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I know I'm not the only person here who takes a passing interest in the JLU cartoon, so I'm guessing I won't be the only person who would like to see it recreated in a videogame.

Well now it will be. (almost).

The game, Justice League Heroes, will be an isometric bash-em-up/RPG in the vein of X-Men Legends, but with one or two important features.

The first is that it's being made by the people who made that whole genre, Snowblind Studios (Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Champions of Norrath). The second is that writer and JL/JLU regular Dwayne McDuffie is collaborating on the story and setting, so the atmosphere that has made the best animated superheroes around will hopefully be all present and correct.

Thus far, seven playable League members have been announced. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lantern (John Stewart), and Zatanna. There may be others, but I'm guessing those will be enough, since any more would be duplicating power and move sets more than adding to the gameplay.

Seen so far have been scenes fighting Brainiac's robots in a city and White Martians in space. (in fucking space. Beat that, X-Men Legends.)

What, no Hawkgirl?!?!?

Who would want to play Batman when Superman is a playable character?
And won't the player who plays Superman be basicly invincible? Or are they going to make Superman so pathetic that he can be shot to death?

Link?

Solauren wrote:What, no Hawkgirl?!?!?

Her moveset would be pretty much a reproduction of Wonder Woman (only at shorter range. One of the moves mentioned for Wonder Woman is to lasso enemies and swing them around as a weapon). No point including her. Zatanna is more interesting.

Link?

http://img375.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... cs15xw.jpg

http://img375.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... es27dn.jpg

The rest is in the April edition of GameInformer. Full scans were up at the Snowblind forum, but have been removed.

Who would want to play Batman when Superman is a playable character?

Expect the demon Game Balance to strike. Bats has access to many gadgets and toys, as well as the kind of wanked out close combat skills he shows from time to time.

And won't the player who plays Superman be basicly invincible? Or are they going to make Superman so pathetic that he can be shot to death?

It looks like they're going more for the epic scale of fighting, rather than having piddly thugs for much of the game. Things like White Martians are a non-trivial threat, after all.

Should be fun if done in the vein of X-Men Legends. Personally the line up isn't bad, and really might as well go for Zatanna, since Hawkgirl would be Wonder Woman...but a mace, and everyone else is unknown out the wazzo, even Zatanna for the most part, but hey...she can do stuff. Plus extras will be unlockables.

Should be interesting what bosses and what they will be like.

What?! No Question? I'm offended!

Sounds like fun. I haven't gotten around to playing X-Men Legends quite yet, but I've heard lots of good things about it and who doesn't enjoy a large-scale beat-em-up?

Erik von Nein wrote:What?! No Question? I'm offended!

Obviously a hidden character .

Sounds like fun. I haven't gotten around to playing X-Men Legends quite yet, but I've heard lots of good things about it and who doesn't enjoy a large-scale beat-em-up?

Large scale WITH the ability to upgrade your fighters...loads of fun.

The upstairs neighbor gave us his April copy of Infogamer, so I've seen the review, and I'll summerize for those who can't get their hands on a copy.

Supes will have flight, super-strength, heat vision, coldbreath, limited invulnerablity, and special power strikes. He will also have the highest hitpoints. In order words, like always he's the Big Blue Tank.

Bats will have his tech: batarangs, flash grenades, etc. He will have martial arts, but his strength will be his long-range attacks. He will also have the most skill points to use for special attacks, double that of Supes. It makes sense, honestly... Bats wins by skills, not by strength.

As mentioned, WonderWoman is a lesser Supes: flight, superstrength, limited invulnerablity. Her tiara is a projectile attack, her lasso can be used to capture enemies and use them to attack others, and she's got a "devastating flying strike".

Manhunter will have flight, shapechange, "psychic projectiles", and phasing (temp. immunity). He can also confuse and convert enemies with his telepathics.

Flash's powers are all speed-based, of course. A constant back-attack ability to stay behind an opponent and hit with unblockable punches, a 'pinball' attack among multiple enemies, rapid dash to phase through solids, an aerial kick, and a speed boost to double his attacks.

Lantern and Zantanna were not in the preview, so they've no info on them.

While the full plot is under wraps still, roughly 10 of the BigName Villians like Brianiac, will be involved, as well as lesser villians like QueenBee, White Martian solders, and various robots and goons.

Of course, since this is a comic book adventure, the goons can't just drop potions and weapons. The health system will be more like HALO. If the player rests for a moment, any damage suffered will heal instantly. "The Justice League members don't stop to chug health potions when they're hurt; they shrug it off, get a second wind, and get back into the battle."

This lack of item drops is relieved by borrowing the City of Heros/Villians idea of temporary powerups and Skill Boosts. Like CoH/V, the boosts can be used to improve a character's skill set. Boosts are permanent, so you can't move them around if you change your mind. Skills can still be leveled up with experience, but the boosts allow further customization. Some boosts can be combined together on one skill to create greater effects, so saving them up is suggested. And if you're playing Bats, with his huge reserve of special moves, Skill Boosts could make him a god.

The environment will be fully interactive, fire hydrants bursting, lightposts falling, Supes hitting someone with a car ... the fun Comic Chaos, in bright comic colors over mostly realistic backgrounds. They're not going for the Cartoon effect but for the modern comic look, so the details will be only moderately stylized. Since many of the characters fly, and even Bats and Flash will have a few aerial manuvers, there will be an element of ground-air combat to this top-down game.

There will be no scrolling text boxes. Inter-character banter and FMV cutscenes will help the story unfold and (hopefully) prevent the action from dragging. The first missions will pre-select the heros you take, to give an introduction to each hero's abilities. As the game progresses, most stages will allow you to assemble your own team. Selections must be appropriate to the mission, of course... you're not going to take Bats or Flash into space. I foresee part of the fun will be re-playing the missions with different heros and seeing what works.