Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet (Nintendo DS) - Review by Chris

Introduction

Last year saw THQ team up with developer Griptonite Games to create a more kid friendly entry in their Marvel line of video games. The end result, Marvel Super Hero Squad, was an interesting attempt and was certainly helped by the cartoon of the same name doing the rounds on various TV networks worldwide. The two have teamed up once again to try and improve on what they created last year, sticking squarely to the template of the previous game but bringing in a new story and new characters to keep younger gamers entertained. Is this effort worthy of the high prestige that the Marvel brand holds?

Gameplay

The story for The Infinity Gauntlet sees various super villains attempting to capture the Infinity Stones in the hope of trying to take over the world. However, inadvertently hearing of the plot while out getting items for Thor's birthday party, the Super Hero Squad, comprised of members such as Thor, Wolverine, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and many others, gang together to stop the super villains from enacting their evil plans. It's a very simple plot, purely as a result of the younger demographic the game is aimed at, and definitely carries similar themes as those seen in the previous game yet here, it feels decidedly below par relying almost solely on bad puns and jilted dialogue to keep any semblance of the story moving forward.

Gameplay is almost entirely action based, with you taking on the role of one of two characters in a level, with the ability to switch between the two on the move with a press of the X button, and fighting your way through opponents to get to objectives and finally a boss battle. Each character you'll play as has two main forms of attack, a normal and a strong one, and a special ability which can be incorporated in battle or is more normally used to clear puzzles to help you progress. What characters you'll get to play as isn't restricted to what you start the mission with, as there are various swap stations setup through all of the levels which you'll need to use to switch out characters to make use of individual and specific abilities separately or in conjunction with one another to complete certain sections of the game. It's a great idea that opens things up and allows you to experience all of the characters but at times, it does get frustrating having to backtrack to stations to switch out characters.

Unlike the home console versions, there are no platforming sections here which benefits the gameplay from having the juggle too many style of play when platforming has never been one of the series' best assets. There is a bigger emphasis on puzzles though, and throughout your adventures you'll come across many puzzles which will require you to switch between characters, making use of their special abilities to help you progress. They're never truly taxing, as a result of this being a kids game after all, but they change up the gameplay just enough to keep things interesting.

Unfortunately, the game only offers up a single player experience and with their only being a handful of levels, which will last a couple of hours at most, and a scattering of challenges to be unlocked through purchasing with crystal shards in the main menu, the game isn't exactly strong in the content department. The lack of difficulty also won't help for some and the LEGO game style hidden areas which you could only access through repeated play with different characters are missing leaving very little in the way of replayability. As it is though, it is a fun if short excursion into the world of Marvel for young gamers.

Controls

The game is entirely button based, with the d-pad moving your character about and 3 of the face buttons letting you attack and use your special ability while the last, the X button, allows you to toggle between the two characters. The shoulder buttons are brought in for targeting but there's already an auto-target system in place that means you don't really need to bother. In general, the control setup works well in battles but outside of them, it isn't quite as fluid for moving about the levels, although this is more as a result of the isometric camera and being unable to move it meaning it can be hard it times to walk around objects and corners.

Graphics

Although it takes on an isometric viewpoint, everything in the game is created in full 3D polygons and it does look great. Environments show real artist design and a genuine flair on the hardware, looking incredibly detailed and clean with little to no blocky textures visible and even some destructive elements which is a triumph given the limitations of the hardware. It does come at a price, however, as occasionally there are some frame rate issues when there are either too many characters, objects or effects on the screen at once.

All the major characters are recreated faithfully and while the camera is zoomed out so you can't make out the finer details, on the whole they look just like their TV counterparts, with great animation and little nuances that give each of them their own distinct characteristics and personalities. Enemies don't fare quite as well, often looking generic and very basic, sticking with a single design throughout many of the levels and simply switching up the colour palette to give the illusion of wider variety than there is. It's a disappointment for sure then that there is a lack of variety in the enemy models and that they don't quite stack up to the quality of the main Marvel characters.

Sound

The game features full voice work for all major characters in the game and while there is a slight dip in quality in comparison to the home console versions, the quality of the voice work sounds great coming out of the DS' speakers with those who've provided their voices to the cartoon reprising their roles here and putting in a fantastic performance. The script will largely wash over older gamers, who'll quickly grow tired of the one liners and kid friendly plot but younger gamers will lap it up. Music is slightly less pronounced in this version, more often than not lulling in the background behind the voice work and sound effects, but it gets the job done in providing something appropriate to the levels you're fighting your way through.

Dual screen

With the action taking place on the top screen, the touch screen has been relegated to little more than a map screen, showing a very basic isometric box map and of the level you're playing in. You can scroll the map about by using the stylus on the touch screen but due to the lack of detail, there's little point. Other than that, there are a scant few other uses for the touch screen, mainly for puzzles which seem to have been implemented just so the developers can say the game makes use of it. It's therefore not the best use of the screens.

Final comments

Faring better than the home console versions, Marvel Superhero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet is a surprisingly fun action title on the DS. It may not be particularly groundbreaking, with it not coming close to the best action games on the console, and it may not be particularly lengthy and use many of the hardware's functions, but it provides a reasonably enjoyable experience that younger games will love. Older gamers may find some enjoyment too, if they can push originality aside and accept the button-masher style gameplay.

Pro: Looks and sounds great, gameplay is continually fun with a vast roster of characters,
Con: Doesn't make great use of the hardware functionality, isometric view can be irritating, some frame rate issues, not particularly long
Final score: 6

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