Since first throwing down with The Incredible Hulk all the way back in 1974, Wolverine has consistently captured the imaginations of Marvel fans and writers alike. By the ‘80s, the sideburns enthusiast was a smash hit with comic book readers, enjoying mainstream popularity to this day.
Unsurprisingly, this popularity has led to the character enjoying appearances in many forms of media.From Hugh Jackman’s long-running workportraying him in films to cartoons and video games, Wolverine’s pop-cultural influence has spread far and wide over the years. Of the many games to feature the healing factor maestro, a select few have taken the cake in their takes on him.
5X-Men Children of the Atom Is An Early Example Of Nailing Wolverine In Gaming
Metacritic User Score: 7.5
In one of Capcom’s earlier cracks at bringing Wolverine to life, fans got to see him pop his claws in the arcade medium.Serving as a sort ofStreet Fightergamefor the legendary Marvel team, the game provided plenty of colorful visuals and explosive action attacks.
In a great addition for fans of the classicX-Men: The Animated Series, voice actor Cal Dodd lent his talent to the Wolverine character once again here. The result was the closest to a full capture of the Wolvie character in gaming at that point in time. From the voice to the outfit, to the tough guy hero’s relentless claw attacks,the game set a new standardfor capturing one of Marvel’s most beloved characters.
4X-Men Origins: Wolverine Gave Fans A Grisly Showcase Of The Hero’s Fighting Skills
Metascore: 75
While the 2009 prequel movie of the same name was not warmly received,its video game tie-inproved to be a pleasant surprise. Moving through the plot of the film - and adding a few more setpieces for extra action - this bloodthirsty game finally gave fans a Wolverine gorefest.
Rated R, it heavily emphasizes the horrifying damage Wolverine would do in combat. As limbs fly and blood flows, players also get to see plenty of grisly visuals of Wolverine’s injuries and regenerating abilities as he hacks and slashes his way through near-countless enemies. While theX-Men Originsplot, including the infamous Weapon XI take on Deadpool and Wolverine losing his memories via a head wound, remains, the gameplay, references, and style all make it one of the more definitive takes on Wolverine in gaming. Overall, it’s a must-play for fans ofHugh Jackman’s seminal, long-running film takeon the character.
3The Marvel vs. Capcom Series Has Frequently Showcased Wolverine’s Fighting Prowess
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s Metascore: 80
This classic, hard-hitting fighting series has provided fans with plenty of action-packed Wolverine hijinks over the years. While conspicuously absent from 2017’sInfinite, the clawed Canadian has often proven to be a show-stealer over the years.
Considering Wolverine himself has often bragged about his immensely brutal combat expertise,it’s hardly surprising he’s a perfect fit for this kind of game. With his classic yellow and blue costume and typically gruff demeanor, the Weapon X project survivor boasts rapid speed and an immensely high health bar in his series appearances. Logan’s last appearance in the series, back inUltimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3continued this trend of him being a dangerous but often self-destructive combatant. Reckless, vicious, and unpredictable, theMarvel vs. Capcomfranchise has perfectly captured the violent threat Wolverine poses on multiple occasions.
TheUltimate Allianceseriesprovided players with the chance to play as an impressive variety of Marvel’s finest. For Wolverine fans, there are plenty of moments to enjoy the dangerous heroics the character has become so notorious for.
The intro scene to the original game captures Wolverine in all of his surly tough guy glory. During a surprise attack on a SHIELD helicarrier, Captain America hands out orders to Spider-Man and Thor before getting completely shut down by the always-individualistic Logan. Later on, Wolverine can be heard laughing as he destroys and crashes an enemy aircraft, highlighting his unsettling love for violence and mayhem. While he might not be the main character oftheUltimate Allianceseries, Wolverine still enjoys a fun, comic-book-focused adaptation that gives fans of the character plenty of replayable fun to uncover.
1X-Men Legends Gave Players A Classic, Comic Book-Friendly Take On The Character
Metascore: 82
Logan fills in as one of a whopping 15 (by the standards of the time) playable charactersin this well-received piece of mutant mayhem. Much of the narrative focuses on supervillain Magneto’s latest dastardly, world-destroying plot.
The game’s distinctive visual styleserves as an effective homage to its comic book source material. Wolverine is among the many characters to enjoy an effective adaptation. One of the first and leading playable characters, Wolverine’s mysterious past, penchant for bloodshed, and bad attitude are all on full display throughout bothX-Men Legendsand theRise of Apocalypsesequel.
