Marvel Ultimate Alliance: A Super Hero Smorgasbord for the Gamer

Marvel Ultimate Alliance has taken the realm of comic book video games to a new level. The X-Men Legends games set the bar high and Ultimate Alliance took all the playability of it's predecessors and added a character roster of grand proportions. Defeat evil using any four person combination of your choosing from a list of heros that includes but is not limited to Wolverine, Captain America, Thor, Spiderman, Storm, Iceman, the Fantastic Four, Blade, Ms. Marvel, Spiderwoman, Dead Pool, Dr. Strange, Luke Cage, Silver Surfer and Ghost Rider. Different characters are introduced throughout the game. There are even attack and defense bonuses for certain four person teams. For instance, if you choose four certain heros of the female persuasion you will be given the Femme Fatale bonus. It makes mixing up your team even more of an adventure and encourages you to explore the subtle nuances of each character a bit more thoroughly.

Right from the onset, Marvel Ultimate Alliance catapults it's heros into a storm of action. Dr. Doom has assembled an all star ensemble of super villains whose first evil deed will be to attack and destroy a S.H.I.E.L.D. hellcarrier. It will be up to Wolverine, Spiderman, Thor and Captain America (controlled by you of course) to aid S.H.I.E.L.D. commander Nick Fury in defending the carrier and defeating Dr. Doom's minions. You'll be given the chance to customize your team later in the game.

The roster of super villains that you will be called upon to do battle with is no less impressive or extensive than that of the heros. Get ready to face off against Scorpion, Grey Gargoyle, Arcade, Ultron, Mephisto and Galactus just to name a few. There is a nice balance of classic and obscure villains of all sizes making it necessary to alter your fighting style accordingly. On top of the marquis villains you must face swarms of henchman as you chase Dr. Doom across every corner of the Marvel Universe. You will visit world's like Asgard, Mephisto's Realm and Mandarin's palace, among others, and of course Dr. Doom's castle. This game is sure to please even the most rabid comic book fans.

The game play in Marvel Ultimate Alliance is extremely reminiscent of the X-Men Legends games as well as titles like Diablo or Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance but is quite easy to master for anyone. As you battle your way through the story each character you use will gain new abilities and may find useful items to upgrade their performance. Some items are only for use by certain heros, others may be used by all. To start, each hero has a set of basic melee attacks that are augmented with a unique set of special powers and the ability to grapple and disarm opponents. The controls are a nice departure from button mashing without being too complex.

After completion of each level you will be given experience points based on your performance that you may use to unlock more special powers. You can also purchase points using the coinage you collect from bested enemies or find when you smash crates and the like. Each character has at least eight special powers available to them. Some require a higher experience level than others but they all have their own advantages in battle and reflect each hero's unique abilities. There are also different costumes to unlock that give each hero a new look and a set of suit specific upgrades that you may purchase. With the exception of your basic health and energy stats you are in total control of all character improvements making Marvel Ultimate Alliance an invigorating and interactive gaming experience.