Anniversary 25 Years Ago, One Of The Worst Video Games Of All Time Hit The N64

I actually beat this game a few years back. I didn't spend money to play it, just use my Everdrive, but of course I paid the price with wasting many hours of my lifespan.

Without hyperbole, it is the worst game I've ever beaten. The level of rage I felt while playing it is still unmatched to this day, and will likely remain unchallenged for as long as I live.

Perhaps fittingly, the guides for this turdfest on GameFAQs (of which there are two) are both poorly written and filled with sloppy explanations.

The game has an endless list of flaws and issues, but by far the number one biggest complaint I have is that none of the indoor levels (half of the game) have any checkpoints. The crazy part is that checkpoints are programmed into the game, and can randomly activate for the easier outdoor levels, but the developers in their infinite stupidity chose not to add checkpoints for the indoor levels.

Don't get me started on the final level, there are simply no words to describe how much I despise it.

Every time someone brings this garbage game up, my PTSD flares back again. So thanks for reminding me about the torture I put myself through like an idiot!

Just remember that all the hatred towards this game should be directed at incompetent people at WB. Per the wikipedia page for this game:

"Only a few days after the deal was made, the Warner Bros. licensing team changed. Based on Caen's testimony, the new group instantly hated Titus and the project and tried to stop its development. The first demand was to make Superman "a Sim City-like game, where Superman would be like the mayor of Metropolis", instead of an action game. Warner Bros. only got more coercive after Titus rejected the idea, going against any decision of the French developer. Often, their reasoning for rejection was that Superman would never do the things Titus proposed. Elements that survived, such as Superman swimming underwater, were kept in after Titus staff members showed documentation of the original Superman comics.

Some changes were mandated for reasons of putting the fictional DC Comics hero in a positive light. In addition to the limiting of Superman's powers and removal of breakable architecture, the game was set in a virtual world in order for the titular hero to not harm "real" people. Although the ring stages were originally supposed to be tutorial stages, they became a part of regular gameplay due to the other changes. These conflicts resulted in a delayed production process where "it took [Titus] months to get every single character approved" and an inability to fix bugs and issues associated with the collision detection and controls that the final product would be criticized for. Near the end of its development, technical support was provided for Titus by Nintendo of America."

I'll always wonder what could have been had WB not inflicted it's usual stupidity on the team trying to make the game.

This is one of the few infamously bad games that actually deserves its reputation. It really is that bad!

Still awaiting the day ProtonJon finishes his youtube playthrough of this game. I remember trying this game through emulation and the controls were a hot mess. I do love all the behind-the-scenes development history of this game though.

Tbf aside from the sunsoft genesis game and the weird arcade cabinet almost all of Superman’s games have been some of the worst ever lol. Death and return comes close to being good but it ruins that by having like no variety and being insanely frustrating.

I pre-ordered this based on Nintendo Power's preview. I ended up just using it as a flying simulator; throwing on John William's iconic score and soaring around "Metropolis." Really wish Factor 5 would have gotten a chance to produce their proposed Superman title....

To me, with how butthurt Warner Bros. were during development, it feels like they didn't even knew what they wanted in the first place.

And 25 years later WB sabotaged another Superman game when they insisted Kill the Justice League be a live service looter shooter. Plus ça change! 😩

2006 Superman Returns no different

Any N64 Magazine fans or former workers lurking in the shadows?

I have a secret:
I own the N64 Magazines review-cartridge of this game.
With the magazine name written in permanent black marker on it by a mystery person, presumably someone in the magazine.
It was won in a competition, where they handed out old stuff from the office.

They awarded it 14% in the August 1999 issue.
"Verdict: An utterly hopeless, consistently appaling leper of a 'game'. Bordering on the illegal."

The Superman 64 review was written by Tim Weaver, who now writes books:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Weaver_(author)

The N64 Magazine review, along with some other magazine reviews of the game can be found here:
https://www.nintendo64ever.com/Tests-Nintendo-64-Game,338,Superman,1.html

About the N64 Magazine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_Magazine

I’m watching Superman: The Animated Series on Max now, which, if knowledge serves me right, this game was loosely based on. I’ve not ever played this game, but based on the gameplay I’ve seen… I don’t think I’m missing out…

Gosh, I remember picking this up brand new at a local Goodwil in my town. Brand new, on the shelf, a stack they had actually! $10 a piece all at a thrift/charity shop. I didn't understand it at the time, I must have been 7 years old! A brand new N64 for a deal? Sure thing!

I seriously thought I was just terrible at the game. Some five or ten years later was when I realized everyone was bad at it!

Never got around to trying this. I knew it was bad even back then and wouldn’t even give it a rental.

@MS7000 I wonder if people were bothering him too much to finish.
I heard him once speak of someone who attended a convention in order to annoy him in person.

Probably the only well known N64 game that Ive never played. Remember Vroom in the Night Sky? People were so angry about that back in 2017.

@KingMike To be fair, I wouldn't blame him if he never finishes it because of the all the grief he gets. Some people are rather mean spirited with the jokes regarding the lengthy wait between episodes, which I remember sering him comment back with annoyance.

@Lofoten

I came here to mention N64 magazine and “Lex Luther’s ‘Solve My Maze’”! 😂

The SuperPlay/N64 Mag/NGC times were so wonderful.

Had the pleasure of reading the N64 Magazine review (from off the rack in the '90s), also.

Of all things, '"Solve my maze!" dares Lex' has been an evergreen Superman memory ever since. The game? Never played it.

An exasperated "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's crap!" is in the publication too.

I'm late, but happy anniversary Superman 64!
What more can I say? Your infamous reputation is well derserved.

I saw the game sitting in a used bin at a GameStop many years ago. That was close enough for me.