The Potential of Doctor Octopus in a Marvel NRS Game

Highlights

Spider-Man's greatest supervillain is undoubtedly Doctor Octopus, who has only grown in popularity over the last few decades.

NetherRealm Studios, the renowned developer behind Mortal Kombat, has the potential to develop an exciting Marvel fighting game featuring the iconic character, Doctor Octopus. Taking inspiration from their successful creation, Brainiac, in Injustice, NetherRealm could utilize his distinctive tentacle attacks and menacing aesthetics as a blueprint for designing Doc Ock in this hypothetical game.

Marvel has amassed an impressive lineup of supervillains over the past 60+ years. Among the many adversaries faced by The Avengers, X-Men, Defenders, and other heroes, Spider-Man undoubtedly boasts the most impressive rogue's gallery. Venom, Kraven, Sandman, Mysterio, Electro, Rhino, and Scorpion are just a few of the well-known villains that Spider-Man regularly encounters. However, sitting at the top of the heap is Doctor Octopus—a character whose popularity has only grown in recent decades.

Since his debut in 1963, Doc Ock has been a prominent figure in Spider-Man's rogues' gallery. In the past twenty years or so, he has become a focal point of Spider-Man comics, TV shows, movies, and video games. His standout performance in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 in 2004 propelled him into even larger roles, including taking on the persona of the Superior Spider-Man and serving as the main villain in Insomniac's first Spider-Man game. With his combination of intelligence and physical strength, Doctor Octopus proves to be a formidable adversary. If NetherRealm Studios were to create a hypothetical Marvel fighting game, he would undoubtedly be a top choice, with a pre-existing blueprint already in place.

Injustice's Brainiac Serves as the Perfect Blueprint for a Marvel NetherRealm Doctor Octopus

Content

NetherRealm Studios, well-known for the Mortal Kombat franchise, is recognized for its diverse roster of characters. The games boast a variety of ninjas with distinct colors, lizards with shape-shifting abilities, powerful elder gods, and formidable four-armed henchmen. However, while their appearances may differ, gameplay-wise, many of these fighters can easily blend together.

In contrast, NetherRealm's Injustice series offers a much more varied selection of characters. Instead of simply categorizing fighters as heavy or fast, Injustice provides a range of iconic DC characters, each with their unique set of special abilities. Their movement speed, damage, and animations are all exclusive to them, resulting in a truly unique playing experience for every hero and villain. Even characters like Supergirl and Superman in Injustice 2, who share some similar moves, have distinctive traits that set them apart.

The Injustice series has introduced several of DC's famous villains, each with their own unique moveset. Among them, Brainiac, the main antagonist of Injustice 2, remains particularly popular due to his intimidating design and fighting style. As a formidable opponent in the game's story mode, Brainiac utilizes a combination of long-range projectiles and close-range attacks, utilizing his mechanical tentacles.

If NetherRealm Studios were to create a Marvel fighting game, fans believe that Doc Ock would be an excellent choice for a character. Fortunately, NetherRealm can easily draw inspiration from Brainiac's moveset and adapt it for a Doc Ock character model. With some additional new moves, Brainiac's moveset in Injustice 2 provides a solid foundation for NetherRealm to build upon if they ever include Doc Ock in a fighting game.