1989's 'The Uncanny X-Men' Ranked 'Worst NES Game of All Time'

A ranking by Den of Geek has named 1989's The Uncanny X-Men as the worst game ever released on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Often simply referred to as Marvel's X-Men, this action platformer is based on the comic book series of the same name and allows users to play as their favorite superheroes and battle against iconic villains.

Unfortunately, the game has a notorious reputation for its poor graphics, unconventional controls, and inaccurate depction of the beloved characters. In a one-star review, Allgame labelled it a "strange, laughably bad mess of a game". Plenty of other reviews echo the same sentiments.

The concept of the game is simple: users can play as a variety of superheroes with unique abilities that allow them to complete challenges and defeat villains, moving through a story that culminates in a final battle against supervillain Magneto.

The story is inspired by the Uncanny X-Men comic strips, which are still being published today. As Marvel's longest-running comic series, the X-Men have become an integral part of superhero culture.

The NES game, however, is clearly far less beloved. In Den of Geek's ranking, they don't struggle to find aspects of the game to criticise. Whether it's the "non-existent" hit detection, the music that "assaults your ears", or the graphics that are "so bad you quite literally can't tell where you are or what you're doing."

The Nintendo Entertainment System had already been out for four years by the time The Uncanny X-Men came along in 1989, and it would only be another two years before the SNES revolutionized gaming once more. This leaves The Uncanny X-Men stuck in the middle of two distinct periods of creativity and innovation, without much to say for itself.

There had already been several brilliant NES games by 1989; The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. 3 had both been huge hits, introducing plenty of new features that made them feel fresh and exciting. The Uncanny X-Men didn't have that benefit. It was using the same mechanics as previous games—though, according to many, much worse.

Although its legacy is now one of obsolesence and lighthearted mockery, The Uncanny X-Men lives on as an endearing reminder of how far video games have come since the experimental period of the late '80s.