Justice League Heroes: The Flash (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

For those of you that don't know Justice League is something of a big deal Stateside, with the comics selling in impressive quantities and why wouldn't they? Bring together the very best in superheroes and crime fighters so they can combine their abilities and become a force to be reckoned with. We have had Justice League games grace the Nintendo handhelds before but rather than get the whole gang together again, this latest outing shines the spotlight on the fastest man alive: The Flash.

Gameplay

The actual game mechanics are far from unique. Playing as The Flash, you must battle through wave upon wave of henchmen through four very different settings: Keystone City, Gotham City, The Amazon and Metropolis. Each of these ends with a boss and while you will eventually defeat them they are generally more inventive and intelligent than your usual brawler fodder. What separates The Flash from other similar titles though is the fact that his abilities are actually very useful in a game of this nature. The first of these is his ability to jump around the screen in a fraction of a second making you almost untouchable by the henchmen. The other is the ability to actually slow down time for a limited period. This turns the surroundings into an almost dream like state allowing you to place 20 or so punches on an enemy in what probably seems like seconds to him.

As you move though the game you'll also unlock other members of the Justice League some of whom also have special abilities, which can be vital in some of the more difficult areas of the game. Diana, for example, has a 'Lasso of Truth' and Superman can be called upon for a Super Attack. The only real downside to all this is that there's little in way of replay value and outside of the difficulty settings you are unlikely to play The Flash again so it's refreshing that the first play through, at least, is a delight.

Controls

While the control system is incredibly responsive it is sometimes difficult to align yourself with an enemy due to the isometric environments.

Graphics

Flash fans will no doubt be delighted with the comic book cut screens which link the various levels together perfectly. Elsewhere there's some nice animation and the tiny sprites do seem to have enough moves and personality to make them truly come alive. The only downside is the rather limiting isometric environment in which it is sometimes difficult to judge distances, although this is a minor gripe about what is a very nice looking package and if you want to know just how much work goes into a title like this just take a look at the unlockable Making Of..

Sound

The music throughout the game is actually quite pleasant, as is the variety of speech snippets, it's just a shame we don't get to hear any of the one-liners which every Super Hero must have.

Final comments

All too often developers miss the whole point of licensed products and fail to fully immerse the player in the world of their favorite comic book/TV/Movie heroes. It's for that reason alone that The Flash is worth a look and WayForward have done an admirable job of fitting enough of 'The Fastest Man on Earth's abilities to satisfy even the most hardened of critics. The main reason for this is the fact that you do feel you have a genuine super power and punching one thug only to dash to the other corner of the screen and punch another, in a matter of seconds, is very satisfying indeed. Comic book fans and anyone interested in a decent brawler should seek this out now.

Pro: Nice Visuals and Animation.
Con: Some Combat Seems a Little Repetitive.
Final score: 7.8

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