Play Superman Online

Summary

Superman arcade drops you into a two‑player co‑op where the second hero is simply a red‑tinted twin of the classic blue Superman. Each player uses a joystick and two action buttons – one for punches and kicks, the other for heat‑vision blasts – and can hold the punch button for a charged "Sonic Blast" or a powerful Super Blast Punch.

The game is split into five distinct stages – Metropolis, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., and the final Spaceship – each cycling through side‑scrolling beat‑em‑up, vertical flying, and a shooter segment where heat vision replaces melee. At the end of every segment a boss guards the way forward.

Collectible crystals add depth: blue crystals restore energy, yellow crystals grant a one‑time projectile, and red crystals in flight stages unleash a screen‑clearing Mass Terminator. Everyday objects like cars or gasoline cans can be grabbed, crouched, and hurled at foes for extra damage.

The soundtrack leans on the iconic Superman movie themes, giving the arcade a nostalgic punch. While Japanese arcade charts listed it among the top units of early 1989, contemporary reviews were split – some praised its cooperative fun, others found the gameplay uneven, landing the title squarely in the mixed‑reception camp.

Storyline

Superman (Arcade) kicks off with Clark Kent sprinting down an empty alley before transforming into the Man of Steel. The game supports two players, one as a blue‑clad Superman and the other in red, who cooperate to stop the alien conquest. Players battle through five distinct stages—Metropolis, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., and a final spaceship level—each ending with a boss that must be defeated to advance. The ultimate foe is Emperor Zaas, a super‑powered alien villain created for this title and reminiscent of Brainiac. After clearing the fifth round, the game concludes, having saved the world from Zaas’s plans.