X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse

"X-Men and GBA: A happy couple?"

Well, after long last, the X-men series penetrated the GBA. For X-men fans, this probably seemed like utter bliss, and while the game wasn't deplorable... well, just read on.

Graphics: 7/10- The graphics weren't that bad, the X-men models were decent and I think the backgrounds were done well. The only problem was that there are brief bouts of slowdown. This was especially prevalent in boss battles. However, it never got too bad.

Sound: 6/10- The sound kinda got repetitive, but it got you into the mood, and you can always turn it off, so its okay. However, I must take points off it for the fact that everyone, from a tiny guy to a sentinel, makes the same scream when they die.

Controls: 8/10- No real problems, it was done well. I didn't like how you had the use the shoulder key to jump, but its understandable. Wish you could format the controls though.

Gameplay: 4/10- This is the major problem. The levels (especially the longer ones) are very repetitive. You kill a bunch of bad guys, wait for the professor to tell you to go on, and repeat indefinitely. Not my idea of a good game. Some of these glaring flaws could have been forgiven with the addition of new playable characters. Just so this whole thing isn't completely negative, the characters do have some cool moves and the story is mildly interesting. also, the fact that you can build up your characters is good, but I don't like the fact that you automatically just get two ''points'' to spend after you complete a level.

Replay Value: 5/10- With only four characters and less-than-perfect gameplay, the fun won't last long. You'll soon grow bored of it and move on to new games (in my case, metroid fusion). The only redeeming value is the multiplayer mode, but while that offers some cool options, its very hard to find someone with the game (I haven't found one yet) so it won't help that much.

All in all, this title isn't a complete waste of money, but it far from being a complete package. My suggestion is to rent it, you'll probably beat it in a couple of days. Its fun to play it with all the characters, but the fun stops after that.

Pros:
- Engaging Graphics
- Decent Sound
- Characters have a variety of different attacks
- Control scheme presents no problems
- A storyline to tie together the levels
- A multiplayer mode with lots of options (though I never got to use it)

Cons:
- Slowdown
- Only 4 characters
- Mediocore replay value
- Boring levels
- Quite short
- No other single-player options other than main quest

Hope you find this useful!

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 12/30/02, Updated 12/30/02