Punisher video games

The Marvel Comics' anti-hero Punisher has made several appearances on numerous electronic and gaming platforms.

1990 (console)

A Punisher game for the Nintendo Entertainment System was produced by LJN Toys in 1990. The player controls the Punisher character from an over-the-shoulder perspective through various New York City locations, shooting thugs and battling supervillains as bosses (the final boss was the Kingpin).

The game was also ported to the Game Boy in 1991. It plays in a manner similar to Operation Wolf and features a cameo appearance by Spider-Man. The Kingpin was the final boss in all versions except for Game Boy, which used Jigsaw.

1990 (computer)

Also in 1990, MicroProse produced a Punisher computer game for DOS and Amiga.^[1] It features three different modes of gameplay: driving the Punisher's "Battle Van", walking through NYC's streets and select buildings, and scuba diving.

1993

A coin-operated arcade game titled The Punisher was released in 1993 by Capcom. The game is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up in the vein of Capcom's Final Fight, where the player can control the Punisher or Nick Fury on their quest to kill The Kingpin, and would engage on various foes in a hand-to-hand combat, occasionally drawing firearms in lieu of melee combat. A home conversion developed by Sculptured Software was released for the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994.

2005

In 2005, a violent Punisher action game exclusively designed for adult players was released by Volition, Inc. Players take control of the vigilante hero to track down criminals and make them pay for their deeds. The game's story is a loose mixture of the 2004 film, as well as the 2000 mini-series, Welcome Back, Frank, written by Garth Ennis and pencilled by Steve Dillon, wherein the character has no aversion to committing acts of extreme (if not gratuitous) violence. Thomas Jane, who portrayed the title role in the 2004 Punisher film also provides the voice of The Punisher in the game.

The Punisher: No Mercy

A PlayStation 3 Punisher game was developed by Zen Studios and released by Sony Computer Entertainment on July 2, 2009, exclusively for the PlayStation Network.^[2]

Playable appearances

• The Punisher was left out of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006) because the character was still licensed to THQ at the time of the game's release. The PC version of the game features a modded, playable Punisher.
• The Punisher is a playable character in the MMORPG Marvel Heroes (2013), voiced by Marc Worden.^[3]
• The Punisher appears as an unlockable character via Season 4 of PvP in the Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance (2012).
• A Lego version of The Punisher is an unlockable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes (2013), voiced by Robin Atkin Downes.^[4]
• The Punisher is a playable character in the crossover fighting game Marvel Contest of Champions (2014), which was released on iOS and Android.
• The Punisher is a playable character in Marvel: Future Fight.
• The Punisher is playable in Marvel Puzzle Quest.^[5]

Other appearances

• The Punisher has a cameo appearance in the action game Spider-Man (2000) by Activision. In it, the Punisher helps Spider-Man find Mysterio's secret hideout in Warehouse 65. He offers to help, but Spider-Man declines, stating he wants to "keep the body-count low". The Punisher is then seen again in the last scene of the game playing cards with Spider-Man, Captain America and Daredevil. This is slightly humorous, as the Punisher does not usually fraternize with anyone, let alone known superheroes. The Punisher's voice was provided by Daran Norris.
• The Punisher was mentioned at the beginning of the 2005 multiplatform fighting game Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects. A reporter mistakenly claims that the Punisher is "missing in action". A torn piece of cloth from his trademark "skull" can be seen hanging on a post over a large chain gun in the cinematic opening.
• The Punisher appears in the trailer for Marvel Heroes, an MMO intended for Xbox 360 and PC (Windows Vista). The game was cancelled, however, due to the competitive market for MMOs. Confirmation of the project's cancellation arrived on February 11, 2008; although rumors of the possible cancellation had existed since at least November of the previous year.
• The Punisher appears as card in the Marvel Trading Card Game (2007) for PSP, DS, and PC.
• The Punisher is available as downloadable content for the game LittleBigPlanet, as part of "Marvel Costume Kit 4".^[6][7]
• The Punisher is referred to in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009). During a conversation between Captain America and Luke Cage, the player talks about why the Punisher was not recruited onto the Anti-Reg side.
• His Captain America costume appears as an alternate costume for Cap in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011).
• A zombified version of The Punisher makes a cameo in Frank West's ending of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), alongside zombified versions of Sabretooth, Daredevil, and Bullseye.

References

1. "The Punisher for DOS". MobyGames. Retrieved 2010-09-18.
2. "The Punisher: No Mercy to Be Unleashed on the PlayStation(R) Network". Market Watch. September 24, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
3. "New Heroes Revealed at PAX 2012!". Marvel Heroes. 2012-08-31. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
4. http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/07/20/lego-marvel-super-heroes-characters-and-cast-revealed
5. http://marvel.com/news/comics/25935/piecing_together_marvel_puzzle_quest_punisher
6. "Marvel Costume Kit 4". Sony. Archived from the original on December 30, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
7. Penagos, Ryan (August 10, 2010). "First Look: The Punisher in LittleBigPlanet". Marvel.com. Retrieved 2010-09-13.