SUMMARY:
Released in 2006 by Snowblind Studios as an original title, Justice League Heroes became the League’s only release into that generation’s consoles (Playstation 2 and Xbox 360). DC Comics also produced this game around the same time as major competitor MARVEL released the first of its three Ultimate Alliance titles. When Justice League Heroes hit shelves, its rating was assessed as “T” – Teen.
Note: Brady Games produced the game’s strategy guide.
REVIEW:
Despite not equaling the popularity of its MARVEL counterpart, this game presents Justice League action at its finest (or, at least, the best we were going to get). The game’s main cast is Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash (Wally West), Green Lantern (John Stewart), Martian Manhunter, and Zatanna Zatara. Available for ‘purchase,’ with game credits, are eight other unlockable heroes and multiple alternate costumes/‘skins’ for the main cast. Reliable baddies, such as Brainiac, Circe, Darkseid, Doomsday, Gorilla Grodd, Killer Frost, The Key, Queen Bee, and White Martians comprise a roster that helps balance well-known DC characters with more obscure ones.
As nice as this mix is, notable exclusions, like Lex Luthor and The Joker, make this game feel like there could/should have been more. In comparison, in Ultimate Alliance’s first level alone, you face Radioactive Man, Winter Soldier, and Scorpion (just to name a few), while this game’s first opposition is an unnamed robot army. Not pushing the boundaries makes the game feel like DC has underachieved — considering all the potential its designers had to work with.
The storyline offers twists and turns that make Justice League Heroes well worth playing … except that there’s really no story. One villain tries stealing a Mother Box while others are wanting to take over the world, too. The plot can sometimes feel like a hot mess resembling a kid playing with action figures. Still, that doesn’t mean that the game can’t be fun, too, even if the minimal plot is lacking in some aspects. All in all, the game is a great way to have some DC fun with the family, even if it can feel uninspired. One wonders if the game was rushed just to keep up with the progress of Ultimate Alliance. Unsurprisingly, both games came out within a week of each other. Coincidence? I think not.
In terms of a great mechanics, this is it. This third-person RPG allows for single-player and co-op functions. Now, many critics didn’t like how this game differed from Ultimate Alliance because you couldn’t pick your character on each level for most of the game. This does, however, offer a more personalized story arc that sees the progression of the main group (working in pre-assigned duos) Users gain flexibility later on when drafting their own squads.
When a character levels up, users possess accumulated virtual currency to add abilities and upgrades to their heroes to spice things up. Other upgrades, such as “shields”, which look like mac n’ cheese shapes, are used to purchase new characters and alternate costumes/skins (i.e. Hal Jordan can substitute in for John Stewart). However, you cannot purchase every character/costume on the first go-around. The good news is that the game allows you to carry over data if you wish to play the game multiple times without needing to purchase those characters/costumes a second time.
Fun factor-wise, Justice League Heroes might just break the scales! A beat-em-up style game with a few easy puzzles makes this one fun while also requiring players to deploy a little strategy. Unlocking abilities for Green Lantern and The Flash are absolute fan favorites, plus new characters with unique animations, do make this game even more enjoyable. This includes The Flash moving faster than other heroes; characters, like Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman, being able to fly, and Batman possessing an exclusive glide ability. The animation, plus some idle chatter amongst the heroes, helps diversify the game, but it becomes tediously repetitive over time. The music is generic – frankly, having the remote near to press the mute button isn’t such a bad idea.
For a PS2 game, this one actually has great visuals! Close ups and cuts scenes look great, but the overall gameplay in the graphics department isn’t where this game shines. The camera angle isn’t pretty, but the overview look makes the game easier to play – it’s the norm for this style of roleplaying. Health, XP, and special ability bars are shown in the top left for Player 1 and in the top right for Player 2 with pictures of their characters, making it easy to distinguish who (still) has what. For its time, the graphics are above-average but not anything stellar.
Unfortunately, Justice League Heroes only has one mode, and that’s the single story/campaign. However, you can choose between three levels of difficulty. There’s also up to three saves on a single memory card.
Justice League Heroes doesn’t soar to its greatest potential, but it’s a solid kid-friendly option. In that sense, consider it as an ideal bridge between the LEGO Batman franchise and DC’s far more recent Injustice: Gods Among Us games for PlayStation 3 and 4.
BONUS FEATURES:
There’s a trailer to a season of Smallville. The game’s animated film-like intro clip is accessible on the main menu.
ROSCOE’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
