MY VIEW
Games: 'X-Men Legends'
By Julius Pecson
Special to The Advertiser
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The Verdict: 
THE RATINGS 5 — Outstanding: Add it to your collection now. A must-have. 4 — Great: Buy it or rent it — definitely play it. 3 — Good: Worth playing despite some flaws. 2 — Fair: Unless you're a fan of the license or series, don't bother. 1 — Poor: You'd have more fun playing Pong. |
Console: GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox.
Developer/publisher: Raven Software/Activision.
Genre: Action RPG (role-playing game).
Number of players: 1 to 4.
ESRB Rating: Teen (for violence).
The premise: Part super-powered team brawler, part dungeon-crawling RPG, "X-Men Legends" brings Marvel's band of mutants together to thwart Magneto's minions and his plans to subjugate humanity.
Game play: Fighting through wave after wave of enemies, you and up to three friends can each take control of an X-Man at any time and come and go as you please without disrupting the progress of the game. With more than a dozen X-Men to choose from, each mutant has a set of upgradeable and unique abilities, useful both in heated battles and in solving small puzzles that, when used in conjunction with another's powers, can unleash devastating combos.
Besides the main campaign, the Danger Room and X-Mansion provide a plethora of side-quests, mini-games, and multiplayer modes to keep you busy well beyond the scope of the primary missions.
The good/bad: While nothing beats playing co-op with a buddy, what impressed me the most about this game were the little details that X-Men fans are sure to appreciate, down to the authenticity of each mutant's respective abilities. There's a ton of cameos by other characters in the X-Men universe, and some nice variety in the style and aim of the missions.
The game also has an obscene amount of extras, from unlockable bonuses, character backstories, as well as some comic book trivia. Some annoying occasions occur when your computer-controlled teammates fall from a precipice or get stuck behind a wall, partly due to the sometimes difficult camera. The cel-shaded graphics are appropriate for the comic-themed world, with dazzling special effects and smooth animations from a distance. When zoomed up close in cutscenes, however, it can be an eyesore.
The audio is also a mixed bag, with solid music and sound effects but pretty lousy voice-overs. Also, the constant load times that often interrupt the flow of the game hinder an otherwise action-packed experience.
Tips: The "Leadership" quality possessed by Storm and Cyclops can be a tremendous asset to the team, multiplying both damage and experience when successfully completing a combo. At its highest level, Leadership will multiply damage by 150 percent and experience by 25 percent. Use Storm and Cyclops together to multiply these values a second time.
My take: Even with the technical setbacks, comic book fans can rejoice at having a title in their collection that finally does a renowned franchise justice. The action/RPG elements are nicely integrated within an epic storyline with plenty brawling and a huge amount of gameplay, made much more fun when experienced with a group of friends.
Julius Pecson, a student at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and a longtime gamer, reviews games on various consoles for The Honolulu Advertiser. Have a game or CD you want to review? Reach Island Life deputy editor Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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Upcoming releases
Dates are tentative
Playstation 2
Nov. 1: "Pinball Hall of Fame"; "ChoroQ"; "Polar Express"; "InuYasha: The Secret of the Cursed Mask"; "Kuon"
Nov. 2: "Sonic Mega Collection Plus"; "IHRA Drag Racing 2005"; "High Rollers Casino"; "Sega Superstars"; "Alien Hominid"; "Duel Masters: Cobalt"; "Godzilla: Save the Earth"; "Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal"; "ATV Offroad Fury 3"; "Killzone"; "Spyro: A Hero's Tail"; "Lord of the Rings: The Third Age"; "WWE Smackdown vs. Raw"; "Guilty Gear Isuka"
Nov. 8: "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex"
Nov. 9: "Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2005 Adventures"; "American Chopper"; "Samurai Warriors: Extreme Legends"; "Shaman King: Power of Spirit"; "Jak 3"; "Rumble Roses"; "Gretzky NHL 2005"; "Karaoke Revolution Volume 3"; "Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events"; "Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes The Neighborhood"; "The Urbz: Sims in the City"; "EyeToy: AntiGrav"; "Karaoke Revolution Bundle 3"
Nov. 11: "Battle Assault 3 featuring Gundam Seed"
Nov. 15: "Crash 'N' Burn"; "NCAA March Madness 2005"; "Need For Speed Underground 2"
Nov. 16: "World Championship Poker"; "ESPN College Hoops 2K5"; "Ford Mustang 40th Anniv PS2"; "Capcom Fighting Evolution"; "Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge"; "King of Fighters 02/03"; "King Arthur"; "Call of Duty: Finest Hour"; "Fight Club"; "Growlanser: Generations"; "Growlanser: Generations Deluxe Pack"; "DragonBall Z: Budokai 3"; "DragonBall Z Budokai 3: Collector's Edition"
Nov. 17: "Castle Shikigami 2"; "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater"; "GoldenEye: Rogue Agent"
Nov. 22: "Atari Anthology"
Nov. 30: "Prince of Persia: Warrior Within"; "Ghost Recon 2"
Gamecube
Nov. 1: "Polar Express"; "Alien Hominid"
Nov. 2: "Pinball Hall of Fame"; "Scaler"; "Spyro: A Hero's Tail"; "Lord of the Rings: The Third Age with Bonus!"
Nov. 8: "Mario Power Tennis"
Nov. 9: "Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events"; "The Urbz: Sims in the City"
Nov. 15: "Metroid Prime 2: Echoes"; "Need For Speed Underground 2"
Nov. 16: "King Arthur"; "Call of Duty: Finest Hour"; "Baten Kaitos"
Nov. 17: "GoldenEye: Rogue Agent"
Nov. 18: "Viewtiful Joe 2"
Nov. 23: "Judge Dredd: Dredd vs Death"; "Cabelas Big Game Hunt 2005 GC"
Nov. 30: "Prince of Persia: Warrior Within"
Xbox
Nov. 1: "Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly — Director's Cut"
Nov. 2: "Pinball Hall of Fame XB"; "Sonic Mega Collection Plus"; "Monster Garage: The Game"; "Godzilla: Save the Earth"; "Spyro: A Hero's Tail"; "Lord of the Rings: The Third Age"
Nov. 4: "IHRA Drag Racing 2005"; "High Rollers Casino"
Nov. 8: "Halo 2"; "Halo 2 Limited Collector's Edition"
Nov. 9: "Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2005 Adventures"; "American Chopper: The Game"; "TRON 2.0: Killer App"; "Karaoke Revolution"; "Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events"; "Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes The Neighborhood"; "The Urbz: Sims in the City"; "Karaoke Revolution Bundle"
Nov. 15: "Crash 'N' Burn"; "NCAA March Madness 2005"; "Need For Speed Underground 2"
Nov. 16: "ESPN College Hoops 2005 XB"; "Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge"; "World Championship Poker"; "Atari Anthology"; "Demon Stone"; "King Arthur"; "Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space"; "Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball"; "Clancy Triple Pack XB "; "Call of Duty: Finest Hour"; "Fight Club"; "Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2"; "Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2 Bundle"
Nov. 17: "GoldenEye: Rogue Agent with Bonus!"
Nov. 22: "Top Gear RPM Tuning"
Nov. 23: "Judge Dredd: Dredd vs Death"
Nov. 29: "Dai Senryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics"
Nov. 30: "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"; "Prince of Persia: Warrior Within"; "Ghost Recon 2"
Gameboy advance
Nov. 1: "Texas Hold 'Em"; "Ms Pacman Maze Madness"; "Smashing Drive"; "Pacman World"; "Codename: Kids Next Door — Operation S.O.D.A."; "Polar Express"
Nov. 2: "World Championship Poker"; "Elf: The Movie"; "Duel Masters: Kaijudo Showdown"; "Lord of the Rings: The Third Age"
Nov. 9: "Cabelas Big Game Hunt 2005"; "Hot Wheels Stunt Track Challenge"; "Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events"; "Shaman King: Master of Spirits"; "The Urbz: Sims in the City"
Nov. 15: "Donkey Kong Country 2"; "Need For Speed Underground 2"
Nov. 16: "Metal Slug Advance"; "Beyblade Grevolution"; "Fear Factor: Unleashed"
Nov. 18: "Racing Gears Advance"
Nov. 22: "Yu Yu Hakusho Tournament Tactics"
Nov. 23: "A Sound of Thunder"; "Ice Nine"
Nov. 29: "Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls"
This list was provided by Toys n' Joys, with shops in Kaimuki (735-4546) and in the Westridge Shopping Center (487-8697) in Pearlridge. See www.toysnjoys.com for more information.
