Review: Justice League Heroes
Although the superheroes from the DC universe have starred in their fair share of video games, none of them have fared particularly well. In fact, some of their digital exploits have gone down in video game history as some of the worst games ever made. Take Superman for the Nintendo 64 and Aquaman for the PS2. Shazam, were those bad.
PROTIP: Superman's freeze breath can stop enemies in their tracks. Use it to give yourself some breathing room against multiple foes.
But just when things seemed dire for Superman and his friends, Justice League Heroes comes bolting out of the blue yonder to save the day and finally do justice to the long suffering superstars of the DC Universe.
Up, Up, and Away
Justice League Heroes starts you off with Batman and Superman but as the game progress, the roster of available superheroes expands to include fan favorites such as The Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter. But it's not just the superheroes that get their due--you'll battle some familiar villains as well, including Gorilla Grodd and Darkseid.
The various characters are rendered nicely and the excellent voice work really brings them to life. Batman is as moody and introspective as ever while Superman is ever the Boy Scout. And controlling your heroes is a breeze thanks to straight-forward controls that bring to mind those found in the X-Men Legends series.
Zatanna's fireball isn't her only weapon: here, she uses her TimeShift ability to get the upper-hand on an enemy.
Messing With Continuity
As with other games based on comic books, there are a lot of discrepancies involved with the characters' powers and abilities. Each character has a health meter and an energy meter; the former is self-explanatory but the latter governs the character abilities. Using special moves, such as Wonder Woman's lasso depletes, the energy meter which refills at a set rate. This takes some of the fun out of being a superhero but the special abilities are pretty cool and you'll have fun zigzagging through a legion of enemies with The Flash and changing shapes with Martian Manhunter.
But while the meter system cuts your team down to size, the stat improvements quickly pump them back up. Defeating enemies produces piles of green orbs which can be used to improve your characters. It doesn't take long, however, for your characters to become a little too super. Take Zatanna, for example. Her fireball is a useful weapon, but once it's fully leveled up, it becomes virtually unstoppable.
To Be Continued?
All in all, Heroes is a relatively simple game that, at times, feels like X-Men Legends with DC character models. Still, the chance to take control of some of the most beloved superheroes on the planet is one that you just can't pass up. The varied missions, awe-inspiring superpowers and the RPG-lite aspects combine to make Heroes an enjoyable superhero romp that finally brings a little respectability the digital DC Universe.
While Zatanna provides support, Green Lantern readies his power ring to deliver some justice to these gorilla henchmen.
Batman shows off his sleek and stealthy Infiltration Suit, a disguise that's perfect for those times when he needs to, well, infiltrate places.
PROTIP: Superman's Super Punch is a deadly power move that will make scrap metal out of this, or any other, foe.
![Screen Update: Speed Racer [PS2]](/screens/141542/205598-1-1.jpg)
![Screen Update: Metal Slug 7 [DS]](/screens/142292/205544-1-1.jpg)
![Screen Update: Lips [Xbox 360]](/screens/142386/205582-1-1.jpg)
![Screen Update: Wanted [Xbox 360]](/screens/142398/205578-1-1.jpg)
