Superhero beat-'em-up-athon! More SNES stuff. Added spoiler tags to reduce the wall-of-text-ness.
X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse
[spoiler]Apparently there's an extended ending in this game and I had no idea. Couldn't find the requirements anywhere, though. GameFAQs codes page is wrong, guides don't mention anything. I found videos on YT with the true ending, and they all appear to play the game perfectly. So I aimed for a no death run, and yep, scored the true ending. Seems like a super harsh requirement though, considering how stupid some of the stages can be with the OHKOs. I still hope the real answer lies somewhere less crazy. Maybe you can't let any X-Men die permanently (which tends to happen in my games). To be confirmed, I guess. For now I'll celebrate that deathless run.[/spoiler]
Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems
[spoiler]Unlike Mutant Apocalypse, where most levels are specifically designed for each character, in this one you pick the hero you want for each area. Level design feels kinda generic because of that, but at least you have more decisions to make. For some reason my mind always lands on Hulk for Mt. Vesuvius, even though the guy clearly takes up half the screen. Not that I doubt his capability as a smasher of things, but a master of dodging fireballs he isn't. Ended up switching to Cap. Most levels are best done with Cap or Iron Man anyway, but Wolverine and Spidey can be useful in areas with walls to climb and to deal with attacks that pass right above their head without crouching.[/spoiler]
Death and Return of Superman
[spoiler]Enjoyed it better than my first meh playthrough. I realize now that this is not a game about punching enemies, it's about throwing them. Throw them on other enemies, throw them on the floor to destroy generators, on walls to reveal items. I think I did my whole first playthrough a few years back without knowing about the wall items. That's like playing Castlevania without turkey. Cyborg boss is a cheap bastard and it sucks that this game breaks the One Beat-'Em-Up Rule of being able to hit 2+ enemies at once. I mean, come on, Blizzard. Music is weak too. Those aside, the game was okay.[/spoiler]
Spider Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage and Separation Anxiety
[spoiler]First time playing. There are some cool web moves in these games, and the gameplay can be rewarding if you know the tricks. I like the double smash, power hit and the hero helpers who provide a much needed breathing room. The one thing I hate about both games is that you actually avoid grabbing enemies because you're a sitting duck while doing so. Any group fight is scary because you might unintentionally touch an enemy and initiate the slowest grab animation of all time.
MC's supervillain bosses are crazy unfair. They almost never fight alone, and they're relentless. Carnage must have imported his health bar from an RPG. Separation Anxiety is super free in comparison (finished on my first attempt, no continues). I didn't quite love either game, but for what it's worth, MC is more inspired and interesting. It feels like an interactive comic book (the POW style effects when you hit enemies are a nice touch), it has more route options with Spidey/Venom exclusive levels, and it's packed with secrets. SA is really just a dull and repetitive beat-'em-up. I wonder how Capcom would've handled these back in the day.[/spoiler]