The Video Game was unique to the other entries in many ways, and it featured a mechanic that was quite unusual at that time (and a mechanic that became quite popular in more recent times) – wall jumping!
We would be remiss if we didn’t include this classic title in our list of the best DC video games of all time. So here it is!
7. Gotham City Imposters (2012)
Have you ever been curious what it would be like to follow some of the Batman-inspired vigilantes who trade blows with the wack-jobs who call the Joker their boss?
Well, lucky for us, there’s a game about exactly that – Gotham City Imposters!
The 2012 first-person shooter Gotham City Imposters brings online multiplayer madness to the comfort of our home consoles and personal computers.
You design your own vigilante or joker and take to the streets with guns, knives, and gadgets to see who is better… team Bats or team Jokerz.
Find out what it’s like to be one of the rue working class goons wreaking havoc in Gotham City while the name brand heroes and villains are somewhere else in the city getting all the attention from mainstream media.
It’s all an action packed, comedy filled FPS with friends and it’s a heck of a fun title.
6. Lego Batman: The Videogame (2008)
I know, we got a looot of Batman on our list (don’t worry, there’s even more to come).
With with over 70 video game appearances, we shouldn’t be surprised that he ranks so often on this list of best DC video games.
Heck, we even have a list dedicated to him here: check out the Best Batman Games.
But you know who we have yet to mention on this list who also happens to make a lot of appearances on other “best” lists?
Lego!
Besides ranking a ton of actual Lego sets, such as the Best Lego Nintendo Sets or the Best Minecraft Lego Sets, we even made a list of the 20 Best Lego Games Of All Time.
As the first entry in the Lego Batman series, Lego Batman: The Videogame is as fun as you might expect from a Lego video game.
Why is it that Lego pairs so well with pretty much any other franchise for a video game title?
Well one thing that for sure always makes Lego video games so enjoyable is the amount of comedy they include. They are usually well written and make for an unexpected journey.
Lego Batman: The Videogame features an original storyline, so you won’t know what’s coming next, even if you’re an avid Batman fan.
All the more reason to give this game a try.
5. The Wolf Among Us (2013)
If you are a video game fan, surely you know the works of Telltale Games.
The Walking Dead is their obvious banger that pretty much everybody will know about, and that series appeared on our list of the Best Zombie Games For PS3.
What you may not know is that their series The Wolf Among Us is based on a DC Comics classic series by Bill Willingham: Fables. The Fables series covers classic folklore and fairy tale characters.
The Wolf Among Us follows Bigby Wolf in his work as an investigator in the Fables universe.
Like other classic Telltale games, the content is presented in an episodic manor, and game play focuses on dialogue, quick time events and player choice.
It’s an entirely unique game play experience, and is perfect for those who are more interested in a cool interactive story.
A followup, The Wolf Among Us 2, is due to release in 2023. But that game is being developed by an iteration of Telltale Games that was acquired after the original company was forced to close their doors due to financial problems.
They also made a Batman series, but with Batman taking up half of this list, we wanted to give some other properties some shine.
We are happy that this game was based on a DC Comics property, making it an easy entry on this list of the best DC video games of all time.
4. Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013)
It’s quite surprising that Retro Dodo has never featured an Injustice title in our rankings, so here’s Injustice: Gods Among Us to right that wrong!
The Injustice series features awesome Mortal Kombat style fighting with some of our favorite characters from the DC Comics universe.
Oh and it’s easy to see why it shares similarities to some of the Best Mortal Kombat Games, because it was developed by NetherRealm Studios who created the current generation of MK titles.
Featuring an incredible cast, including Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Deathstroke, Green Lantern, Joker, Harley Quinn, Cyborg, and Black Adam (to name a few), fans of the DC Comics universe will surely have their favorites present at battle.
The game’s creative director, Ed Boon, was also a part of development for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and almost every one of the Mortal Kombat titles. He even voiced some of the main characters from the early Mortal Kombat games, such as Scorpion.
Boon said that the goal of the first Injustice game was to do something different than Mortal Kombat and be a little creative and over the top with the game play.
So if you enjoy the game play of a Mortal Kombat title, but want something new and different.. with some of your favorite DC Comics characters.. Injustice: Gods Among Us is here to save the day!
3. Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)
I am a giant fan of the series of Batman games from Rocksteady Studios, and this next entry in our list of the best DC Comics video games is one of the best.
All of ’em are insanely good, and most fans are torn between which is their favorite. My personal favorite of the series is Batman: Arkham Knight.
It has everything we love about third person action hero games; technical melee combat, really great puzzles, incredible story telling and voice acting, and a large cast of characters we know and love.
And a new addition to the series that makes it that much better: the Batmobile!
Here is why the addition of the Batmobile is so exciting: It’s not just a vehicle. It is also a weapon and a really unique mechanic to introduce in the puzzle solving portions of the game.
Rocksteady found some truly interesting ways to incorporate the Batmobile in all aspects of the game play, and I think it is my favorite part of “Arkham Knight”.
And of course, being a part of that Arkham series… the graphics are top notch. Of course, it’s a dark game, but I always remember it as a feast of light and color, and there’s never a shortage of stuff to see.
In my opinion, this is the best Batman game of all time. It’s definitely one of the best DC games.
But if there’s any Batman game that a majority vote would probably say is best, it would be….
2. Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)
As the first game in the Arkham series by Rocksteady Studios, Batman: Arkham Asylum is still considered by most the absolute best.
The 2009 release was truly unique at the time of its release, and it introduced so many elements that became mainstays in the series.
These elements include dynamic melee combat, stealth, detective work, intriguing puzzle elements, gadgets, a ton of familiar characters, and some of the best storytelling and voice acting of any video game.
Batman Arkham Asylum included the voice acting of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, who voiced Batman and the Joker in the Batman Animated Series.
And the frienemy relationship in Arkham Asylum is as chaotic as ever. As we should expect, the Joker causes all kinds of problems for Gotham City, and Batman faces one of his most intense challenges yet.
Everything about Batman Arkham Asylum is top notch. And both players and critics agree that it is one of the best video games ever created. It still holds a strong 91-92% score on Metacritic.
So for that reason, Arkham Asylum beats my own personal favorite of Arkham Knight, and wins the majority vote as the absolute best Batman video game of all time.
And obviously… it’s one of the best DC video games, since yer lookin at it on this list!
I can’t wait to check out the upcoming Gotham Knights due out later this month and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League due to release in 2023. These will surely find their way on future “best” lists.
1. Injustice 2 (2017)
The results are in, and Injustice 2 is the officially winner of our best DC Comics video games list.
The first entry in the Injustice game series was killer, but with an expansion to the roster of characters and the introduction of a “Gear System”… we have to give our number one spot on this list of the best DC video games to Injustice 2.
When looking at the two games side by side, it’s impossible to ignore the giant leap in visual quality in Injustice 2. It’s just a feast for the eyes in every way.
Injustice 2 features beautiful interactive environments, competitive combat mechanics, and introduced a loot dropping system that allows players to collect new aesthetic and stat-boosting items for their characters.
This concept of RPG like character development played a large role in NetherRealm’s concept for this Injustice sequel. And this loot progression system that gives players a reason to keep coming back over and over.
To create the incredible graphics of the game, the developers implemented advanced photogrammetry facial scans to reference expressions for every character.
There are over 50 characters in the massive roster of DC and guest characters. Some of the obvious ones included are Batman, Joker, Green Lantern, Shazam, Black Adam, Flash… the list goes on.
And of course, fighting is what this game is all about… and Injustice 2 features some of the most exciting fight mechanics out there.
Injustice 2 has been featured in many eSports events with large cash prizes.
If you’re looking for the absolute best DC Comics video game out there, Injustice 2 is that game.
