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Last week I reviewed Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, where the game’s story is based off of Mark Millar’s Civil War. Fans were elated to discover that they would be able to play through the events of one of this decades most epic story lines; something that has been an extreme rarity in the video game/comic book relationship. Most modern comic book video games are only created as a tie-in to a film featuring the character. Usually these games blow hard because not much effort is put into them. The idea is that the game will sell simply by being based off the film (Superman Returns, Iron Man). Every now and then us fans are treated to a game with no real tie-ins to anything with an all new story (Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows, Justice League Heroes), but the story will suffer because those writing it will have little knowledge of the characters. Very, very rarely has a comic book video game come out that is adapted from a specific piece of source material.

In 1994 Sunsoft released a side scrolling beat ’em up titled The Death and Return of Superman based off the very same comic book story line. It was one of the first video games to be directly adapted from the comics. It’s also probably the best (or only good) Superman game ever developed. In 2005, Activision published Ultimate Spider-Man which succeeded in capturing the style and feel of the comic book title of the same name. The game received generally positive reviews.

So would game developers do well to pull more from the comics themselves for their games? I think so! How cool would a massive Planet Hulk game be? Playing as Hulk taking on Saakar gladiators in the arena? Or a Superman/Batman game covering Jeph Loeb’s run; Play as Superman or Batman, or both in co-op, fighting off other DC heroes trying to cash in the hit on your heads a la Public Enemies.

Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of our favorite stories and moments relived through the video games. What comic book story lines do you want to play?

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles turn 25 this year, and they’re celebrating with awesome DVD releases, commemorative comic books, and a new video game! Ubisoft’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up pulls most of it’s inspiration from Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series as a brawler for the Wii and Playstation 2. Developer Game Arts previously worked on Super Smash Bros. Brawl and does a pretty decent job of capturing the same experience.

In single player mode, players will enter a tournament designed by Master Splinter to review his students’ progress in their ninjutsu training. The story, penned by TMNT co-creator, Peter Laird, is pretty short and probably not compelling enough to keep single players interested for very long, but makes up for it with lots of other game modes: arcade, practice, tournament, battle royal, survival, and mission mode. Mission mode is a series of 51 different challenges; like taking on your brothers in a gauntlet match as Leonardo or protecting Master Splinter until the time expires.

Smash-Up offers many different control types, including the Game Cube controller, and classic controller. Attacks are simple to pull off with the A and B buttons and can be combined with the directional pad to pull off unique attacks for each character. The game’s control scheme differs from Brawl’s beat ’em up style and gives Smash-Up more of a fighting game feel. Dropping from the sky are Ninja Powers that, like in Smash Bros., gives your character special power ups and attack options like throwing bombs or shurikens.

The online play is smooth with no lagging and is one of the game’s high points. However, putting together custom tournaments and matches means dealing with the Wii’s ridiculous friend code system.

Smash-Up’s level designs are pretty and just as action filled as the fights themselves. In addition to beating your opponent with your bo staff or hockey stick, you’ll have to keep up with moving trains, avoiding debris from burning buildings, and dodge crocodile attacks that, if you’re not careful, can be a determining factor in the outcome of the fight.

Animation for each character is solid and pretty. The look of the Turtles is pulled from the 2007 TMNT film, though the game has no other attachments to the films or any other part of Turtles cannon.

The character roster is unfortunately very disappointing. Hardcore TMNT fans will be upset to see no Bebop, Rocksteady, Krang, Rat King, Baxter Stockman, or Vanilla Ice (GO, NINJA! GO, NINJA! GO!). Starting out in the game are of course the four ninja teens Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, along with Master Splinter, Casey Jones, and April O’Neil. Eventually you unlock Shredder, Nightwatcher, Karai, Utrominator, a Foot soldier, and Fugitoid as well as three other characters from the Raging Rabbits series (another Ubisoft Game).

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up is good party brawler, but its lack of depth in roster and single player mode doesn’t make it a worthy substitute of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Long time Turtle fans, however, will appreciate going a few rounds against friends as their favorite pizza loving hero-in-a-half-shell. Cowabunga! 3/5

Check out The Comics Console next week when we play Dead Space: Extraction!

Andrew Hurst
andrewhurst@comicattack.net