A great movie to game tie-in? SHOCKING!
Developer: WayForward/Marvel Studios
Publisher: SEGA
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Score: 4 / 5
Marvel got director Kenneth Branagh, a master of Shakespearian skill, to create a believable Asgard-ian world. In the same vein, they selected WayForward to deliver unto us one of the finest movie influenced games I’ve ever played. Considering all the shovelware from movies I’ve played, this game brings new life to the tie-in game market. The storyline is a prequel to the movie, where the trickster Loki has connived Thor into adventuring through the know universe to rescue their friend Sif. Meanwhile, you must fight the the evil trolls and dark overlords to protect your realm.
WayForward, creators of Contra 4, deliver a solid 2D, smash everything, side-scroller. You take up your hammer Mjolnir and are immediately dropped into your first battle, in which you learn the basic controls and standard combinations. However, you are not limited by the standard attacks. The attack system allows for juggle combos, and air grab ‘n’ smashes that add almost a fighter-esk feel as you crush the next onslaught of foes. Interactive break-away backgrounds can also be used for the beat-downs. They have also added 18 hidden runes within the levels that can be equipped in groups of 3, adding to the devastation of your attacks.
While hammer slamming trolls can become somewhat repetitive, the rune attacks and boss battles easily keep the game from become monotonous. The boss fights are top notch and often fully utilize both screens, making your battles against them even grander. Even though you have to use the classic timed attacks on these bosses, the sheer size and fight design is outstanding and well thought out.
The graphics are amazingly done on this cart. References to the movie and comics were were included, making major characters well defined, even in sprite form. There was no lag during play, and the character animations were full and vibrant. Level designs use the dual screens, make power bombing your enemies a thrill. I give top marks to the artists who made great use of the color pallet, to make fully realized bosses. Even the inclusion of ”weather reactions” add to the visual spectacle.
So where does the game fall down to earth? Honestly, there are only a few issues. The most noticeable is that while the levels look great, they feel kind of repetitive. This is probably due to the limited types of minions you encounter. However, it doesn’t prevent the game from being fun and enjoyable. The music was great and related well to the battle. On the other hand, the sound effects just did their job and probably due to game file size limitations weren’t as epic as they could be.
Overall, WayForward delivered a fun game and has set a very high bar in terms of movie to game crossovers. Superb graphics, solid gameplay, and almost full utilization of the DS’s abilities, make this a great game for the action game fan, or the marvel fan who owns any type of Nintendo DS. Thusly, Thor: God of Thunder, I find thy game worthy!
