The ten best classic superhero games

#7. The Punisher (Arcade)

It’s important that I emphasize that this is specifically the arcade version and not the very mediocre Genesis port of The Punisher. I am not a real big fan of The Punisher; I feel he’s a pretty one-dimensional character. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a really solid 2D brawler, and that’s exactly what Capcom’s The Punisher is.

And that’s the funny thing. There have been a few Punisher games over the decades, but this is arguably the best one, and it removes one of Frank Castle’s defining traits, which is the very liberal use of guns to kill people. I mean, you could still get guns dropped from enemies and use them, but they weren’t always available and often not the best way to deal with enemies. You had access to plenty of other weapons and even the occasional hand grenade and flamethrower. Also, you could play as Nick Fury as player two! Almost no other Marvel game lets you play as any version of Nick Fury. This is the kind of brawler Capcom could do in its sleep in the 90s, but that also meant it was a top quality one and well worth revisiting if you have the chance in an arcade or otherwise.