The Death and Return of Superman is a side-scrolling beat ’em up video game released by Sunsoft for the Super NES and Genesis in 1994. It is based on “The Death of Superman” comic book storyline by DC Comics and features many characters from the comics, including Superman himself, Superboy, Steel, Cyborg Superman, the Eradicator, and Doomsday. All of the five Supermen are playable characters at some point.
The Genesis and Super NES versions are near identical, with totally different soundtracks for each version.
Gameplay
Gameplay consists of standard beat ’em up sections
The Death and Return of Superman has standard “beat ’em up” gameplay, in which the player controls a character that can move in all directions. A set number of foes will enter the screen and only after they are defeated can the character continue on the quest. Although different in appearance, each character has the same basic abilities: standard melee attacks (punches), grappling attacks (get close enough to character and attack), throws (holding the forward key and attacking), grab and throw upward (holding the “up” key and attacking), grab and throw backward (holding the “back” key and attacking), or grab and pummel (hold the “down” key and attack), a projectile attack, and an “ultimate” attack that destroys all standard enemies on the screen. Their attacks only slightly vary, mostly in range and appearance.
Plot
The game starts when Clawster and his army and Underworlders initiate a power failure in the city of Metropolis in an attempt to take over the city. Superman intervenes and defeats the horde of Underdwellers, Clawster included. Not long after the power is restored, a news report bulletin states a monster of unknown origin (Doomsday) is leading a path of destruction towards Metropolis, and the Justice League were unable to stop the creature. The titanic struggle between Superman and Doomsday reached a conclusion when the two delivered each other the killing blow. Superman succumbs to his injuries as he dies, as well as Doomsday.
Reception
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2018) |
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 59% (SNES)[1] 48% (Genesis)[2] |
Next Generation reviewed the Genesis version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that “If you must catch a glimpse of your favorite superhero, buy the comic book, not the game.”[3]
in a retrospective review, Brett Weiss of Allgame reviewed the SNES version and gave a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, he praised the graphics being colorful and realistic, he also praised the game music and sound effects and said the game is a typical action/platform game with nothing really new to add to the genre concluding: “Even so, this is one of the better superhero games for the Super Nintendo.”[4]
IGN placed the SNES version 81st in their Top 100 SNES Games of All Time.[5] In 2018,Complex ranked the game 100th on their The Best Super NES Games of All Time stating: “Quite possibly the only good Superman game ever made.”[6]
References
- ^ “The Death and Return of Superman SNES Review Score”. Archived from the original on 2019-05-13.
- ^ “The Death and Return of Superman Genesis Review Score”. Archived from the original on 2019-05-16.
- ^ “Finals”. Next Generation. No. 2. Imagine Media. February 1995. p. 100.
- ^ Brett Alan Weiss. “The Death and Return of Superman SNES Allgame Review”. Allgame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ Top 100 SNES Games of All Time – IGN.com, retrieved 2021-02-09
- ^ Knight, Rich (April 30, 2018). “The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time”. Complex. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
