The Flash's Best And Worst Video Game Appearances
Though not at the same level of popularity as Batman, Wonder Woman, or Superman, The Flash remains one of DC's most prominent characters. But while the superhero has had a surprising number of TV shows and movies in the past decades, video games are the one form of media that hasn't seen much of the speedy superhero.
However, some have expressed that a well-done game about Flash has the potential to do well. While a couple have been released, there hasn't been a game released that's dedicated to the Flash since 2006. Some argue that making a game centered around a speedster is difficult, but if SEGA figured it out with Sonic, DC could do the same with the proper support.
While there aren't too may titles that star The Flash outright, games have been made that feature the speedster as a playable character. Here are the best (and worst) games that include The Flash.
Best: Justice League Heroes: The Flash
In 2006, the Game Boy Advance got "Justice League Heroes: The Flash." The side-scrolling beat 'em up was a fast-paced action game that's the only one in the twenty-first century to feature the Flash. It was generally seen as well-done, and there's always a chance fans could see it as a future Game Boy Advance game on the Nintendo Switch.
The action in the game looked like most games in the same genre from the time, but it had a key difference with the Flash's speed. With the press of a button, players could jump from enemy to enemy. This made for fluid action and quick reactions.
"Justice League Heroes: The Flash" stands out for its representation of the Flash. In the IGN review for the game, Lucas Thomas wrote that "this is the first time the spirit of being The Flash has truly been captured." The game was well-loved, even if it did have its mid-2000s quirks and bugs.
Worst: The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame
The Flash has one thing that makes the hero stand out – he's fast, even faster than Superman. So what happens if The Flash loses his speed? "The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame" highlighted how well a not-speedy speedster works. Unfortunately, as pointed out by Reddit user PopularGnat262, he's pretty useless.
Not only was it seen as a horrible representation of the Flash, but Metacritic scores also revealed it to be a "LEGO" game that didn't resonate with players in general. Many joked about the fact that the Flash has no speed because all the speed was used to rush the game.
It's not just the Flash who's wrong in "The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame." Superman can't even fly, and that's pretty vital to his kit as well. At the very least, playing as a LEGO version of the Flash might be appealing since he doesn't make too many appearances, but there are still better "LEGO" games that also include them.
Best: LEGO Batman 2 and LEGO Batman 3
"LEGO Batman 2" and "LEGO Batman 3" are great games for the Flash fanatics. The Flash can use his speed both in and out of combat, making the character feel true. In combat, he can use his speed to combo moves and quickly bounce between enemies, which means quicker battles. He's also a significant asset outside of the action, collecting and building things around the world much quicker than other characters are able. "LEGO Batman 3" also has Reverse Flash and Kid Flash available, another plus for "Flash" fans.
Not only is the Flash useful, but fans think he's also fun to play in these games. It might not highlight his character as much as an entire dedicated game would, but the character portrayal is better than in some games he appears in. At the very least, he's at least got his speed with him.
Worst: The Flash (1993)
In 1993, The Flash got his own game on the SEGA Master System with the same name: "The Flash." The game has six levels, called Episodes, that require players to complete them within a specific time limit. While this is a good system to highlight how quick Flash is, Big Comic Page's review explained that this made the game pretty unforgiving.
While the stress-inducing timed levels might sound like the game's downfall, there's a more significant reason why it's not known as a great game for The Flash – it wasn't available in the United States or Japan. The SEGA Master System struggled in Japan and the US, where Nintendo had already seen tremendous popularity. When "The Flash" was released for the console, the US and Japan had already moved on to newer hardware, which makes it a pretty lackluster title for the character.