Superhero and cartoon characters have become integral parts of the electronic entertainment industry. Around the world, youngsters and guys who can’t get dates spend countless hours in front of their computers and video-game systems.
With this in mind, I salute the melding of pop-culture characters and Silicon Valley with a look at some …
Comics plugged in
Cartoon Network’s brilliant series about a time-displaced warrior trying to return home becomes available to video-game fans in Samurai Jack: The Shadow of Aku ($49.99). PlayStation 2 owners can experience the struggles of the Japanese protagonist through a third-person action-adventure game boasting four realms with 24 interactive levels of 3-D animated action.
What’s the story? From childhood, Jack’s destiny was to free his people from Aku. He trained in the martial arts and became a master with the samurai sword. But sly Aku recognized Jack as a threat. In a master stroke of treachery, the evil wizard cast Samurai Jack into the future, leaving his people defenseless. Now Jack’s family and friends are his ancient ancestors as he wanders the world in search of the portal that will return him home.
Characters’ character: Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky’s gorgeous universe gets turned into a common platform game that shines only because of some authenticities from the show and some heavy-duty sword swinging.
A solo player takes control of Jack — with the eventual use of three types of elemental swords, throwing stars, and a bow and arrow — to stop an evil scourge of creatures from overtaking the lands. Along the way, he will encounter the likes of beetle drones, spider-bots and dirt demons. At the same time, he will collect relics and keys to open gates, free innocent folk, eat sushi to keep up his health, and absorb the Zen of his victims — which gives him a “Matrix”-style perspective during battles.
The voice of Jack, actor Phil LaMarr, helps accurately transport the show to video-game realm, as do the familiar forest and town settings, along with foes such as Mad Jack, the Scotsman and Aku. But where is the infectious theme song?
How would Lt. Frank Drebin fare? The fact that even a 4-year-old could rifle through the first couple of adventures set at the easy level bodes well for the fumble-fingered detective. A volley of combination moves eventually will become available for the player, including “cobra chops” and windmills, but the fine art of button mashing came in handy when surrounded by Aku’s henchmen.
Parental blood-pressure meter: About 120/90, slightly elevated. Jack takes on a host of creatures that explode when fatally damaged while constantly rescuing villagers trapped in cages. The violence level never exceeds that of the cartoon, which occasionally gets a bit brutal. So Mom and Dad need to figure out whether they’ll allow junior to watch the show, then buy accordingly.
What if I feel like reading a book? DC Comics adapted the first three episodes of the cartoon series into a 64-page sequential-art book titled Samurai Jack Special ($3.95). For those unable to find the 2002 release, the company will be reprinting it next month to coincide with the debut of Jack’s first DVD set.
What’s it worth? If only the developers had cel-shaded the game (refer to the brilliant XIII), offered the theme song and added a bit more humor, they would have perfectly captured the Samurai Jack legend. Unfortunately, the quirky, teen-rated title might attract a 10-year-old (if he could buy it) but would be less appealing to the experienced gamer. Only true fans will be mildly entertained.
Pop bytes
A brief review of titles that didn’t have time to get fully plugged in:
m Maximo vs. Army of Zin, by Capcom (for PlayStation 2, $39.99). The wandering, boxer-shorts-wearing warrior returns to stop a robotic horde unleashed by the evil Lord Bane. With the help of his underworld buddy Grim — who doles out lifesaving death coins for souls and can be controlled in some of the battles — Maximo uses 30 combat moves to dismantle some dangerous hunks of junk over six medieval environments and within 22 missions.
It’s a classic third-person action platformer that pays tribute to Super Nintendo’s Super Ghouls ’n’ Ghosts. It demands that the player collect items; upgrade his underwear; rescue villagers; and always fight an almost unstoppable boss, such as a clunky lobster cyclops and a fire-breathing sea serpent, when he’s most energy-depleted.
I wish the game was a tad bit easier for the new player. Still, the challenge and amount of secrets to uncover keep me returning for more metallic mayhem.
Read all about it: Dreamwave Productions put out a 40-page Maximo adventure in January, written by Beau Smith, who has our hero save a kingdom against the evil decay of the Rot (one-shot, $3.95).
• The Flintstones: The Complete First Season, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (for DVD-enabled computers and home entertainment centers, $64.99). The first animated program to air in prime time comes to the digital-video realm, and fans will be disappointed by the lack of bonuses. Through four discs, 28 episodes of this cartoon version of “The Honeymooners” come to life as Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty laugh, live and love in the prehistoric town of Bedrock.
The fourth disc is double-sided, and its back contains some fairly standard featurettes. The set sorely needs much more historic content and at least a few commentary tracks to pay true DVD justice to the legendary ’60s series.
Read all about it: The Flintstones shared the bill with “The Jetsons” during a DC Comics 21-issue series in the late 1990s ($2.50 each).
• Xena, the Warrior Princess: Season Three, by Anchor Bay Entertainment (for DVD-enabled computers and home entertainment centers, $69.99). After viewers saturate themselves with eight digital video discs filled with 22 episodes, commentaries and bloopers highlighting the exploits of the toughest female ever to challenge the ancient gods via a television series, a dandy bonus disc awaits to make the entertaining set even better.
Die-hard fans need only place Disc 9 into the Mac (10.12 or higher) or PC (Windows 98 or higher) CD-ROM drive to appreciate such goodies as a Xena encyclopedia (featuring her foes and friends, along with videos of each); printable production designs and sketches from each episode; a text-based history behind the characters of the show; and a daunting, multiple-choice trivia challenge.
Read all about it: Dark Horse Comics created a 14-issue series about Xena during the final two years of the show. Fans can grab three paperbacks (“The Warrior Way of Death,” $9.95; “Blood and Shadows,” $11.95; and “Slave,” $9.95) to enjoy her sequential-art exploits.
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