They’re not just a comic book series – they’re a legend. Of course, this is isn’t a recent development. X-Men made the transition from comic book heroes to subjects for movies, cartoons, books, video games, and even more forms of entertainment a long time ago. So now the most important question for game fans is: How are they doing in the world of interactive entertainment?

This particular review concerns X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse, recently released by Activision for the GBA handheld entertainment system. Featuring your choice of 4 favorite heroes to play as (Rogue, Storm, Wolverine, or Cyclops), you’re up against an awful mirror universe where Apocalypse rules and where former friends are now foes.

You pick from Storm, Wolverine, Cyclops, and Rogue at the inception of the game, and once you make a choice, you must stick with that character throughout your missions. However, the game does offer you four different save slots so if you get bored playing one character, you can give each different character a whirl. Each character has his/her own strengths and weakness – although obviously none of their weakness prevents them from completing the game.

There are two standard attacks you can use, one with the added benefit of throwing the character into the air and kicking them as they are airborne, and other added bonus attack of heaving and throwing your opponent across the room. You will also accumulate another set of points which, one your bar/meter is filled, will enable you to unleash a more devastating attack. This bar will be depleted when the attack is used, and refilled as you defeat more enemies with your conventional attacks. The actual attacks don’t vary too much from character to character – it’s more or less how they look doing it.

The graphics of X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse are done well, but they could probably use a little more variety. While all four heroes are rendered with their distinctive looks and movies, enemies are very often different variations of one another and they pretty much act the same way. While they may add an additional weapon or attack here or there, it never loses the feeling of somehow just being a "modification" of a former enemy.

The main problem is, once the eye-candy wears off, X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse players may be subject to the eventual onset of ennui. While you might run into the occasional change of scenery, you might inevitably feel like you’re fighting the same exact enemies over and over with just a different background. Also, the game is almost 100% horizontal side scrolling with very little vertical action or platforms/items to interact with on the battle arena. While button mashing won’t get you all the way through the title alone, it can get you quite far with very little concentration.

All in all, Reign of Apocalypse is a decent romp in the setting of some of the world’s best known superheroes. It’s also a pretty good start into the GBA field, but it doesn’t offer much in terms of long lasting appeal or replayability.

Gameplay: 6.75

Gameplay remains relatively the same no matter which character you play and what field you’re on. Other than a gradually increasing number of enemies and progressively more difficult attacks to evade – you won’t feel much change from field to field. Attacks are fairly standard and button mashing is pretty much an easy option in earlier fields.

Graphics: 8

The graphics are well done for the powerful pocket platform, but some more variety would have been welcome.

Sound: 7

The sound has a nice, modern, GB-techno sound to it, but it does get recycled fairly quickly.

Difficulty: 7

Button mashing is a possibility in earlier levels but you will have to learn to manipulate controls better to make it through the entire game.

Concept: 7

The X-Men are a long beloved part of the superhero culture and their fan following has been around just as long. Reign of Apocalypse gets the look right, but perhaps not the variety.

Multiplayer: 6.75

There is a two player option which allows you to play the title with another GBA linked up. However, it doesn’t really add more content, just an extra player for the fields.

Overall: 6.75

X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse is not a bad game, it’s just that the addition of a few things would have changed it’s good feeling to a great feeling. Dedicated fans to the series will probably enjoy the title – but others may find it wanting.