X-Men: Mutant Academy 2

Moby ID: 5015

PlayStation version

Join the Mutant Academy

The Good
Marvel struck gold when it partenered with Capcom to release it's wonderful collection of 2D fighters. So when the deal ended and when all the licenses were given to Activision I feared the worst for the fighting side of things. It's worth noting that I never played the original Mutant Academy based on that fear and wrote it off as simply another cheap movie-licensed cash-in, but if the sequel is any indication then I was sorely mistaken on both accounts. You see, Activision and Paradox crafted here a polygonal fighter (no sense in competing on 2D animation against Capcom) that nonetheless plays like a 2D game complete with outlandish physics and moves, fast and furious gameplay and the usual complement of super-moves, combos, projectile attacks, etc... and you know what? They nailed it!

MA 2 sets itself apart from the movie universe by including a comprehensive cast of characters absent from the movie's universe such as Forge, Beast, Gambit, etc. as well as pretty much every mutant to appear in the movie. The interface is simple and features a couple of light and fierce punch & kick buttons as well as a special one used for throws and specials, so you'll be busting heads in no time. The action is pretty good with balanced characters, responsive controls and flashy powers for almost all characters which make all out fights pretty impressive sights to behold. Vs fights are a blast thanks to the speedy and flashy gameplay making this a perfect "guys night in" game. These things are the cornerstones of every good fighting game, and I'll be damned but Paradox got it right, kudos to them for developing a stellar fighting game.

The graphics are pretty impressive for a PSX game, and showcase plenty of lighting and particle effects as well as pretty detailed models that change with the different costumes and (in some unique cases) stages.

As with all Marvel games, you also have a batch of unlockable extras that include bonus cutscenes, character galleries and bios, not as much movie-related stuff as in the other game as I'm told, but that's okay. Novices can check out the fight-school mode in which Xavier teaches you the many combos and moves for your selected characters. And keep your eye out for a certain web-slinging guest appearance!

The Bad
Super moves are kinda awkward to pull off and it's power management system is not as versatile as you would expect. Also we would have appreciated more gameplay modes and given the excellent character balance and vs gameplay, it's a shame that you don't have a more comprehensive tournament mode for extended multiplaying.

The Bottom Line
Pretty surprising in it's quality, X-Men: MA2 is a solid fighting game filled with superb mutant head-bashing action, lack of extra game modes make it a not so hot title value-wise, but the basics are still there, and they are still good enough to make up for those omissions. Fighting aficionados won't be disappointed.

by Zovni (10504) on May 15, 2004

Back to Reviews