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Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
When X-Men Legends was released, the nerdiness of comic book characters combined with the geekitude of videogames, and there was much rejoicing. Raven software had gotten right a formula that is usually rife with opportunities for disaster; it created a smart, intense and fun gameplay experience that also catered unapologetically to the characters' comic book roots. Finally, there was a quality game starring superheroes that satisfied gamers and comic fans alike that wasn't a complete radioactive cowpie.Well listen up fellow nerds and geeks because not only are you going to get to win a shiny new videogame featuring over 140 different Marvel superhero characters (with 20+ playable) – you're going to get to use a whole new type of controller to kick your favorite team of superheroes into gear against the forces of evil. It's great that most hardcore gamers have strangely muscled up right hands and wrists because you'll need them in order to perform the myriad of shakes, swings and undulations required to play the Wii incarnation of Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Yes, on one hand your awkward-looking motions entice high school bullies peeking in your window to want to pummel you even more, but imagine being able to form an upgradeable team consisting of Dr. Strange, Thor, Ghost Rider and Spider-Man and use it to battle The Devourer of Worlds, Galactus in a deliciously destructible 3D environment? Don't pop a pimple yet, fanboy, there's more to whet your insatiable appetite for geekery.
What separates this incarnation from the pack is that the game will fully utilize Nintendo's remote control by allowing the player to perform attacks by pressing on the B button while either sweeping, shaking, jabbing or lifting the wiimote. Unleash a barrage of fireballs using The Human Torch by shaking the remote quickly from side to side. Swing the controller forward to put a dent in your enemy's forehead with Captain America's trusty shield. Whip your arm forward and back to perform a deadly choke-flip using Ghost Rider's hellfire chains. There's a bevy of attacks to choose from, and with 20 (or more) playable characters, you're definitely going to have a ton of combos and varying moves to choose from.
Expect for there to be more than just flat-out physical violence (not that there's anything wrong with that). Like X-Men Legends before it, Marvel Ultimate Alliance allows you to power up your fighters through experience and weaponry, but an arcade mode has also been created to give you an incentive to fight even harder. In co-op Arcade Mode, players will compete against each other (while saving the world) to see who can score the most kills, the most environment destruction and who has the sexiest costume on the team! Ok, that's not in the actual gameplay, but multiple character outfits mean you might see Symbiote Spider-Man or classic yellow-blue spandex Wolverine, or even oft-forgotten Drag Queen Ben Grimm. Flame on!
Raven Software and Vicarious Visions are definitely aiming to satisfy your need to blow things up, this time using a huge range of popular characters from the Marvel universe who have permission from the US government to cause billions of dollars in collateral damage in order to save the planet from the likes of Dr. Doom, Fin Fang Foom and the Super Skrull. The Wii version may not have the same crispness of its 360 and PS3 counterparts, but those looking for a new way to play a solid adventure, look no further than the Wii version of Marvel Ultimate Alliance.
