You’ll have to think quite a way back when trying to remember the last time you saw an X-Men video game on the shelf. Even though it has repeatedly appeared in video games like the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise, or Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, there was a time when the X-Men got their very own games, next to the popular Spiderman and Batman games.
In fact, the Mutants have actually been responsible for some lasting developments in the world of gaming.
We’re going to show you two of the most exciting and arguably the most fun, X-Men video games out there. Read on for more.
X-Men: Mutant Academy 2
Unlike the previous installation in the series, X-Men:Mutant Academy 2 is a fantastic face-to-face fighting game that is rendered gloriously in 3D. The game features 18 of Marvel’s greatest characters, including Wolverine, Cyclops, Sabertooth, and Havok, as well as a number of unlockable fighters.
The game takes place on a 2D plane. The 3D shapes and excellent camera angles do an amazing job at conveying a setting that is truly lifelike, but when it comes to the kicks, punches, and combos, the perspective is only up and down, left and right.
Gameplay
One of the best improvements to Mutant Academy 2 is the mutant super system. There are three separate power meters that can be used to activate each of the characters’ mutant super moves.
Regular attacks fill these meters, and you are also able to transfer the power from one meter to another with a simple combination on the D-pad. One of the level 2 super moves can be used by combining the right button-presses during a super mutant attack. This opens up even more powerful combos, and you’ll find yourself wanting to try out all of the roster’s mutant super moves to figure out which works best, and which you prefer.
The overall balance and computer AI have been greatly improved. All of the characters are vulnerable to the standard stuns and combos. Even though the damage from supers is overwrought, the general balance makes the game fair in both versus and arcade modes.
X-Men Legends
When it comes to the gaming world, the mutant fighting force we know as the X-Men is best known for its work in fighting games. While they have made appearances in other genres, nothing compares to the way they play in good old fighting games.
X-Men Legends packs a great variety of playable fighters and excellent graphics into an easy, but pretty lengthy, action-adventure. Everything about this game works together to form a superb action role-playing game with a story that is well-told.
Gameplay
X-Men Legends has some pretty standard RPG-like calculations, but most of the focus is placed on beating your enemies up and running around the world. You can choose a team of up to four mutants from a varied roster that includes Iceman, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and more.
The gameplay is easy to understand and easy to pick up on. There are two buttons for attacking, and the standard melees can be used in succession to create devastating combos.
There is a combo that knocks enemies into the air, another that knocks them down, and another that stuns them.
There is also a combo that is longer and more damaging than the other combos in the game, and chances are, you’re going to be relying on this one quite a bit. You are thrown into environments that are packed with enemies, and you’re going to have to perform a plethora of tasks.
Regardless of what the objective is, the way that you get to it is always the same, and the most you’ll have to do to interact with a mission objective is to press a button.
Wrapping Up
What started out as a comic-book line has become one of the most popular and recognized franchises in the world. The X-Men are here to stay, and we hope that we’ll see a new X-Men game soon. Until then, enjoy the two classics we’ve mentioned above.
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