Superman (1988 video game)

Did You Know?

• In Japan, Game Machine listed Superman as the fifth most successful table arcade unit of March 1989.
• Computer and Video Games gave the game a positive outlook, while Your Sinclair's Ciarán Brennan gave it a negative one.
• AllGame's Brad Cook rated it two out of five stars.

Gameplay

The player controls Superman through five levels, fighting the evil Emperor Zaas, a villain similar to Brainiac. The first player uses the traditional blue Superman, while the second player controls a red Superman with a grey cape; this alternate costume is unexplained and purely a cooperative mechanic. The game begins in Metropolis, then moves to San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Washington, D.C. Superman can punch, kick, and fly, and can perform a projectile 'Sonic Blast' by holding and releasing the punch button. Objects in levels can be thrown or broken; some release blue crystals that restore energy, yellow crystals that grant one free projectile attack, or red crystals (in flying stages) that defeat all on-screen enemies. The first four levels consist of three parts: a side-scrolling segment, a vertically scrolling flying segment, and a final side-scrolling shooter segment where Superman uses heat vision instead of kicking, dodging obstacles like rocks. Each part ends with a boss. The final level, set on the boss's spaceship, adds an extra side-scrolling shooting section at the start and an additional final boss fight.