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In the annals of comic book lore, readers seek out a hero to whom an attachment may be formed. Oftentimes we come to like the heroes so much that we almost wish we could be them. In one form of media aside from the ink and paper of these beloved superheroes, Activision strides to bring them to life in pixelated glory. The company has a bit of history of creating enjoyable team based superhero games (look to the X-Men Legends series) as well as numerous outings with good ol' Spider-Man. The most remarkable offering, however, takes form in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (MUA). The game is a feast for those interested in the Marvel Universe and comic book regalia.

From the outset, we learn that Dr. Doom is up to no good and has assembled one of the largest teams of supervillains known to man - the Masters of Evil. It has become the task of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage and Logistics Directorate) to determine what Doom's plans are and stop the Masters of Evil before the world falls into madness. It seems like somewhat of a clichéd proposition, but it plays out quite well, especially in terms of comic book storytelling.

The task force created by S.H.I.E.L.D. and charged to handle the situation consists of four superheroes (or less, depending on player preference). The default setting includes Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor and Wolverine, but you don't have to keep this configuration. One of the best parts of MUA is the selection of characters. 16 are available to choose from the upstart, with others acquired by playing through various levels or completing other tasks such as simulator missions, which are attained throughout the game. Another strong point of the game lies in the exploration of the Marvel universe. We are taken from the bottom of the ocean in Atlantis, where Namor rules as king. We see the stars and great battleships of the Shi'ar Empire, where the Empress rules her people justly. We are even granted access to the sacred land of Valhalla amongst Thor and the gods of Asgard.

Anyone familiar with the X-Men Legends games will find the gameplay in MUA comparable. The game plays much like a brawler with characters able to acquire and upgrade special moves and take out enemies with special combos. The team play dynamic is modified by incorporating bonus stats for certain team configurations. For example, the Fantastic Four altogether would receive a health regeneration bonus. If something like that doesn't quite meet your interest, though, you can always create your own team and add bonus stats as the game progresses. MUA sports very simple mechanics and is easy to pick. The game itself is also not very difficult. There are a few instances where some baddies may gang up on the superhero team and failure might seem imminent, but that's when health and energy orbs appear and all is well. It also helps that, if say the character you're playing as is on his way out, you can switch to another team member. There is a "Hard" mode, but chances are you'll have saved game stats from a "Normal" session where your characters are leveled up and fairly powerful, which sort of mitigates the difficulty setting.

Graphically speaking, MUA looks pretty decent for a multiplatform title. The pre-rendered cinematic sequences look top notch, while the in-game sequences leave a little something to be desired. It's only when the camera gets up close and personal that one starts to notice flaws in the design, whether they be in general character design with some blockiness or some slightly odd texturing. The character models otherwise look fine. The game features a variety of environments, as previously mentioned, and coupled with some really nice lighting effects, they're very well done.

While visuals are important, the sound of Marvel is something that should be taken heavily into account as well. And, for the most part, MUA achieves a great balance in sound design. The voice acting is great and, while some of the dialog comes off as cheesy, the actors deliver their lines like they really mean it. Clive Revill (voice of the Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back), for instance, does a fantastic job as Dr. Doom while much of the cast comes as close to a realization of the Marvel characters as could be hoped for. Some of the battle phrases become repetitive, but at least they fit the mood set by the game. Quite a bit of the game's music score is good as well, with composers such as Mark Griskey (Knights of the Old Republic II) onboard.

Xbox Live matches can be pretty fun. There are two modes: Co-op and Arcade. In both modes, players move through the game's campaign. The main difference is that in Arcade mode, players essentially compete for kills, credits that can be spent on power upgrades and the satisfaction that accompanies winning. It's somewhat unfortunate that players may only go through the story mode. There are simulator missions that can be accessed through terminals in the game, but many aren't unlocked until later stages. This can present a quandry to those who have played through the story mode numerous times. There are a few reasons why the game has such a high replay value, however, and why players may choose to go through the story more than once. For one, characters may reach a maximum level of 99, receiving massive power boosts along the way. Making characters more powerful enables the player to achieve simulator missions far more easily than otherwise. It's pretty satisfying to have some powerful characters and many may find it amusing enough to play through as teams comprised of different characters.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is simply a game made for the comic book fan in all of us. While it doesn't entirely soar past its predecessors in terms of gameplay, it more than picks up the slack with character selection, exploration of the Marvel Universe and online play. As Stan Lee would say: Excelsior!