Activision X-Men: Mutant Academy - SONY Playstation

Description: As many veteran gamers will attest, movie-based video games usually don't come off all that well--usually because they're thrown together in haste in an attempt to quickly cash in on a hot film license. But X-Men: Mutant Academy is an exception, offe.... Read More

Description: As many veteran gamers will attest, movie-based video games usually don't come off all that well--usually because they're thrown together in haste in an attempt to quickly cash in on a hot film license. But X-Men: Mutant Academy is an exception, offering plenty of characters, eye-popping graphics, and solid control as far as fighting games go. Computer-generated visuals bring 10 X-Men home in their latex comic book costumes, as well as their leather movie duds. In addition to those characters featured in the movie, Mutant Academy also puts Beast and Gambit at players' disposal. (Rogue, however, is a no-show.) The fighting system for Mutant Academy is built around three special move meters, which can be built up during battle. Once the special meter is filled, you can use your newly acquired moves to perform wild displays of combat skills. Uniquely, the power from one meter can be transferred to another, giving players an added strategic advantage while fighting. The game plays fast and takes skill to master, though it relies more heavily on special moves than combos. Still, it ranks right up there with Capcom's best. --Robb Guido Pros: A 2-D fighter with 3-D rendered characters and an abundance of special moves Offers 10 X-Men in a choice of costumes, including those from the X-Men movie. Cons: Not as many characters as other fighters Minimize