The development of Superman began in 1997 and was largely hindered by constraints between Titus and the game's licensors, Warner Bros. and DC Comics, leaving little room to refine the gameplay.

BlueSky Software attempted to redo the game for the PlayStation, but this version was ultimately canceled, as Titus's license with Warner Bros. had expired by the time it was completed.

Superman is a three-dimensional action-adventure platform game in which the player takes on the role of the titular hero, saving the citizens of Metropolis, including Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Professor Hamilton, from a virtual reality version of the city created by Lex Luthor.

[17] Caen's initial plan envisioned a style of gameplay that only Tomb Raider (1996) had attempted before, featuring a 3D open world action-adventure video game that incorporated real-time strategy elements,[17] allowing players to genuinely behave as a superhero.

In addition to limiting Superman's powers and removing destructible architecture, the game was set in a virtual world to prevent him from harming "real" people.

[24] The 1997 presentation did not disclose that the game took place in a virtual world but did reveal its premise: Superman attempting to save Lois and Metropolis from Lex Luthor's dangerous creation, the Lexoskel-5000.

"[26] However, Animation World Network was more optimistic, asserting that the game appeared to feature "stunning 3D environments, various fight levels, and rescue operations.

ECM also shared gameplay details, mentioning "an assortment of missions numbering in the twenties" and Superman's powers like X-ray and Heat Vision, as well as the inclusion of villains like Brainiac and Bizarro.

[32] In July 1998, Gamers' Republic reported that Superman would consist of 15 stages where the playable character would "beating up bad guys and solving puzzles while trying to find the kryptonite diffusers in each level."

The publication also revealed a four-player battle mode, which it positively compared to Star Fox; it praised the level design and the incorporation of Superman's powers.

[33] In its August 1998 issue, Nintendo Magazine preview coverage indicated that Titus had not yet implemented the non-tutorial ring stages or the virtual world setting within the game's plot.

Despite this, the magazine expressed optimism for the final product, noting it was "packed with great ideas" and that the four-player mode looked promising.

[37] After the critical failure of the Nintendo 64 version, Titus entrusted BlueSky Software with the task of completely redesigning Superman for the PlayStation.

[39][40] According to Caen, after Warner Bros. "forced us to kill the PlayStation version," the company planned to pay Titus a litigation settlement as compensation for its abusive behavior towards the developer.

[62] Titus also reported that consumer feedback, obtained through a mail-in registration, was "overwhelming[ly] positive," with "more than 70% of Superman's target audience, aged 6 to 11 years, rating the game as an 'A' title".

[65] Other technical problems were reported to be common, including bugs, unfavorable camera angles, poor enemy AI, broken frame rates, clipping of environments and objects, and inadequate collision detection.

[e] He and other critics also panned the fights with enemies, which were viewed as ridiculous, with Sczepaniak writing that "melee combat is slow, awkward, and imprecise, leading to much flailing of limbs.

"[9][63][66] The ring missions were described by Shaun Conlin of The Electric Playground as the perfect blend of "monotonous and difficult," due to their limited margins for error and time constraints.

[44] Only a few reviewers suggested that Superman 64's gameplay might have been conceptually good, with Official Nintendo Magazine stating, "this game's got great ideas, but it's a super disappointment.

"[9][54] Jeuxvideo.com described the missions as action-packed and diverse, while Nintendo Power claimed that it was ambitious for a Superman game to attempt to be more than just "a brawler with some flight and superpowers thrown in.

[66] Jeuxvideo.com highlighted that the game's levels lacked adequate lighting, shadows, or a clear perspective, making it difficult for players to judge distances between characters and objects in the environment.

[49] Jevon Jenkins of Game Industry pointed out that this issue made it challenging to gauge the distance between Superman and enemies, creating an artificial difficulty in combat, which was exacerbated by poor camera angles.

[13][63][52][67] Total N64 critic Lee described the intro cinematic as "like a scene from a C64 game in 1985," and remarked that "the sharp edges of the polygons gave Superman 'pixie' boots.

[47] As Norton-Smith proclaimed, "the soundtrack is more than capable of causing spontaneous aneurysms at 50 paces, and the handful of canned smashing moves do a great job of driving home the horror".

[48] Chris Johnston of Electronic Gaming Monthly found the graphics "semi-decent," albeit "oddly letterboxed," while Marriott appreciated them for being "colorful" and "simple".

Twitch and YouTube host plenty of videos dedicated to the anti-glory of Superman 64, some of them created by people who were barely born when it was released.

Publication writer Derrick Rossignol expressed confusion over the ranking: "I attribute that to users ironically giving the game many positive ratings over the years.