Justice League Heroes Isn't Quite Invulnerable, but It's No Sidekick

I'll let you know right off the bat that I'm a DC Comics nut. I have Superman shirts, Justice League DVDs and an unhealthy obsession with Wonder Woman.

I'm the real deal, so it's no wonder that I'm terrified of DC video games. Superman 64, Justice League Task Force and a ton of Batman games have all been crap.

I mean awful.

For that reason, I was scared of Justice League Heroes. Would it be as bad as most of the DC games have been? Would it push DC games back another five years? Would the store employees who sold me the game mock me?

Thankfully, my fears were unfounded. This game is good - it's unoriginal, but it's good.

In this title from Snowblind Studios, Superman's robotic foe Brainiac has assembled a team of B-List villains such as Queen Bee, Gorilla Grodd and the Key to screw up the Justice League's life. Only toward the end of the game will a couple of DC powerhouses show up to challenge the team, which includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Martian Manhunter and Zatanna.

The fact is, if you've played X-Men Legends or Marvel Ultimate Alliance, you've played Heroes. This is the same action-RPG-kind of title with a weaker story - when you're teleported to another dimension and then have to walk out of it, you'll know what I'm talking about.

As much fun as I had decimating my weaker opponents with Superman's heat vision and blasts from Green Lantern's power ring, it never got too hard, the game is short, and gameplay was repetitive from the get go - beat down the boss's minions, watch an entertaining cut scene or two and fight your main baddie. Simple, but fun.

You'll throwdown in the streets of Metropolis, within the walls of the Watchtower - the league's moon base for those out of the loop - and the gravel roads of gorilla town.

Heroes provides each characters with five main special moves that deplete a regenerating power meter with each use. Let's say you're Batman. You can throw batarangs, call on a swarm of bats and use your grappling hook for attacks.

The experience points you rack up from each of your encounters with villains can be poured into your characters' powers to make them stronger, longer lasting and less of a drain on your power meter.

Although each character has multiple uses for their power meter, I found myself relying on the same power over and over. Batman's batarangs leave bad guys beat, Zatanna's fireball flattens foes, and the Flash's pinball attack is a powerful ally in the quest to best the bad guy horde.

With so many goons to whoop, you're upgrading characters and getting JLA shields left and right, which is a good thing. See, those shields unlock a bunch of stuff in Heroes such as costumes and new characters. Sick of John Stewart as your Green Lantern? Pick up Hal Jordan. Think Wonder Woman should wear a toga? Have at it.

Once you've run through the game, you can restart your story with the upgrades you've unlocked … but why would you? Sure, you can keep picking up JLA shields, but Heroes is pretty linear. There's no secret levels, passages or bosses. It's slap on a different costume, beat down the same folks and beat the same game.

A super letdown.

Even with the faults listed above, I love Heroes. For most, it's a quick weekend rental, but for diehard DC fans, it's a jaunt though the universe you love. Little tidbits like voicemails from Lois Lane and the Daily Planet globe make you stop and enjoy the game despite some bland scenery.

For once in my life, there's a DC game I can say I like and not be ashamed of it. Sure, the story isn't great and it's short, but it's Superman and Batman - I've been waiting for this for years.