X-Men: Mutant Academy 2

I loved this movie. The drama and the action were great. I definately thought that this movie was better than the first. I went to the movie theater to write a paper on this movie and I got so much information that I will have a paper 10 pages long. Anyone who is thinking about going to see this movie, should! ASAP! The special effects were amazing!

The original was fun but sparse. This sequel seems like not so much a follow-up, but the full game the first was a demo of. Eighteen characters in total allow for some awesome comicbook brawls, including Professor X versus Magneto, Gambit versus Rogue, Nightcrawler versus Mystique and, of course, anyone versus Spider-Man - yes, he's in the game! The variety of locations really adds atmosphere to the fights, including the murky, eerie Morlock tunnels, the alien ambience of the moon, bathed in blue light, and the half-destroyed city street that has been hit by the Juggernaut. The road is smashed up, building are demolished and crushed cars are on fire - and you're next, as you have to fight the big guy sooner or later.

The soundtrack is truly brilliant, giving the game an epic, thrilling and even foreboding feel. The graphics are as good as possible, full of cinematic explosions, eye-searing special effects and Matrix-esque slo-mo mid-air violence. And the gameplay is awesome - forget Tekken, this is full-on Street Fighter 2 Turbo mayhem, with projectiles, air-combos and intense special moves. The only thing which stops this comicbook battle simulator a masterpiece is the lack of stuff to destroy and use as weapons - all superhero fights involve mass-property damage. However, that will surely come with Mutant Academy 3, and until then, this is the greatest Marvel game ever. Yes, better than Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro.

Finally, the X-Men have been given a decent video-game. While similar to the original, improvements have been made. Aerial combat, improved combos, additional locations and characters and hidden characters have made for a very good gaming experience. The inclusion of Rogue and Nightcrawler is obvious, however, the use of Forge and Havok is not. These characters have no real scope, living in limbo in the comics and using moves pinched from other characters in the game.

Overall, a good sign.

This game is one of the most unique and coolest fighting games, not just of super hero games, but, with the exception of Tekken Tag Tournament, any fighting game. Not only does it have many more moves than the first game, it adds such characters as Nightcrawler and Shadowcat, at includes more 3D slow motion eye-popping special effects than the first, rivaling the Matrix. The game includes the same great fighting engine as the original, and the graphics have also been improved quite a bit. If this had been on the Playstation 2, it could be the best game of the year. I advise everyone with a Playstation to get this game.