We know Superman has some ups and downs in various adaptations. The first two Christopher Reeve movies were great. His last two were awful. Then, Bruce Timm made a cartoon introducing a new generation of fans. The character joined forces with other DC Heroes in the 2001 cartoon, “Justice League” and its follow up, “Justice Unlimited.” The cartoons still hold up. Bryan Singer directed “Superman Returns” ignoring the 3-4 entries. Unfortunately it was a critical disappointment. Tom Welling starred in as young Clark Kent in “Smallville” during his early years before he wore the red and blue costume.
Zack Snyder rebooted Superman in “Man of Steel” as the first installment of the DC Extended Universe. Both the solo reboot and Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” were underwhelming. Joss Whedon butchered Zack’s vision of “Justice League.” Luckily the Snyder Cut became a reality. After Henry Cavill got booted out, James Gunn rebooted the entire series. David Corenswet play the Boy Scout in a 2025 film as the first entry in the DC Universe.
Superman’s solo video games are not on the same 10/10 level as Batman & Spider-Man. “Arkham City and Treyarch’s “Spider-Man 2” are top-tier classics. One notable game, “Superman 64” is labeled as one of the worst video games in history. Speaking of which, if you wanna check out a full in-depth behind-the-scenes history of Superman 64, I highly recommend Matt McMuscles’ 17-minute documentary on YouTube under his series, “What Happened?”
Released in 1999 (same year Ape Escape came out) on Nintendo 64, it was critically panned by critics, fans and gamers alike. You’ll be surprised as I am, the game was a commercial hit. Nobody buried many copies like “E.T.” on Atari. Video games weren’t too kind for Superman. He’s been in stinkers.
- Superman: Shadow of Apokolips
- Superman: The Man of Steel (Xbox only)
- Superman: Countdown to Apokolips (Game Boy Advance only)
- Superman Returns (most recent)
As of 2026, Superman has yet to earn a high quality game. He only appeared in crossover games including “Lego Batman” 2-3, “Injustice” 1-2, “Lego DC Supervillains” and the critically panned commercial flop, “Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League.” Anyway, David Corenswet will reprise his role as Supes in “Man of Tomorrow.” It’ll be released on July 9, 2027. Which is my birthday month.
Strong & Weak Aspects
Strong: Not a single redeeming quality. That’s really bad.
Weak: Gameplay/Mechanics are lackluster. Every single drawback subtracts an Additional Point per flaw. Ugh! I’d rather watch a four-cut of “Superman III” and “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace!”
I know this game was made in 1999, but the graphics are butt ugly.
An uninspired soundtrack. Ain’t memorable as John Williams or Shirley Walker’s opening tune from the ‘90s cartoon.
100% of the game takes place in a virtual world based on Metropolis. Looks nothing like the actual city depicted in the ‘90s cartoon.
N64’s control stick flying felt wonky.
You’re not allowed to use Supes’ powers unless you acquire a power-up. In the comics, movies, cartoons and other video games, Supes can use ‘em anytime. He’s not Mario.
Combat’s poorly designed. Superman swings his arms as if he’s “Johnny Bravo” doing the money dance.
Poor collision detection. If you fly to the ground, you get stuck.
Lack of a Checkpoint System. For example, if you don’t pick up a car within six seconds, you’ll go back to flying through rings. That’s so unfair.
First thing you do is fly rings. If you miss one, you’ll start over.
A convoluted level takes place inside a Dam. Well I’ll be damned. There’s so much backtracking. It lacks a mini-map/navigation system.
A tedious escort mission with Lois Lane. She sprints, stops and slowly walks. EGADS! A visual equivalent of John Belushi’s arteries. Goldeneye N64’s escort mission protecting Natalia was designed better.
Boss Battles stink. Darkseid was done dirty. Wasn’t a worthy fighter. You knock him out and carry him to the police. Darkseid doesn’t get knocked out in a single punch. It takes a lot of intense combat and strategy to beat this dude. Any match from “Injustice 2” lets you fight him regardless of any difficulty level.
Enemy AI’s incompetent as the Boss Fights. They must be programmed to be pretty dumb like Harry & Marv from “Home Alone.” I hate incompetent bad guys in serious movies like pre-Daniel Craig’s James Bond series. Alec Trevelyan & Xenia Onatopp get a pass.
You can skip Brainiac’s battle in the last level. He does nothing. Not kidding.
The Ending shows all the people Superman saved. It’s ruined when the camera zooms in and out on Clark Kent’s face.
Fun Facts
- Angry Video Game Nerd/James Rolfe did two reviews of Superman N64. He gave up the first time. Then, he resumed to endure an unpleasant experience.
- Chris Stuckmann also played the game.
Random Thought: When I was seven I used to own Superman 64. I played the first few minutes. What did I do after a failing to pass every ring? Called it quits. Giving up over a botched game is a crushing blow. I pity many parents spending their money for their kids.
The Final Verdict: F, FOR FAKER!
To paraphrase a line from “Kung Pow: Enter the Fist.” Superman 64 is badong! This game deserves a life long sentence in the Phantom Zone. The mirror prison from Christopher Reeve’s movies. Without a doubt the worst Superman game ever made, fans of Supes like Angry Joe/Joe Vargas really want a proper solo game. Superman Returns is the last time the Man of Steel starred in a solo game. Do not waste your time on Superman 64. Check out way better DC games such as the Batman Arkham series, Injustice 1-2 and Lego Batman series.
