How and why this happened is open to good old speculation. The Wii was very much in its prime – some of the year’s biggest releases included Super Mario Galaxy 2, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Metroid: Other M, and Kirby’s Epic Yarn – yet Marvel Superheroes 3D was able to elude the press and slip into stores with next to no fanfare. Marvel Superheroes 3D: Grandmaster’s Challenge was released exclusively on Wii in December 2010, published by European outfit BigBen Interactive and developed by Parisian studio Neko. There was, however, another Marvel game released around this time, which came and went with barely a whisper. The cost of Marvel licensing was starting to rise, and so publishers were pushing their superhero tie-ins heavily. These games, while of dubious quality, are all well-remembered. Arguably, THQ’s Marvel Super Hero Squad series from 2009 found more success, aimed at younger gamers. Alas, the only decent thing to come of it was the barely above average Captain America: Super Soldier and a mildly diverting Thor tie-in for Nintendo DS – the best of a very bad bunch. When SEGA picked up the Marvel license, the deal turned heads. Superheroes were ‘in’ and Marvel was leading the way. It was such a huge success that a second Iron Man movie followed just two years later, and the buzz surrounding the upcoming Thor and Captain America adaptations was starting to build. 2008 saw the release of Iron Man, the first instalment of the current MCU. It’s no secret that Marvel was eventually able to turn their fortunes around. It was a free for all buffet, and every publisher was invited. Desperate to stay afloat, the cost of licensing one of their characters or properties was incredibly low. This is the reason why dozens of Marvel games launched during this time. Losing money hand over fist, the comic giant filed for bankruptcy before laying off one-third of their staff. The mid-‘90s were a rough time for Marvel.
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