The many faces of Wolverine

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A look back at every game with Marvel's feral fighter


Above: You can’t really tell what happened, but Wolverine just leveled up

X-Men: The Official Game (Activision, 2006) – PS2, GameCube, Xbox, 360, DS
The Officially Official game nicely bridges the gap between the second and third movies yet suffers from being a movie game (read: kind of sucks). You play as chumps like Nightcrawler and Iceman in various segments of the game, but Wolverine gives you the most APMs (awesomes per minute) to keep you from weeping excessively.


Above: His claws apparently make magic in this one – snikt!

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Wolverine (LJN, 1991) – NES
First full-on Wolverine game and the first platforming X-Men game. Classic in that this game is most known for punishing you by using Wolverine’s trademark claws. Every time you deploy them (with the Select button), you lose health. His claws aren’t even his powers! Anyway, burgers and sodas refill his health… for some reason.




Above: Looking for action at the center of the Earth

Wolverine: Adamantium Rage (Acclaim, 1994) – SNES, Genesis
Interestingly, Wolverine’s second solo adventure (his occupation is “adventurer” after all) is slightly different in both the Genesis and SNES versions. The opening cutscenes vary slightly in presenting the same story before the game begins proper. There are some strange gameplay differences like a timer in the Genesis version that will kill if you’re idle too long. That sucks because your health regenerates over time… stand still too long and you lose a life? That negates the whole purpose!


Above: One day Logan, everything the sun touches will be yours

X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (Activision, 2003) – PS2, GameCube, Xbox, PC, GBA
Very loosely based on the best movie in the series, X2: X-Men United, Wolverine’s Revenge has the mutant (voiced by Mark Hamill) slashing his way to the Weapon X facility in order to cure himself from a virus. Decent action game and features Sabretooth pretty prominently, even though he (seemingly) died in the first movie. Wait a second, Apocalypse shows up too. And Wolverine is modeled more like his comic book self, with a leather jacket and wifebeater underneath. This game isn’t based on the movie at all. Never mind, it doesn’t count.


Above: The old endless mirror trick

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Activision, 2009) – PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS
Even though Origins is based off this Friday’s Wolverine film, it’s decidedly more violent. While the movie is PG-13, you’ll see severed limbs, heads and (obviously) tons of the red stuff. Combos are of the light/heavy variety, but there’s a new regeneration technique featuring multiple layers of muscle and skin to grow back. The only time a Wolverine game will be educational.


Above: His Legendary outfit. Keep reading for the final unlockable costume!