Superheroes Mostly Fall Flat in Latest Video Games
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While superheroes may have taken over Hollywood, the video-game world has been harder for them to conquer.
Sure, recent games featuring Iron Man and Spider-Man have sold well, but they haven't fired up gamers the way that a typical "Grand Theft Auto" or "Madden NFL" release does.
Maybe that's because video-game protagonists are already superpowered. A tough customer like Marcus Fenix ("Gears of War") or Master Chief ("Halo") could probably kick Batman all the way back to the Batcave.
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Gamers like their heroes homegrown — although comic-book stars are welcome in the virtual world, if the game's done right.
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— "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe" (Midway, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $59.99): Here's one of those "what if?" scenarios that comic-book writers love so much: Who would win a fight between Sub-Zero and Superman? Or Kitana and Catwoman?
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Yes, it's 11 popular "Mortal Kombat" fighters vs. 11 of DC Comics' famous heroes and villains.
Midway has added a few new twists: Characters can pound each other through walls and fight in midair, and the developers have toned down the violence to get a teen-friendly rating.
As always with this genre, it's much more fun to play against a friend than against the computer.
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"MK vs. DCU" is decent fan service, but it won't hold the interest of anyone who doesn't care about both ends of its equation. Two stars out of four.
— "Spider-Man: Web of Shadows" (Activision, for the Xbox 360, PS3, $59.99; Wii, $49.99; PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, $39.99; Nintendo DS, $29.99): Remember the black-suited web-crawler from "Spider-Man 3"?
He's back in "Web of Shadows," which allows Peter Parker to switch easily between his red (good) and black (evil) alter egos.
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Unfortunately, the choices you make don't have much effect on which missions you'll fight — and those missions, which often require simply beating on a group of thugs or aliens, get repetitious fast. And the boss battles against third-string Marvel villains like Electro and Vulture go on forever.
It's fun to swing through the streets of Manhattan with Spidey, but the rest of "Web of Shadows" is a drag. Two stars.
— "Lego Batman" (Warner Bros., for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, $49.99; PS2, PSP, DS, $29.99): This lighthearted romp is a real treat for Batmaniacs of all ages.
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The Joker, the Penguin, Two-Face and other miscreants are on the loose (again) in Gotham City, and it's up to Batman and Robin to stop their reign of terror.
The game is a mix of easy combat, clever puzzle-solving and an occasional ride in the Batmobile. And it's always a kick to bust open a box of blocks and reassemble them into some goofy weapon.
The developers need to sort out a few issues (static camera angles, crummy artificial intelligence), but "Lego Batman" makes the Caped Crusader fun again. Three stars.