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ad on a gaming magazine caught my eye and i never looked back

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 69 / 73
Date: October 25, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First off, I'm no hardcore gamer. Like the title says, I just happened to be browsing some gaming magazine when the ad got me. Being a big fan of the comics, I decided to give it a try. I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to be able to pair up Spidey with Iceman and The Human Torch and whoever catches your fancy? And the game delivers a lot of punch in many ways.

GAMEPLAY: Campaign mode is pretty straightforward. You can walk through the entire thing and it makes for a lot of gametime. It is kind of reminiscient of the Ninja Turtle series from back in the 90's where you pretty much follow a straight map (except in this case, there are some side rooms that you can explore in each level), kill some enemies, get to a minor boss, kill more enemies, then get to the final boss. Obviously, you have to expect the occasional roadblock - 'What am I going to do to get past this flaming doorblock?' situations where simple puzzles can come in play, but overall, getting through levels is a sort of linear kind of thing. The whole game probably takes about 15-20hrs to beat on normal. But then you won't necessarily unlock all the superheroes, so I guess that's what keeps you going. You unlock hard mode after beating normal once. GRADE: A

THE RPG ELEMENT: Activision markets this as an action/rpg game, and while there is lots of action (as I mentioned, the Ninja Turtle game flashback it brought me), there are elements of RPG. Whenever you pick up 'money' on the map and level up, you can spend points leveling up character skills and abilities. The items you equip your characters with will also matter in the same way. The system is rather straightforward and being my first game from the 'series' (apparently this is the successor to some XMen Legends game?), it did not take me long to learn about where this element kicks in. GRADE: A

THE CO-OP ELEMENT: Co-op is awesome and I definitely prefer that to playing alone. You can team up with 1-3 of your friends for some 2-4 player co-op. While camera views can be annoying at times, you can easily tell that the programmers put a lot of time into making co-op gameplay here really smooth. One weird thing about this though, at some points you unlock the game's idea of secret levels (by picking up random comic books that appear on levels), which involve one main character (which one player plays) and enemies which are, surprise surprise, not controlled by the AI if you've been playing co-op. Kind of eliminates that whole challenge feel to it if you look at it in one way. GRADE: A+

GRAPHICS: Almost comical. Not as in funny comical, but as in like the comic books. Obviously, this being a PS2, I shouldn't expect next-gen graphics. And I didn't. Heck, the cinematics looked awesome. But for the most part, gameplay graphics were pretty tight. Not realistic nor stellar like in Shadow of the Colossus, but smooth enough such that any gamer won't complain too much about the game not taking advantage of the PS2's potential as far as graphics go. I found some of the animations rather sorry, like the lime green-ness, almost-to-the-state-of-previous-gen-ness of the Fin Fang Foom, but other than that, I really don't have much complaints. GRADE: B+

STORY: Any game that can capture the essence of every superhero's personality while at the same time painting this captivating story as it unravels gets my props. Although sometimes, in the middle of a mission, the small things that go wrong that you and your group must fix up, these things can make you lose sight of the big picture. GRADE: B+

COMPLAINTS:
- Dialogue is kind of key in this game for the most part. At times dialogue pops up in the worst time (immediately after a fight) such that I found me or one of my friends mistakenly hitting the 'continue' button (X) right through the dialogue as if the fight was still going on (X = the attack button).
- Reviving characters: So in battle, if one of your group gets KO'ed, there's a resting period. When the resting period is over, a message pops up saying that the character of interest is fully rested, but instead of letting him/her pop out just as if to rejoin the group, you always have to get to some save point to activate that character again.

---
Once again, being not that hardcore of a gamer, I can't really say much in the way of in-depth game reviews. But here's the bottom line:

- This game is definitely one to be played co-op. My brother and I grew up playing these types of games and having hours and hours of fun together with these (heh... Ninja Turtles).
- Don't get this if you're looking for straight RPG. True, there is an RPG element, but not as much in the way of world-exploration and stuff that have surrounded some of the world's best RPGs.
- This game is mission-based, with different levels separated into 5 acts that will load from your home base. Think Splinter Cell or soldier FPS games where you have one level, side missions that pop up when things screw up, and then an overall mission goal that must be beaten for you to return to home base.
- Nevertheless, it is loads of fun and I definitely think paying the $40 for it on release day was worth every cent.

The comic fan's dream come true

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 21 / 24
Date: December 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Over the years, video games based on comic book heroes haven't fared well. Name one good Batman video game, I dare you. Spider-man has had the biggest success rate in recent years, and the Hulk had a pretty good entry last year, but beyond that you're stretching things a bit. When X-Men: Legends came out a few years back, it was the start of a positive trend. Now everything has been set perfect by Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

Taking a roster of over 20 different playable heroes, MUA allows the comic book fan to create dream teams never considered before. A-List heroes like Spider-Man, Captain America, the entire Fantastic Four, and Iron Man are joined by B-Listers like Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange, and even Blade. Imagine a team with Wolverine, Blade, Ghost Rider, and Deadpool...who could stop you? There are even those mega-powerful heroes like Thor, Silver Surfer, and Captain Marvel you can throw in. Oddly missing from the line-up is the Hulk, but I'm sure they had to save someone for the sequel.

The storyline is simple: Doctor Doom has amassed an army of super-villains in an attempt to gain the power of Odin. Nick Fury of SHEILD gathers his own group of super folks to fight the threat. That's where you come in. Create your team from the roster available to you and go one the missions he sends you on. Along the way, you see cameos from characters you'd never have believed you'd ever see in a video game.

Imagine a video game with twenty "Non-Playable Characters" (characters showing up in cut scenes or computer-controlled). Now scratch that, and imagine a game with 120 of them! Heavy-hitters like Galactus even make an appearance! In one mission, you actually have to save a planet he's destroying. I can't even begin to list the villains and heroes you'll see. Suffice it to say, you probably won't recognize them all, but if you're into comic books your mouth will drop at some of them. The cut scenes in this game are good, but some are just plain amazing. One in particular with Nightcrawler in Doom's Castle actually proves he just might be the best fighter of all the X-Men. It's a scene you'll be watching again and again.

To top it all off, the heroes you control have different costumes to choose from. Choose wisely, because these aren't just cosmetic changes. Each costume changes the primary powers of that hero, so while Spider-man may look cool in his normal "red-and-blues", putting him in the black symbiote costume (the one showing up in all the trailers for the new movie) will change the way that character fights. The costume choices here are amazing too, as some of the most obscure costumes you could imagine show up center stage here. Remember Blade's very first green costume when he showed up in comics in the 70's? How about Storm's mohawk years? Captain America's World War 2 costume, Daredevil's red and yellow suit, and even the original "cowboy version" of Ghost Rider are playable here.

As a final bonus, you can create and name your own team, populating it with whatever heroes you'd like. As you fight with your group of four, you gain reputation points which eventually allow you to add more members to your team. And you can even play with four people at a time, so everyone on the team can be a real person and do some massive damage to the enemy armies.

So which cosole is the best to play this on? PS2 players get the short end of the stick with only 20 playable heroes. Next-gen consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions get two bonus heroes (Moon Knight and Colossus). In the handheld circuit, the PSP version gets four extra heroes (Hawkeye, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, and Ronin). The only downside to the PSP version is that there are times when so much is going on you can't really tell which hero you're controlling. The PS3 version wins as far as detail in display. You can actually see the threads in Spider-man's costume! I've played the game on all consoles, and have to rate the next-gen version the best.

The beauty of this game is its high replay value. Because you can swap team members up and each has such distinctive power sets, the game can be played in an almost infinite number of ways.

Easily my favorite video game of the year, MUA is a title no true comic fan should be without. With such an incredibly strong start, it's hard to imagine how they'll improve on it with the sequel, but I can't wait to find out!

Loaded With Great Power...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 15
Date: October 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Coming on the heels of JUSTICE LEAGUE HEROES, MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE serves up a cornucopia of thrills, action and adventure set in the Marvel Universe. Boasting heroes like Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Fantastic Four, Ms. Marvel, Iceman, Wolverine, the game unveils Dr. Doom's latest plot. After creating a new Masters of Evil, Doom sets the wheels in motion to strip the father of the Norse gods -- Odin -- of his powers. Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., has learned of the plot almost too late. Fury gathers the heroes, and the game is on!

The game was developed by Ravensoft and released through Activision. Ravensoft also developed both the X-MEN LEGENDS game and this platform appears to be a build off of that. They also recently finished up id's QUAKE 4. They've also developed 3 Star Wars games and the Hexen franchise. Activision is one of the industry's leaders.

MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE is an absolute delight to play. The gameplay is smooth and the levels progress at a nice clip with plenty of eyecandy all around. The individual heroes were programmed with plenty of unique powers that look and feel very much like their comic book counterparts. Filled with smooth-looking cut scenes, plenty of dialogue, and interactive Q&A sessions, MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE feels like a movie as it plays out. Each segment and session moves into the next with plenty of story sense. As an added bonus, you can switch teams and players around at different points throughout the levels.

The comic-based mini-missions add to the spice of the game, allowing mini-breathers throughout (that also come with an expiration limit!) and mixing in opportunities to win a lot of bonuses that include extra hero skins. Also, each level comes with extra tasks that affect the outcome of the gaming experience.

MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE allows 1-4 players, and also allows for players to drop in and drop out without having to restart a game. This makes for a parent-friendly game (unless you have to see the whole game yourself from start to finish!). Kids can play this one by themselves without needing help to get through the main storylines, but they may require some for the bonus missions.

If you have a kid in the house who loves games and superheroes, this is a great one to put under the tree for Christmas.

Ten stars all the way! A truly spectacular game...a breaking point for Marvel!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: November 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is everything I could hope for in a superhero game and more. It has great gameplay and an ONSLAUGHT of characters! It's just plain awesome.

You start out on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, with Nick Fury sending out a signal to all available meta-humans after Dr. Doom and the new Masters of Evil attack. Spider-man, Captain America, Thor, and Wolverine respond, and become your first team. At the beginning, you have the aformentioned four, plus Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, the Thing, Elektra, Deadpool, Luke Cage, Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman, Storm, and Iceman. As you proceed, you can unlock Black Panther, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Blade, Ghost Rider, Silver Surfer, and Nick Fury. It's all the characters a comic-book fan could love and more. Then there's the range and scope of the game. The graphics are far improved from the X-Men Legends games, even though it's not as good as the new 360 (personally, there's not much difference between this and that.) There's a horde of NPC's and villains, from the obvious, like Dr. Doom and Loki, to the shady, like Shocker. The game gives you choices along the way, and each choice affects the future of Marvel universe, as revealed after the ending cinematic in a series of videos presented by Uatu the Watcher. The gameplay is highly similar to the X-Men Legends games, with maybe a few enchanments here and there.

The thing I really love is the powers. X-Men Legends felt like too little, Legends II was WAY too much, but this is just right. Every power feels unique. And watching all your favorite characters come to life rocks to. I would have appreciated more focus on the X-Men, particularly those whom we briefly glimpsed in a cinematic (Emma Frost, Shadowcat, Gambit, and Beast fit the bill nicely.) but I like how Colossus, Psylocke, and Cyclops were turned evil and you had to fight them. Some really huge characters are missing, like Magneto, the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Venom. Those would have made good comic book missions. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are also noticeably absent, as well as mainly the entire Avengers battiliton (they're mentioned plenty, of course) and the Hulk cousins. Okay, Hulk appeared unconcious in the same scene as those X-Men. Sue me.

The use of environment was stunning. Standing on the floating rocks in Asgard, looking at the stars in the sky and the abyss below you, was simply amazing. It's even better if you fly one of your characters over it. Also, FLYING DOESNT CONSUME ENERGY!!!!!! ITS GREAT!!! Such an improvement over the Legends games. Spider-man can even web swing.

I mentioned before how I thought the X-Men were poorly represented in character. Definately not in locale. The X-Mansion is gone, and in it's place are the Shi'ar empire and Murderworld. Now that's classic X-Men. I would comment on the Avengers and FF bits, but as I don't read those regularly, I don't know much about them.

That's the final thing that makes this game great. You could have never touched a comic book and you could jump in here and be hooked. In fact, it might even seem funner because it would be so original to you.

TEN STARS ALL THE WAY, BABY!!!

It's about time....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: November 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

That Captain America, Thor and the Avengers got a good showing in a video game! It's been what, almost 13 years since the old Sega GENESIS cart? Well MUA is a great successor and wonderful addition to the Marvel franchise. This game builds upon the X Men Legends II (XL2) game style, so I will be referencing that game a bit.

The characters begin as a mixed bag: to begin with, some are the Ultimate versions (Cap, Thor); some are regular 616 continuity (Spiderman, Iron man). Each character has four different skins or costumes they can play as; one default and three to unlock. The really cool thing about the skins is that it allows you to play as characters such as Beta Ray Bill, War Machine, and US Agent. Different costumes also grant different powers.

The characters are cool. I love playing as Cap and Thor. Some of the others are a bit odd choices though: Electra, for example, but I guess they have to show support due to the movie based on the character. As I said it is an eclectic group, with the primary focus on the New Avengers.

The gameplay is the same style as XL2. Flying characters can now use their powers from the sky. Speaking of powers, the same system as XL2 exists. A big change is that some characters have some powers automatically: characters that can fly, such as Ms. Marvel or Thor, have Flight from the get go and you do not have to "buy" these powers like in XL2. There are fewer powers per character as compared to XL2, but some of the character's powers are contained in their skin/costumes. A new feature is team abilities, in which a team that stays together and has more synergy is granted bonuses. Changing a member changes the team, so the abilities are lessened. Pretty cool idea.

The first thing I noticed after playing the game is that it is much more challenging than XL2 was off the bat. I played through almost 2 entire scenarios with Bishop alone in XL2, in MUA I tried that (with Captain America) and repeatedly got beat up. It also seems that the level of your enemies is somewhat commiserate with your current level, especially in Simulator Disc scenarios, so the developers were thinking about the "Hard" mode of the game when designing the challenge level.

There are a few things I did not like, however:
1. Character choices: The characters are a diverse bunch, as I said, focusing on the New Avengers. And included are the main Avengers unit of Iron Man, Cap, and Thor. But I wish they added one of the other mainstay characters from the Classic Lineup. I know he is a system exclusive for some other platform, but Hawkeye would have made this game even better. To me he is the "Fourth Main Avenger" outside of the aforementioned three. To me, not having Hawkeye is like offering Mr. Fantastic, The Thing and The Invisible Woman, but not Johnny Storm.
2. No real equipment system: MUA allows one piece of equipment to be worn, unlike the three in XL2. I liked the three pieces much better: they actually had an impact on how each character performed. In MUA, it does not seem to matter if they have anything or not.
3. All characters have "Computer- Assigned Skill Points" set as default. This is minor, but I lost a point or two because I did not know the game was defaulted this way.
4. No Hulk. I am not a big fan of the Hulk by any means, but in a game encompassing this variety of characters, he needs to be playable right from the start. He is one of the most popular Marvel Characters, behind Spider Man and Wolverine. He should be here, and not simply as "Dr. Banner".

Overall, I think this game is great. It is a beat 'em up that you can easily sit down and enjoy for a quick fight or the long haul. It is also two and four player adaptable (as well as online), so it's great for a group of friends.

An interactive Comic-book Crossover

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

It's been over five years since I've purchased a brand new video game. I'm a fairly casual gamer and usually wait until I see a game under the "Greatest Hits" banner for about 20 bucks. But when I heard this game was a continuation of the superb "X-men:Legends" series, I had to splurge and pick it up.

This game excels for its ability to hook gaming fans and comic-book fans. While the gameplay is well-presented, the little hidden details really embellish the overall package. For instance, during the story you encounter a mini-game that takes you back to Activision's early days. The characters also have little nuances and trivia that will make comic-fans giddy, which is where the game REALLY appeals to me. Stuff like Johnny Storm wishing Ben Grimm a "happy 65th birthday", or doing a Fastball Special with Wolverine. The un-lockable costumes are a huge delight, as you get stuff like the black symbiote Spidey suit, as well as more obscure costumes like Dr. Strange's "1602" outfit. A big part of the game is seeing what little suprises are around the corner, or WHO will pop up next. It's a wide tour of Marvel's entire universe. Each level even has its own trivia game. Comic-fans may be able to answer all the questions immediately, but new fans can uncover the answers inside the game. The development team did their homework.

You can also boost up your characters with the "team" ability. By selecting a team of New Avengers or the Fantastic Four, you'll receive combat bonuses for your characters. More team combos exist beyond these two obvious choices. Additionally, you can create your own customized team (for giggles, I named mine after a scene in the movie "The Specials". "Think you're better than us...")

The overall story and dialogue are incredibly cheesy in places. However, a few of the cinematic sequences are quite impressive. The scene with Loki attacking Asgard looks like something out of "Lord of the Rings". While a few X-men are present, their absence is explained in the story. Besides, they've already had TWO video games where they were allowed to shine. I suppose this story fits into the same continuity and obsessive fans can debate over the "XM:L/MUA Universe".

It's like a big, interactive, massive comic-book crossover. The easiest comparison that comes to mind is the old "Secret Wars" series-- with Captain America and pals fighting Dr. Doom and his army of villains. Plus, just like any decent comic-book, things are left open for a possible sequel....

Just plain awesome

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: November 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The X-Men Legends series were a couple games that were unusually good for a licensed game series; combining Marvel's merry mutants with RPG elements in a Diablo-esque style and atmosphere. Marvel Ultimate Alliance takes everything the X-Men Legends games have set up and considerably ups the ante; starting with a huge cast of Marvel universe characters to play as, team up with, and fight in environments that touch almost every aspect of the Marvel universe. If you're the least bit familiar with the X-Men Legends style of play, Marvel Ultimate Alliance will fit like a glove. The storyline involves the latest sinister plot by Dr. Doom, which unites a host of Marvel heroes including Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Thor, Iron Man, Elektra, Ghost Rider, Blade, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer, Moon Knight, Luke Cage, Deadpool, and Spider-Woman to take on Doom and a horde of villains including Galactus, Loki, Mephisto, Blackheart, the Mandarin, M.O.D.O.K., Fin Fang Foom, the Super Skrull, Ultron, and more. As you progress through the game, you'll earn enchancements and new abilities; all of which are surprisingly rewarding. The gameplay is surprisingly deep as well, and the co-operative play and online capabilities (and this is the PS2 remember now) are excellent as well. The graphics aren't anything super special, but they serve their purpose, while everything else about the game is a real treat. Best of all, even if you're not into traditional RPG's, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is easy to just pick up and play. The fact that we are given this huge list of characters to play as and fight is great enough as it is, but the fact that each one controls and reacts like their comic book counterparts is something all the sweeter. All in all, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is just plain awesome, and even if you've never played the X-Men Legends games or don't like RPG's but dig the Marvel universe, you should definitely give this a try.

the Ultimate superhero game!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: November 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

For any fan of Marvel Comics, this game will not only meet, but exceed your needs for superhero RPG action. For any fan of the X-Men: Legends series, you are in for a treat as the revised engine this game runs on provides ultra smooth game play. The graphics are not next-gen, but they are high quality PS2 caliber. Besides the extensive library of playable characters to choose from (several X-Men, Avengers, and various other Marvel heroes and heroines), one noticeable improvement over the X-Men: Legends series is that you can adjust the points spent on your hero's abilities at any time without having to spend credits or find a special location to do so. Should Ghost Rider need a 9 point Pennance Stare to take down an enemy, you can easily take points away from his furnace blast to do so, and then put it back. Also, characters who are able to fly do not need to aquire that ability, they can automatically do so, and what's better, they do not loose any energy while doing so. The story is outstanding, the friends and enemies you encounter are taken from the depths of Marvel's character library. And finally, the skins you can unlock for each character make the game even more enjoyable. You can have a team consisting of Hero For Hire Luke Cage, Classic Thor, US Agent (Captain America), and 70's Blade, complete with a huge afro and green leather jacket. This game is non-stop awesome and is reccomended to anyone who loves comics or RPG's!!

Fun - great with a friend or 3.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

While having 4 heroes on the screen is confusing at times, due to the strangely zoomed out maps, it's great fun. There's real difference between the heroes - flight is fun if not tremendously useful. And there's just something fun about using Mr. Fantastic to cyclone punch one thug while Deadpool is firing away with twin guns.

And who knew Spider Woman could fly!!!

Lots of fun - with some interesting boss battles. It's not a particularly innovative gaming experience but the variety makes it a blast.

One minor gripe - the menu system seems to have one too many menu screens, so you're constantly zipping in and out of them, trying to figure out what screen covers what stat or item for which character, player 1 or player 2 or 3 or 4...

Marvel Comic fans rejoice!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I expected a good game out of Marvel Alliance based on the fact that the engine had been tested through the X-Men Legends series. When I started playing it, I got lost in the story and the potential of having pretty much any superhero team you want. It has a decent RPG element, challenges for more costumes, comic missions, different NPC interactions depending on who you choose to be, and a massive destructive arsenal of cool super hero powers and abilities. For me this game also has a great replay factor. With three levels of difficulty and 20 different heroes to choose for your team you can find countless ways to try missions. If your stressed and just feel like knocking around bad guys, the game has a great just sit and play factor.
I like the versatility of the game, it has something for every level of gamer, which is rare to find.
It's not all good however, one thing that really bugged me was the fact that each hero can only equip one item. One of the great strategies about the Legends series was building up your character through the types of armors. This has been simplified, and most of the bonuses I ended up selling to buy points in my heroes abilities and powers. Still the game is fun for comic fans and gamers alike and has much to offer.

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