Everyone loves to play a good superhero video game, especially any that are based on the Marvel Universe. While games like Marvel Cosmic Invasion are set to release on consoles and PC, games based on Marvel Comics have always been a big part of video gamer releases. Some of the most iconic arcade games and console releases were related to major Marvel superhero team-ups between Marvel heroes and villains. But one massive crossover that includes tons of characters from throughout the Marvel universe was something that everyone took for granted 19 years ago.

To many comics fans now, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is one of the best superhero games to release within the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 generation. It was a love letter to everything from Marvel Comics history, as well as an homage to dungeon-crawling action games like Diablo and Gauntlet. Although many people look back fondly on it now, back then so many people didn't realize how much good was coming out of Marvel Ultimate Alliance for comic fans who love the Marvel Universe. Here's why, 19 years ago, we took this excellent superhero game for granted, and how it influenced superhero games that came after.

Big Marvel team up

A spectacular assembling of heroes

Some of the biggest events in comic books involve multiple characters coming together for one reason or another. Whenever you see a big Marvel superhero team-up in comics, you know it's going to be a big deal. This is the same with video games that feature multiple characters from throughout the Marvel Universe. But what happens when you bring everybody within the universe to the fray? You get one of the best crossover superhero games of all-time.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance doesn't just bring a group of heroes from Marvel Comics into one game, it goes out of its way to include as many as possible. Everyone from The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, The Avengers, and many other groups of heroes and villains are thrown into the mix with solo characters that everyone is familiar with. It's a gathering of heroes that very few other games can match, especially in a way that feels faithful to their essence and reverence for their origins. The same goes for the many enemies and villains that Marvel Ultimate Alliance pits players against, which ranges from baddies roaming New York City, to the land of Asgard and the cosmic parts of the Marvel Universe.

Anyone that is familiar with Marvel Comics would be in awe of the scope of characters the game reaches. Whether it's obscure and lesser known characters to iconic fan favorites, there are a lot of faces that appear in Marvel Ultimate Alliance. And the best part is that it showcases all of them in a light that long-time fans, and newcomers, can truly appreciate by the end. Other games that feature Marvel heroes, like Capcom's Marvel vs Capcom series, can arguably have just as many characters in a feature role. But even games like that don't do so to the extent that Marvel Ultimate Alliance does by giving so much to each individual character in an ensemble cast.

Mighty action and legacy

Fighting battles no one hero can face

The amount of characters that the game includes is great, but how you go about playing through it all is what keeps things looking great. As an action-RPG, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is pretty simple to get into and play, but is able to have a level of depth with how each playable hero grows as they gain levels. Battling legions of enemies and taking down villainous bosses is a big part of the fun for those who just want to push the bad guys. But role-playing game fans have interesting aspects to explore with various superhero powers, stat bonuses and perks, as well as team bonuses that are granted for pairing certain heroes together.

Want to tackle a mission with The Avengers or the New Avengers? There's a boost to having the right team members selected, which can grant an extra edge in battle against tougher enemies. This aspect of the game can be taken further with different hero teams, custom lineups, and equipment picked up while defeating enemies. Things go even deeper with the assortment of costumes that each and every hero has at their disposal, giving them unique looks and more options for stat boosts. It's a fun addition to the game that further pushes the legacy of these characters uniquely, but gives players options for how they want their heroic team to look and feel while playing.

Some people might find the brawling and overhead exploration of the game to get somewhat repetitive. However, it has the same charm as a classic Diablo game, only with the visuals of Marvel Comics characters and locations. Throwing Captain America's shield to a group of baddies, or using a big attack from The Hulk on a boos fight, can be a lot of fun for anyone that knows how action-packed the adventures of Marvel heroes can get.

The phenomenal fan service

Respecting the lore and highlighting all of it

Marvel Comics has been around for a very long time, when it was known as Timely Comics back in 1939. Since then, there have been tons of tales about heroes and the greater Marvel Universe that most people may not know. There's a lot of lore to follow, but an incredibly detailed universe full of stories that has been going on for decades. For those who have seen a good portion of it, games like Marvel Ultimate Alliance have a ton of fan service that caters to those who deeply know the Marvel Universe.

From the locations you visit, to the types of enemies and characters you find within them, there is a lot of fan service that goes beyond the norm we see in other video games. Other games based on Marvel Comics may have an extra nod to aspects of characters or places, but Marvel Ultimate Alliance goes above and beyond by having really deep cuts that fans would recognize if they know the comics. It's something that is done a bit more frequently now in other superhero games, but not always to the extent that Marvel Ultimate Alliance goes to for its entire lineup of heroes and villains that appear. The closest comparisons to this would be games like the Batman Arkham series and the Marvel's Spider-Man games from Insomniac Games.

Fan service at such a high level works for licenses like Marvel Comics that have so much history to pull from. Within Marvel Ultimate Alliance, things like a trivia console can get very deep into the comic lore with details most people wouldn't know. Yet at the same time, aspects of that can be seen in the conversations between characters during dialogue, or elements of the background that might reference extra details. It's a reverence for the universe and the lore of Marvel that get better as you go deeper into it, making a game that brings together everything great about the Marvel Universe seem even more grand, going beyond being a love letter to the history and relevance of Marvel Comics.

When Earth's mightiest heroes were united

It's very easy to argue that Marvel Ultimate Alliance is one of the best superhero games of all-time. It has such a deep respect for the comics that it's based on, but also a great way to bring that to everyone who isn't a die-hard Marvel reader. Superhero games would eventually find ways to accomplish similar things in their own experiences, but many people took what Marvel Ultimate Alliance was doing for granted back then. They didn't see at first glance how much this was a quintessential experience for fans of Marvel, nor how an excellent superhero game could be done in ways unlike any other.