SNES

X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse

Gameplay is unrelenting and requires precision playing to make it through even the early levels. But those who have the patience to work their way through this challenging quest will be rewarded with one of the best comic book games out there.

X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse is well done. However, it doesn't stretch the boundaries of this genre and it may become repetitive after a while. Comic-book fans will probably be more enthusiastic about it than hardcore gamers. With graphics and gameplay that approach SF II's high standards, the sequel possibilities loom large.

Despite it's problems, X-Men combines X-cellent graphics and X-citing gameplay to make this a game worthy of begging for. Like the immortal Stan Lee, creator of the X-Men comic series, always says, 'Enuff said!'

If it wasn't for the license, this one probably would have just been tossed aside with the countless other similar titles and we certainly wouldn't be revisiting it today. But, with a helping hand from Capcom and a strong comic backing it, this one is still a blast to pick up. You'll have to fight with feelings of frustration to get all the way through, though that's a minor problem that is far outweighed by the quality of the action.

For once, a game has done justice to one of my favorite comics. First things first, the gameplay is absolutely outstanding. Sure, there are Street Fighter moves, but who cares? This isn't another Final Fight. The game requires skill and timing. The graphics are good, but not great and the music is sort of blah. However, X-Men is fun to play and that's what really counts. X-Men is a decent side-scroller.

X-Men, Mutant Apocalypse is, net als de andere Marvel Comics games, prachtig om te zien. Grote helden draven over het scherm en special moves zijn er net zo veel als in een goed vechtspel. Wat ik jammer vind is dat de levels vaak nogal kort zijn. Anderhalf eindbaasje verder ben jer er al weer doorheen. Ik schat dan ook dat een geoefende platformspecialist het spel binnen een regenachtig weekendje wel heeft uitgespeeld. Iets voor de verhuur misschien? Lijkt mij zeker de moeite waard!

Mutant Apocalypse is an impressive side-scrolling platformer. Embarking on individual missions, you control five X-Men including Wolverine, Cyclops, Psylocke, Gambit, and Beast. Your ultimate goal is to free mutants from an island where they are being held by the evil Mighty Apocalypse. Despite using only two buttons, the game offers about seven or eight attacks for each hero. The stages exhibit great variety and showcase the X-Men's individual talents. For example, Wolverine can climb walls and Beast can walk on ceilings. The characters are huge, backgrounds are interesting, and the huge bosses are exciting. Even the sky high difficulty won't prevent you from coming back for more superhero action.

X-Men, X-Men, X-Men...enough! These aren't even cool characters. Plain and simple run-of-the-mill side scrolling arcade action is all you'll find here. The graphics are of course great, but I've been down this road too many times. Why doesn't Capcom make a platformer with the SF2 cast? Go with a winner...your winner, Capcom.

In closing, if you are a fan of games like Final Fight or Fighting Force you won't be disappointed in this title. Even if you are not a fan, give this one a rent. You might be surprised.

An overall excellent game, Capcom (a two-player mode would have made it better), but what I'm really looking forward to, X-Men-wise, is the fighting game. C'mon Capcom, I can hardly wait.