Iron Man

Overview

Based on the film of the same name, Iron Man was released on May 2, 2008 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, and PC. The game was developed by Secret Level and Artificial Mind and Movement, and published by Sega. Like most other games, the handheld and console versions of the game are significantly different, whereas one is an open-world action game and the other is a top-down perspective shooter. The game loosely follows the plot of the film (introducing new characters from the comics not found in the film), and features the voices of Robert Downey Jr. and Terrence Howard.

The game was universally panned by critics. Receiving scores ranging from 15% to 60% (depending on the version), the game was criticized for poor controls, graphical quality, and tedious gameplay. Generally, the Nintendo DS version was more well-received than the console based versions, although it was still criticized for repetitiveness and unnecessary difficulty. In addition, the game was "honored" by being awarded the Worst Game Everyone Played in GameSpot's 2008 awards.

Gameplay

Spanning over 13 missions, Iron Man stars Tony Stark fighting a variety of enemies and supervillains who are in possession of Stark weapons. An open-world game, the only levels that are linear are the first few tutorial missions. While the game only loosely follows the plot of the film, each mission is still introduced and finished with a cutscene. While the game was praised for the detailed open-world environments, the combat was not as well-received.

Consisting primarily of aerial combat, Iron Man has a variety of weapons and abilities at his disposal. His primary modes of attack are missiles and repulsor beams, which consistently recharge, as well as a powerful unibeam attack. As combat progresses, the player is tasked with dodging incoming missiles, enemy fire, and other aerial enemies (particularly helicopters). To deal with larger enemies such as helicopters and tanks, Iron Man can grapple himself towards an enemy, quickly disposing of the target (e.g. breaking a helicopter in half, ripping the lid off of a tank).

As the player completes missions, credits are earned that can be used to continuously upgrade Iron Man's abilities. Not only is the recharge time upgradeable, but the player can also customize Iron Man's default Mark III armor. Additionally, the player can upgrade health, speed, and attack power (which can also be upgraded by rerouting auxiliary power, although this quickly detracts from Iron Man's health).

After the completion of certain levels, a new mode is unlocked known as One Man Army. In this mode, the player can go into certain timed levels in which the sole goal is to kill as many enemies as possible. Completing these levels unlocks new suits for the player, such as Hulkbuster and Extremis armor. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 each have an exclusive armor as well; Red Centurion for the Xbox 360 and Ultimate for the PlayStation 3

Unlockable Armors for use in One Man Army Mode, and Mission Archive (XBOX360 & PS3) Platforms

Nintendo DS Verison

A top-down perspective shooter, Iron Man on the Nintendo DS follows the plot of the film much more loosely than the console versions. The only story sequence involved is the first portion of the film, in which Tony Stark is kidnapped by terrorists. Controlled by the D-pad and touch screen in conjunction (whereas the D-pad controls movement and the touch screen controls weapon fire), the game pits Iron Man against a variety of enemies.

Differing from the console versions in many aspects, Iron Man also features ground missions as well as aerial missions. While both are controlled in the same way, ground combat progresses at a slower rate than the aerial missions. Each mission gives players specific tasks to complete, but players are still rewarded for destroying other structures and enemies (these points can be used to purchase upgrades to Iron Man's suit).

The largest criticism for the game was its field of view, as players are only able to see enemies on the top screen (as well as the lack of a radar). This causes a variety of problems, including the fact that enemies can attack from off-screen. Other criticisms include the lack of a map, the occasionally awkward control scheme, lack of multiplayer, and general length of the game. Despite this, the DS version of the game was among the higher rated versions of the game.

Minimum System Requirements

• Windows 2000/XP/Vista
• 2.8 GHz Processor
• 1 GB RAM
• 6 GB Hard Drive Space
• Direct X 9.0c
• 256 MB Direct X 9.0c Video Card