Marvel Ultimate Alliance - PS2 game

A few weeks ago we spent two entire days indoors playing "Marvel Ultimate Alliance" on the videogame. It was a two player PS2 action rpg game, in which basically you go around with your classic Marvel superhero punching bad guys inside some corridors. I choose to play with "Thor" and she would be "Storm".

It would be a very generic, even boring gameplay (hey, we were just fresh from beating Final Fantasy X, hard to compete with that) at first glance if were not for the fact that the
writers did a wonderful job with the characterization, adding layers and layers of story and dialogue true with 40 years of Marvel Comics. Continuity and adherence to chronology is something of a commodity these days, with the plague of "reboots" and "dumbing downs" infesting all areas of entertaining. Not here at least. I was led to nerdy tears of joy with the references of the Shiar Empire, from the 80´s X-men comics, Galactus, Asgard, Atlantis, Dr.Strange´s Sanctum Sanctorum, and countless elements which would not impress who was born yesterday.

The ASGARD scenario was particularly beautiful, it was like playing Diablo, but with Marvel heroes. By the end of that sunday, we both fried Dr.Doom together with our combined lightnings. Our thumbs and arms were in pain. It was a well spent victorious weekend. :)

Now, though, the quest for 2 player games in cooperative mode continues.

Ultimate Avengers (2006)

I enjoyed the first entry on Marvel's "Ultimate Avengers" animated movie series.

I think they reached a nice balance between the classic version of the 1960's "Avengers", and their recent reboot, the "Ultimates", which is sharper and more violent. I must say they behave more like the original 1960's series, with most of the Ultimates stories toned down, a lot.

At least, they kept some key moments, like Steve Roger's letter to his girlfriend, being narrated while he's sinking on the freezing ocean is heart breaking. Moments like that, and those very human scenes with him adapting to the modern world, collecting old vinyl records would be perfect for a Captain America movie. Albeit nothing can top DC's "Justice League" animated series, it is great to see Marvel's standing up with their own version of the "JL", the Avengers, even if it's not a regular series. I believe it should be, and i would love to see adapted not only the "Ultimate" comic book series", but also classic Avengers stories, with villains like Kang, Loki and others. I'd love to see the big three's friendship developed even more, Captain America, Iron Man and Thor. My only complaint is the shape of the Mjolnir hammer, well, it's a hammer, not an axe. But i can live with that. Nah, keep them coming, i want a collection of 10 Avengers movies at mininum, with plenty of special guest, like the Silver Surfer, Dr.Strange and Spiderman..well, the entire Marvel universe, the Watcher included! =)

Kudos to the hilarious and somewhat touching extras.