Chillingo Delivers Superman Game To iOS
Superman ($0.99) by Chillingo Ltd combines the Man of Steel with a tower defense game.
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superman (at least if you squint). The official Superman game has arrived, courtesy of Chillingo. But is it what fans would hope for?
Lex Luthor is at it again, this time trying to control Metropolis’ weather. Mild-mannered Clark Kent thinks something is afoot. He pulls off his reporter disguise to become Superman! This is where the action takes place. The player will certainly experience the frenzied feeling of trying to put out fires (literally) all over Metropolis.
A hexagonal direction pad controls your movement, while an action button and a flying button serve multiple roles. The action button will utilize one of Superman’s many powers, such as heat vision, super-breath, and super-strength. Which action occurs depends on the intended target. Superman will also fly automatically, but the fly button will zip him across the screen. He’ll run incredibly fast if he’s on foot.
Unfortunately, the overall look and feel of the game is like "Superman III" all over again. Such great potential with an iconic character is given such a poor treatment. The graphics are okay, though reminiscent of a Super Nintendo game, but the music is such a let down. You would expect to hear the John Williams score. And let’s not even go there with the cruddy storyline.
The moment Superman questions whether Lex Luthor is guilty or not is the moment I stop believing this to be an authentic version of the character. Of course Luthor is evil! Did the robot drones not tip you off?
The game crashed on me twice, which isn’t necessarily terrible. Having to endure the long beginning credits each time, however, is certainly tedious. That, in combination with the lackluster attention to the Man of Steel, tried my patience.
Superman would be rolling over in his grave (if he had actually stayed there).
