Justice League: Injustice for All

• Release Date: November 20, 2002
• Genre: Action
• Style: Side-Scrolling Combat
• Similar Games: Superman: Countdown to Apokolips (Game Boy Advance), The Incredible Hulk (Game Boy Advance)

Game Description

The Cartoon Network's animated television show, itself inspired by DC Comics' monthly comic book series, makes its Game Boy Advance debut as a side-scrolling combat title. Players don the capes, cowls, or masks of seven superheroes, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter. Each character must confront his or her nemesis in 12 levels taking place among familiar locales.

Superman will fight Lex Luthor's minions in Metropolis, for example, while Batman battles The Joker and his thugs. Other villains include Mongul, Cheetah, Solomon Grundy, The Shade, Starfire, and Felix Faust. True to their comic book roots, characters fight using one of their trademark special abilities, such as Green Lantern's power ring, Batman's batarangs, Wonder Woman's magic lasso, Superman's heat vision, and The Flash's super speed. Players are automatically assigned two characters for a particular level and can freely switch between the two if one hero is in danger of failing.

In addition to one form of special attack, characters can perform standard punches and kicks as well as jumps to leap over obstacles or to reach higher platforms. Those heroes with the ability to fly can do so in the game, simply by pressing the handheld's right shoulder button. As Justice League members absorb damage, they can seek power-ups to sustain their health. Completing each level opens up new routes to take as players move one step closer to ensuring that justice prevails.

Review: Overall

The second game to ever carry the Justice League moniker (brawler Justice League Task Force was the first), Justice League: Injustice For All marks the video game debuts of Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter and, at long last, Green Lantern. Joining the fearless threesome are video game vets Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Flash in an adventure that offers a pleasant mix of light puzzling (flip switches to deactivate force fields) and light exploration (find keys and power-ups) with beat-'em-up action.

Experienced gamers with even a semi-decent sense of direction will easily make their way through the levels, but those who wander around lost will stumble into the obstacles (such as spewing fire and falling stalactites) more often than they should, making for a moderately challenging experience. Because of questionable object placement, the system's small screen, and a number of other factors (such as the quickness of certain items), the obstacles are sometimes hard to dodge.

Adding to the challenges is the unconventional (for a game of this type) collision detection, which insists that punches and kicks be aimed accurately at (as opposed to in the general direction of) the opponent. Still, the game is easy to beat, since the 12 levels are short, standard enemies are pushovers, and the bosses require little more than mindless, face-to-face or duck-and-dodge button mashing. Beating up The Joker, Lex Luthor, and numerous other bad guys is moderately enjoyable, but totally shallow.

The most intriguing aspect of the game-the fact that two JLA members are available for use in each level-is a hit-and-miss proposition. There's no real cooperation among the team members (ala Lost Vikings), but, true to the nature of the characters, certain Leaguers can do things others can't. For example, Martian Manhunter can make himself intangible to reach otherwise inaccessible areas while Flash can run up a smooth wall that Batman cannot scale. Each character has special combat moves (such as Superman's Heat Vision), but standard punches and kicks usually suffice.

While many hardcore gamers were understandably disappointed that this title was a Game Boy Advance exclusive, the title does remain faithful to the characters from the superior animated television series, the graphics are nice, and the action is fairly entertaining, especially for younger players. The levels are generic in design (for the most part), and the backgrounds are uneven (some are nicely detailed while others are repetitive and/or uninspired), but the 3D-modeled characters are pleasing, the fighting action is enjoyable (despite its flaws), and the game is a nice addition to the libraries of DC Comics fans tired of all the Batman- and Superman-specific games.

Review: Enjoyment

It could have used a couple more months in production to smarten up the bosses and refine the levels, but this is a marginally enjoyable game, especially for kids who enjoy the cartoon on which it is based.

Review: Graphics

It's a shame the cut-scenes lack animation, but the game looks slick in action.

Review: Sound

Though a bit rough and scratchy coming out of the GBA's tiny speaker, the music is actually pretty decent. The sound effects could use a little more variety (some of the super powers sound identical).

Review: Replay Value

The game is easy to beat, but kids will enjoy replaying the levels to beat their best times. It's a shame you can't select which two characters you would like to control for each level, and there's no true cooperation among the characters. (For example, just think if {%Green Lantern} could carry {%Flash} through a meteor storm using a Power Ring-produced rocket ship).

Review: Documentation

The colorful manual describes the characters, items, and objectives, but doesn't say much about the individual levels.

Production Credits

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