X-Men: Next Dimension - GameCube

But who doesn't love the X-Men? They're all represented here. The biggies (both good and bad): Wolverine, Rogue, Storm and Cyclops as well as Magneto, Mystique and Sabretooth. Other favourites also made the cut, including Gambit, Nightcrawler and Forge. The backgrounds are terrific, and in a particularly impressive design element, you can drift into other landscapes from your original map. For example, if while fighting from inside Dr X's mansion, you throw your opponent out the window, you'll find yourself outside on the garden map. It's a good trick, and it almost makes the load time between games reasonable (rematches are quick, but reloads that change environments are painfully slow).

Each character has their own special "super meter" attacks, and all are fitting of the mutant power detailed in the comic books. Playing one-on-one with friends in versus mode, you can calibrate your character so practised players have less "energy" for a more balanced game. These touches are appreciated. So while it's not as addictive as Tekken or any similar benchmark game, X-Men still has appeal with a reasonably well-thought-out game design and endearing character elements. --Jennifer Buckendorff