Marvel Has Taken Over App Gaming

There’s a somewhat-surprising lack of major video games based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or even the comics’ extensive lineup of characters. There have been a few noteworthy Spider-Man titles over the years, and the LEGO Marvel games are always fun. But there’s not a signature Avengers-related game, or even a high-profile Marvel beat-’em-up (which it seems it would be easy enough to design) available for consoles.

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But don’t let this fool you into thinking Marvel’s entertainment empire doesn’t include a meaningful presence in gaming. It’s been subtle given the sheer size of the app gaming market, but the comic book giant has actually developed a major collection of games available on mobile platforms. The games won’t necessarily satisfy the needs of those wishing for another Marvel Vs. Capcom or a giant, open-world Avengers adventure for Xbox or Playstation. But they certainly offer a huge range of entertainment related to everyone’s favorite comic characters.

These aren’t all of the app games that involve Marvel characters, but they should give you a good idea of the quality and variety that’s out there.

Kabam’s Contest Of Champions

Undoubtedly the highest profile mobile Marvel game at this point, MARVEL Contest Of Champions has become something of a sensation among fans of the comic studio. Kabam is known for a selection of expansive app games, as the company has struck a balance between repetitive gameplay and an ability to offer constant achievement and new accomplishments. Just this fall, they’ve released a new Star Wars game that could become an even bigger deal than the Marvel title given the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

But for now it’s Contest Of Champions that’s quite literally making headlines as one of the most influential app games in recent memory. The game itself is a character collecting and brawling game in which you can gather your favorite Marvel characters and take them through all kinds of challenges, all the while upgrading them and improving their abilities. But it’s actually the underlying concept of the game that’s made it such a big deal. The premise is that The Collector has essentially captured and enslaved Marvel heroes and villains to fight in contests for his amusement (and ultimately in a battle against The Maestro). And it’s been such a hit with fans that it’s being turned into an original Marvel comic series. Marvel and Kabam have even co-created an entirely new character in the form of French revolutionary assassin Guillotine.

MARVEL Future Fight

MARVEL Future Fight is actually a newer game than Contest Of Champions, as it was released to app stores just this past April. And frankly, it might even be the more substantive game, consisting of a clearer narrative and more varied heroes, whereas Contest Of Champions, for all its limitless action, can begin to feel repetitive.

That’s not to say Future Fight’s story is completely clear or makes total sense. Basically, something weird has happened with alternate dimensions, and Nick Fury instructs you to gather a team of heroes and set things straight. The dimensional issue is pretty much an excuse for there to be evil versions of good characters in the game, but the effect is pretty cool. You can gather a bunch of heroes, playing with any three at a time through a dungeon-crawler format and you encounter a satisfying range of opponents through the game.

Gala’s Mobile Games

It’s become fairly common to find Marvel games at online casino platforms. Casino sites use a lot of different tactics to seize the interest of potential players, and one of those is to use characters and settings from popular shows, comics, films, and even literature to establish atmospheres for arcade and slot machine games. And within this idea, superheroes are often used most, with Marvel games appearing at a number of sites.

But such games are usually reserved for online platforms, with a few exceptions. Gala Bingo’s variety of Marvel-themed games is also accessible through the site’s mobile edition, which essentially brings a whole new type of Marvel gaming app to the public. You won’t find the action of Contest Of Champions, the progression of Future Fight, or the character selection of either. But you will find some of your favorite heroes livening up a form of gaming that can otherwise be somewhat dull after a time.

DeNA’s Marvel Mighty Heroes

DeNA is known for a unique collection of titles including the world-builder Godus and an excellent Star Wars tower defense experience. But Marvel Mighty Heroes may just be their best game to date, as it manages to combine elements of all other Marvel games into one fun experience.

The only area in which it’s slightly lacking is design, as Mighty Heroes opted for a more kid-friendly look. Thus the heroes are reminiscent of things like Mii characters on Nintendo Wii, or even the animations from the old Backyard sports series. Nevertheless the game is spectacular. It’s a roving brawler and hero collection experience, but its selection of over 100 characters and its ability to support up to four players in a co-op mode make it unique.

Zen’s Pinball Collection

Zen Studios has released a number of different themed pinball games, and has touched on everything from the Star Wars universe to the poplar FX animated show Archer. But among their games there’s also a Marvel Pinball option that proves, much as the aforementioned casino games do, that involving Marvel heroes makes pretty much everything more interesting.

The standard pinball table included in the Marvel game is very S.H.I.E.L.D.-focused, with Nick Fury taking center stage and Loki standing defiantly at the top of the table. The Avengers are dotted here and there around the table, some just as designs and some as active features of the table. The game has several additional tables that can be purchased within the app, such as a Spider-Man vs. Venom setup and one table entirely focused on the world from Guardians Of The Galaxy.

Again, these are not the only Marvel app games out there. But this selection should give you an idea of just how thoroughly Marvel and its gaming partners have taken advantage of mobile opportunities.