| Introduction
It was somehow inevitable that one of this summer's
most anticipated movies would make its way onto the
GBA and it won't be the last one for this year either.
Before the close of 2003, we'll be treated to handheld
versions of Spy Kids 3, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted
Mansion and even Terminator 3. What makes The Incredible
Hulk for the GBA different though is that the game is
actually based on the original comic books and not on
the plot and characters from the movie. This is what
it says in the press release: “Caught in the heart of
a nuclear explosion, a victim of gamma radiation gone
wild, Doctor Bruce Banner now finds himself transformed
in times of stress into one thousand pounds of unfettered
fury - the most powerful creature ever to walk the earth
- the Incredible Hulk!”.
GamePlay
First of all, don't expect much depth in this game
(despite the massive and lengthy levels). After all,
the Hulk is basically an angry, destructive force and
most of the levels in the game only require that you
get the Hulk from point A to point B while smashing
things up and remaining relatively healthy at the end
of it. Occasionally, however, the Hulk will need to
complete certain tasks, like flipping a switch or destroying
consoles, but most of the time, it's generally sufficient
just to smash as many objects as possible whilst trying
to find the exit. Help is at hand if you get lost though,
and this appears in the form of a red arrow that will
appear on the ground to guide you. A detailed, selectable
map would have been a better option, but then again,
it would have been too complicated for Hulk to understand.
Although he's big, green and strong, he's not indestructible,
and there're lots of things in the game that can hurt
the Hulk. Soldiers shooting at him is one, as well as
electric fences and floors and the odd tank that will
drain his energy. This is one of the reasons why you
should engage the Hulk in as much destruction as possible
as destroyed objects will sometimes yield much needed
food and health replenishing drinks. The other reason
for mowing down everything in your path is to fill up
your rage meter. Once the meter is filled, the Hulk
will then be able to perform a whole range of ‘rage
attacks', which is helpful, particularly in tight spots.
The game features three battery save slots, but I
should warn that you can only save the game after completing
a level. Expect loads of frustration if you die in the
middle of a level, because you'll have to repeat it
again and again until you succeed.
Multiplayer action via link-up is also available
and this takes the form of an arena match where your
Hulk must battle it out with up to 3 other players.
The object of the game is to throw stuff at your opponents
until only one is standing. Although this does add to
the game's replay value, the novelty does wear off rather
quickly.
Control
The controls in the game are reasonably responsive
except for one problem – unless some objects are approached
at the correct angle, the Hulk is unable to interact
with them. This happens with the odd box, oil drum and
other objects that can be lifted and thrown. Occasionally,
it also happens when you're trying to punch a stationary
object such as a cabinet. It isn't that big a problem
as there are more than enough object lying around that
you can either smash or throw. Still, it can be frustrating,
especially when you're being shot at and need to throw
that particular object at a soldier. All in all, the
controls in the game are pretty basic, and because there
aren't any complicated combos for the Hulk to perform,
nearly anyone can master it in minutes.
Graphics
The graphics and visuals in the game are pretty good.
Fans of the comic books will definitely admire the attention
to detail. Most notable though are the various cut screens
(lifted from the comic books), which appear crisp and
vibrant on the GBA's little screen. The game itself
is viewed from an isometric perspective and the levels
are both expansive and well designed. The game engines
is pretty solid too and features a sophisticated level
of coding that allows the Hulk to destroy almost everything
on screen, from tables and water coolers to doors and
walls. The character animation is also well above average.
Sound & Music
Music in the game is mediocre at best, and consists
of a somewhat listenable piece of sampled music being
repeated on an incredibly short loop. Fortunately, this
can be turned off via the options menu which allows
the more impressive sound effects to shine through.
Although the effects are sparse, they sound quite good.
I especially like the Hulk's raging roar and the sound
of distressed soldiers flying through the air after
making contact with the green one's fist.
Final Comments
Seldom is there a fighting game where nearly everything
on screen can be either be destroyed or picked up and
used as projectiles. This I must say is The Incredible
Hulk's best attribute. Unfortunately, however, it is
also its undoing. Running around the various areas and
destroying everything in sight is incredibly satisfying
at first, but after a while, it becomes tedious and
repetitive, especially when there's no other meaningful
objective in the game other than to fight and destroy.
It's a shame really, as the game looks wonderful and
is easy to play. If the developers had taken the time
to spice things up a little with more depth and variety,
it would have been a great game and not the mediocre
beat'em up that it is now. As it is, I can only recommend
it for the die-hard Hulk fan and those who don't mind
repetitive destruction.
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