Developer: Semi-Logic
Publisher: Mattel
Release Date: 10-23-06
This is the third and final HyperScan game I currently have in my collection, and thankfully I have saved the best for last. I know that’s not saying much, but X-Men actually comes fairly close to feeling like a real video game. It was the pack in game for the console so I guess they wanted to show off their best work. It also shows what the card system might’ve been like in more capable hands. Before you get too excited though I should say that it’s still a bad game. However, its a bad game comparable to other bad games. It doesn’t create a whole new level of badness like the other HyperScan games.
See this looks like a real game!
X-Men is a traditional 2D fighting game that actually does a few things I like. In the game you can jump right in and fight or train in the danger room. I enjoy the danger room training because it gives the game a simulation feel. The mini games are simple but downright pleasant compared to my other Hyperscan experiences. It also shows off something that might’ve actually been fun with the card system. You could train your fighter, scan and save the stat increases, and take it over to your friends house to fight their best card battler. This was fairly novel in 2007 before everyone was playing online. It’s a shame they didn’t focus on multi-player more in other games. Of course there are still pointless cards to collect, and you can’t play at all without at least one character card, but at least the cards felt like they needed to exist this time around.
Sadly they still didn’t get around to making a quality game. The fighting is just about as simple as it gets. You just have to attack until you build up your special meter then hit the R button to use it. I’m not sure if there are other special moves because I didn’t really need to know. I did just fine mashing buttons. Now I have nothing against a fighting game that I am actually good at, but I do wish there was more strategy involved. I also wish the story mode was more fleshed out. Maybe it’s in the instruction book, but I would like to know why I was fighting Iceman. Was he a villain at the time? I don’t know my 21st century X-Men all that well. It’s just another game element that they were too lazy to care about. It’s a shame because with some polish this could actually be a decent game.
For now this is the last HyperScan game I can review because the other two are a bit harder to find. I would love to be able to finish off a few more of my consoles. I think the system I have the next fewest games for is Turbografx-CD, but I have to get a new controller for that one before I can play it again so I’m not quite sure what is next. X-Men was good enough to go above My Name is Mayo. I know that is faint praise, but for a HyperScan game it feels like a real victory. I doubt the other two games will be hidden gems but maybe they won’t be complete disasters. That’s the best I can hope for.
HyperScan quality percentage: 0/3
1. Super Mario Odyssey
2. Galaga
3. Donkey Kong
4. Exodus: Ultima III
5. Pac-Mania
6. Wrecking Crew
7. Super Pac-Man
8. Pac-Man
9. Excitebike
10. Arc the Lad
11. Clu Clu Land
12. Artifact Adventure Gaiden DX
13. Mickey’s Racing Adventure
14. Metro-Cross
15. Ice Climber
16. Gaplus
17. Dragon Spirit
18. Pinball (NES)
19. Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour (GBC)
20. Red Sea Crossing
21. Baraduke
22. Tennis
23. Hogan’s Alley
24. Gamma-Attack
25. The Legend of “Valkyrie”
26. Galaxian
27. Evoland
28. Cosmic Commuter
29. Hot Pixel
30. Wild Gunman
31. Defunct
32. Gyruss (2600)
33. Looney Tunes Racing
34. Squidlit
35. Baseball
36. Birthday Mania
37. Bad Street Brawler
38. Burly Men at Sea
39. X-Men (HyperScan)
40. My Name is Mayo
41. Marvel Heroes
42. Ben 10
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