Lego Marvel Super Heroes

(WBIE for Xbox 360)
By Mike Delano

We’re so spoiled with the Lego games at this point that the charming characters and witty dialogue are almost a given. Those attributes are certainly on display in Lego Marvel Super Heroes, but what this title really reminds you of is how fully developer TT Games immerses itself in a license. The fan service on display here is incredible, with fantastic little touches throughout, showing not only that the creators have a deep understanding of the source material, but also that they know what fans want. That means tons of characters — including the truly obscure — as well as lots of nods and winks to the Marvel universe through the banter and scenarios. For the more casual fan that might not be able to ID each of the 100+ characters, though, the game still makes great use of the familiar faces in memorable boss battles against famous villains and inspired pairings of heroes who play well off of each other.

Purely through the great character design, this may be the funniest Lego game yet. There’s nothing more adorable than the maniacal devil-smile of the menacing Venom rendered in Lego form. The urge to discover everything the game has to offer is strong, and replaying levels isn’t a chore, since you get to try out new characters and powers each time. Plus, the incredibly detailed environments (like the dense laboratories of Oscorp Industries) look fantastic on the 360. As with all of the Lego games, more experienced gamers might crave a little more depth from the combat, but given the wide range of players and skill levels Lego Marvel could potentially reach, the game does a remarkable job of keeping everyone satisfied and smiling.
(www.wbie.com)