Superhero game

I blame the shows I've been binge watching on Netflix such as Justice League Unlimited and Young Justice. I think it would be really fun to play a superhero game. I think the JLU show demonstrated a great way to run a superhero game: teams of superheros taking care of threats across the world. I know that Gamersplane supports the Marvel Universe RPG and I've heard of Mutants & Masterminds, but I wondered what would be the best (I'd settle for really good) to run a superhero game?
The type of superheroes game I would want to play in would have to be a Justice League level world threatening issues kind of game where heroes would have to worry not only about the catastrophic damage the villains were causing/about to cause, but also the safety of the innocents.
So what system should I learn for this sort of game?

Its funny you should ask. Green Ronin is right now doing a Bundle of Holding promotion for Mutants and Masterminds 3 Edition.

You can find it here.

I've never played it, but this game is supposed to be the best system for superheros there is.

Just finished watching Netflix's Daredevil, season 1 of the Flash, halfway through Jessica Jones and starting up JLU and YJ here soon. I've been wanting to try out a Mutants and Masterminds game for a while, but not sure if it's good for that kind of campaign or not.

I've always loved the Marvel Superheroes system from the late 90s/early 2000s. It was unique, robust, more RP focused.

Squaron UK is a pretty fun superheroes rpg. Also played hero system a bit back in the day.

Marvel's Luke Cage season 1 starts Sep. 30 on Netflix (Dare Devil spin off)

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! For now, I'm going to check out M&M 3e to see if that his the right button for me.

In my opinion M&M is good...but it doesn't quite capture the JLA feel. The problem I have is the "power level" system. Being d20 based...power levels are similar to D&D class levels. A level 3 character doesn't even compare to a level 15 chearacter. If you play an extended campaign PCs will grow in power. That isn't something you really see in comics and cartoons you mentioned...but it is not a bad thing if you plan for it.

For my money Fate based Venture City Stories is the system to use. The setting is a little dystopic cyberpunk, in that characters fight corporate greed, but you can build a world that suits your desires easily.

Also try checking out the Cypher system from Monte cooks games. It's easy to learn and has a wide range of options for players to choose from. You can easily tailor your world around it.

Thanks for the tip. I've never played Fate, but I'd like to learn. As for power levels, I've only ever known leveling system games so I don't know what else to think even though superheroes don't normally "level up".

Cypher System could work. I ran Numenera once, so I'm curious what sort of super powers would be available or teammates from that system.
Thanks for the suggestion!

Well, yes and no, it does happens in comic book, but not anywhere near what a d20-based system would be. Usually, a superhero grows in power over the course of several decades of publication, and is usually more from several different authors doing their own things and not caring too much about established continuity. The best example would be Superman who got retconed once because he was too damn powerful, and even then, he still ended up learning Kryptonian martial arts. He also ended up getting a sort of solar-flare type attack last year or so ago IIRC...

I've actually been working on trying to flesh out a Superhero based RPG built on the Apocalypse World system. Any insight on what is a good and what is a bad system for this already would be great. I've heard things about Champions.

I think player knowledge can be a huge issue when playing a superhero game. If a player knows the limit of their character's power, they'll use it. That takes away from the story, I think. Someone playing the Flash won't have that special moment when they discover they can run around the city so fast to punch Lex Luthor/Brainiac apart and discover it's so fast that they tear a hole in reality.

Yeah, that was what I meant. I remember Generation-X and X-Force characters getting "upgrades" to their abilities, like Husk from Gen-X, learning to turn into acid for a second, or Boomer in X-Force being able to create more "bombs" at one time as time went on. But yeah, the Superman example was more about writers choosing to give him powers when they wanted/needed them in the Silver Age. But it all depends on the story you want to tell.

If superpowers can grow in the course of the story, that is fine, but it adds a dynamic that Marvel & DC don't address often. If the characters moved from "street-level" to "world-destroying" threats you could work in the "Who watches the watchmen?" aspect of nigh-invincible super humans.
I enjoy Fate. In Venture City is in my opinion, very easy to work with. There is a list of powers that cover practically every power I've ever conceived of. It gives you the exact mechanical benefit of each one in like a menu, you just pick the ones that you want until you are out of slots to plug them into.
An Apocalypse world supers game sounds interesting. I have heard about "Masks: A New Generation" that is a superhero/teen drama game using AW. It doesn't seem to be available yet though.

If you end up playing Mutants and Masterminds I'd definitely be in.

http://www.classicmarvelforever.com/cms/advanced-game-and-modules.html

That's quite a resource, although there's a questionable copyright issues here since I'm pretty sure Marvel/Disney owns the rights to that IP. Even if it isn't being published anymore. Anyone have better insight on this?

No copyright issues. TSR no longer exists. And while there are Marvel Superheroes RPG in existence right now, they are not using that system. Nobody bought the right to that system, so it has become "abandonware" of sort. Kind of like what happened to WEG's old Star Wars rpg...

I ran a supers game, just once, but used Feng Shui. The nature of the game, that you're at action movie hero level to start, worked well, and we just made super powers out of sorcery and martial arts schticks. It worked really well.