"Hulk Smash! Hulk Smash! Hulk Bored!"

Introduction:
Universal Interactive had a good concept. Make a solid beat-em up title with one of the most well known comic characters. They ended up only halfway succeeding, though. There are a few levels you play as the puny Bruce Banner that attempt to be stealth missions but make no mistake. This is a beat-em up game and nothing more.

Story:
Bruce Banner is a scientist that gets an over-exposure of gamma radiation from an experiment gone wrong. He soon realizes that he transforms into the massive Hulk whenever he loses his temper. Throughout the story Hulk is chasing after a mad scientist in possession of an orb containing the same gamma radiation that spawned him. Eventually this leads to a confrontation with a villain familiar to anyone who knows the Hulk series.

Graphics:
The game looks great. It has almost a cel-shaded, watercolor look to it. The animations are fluid as the massive green goliath moves and interacts with the environment. Smashing cars, breaking down walls, and tossing around bad guys looks just as it should. My only complaint in the graphics is the way the Hulk looks. He looks so goofy in the face that some cutscenes had me rolling on the floor laughing.

Sound:
The music is pretty ho-hum. Very average, and certainly nothing that gets you on the edge of your seat in tense moments. Where the sound really comes through is in the effects. For example, when the Hulk jumps he lands with a deep thud with pavement cracking around him. Very nice.

Control:
Major problems here. I highly recommend using a gamepad. This game was made for consoles and the control translation doesn't fit right with a keyboard. However, even with an analog gamepad you will fight with awkward camera angles that constantly switch your direction. Combine that with the poor camera position in the Bruce Banner levels and you are left with something very frustrating.

Fun Factor:
You can destroy everything! And it is an absolute blast...for about 2 hours. After that the game gets very repetitive and some levels feel like a chore rather than entertainment. Unfortunately after the first few hours there really isn't much left. The game is pretty short and most could probably beat it in a day. Still, if you can get past the unforgiving controls I think Hulk fans can have a fairly decent time.

Replay:
The single player game is far too short. Once through and you are likely not to replay it. However, the addition of the Hulk Smash and Endurance levels do offer a little variety. Not enough, however to save this game from sitting on the shelf.

Overall:
I had a decent time with this game but it could have been so much more. I recommend it for a weekend rental or buy it in the bargain bin when it gets down to about $20.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 06/09/03, Updated 06/09/03