SupermanHawaii.com

by Scott Shinsato

With the August release of Batman: Arkham Asylum and the September releases of Champions Online and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, comicbook fans who enjoy video games are in for quite a treat. Comicbook gamers have always had the opportunity to play as some of their favorite characters in the past but these recent releases seem to take it to the next level.

Already being touted as one of the best games of the year and, arguably, the best Batman game ever, the Caped Crusader finally gets the video game treatment he has been searching for since the video game era began over 20 years ago. While past attempts at getting the Dark Knight right have not always been a hit, this latest outing on PS3, XBOX360 and PCs have given hardcore Batman fan's almost everything they could ask for and then some.

The ability to use Batman's supreme fighting skills have been played out in the past but Arkham Asylum gives us a simple to learn, difficult to master way of fighting the psychos that inhabit the island prison. A single attack button combined with a reverse and stun button is simple to use but you can masterfully set up some unbelievable combos. I thought I was doing a pretty good job taking out the villains in the challenge mode until I found out that I placed in the 7000's on the leader board!

Batman's title as the "World's Greatest Detective" also comes into play in this game as you enter "detective mode" in the game and not only have to spot clues to get around the island but the Riddler has left "Riddler clues" for you to solve throughout the game. Out of the 240 clues left by the Riddler, I have only found 140 clues the first time I passed the game... I guess I personally am far from being the "World's Greatest Detective".

Maybe you're not into the action/adventure type game that Batman: Arkham Asylum is... perhaps you would like to create your own character and play him out in a fictional city that you and thousands of others around the world have to protect. Cryptic Studios (the producers that brought us City of Heroes that we talked about in November 2005) has given us a new "Massively multiplayer online role-playing game" in Champions Online.

This new online role-playing game takes some of the best aspects of City of Heroes and combines it with a few new tricks. It seems that even the 'crafting' system from games like World of Warcraft and Everquest have made it into Champions Online. The near limitless character customization along with an un-restricted 'class' set have given the game something new to players who may have grown tired of defending City of Heroes' Paragon City. Will it have the staying power of City of Heroes who is now in it's fifth year? We'll have to wait and see.

Finally, the long awaited sequel to the 2006 hit Marvel: Ultimate Alliance hits stores mid September. If you are a Marvel fan, it may be hard to pass up on this game. The cast of characters itself is large and the story is ripped from the recent Civil Wars story line. The game is an action/RPG type game and If the game is anything like the first one, it should be a blast if you have a bunch of friends over as the game can be played with four friends cooperatively.

Now... if you'll excuse me. I have to get back and try to figure out where the Riddler hid those hundred other clues on Arkham Island. Take care guys and we'll see you next time.

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For more information, check out the official websites:
www.batmanarkhamasylum.com
www.champions-online.com
www.marvelultimatealliance.com

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