| Introduction
Daredevil the movie is based on the long-running (since 1964) character published by Marvel Comics. It
stars Ben Affleck in the lead role as Matthew Murdock,
who by day is a blind attorney at law but at night,
transforms into a crime-fighting superhero known as
Daredevil.
Daredevil the GBA game is based on the movie, and
just like the movie, the game has you playing as Daredevil
himself, as he battles the evil-doer Kingpin through
New York's Hell's Kitchen. Now, I'm writing this review
before actually seeing the movie, which is a good thing
actually, as I'll then be able to judge the game on
its own merits. So, is Daredevil worth your time and
money, or is it just another bland movie tie-in?
GamePlay
Gameplay in Daredevil is based on a simple concept.
Basically, all you're required to do is travel though
the various movie inspired locations, beat up some enemies
and collect the goodies. That's it! Simple, huh?
The goodies in question range from extra weapons
and health to the all-important 'DD' logos which when
collected, unlock extras that can be viewed from the
options menu.
Most of the time, the actual beating up is also reasonably
simple, although the henchmen do tend to come back to
life almost as soon as you've defeated them, which makes
the whole exercise a little thankless.
Your adventure will take you over rooftops and through
city streets. One of the highlights of the game is jumping
from car to car down a crowded freeway and although
enjoyable, is nothing that hasn't been done before.
Adding a much needed twist to the proceedings, however,
is the fact that you can only fully complete the levels
by tapping into Daredevil's unique abilities. This is
indicated when radio like waves emit from his head,
indicating that you need to switch to the super sense
mode. Once you do this, you view the world in a completely
different light and objects that were previously hidden
become visible. Obviously, it would be nice to have
this ability at all times but you're only allowed about
ten seconds of it before you must recharge.
Finally and frustratingly, if there was ever a title
that cried out for a battery save, then Daredevil is
definitely it! The game has a horribly complicated password
system, which not only requires pen and paper to jot
down but also a degree in rocket science to record correctly.
Controls
The control system in Daredevil is truly frustrating.
More so when your well-planned attacks make little or
no impression on the various henchmen, not because of
any advanced AI but due to lousy collision detection.
This is really inexcusable, especially for a beat'em
up game like this. In addition, the bosses can be beaten
with very little skill. Truth be told, most of the fighting
appears to be based on luck rather than skill or ability.
Graphics
The visuals in this title are varied, so while some
aspects such as the backdrops are really quite pleasant,
others appear to lack any thought or imagination. The
animation too is rather staid and some of the characters,
Daredevil included, lack the variety of moves you'd
expect from a comic book character.
Rather than going the FMV route, the developers have
chosen instead to utilize a collection of movie stills
in order to link the various levels to the plot. As
such, for Daredevil fans, the highlight of this feature
is undoubtedly the unlockable extras, which include
movie stills, concept art and original comic covers
all of which have been scanned in at high resolution.
Sound & Music
The music and sound effects in Daredevil falls neatly
into the 'average' bracket and is reasonably pleasant.
Too pleasant in fact, and much too subtle, especially
for a larger than life comic book hero like Daredevil.
On the positive side, it's not as irritating as some
we've heard recently and if you really hate it, you
could just turn it down and put on your favorite music
CD instead.
Final Comments
All in all, Daredevil is a simple game which is easy
to pick-up and play. Unfortunately, its simplicity is
marred somewhat by the horrible password system and
poor collision detection. If it weren't for the inclusion
of the unlockable goodies, it would have scored even
lower. As such, I can only recommend this game if you're
an absolute Daredevil fanatic or if there's absolutely
nothing else available. Everyone else should look elsewhere
as everything in this game has been done before and
more entertainingly to boot.
|
Hardware
Reviews 
Game
Title
