Superman: Shadow of Apokolips

Now that Superman has arrived on the next generation systems, is he faring any better? His X-Box game, Superman: The Man of Steel, sadly leaves a lot to be desired. Thankfully, though, his PS2 and GameCube games finally give Superman his best video game to date.

This is little more than a straightforward linear action game, but even if it's not innovative, it's incredibly fun. For the first time, all of Superman's powers are at your disposal. You can use your heatvision, super breath, superspeed and super strength to your advantage, and can do so in a variety of interesting ways, including the tornado spin and the ground pound. The feeling of satisfaction that comes with sending an enemy across the room with a mere puff of your breath is something to behold.

The game is based on the stellar animated series that debuted in the mid-'90s and features all of the voice talent that made that show great. From Tim Daly to Clancy Brown to Malcolm McDowell, fans of the show will find everyone sounding exactly like their animated counterparts, and beautifully rendered "cel-shaded" video sequences highlight the similarity to the show as the game's storyline develops.

This GameCube incarnation of Shadow of Apokolips is actually superior to the PS2 version. With a more populated Metropolis environment, refined graphics and controls, more special "cheat" features and additional hidden goodies to seek out, gamers will be coming back to this one long after the PS2 version would wear out its welcome. GameCube users will also experience the joys of flying around Metropolis in a "free flight" mode not available in the PS2 version. Infogrames has done well to improve on an already solid gaming experience.

It's not a flawless game, however. The controls take a little bit of getting used to, but once you have a handle on them you should be pulling off complicated manuvers with ease. The enemies are repetitive throughout - an endless series of "Interbots" for Superman to exercise his powers on, broken up by the occasional boss. X-ray vision is one power that is sadly poorly implemented in the gameplay. But with all of the other powers at your disposal, why be picky? There's so much more to love here than there is to complain about. The immersion in Superman's animated universe is a delight that extends from the orchestrated music to the colorful visuals.

Superman fans and fans of straightforward, just-plain-fun action games will do well to pick this one up. People who prefer more different and innovative styles of gameplay or don't care for the Man of Steel are advised to look elsewhere.