"The famous crew of mutants comes to the Sega Genesis."

X-Men made its debut on the Genesis in 1993. Everyone had been talking about this game when suddenly it hit Genesis consoles everywhere. Was it as good as people hoped it would be? The answer is yes. X-Men was a very impressive title, and here is why:

Graphics - 10/10: No arguments here, I saw nothing wrong in the graphics department. Everything in this game looked great. The backgrounds were great (Like the Savage Land, the Excalibur lighthouse, Asteroid M, etc.), and the characters looked terrific, from the X-Men Wolverine, Cyclops, and Gambit to the villains like Juggernaut, Sabretooth, and Magneto (More of your favorites appear in the game.). There wasn't a flaw in them. There were good animations and very colorful in this 16-bit beauty.

Sound/Music - 09/10: I really liked the introduction music to X-Men. I thought it was great. In fact, I thought all the music in this game was terrific. From the Danger Room to the Excalibur lighthouse and beyond, the music isn't at all tiring. The sound effects are good, as well. While they're nothing spectacular, they still hold their own. There were some exceptions, however. One example is the sound of Wolverine's claws coming out of his knuckles. While I didn't expect the sound I'd hear from Fox's X-Men cartoon, but it could have sounded better.

Gameplay - 09/10: Despite its difficulty (That game could get pretty hard at times.), X-Men provides fun for all. The story goes: It seems this strange signal (sent by Magneto) is tampering with the X-Men's Danger Room controls. As a result, all pain levels have increased and that could be a fatal problem. Simulations are then brought out, hence the first level: The Savage Land. The artificial natives of the Savage Land seem very real and cause pain to your X-Man. Don't worry. The X-Men Iceman, Rogue, Storm, Jean Grey, and Archangel can assist you in your fight with their unique gifts. The story follows on as the X-Men set out to destroy Magneto and his signal which can destroy the globe. The game's controls will easily help your quest. They're simple. You have your directional buttons, the A button allows your character to use his mutant power, the B button is the attack button, and C has your character jump. Tap C two times, and your character will perform a somersault (with the exception of Wolverine, who won't do this command for some reason). Now, along with attacking comes the X-Men's mutant powers. With mutant powers comes the mutant power meter. Cyclops has his optic blasts, Gambit charges his cards with energy, Nightcrawler teleports. Now, I found this odd that Wolverine's claws counted as his mutant power and therefore every time they're used, his mutant meter goes down. Then, when that meter's close to emptiness (while playing as Wolverine), Wolverine performs his berserker attack and dies. Luckily there are blue and yellow Xs to refill your life and mutant meters. Any player will find using the mutant powers fun. There are many enemies in the game. They range from the natives of the Savage Land to Lilandra's fortress guards to the Sentinels themselves. They all increase in difficulty and will stop you in any way. Like most platform titles, there are bottomless pits that will most likely kill you unless Jean Grey saves you.

Replay Value - 05/10: Though X-Men is a terrific game and all, it is weak in replay value. It is long and difficult, and once you beat it, you may not want to come back unless you discover the game's tricks.

Overall Score - 09/10: X-Men was a highly anticipated title on the Genesis, and rightly so, because this is a truly great title to own. It may or may not make you want to keep going back to it, but it still holds its own, nonetheless.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/16/01, Updated 02/16/01