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Those of you with a with an iPhone or on the Playstation Network, don’t forget to download Kick-Ass the video game today! But this week, to celebrate the launch of The Flash #1, we’re playing Justice League Heroes: The Flash!

The Scarlet Speedster is no stranger to solo video game adventures. In 1991, Barry Allen headlined his own cartridge on the Game Boy in The Flash, based off the 1990 CBS television show, and again in 1993 on the Sega Master System. But it wasn’t until Wally West landed on the Game Boy Advance that we were given a Flash game worthy of his legacy.

Justice League Heroes: The Flash

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Developer: WayForward Technologies
Platforms: Game Boy Advance
Release Date: October 17, 2006
Rated: Everyone 10+

The Fastest Man Alive hits the GBA in classic beat-em-up action, and it’s a surprisingly beautiful mix. As the title would hint, the Justice League of America co-stars in both story and gameplay. Strange robots are appearing across the globe and causing havoc for unknown reasons, and the Flash’s mission is to investigate.

You’re dropped in Keystone City among thugs, monsters, and droids, and this is where the fun really kicks in. You have great use of the Flash’s speed force in different ways. Along with a basic one-two punch with the B button, tapping the A button will zip Flash to his nearest enemy to land a strike. This attack can be chained together to take out a group of enemies one punch at a time with great speed. However, sometimes the collision detection can be a little off, and some punches won’t land when they feel like they should have. With the right shoulder button, you can slow down everything around you and land a massive combo, or if things get really hairy, the left shoulder button, in classic old school beat-em-up fashion, calls one of your JLA allies to declare a corny catch phrase and clear out all the on-screen enemies. “For Mars!” the Martian Manhunter cries, as he showers the screen with a psychic explosion.

Enemies are diverse and unique to each level, jumping out of windows and bursting through walls to attack you. You never end up fighting the same thug a hundred times over throughout the game. Sometimes they aren’t the smartest group of goons, but later in the game they begin to gang up on you and provide more of a challenge.

The boss battles are the game’s highlight. Bosses like Gorilla Grodd, Zoom, Brainiac, Circe, and more are tough, smart, and change up their tactics all throughout the fight, keeping you on your toes. After you beat the game, you unlock the Boss Rush mode where you take on a gauntlet of boss super villains that will have you coming back to this title for some quick, awesome action.

You’re given missions all across the DCU from Gotham City, Metropolis, Themyscira, and other iconic locations. Every level is different, colorful, and vast. Street lamps and boxes are spread around full of extra health, lives, speed force power-ups, and JLA assist power-ups. The over all graphics are beautiful for a GBA game. Characters are animated, and level designs are interesting. The comic book style cut scenes have a great weird art style to them, and really bring the story to life.

The music is energetic and heroic, and the few voice overs are well done, although it gets annoying hearing Flash say “Watch it!” every time he gets knocked down.

Like most beat-em-ups, the game can get somewhat repetitive, but a great effort was made to keep gameplay interesting, and it shows. Justice League Heroes: The Flash is a game that can rank right up there with classics like Streets of Rage and Double Dragon. 4/5

Andrew Hurst
andrewhurst@comicattack.net