Marvel Ultimate Alliance (PlayStation 2)

Dr. Doom has united supervillains as the Masters of Evil. Now for the first time ever, over 20 Marvel superheroes including Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Blade and Silver Surfer have come together to stop Doom. Mix and match your choice of Marvel superheroes, in teams of four as you travel across the Marvel Universe to stop this threat. Certain teams such as The Fantastic Four and The New Avengers provide additional bonuses.

Some heroes must be unlocked first. The game also features RPG elements, such as leveling up. When a hero gains a level, they earn points you can use to upgrade their skills. You also collect Shield Coins, which can be spent on boosts for your hero team.

You explore various legendary Marvel locales, from Asgard, to Prince Namor’s Atlantis, where you take on foes with punches, kicks and super powers. Super powers drain energy, however, so use them wisely. Combos can be achieved by combining super powers. Energy is restored by collecting blue orbs from fallen foes.

Boss battles are like the comics themselves: titanic battles that often not only test brawn but your brain as well. With over 20 playable heroes plus all the cameos, there are over 100 heroes and villains.

The game modes feature either single player, co-op, or online play. In general, Marvel Ultimate Alliance’s gameplay can be considered an improved version of 2004’s X-Men: Legends. The different versions are fairly identical. The PSP release has three more game modes, while Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 have additional levels.