Product reviewsMarvel: Ultimate Alliance (Microsoft Xbox 360, 2006)

A Must Have For Couch Co-Op Fans!

I bought the PS2 version of this years ago but never got to finish it. This version has a better, smoother graphical look, as well as better sound. I love the choices of heroes to use in the game. My only complaint is when you play alone, most of your A.I. teammates aren't very bright...So, grab this game to add to your superhero collection! I think you will glad that you did and mad that you didn't get it sooner.Read full review...

Good game cut at the knees by the publisher

The game is as good as it was 10 years ago, but only after buying it did i learn they discontinued the DLC for this game requiring you to instead buy the Gold version at literally 600% the cost on the used games market. Very disappointed that not only is there no new DLC but the content i enjoyed when I previously owned the game was stripped away. Not cool ActivisionRead full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: decluttr_store

Cheap Fun

Let me start by saying that I am a huge Marvel fan and I loved the X-Men Legends games so I may tend to sway my bias to the pro side a little, however I am very objective when it comes to my reviewing.

In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (MUA), you can play as a large array of super heroes from the Marvel comic book world; from X-Men to Avengers to The Fantastic Four. It plays similarly to the X-Men Legends games in that you have a team of 4 that you take with you in to each mission and can switch between at any given time.

Graphics: 8/10

The graphics are not going to compare to games running on the Unreal Engine or top of the line computer games, but they aren't intended to. The game is supposed to have a comic book feel to it that accentuates the colors of each character as well as keeping a somewhat corny feel to it. That said, the graphics are noticeably better than X-Men Legends. There's not much more to write about this because you're not playing this game for the graphics anyway.

Sound: 7/10

The sound in this game is OK. The effects of the attacks are somewhat cool and the punches sound over-the-top (which is good) but the voice acting is atrocious. If it's possible, this game is 10x cornier than the previous super hero games I have played. Spiderman makes wisecracks and Wolverine is too cool for anyone, even when you are preparing for a mission to determine the fate of the world. It's very campy.

Story: 6/10

The story in MUA starts out somewhat promising but falls off near the end. It gets boring and the cut scenes are hardly worth watching. It's pretty generic, but then it gets to the point where the story jumps around to try and incorporate more villains and locations. The story is definitely NOT the reason you will like this game.

Gameplay: 9/10

MUA is a blast to play. The powers of each hero are unique and exciting and they don't take up too much energy so that you can keep using them. In X-Men Legends, I found myself punching a lot because I had so little energy, but in MUA it feels like you have much more mutant power at your disposal.

MUA is a fairly long game (~15 hours) and will keep you entertained for a while. My problems with the game come into play with the leveling system and the characters. I don't like how you can add skill points to a power and then take them away and add them to something else later on. That defeats the purpose of having to choose wisely. I ended up making Wolverine into a machine. He could not take any damage due to the way I leveled him up.

Near the end of the game my characters were so overpowered and the enemies were so underpowered that it got sort of boring and repetitive.

Overall: 8/10

Overall, I like this game a lot and would recommend it to anyone that liked the comics or the first 2 X-Men Legends games. You can play on Live with friends in coop and the single player will keep you busy for a while. I do hope that they address some of the things I mentioned before the next game though, because the series is going to start getting very repetitive.Read full review...

Cheap Fun

Do you like button mashing? How about comic-book characters? Well, that's what this game has to offer.

The best way to play this game is with four players in the same room in "arcade mode" - you find yourself doing everything you can to beat your friends. It's great!

Now the bad - the game gets pretty tedious - you basically do the same thing over and over again - you button mash to beat up bad guys. While the story is good enough to keep you hooked in, it's not going to win any awards. They do make up for the sheer repetition of the game by continually changing the setting - making for a tour of the marvel universe - a nice side benefit!

For today's price - you can pick it up used for 10 bucks - this is a great buy. Seriously; buy it, get some friends together, order pizza, and have a blast! For competitive button-mashing, it doesn't get much better.Read full review...

This game rocks!

Playing Marvel: Aliance is easy to master. The controls are simple, story line easy to follow, and the map/ lvls are pretty straight foward. I enjoyed this game as well did my 6 year old son and 5yr old daughter. My daughter played this game alot in relation to all the heroine choices. She made her team all girls and has played it everyday since it's arrival with a minimal amount of aid from me. My children and I really like the co-op play option (up to four players). However, the XBL portion of the game is not the greatest. The draw back to this game, for us, was the required purchase of the exteneded heroes/ villains add-on. In order to be the Incredible Hulk, my sons favorite, you have to spend at least 500 microsoft points. It really isn't that bad considering everyone else thats available. He's also infatuated with spiderman and he's playable from the start so my son will survive. =^P If you enjoy the Marvel superheroes this game will be a very enjoyable play.Read full review...

Fun game... better than expected

As a fan of many of Marvel's comics, I really was looking forward to this game. When I first started it, I suddenly got concerned that it wasn't what I expect. I thought it was going to be a typical button masher game, which I find boring. As I got more involved, I realized that each character has many different attacks, and some of them have to be earned. I now find this being my most played game.
The co-op is fun also. My 10 year old daughter loves jumping into co-op with me and taking the role of some of the female Marvel characters.

I think this game is great for a wide band of ages and definitely for comic book fans.Read full review...

Diablo II with Marvel characters

This game is a blast, and a must buy if your a marvel fan. The controls work well the fighting system is a ton of fun, the sotry line is great.

The best part of this game though is the character development, I HIGHLY reccomend taking the game off of auto level. For half the fun of this game is getting a team of 4 characters custom made to your likings.

Pros: Tight controls, excellent graphics and sound, character development is a ton of fun, and if your a comic geek, lots of inside/hidden jokes.

Cons: Repetitive fighting style, No Punisher?, though hank is in the game no hulk, Save system is a bit bulky, no real healers.Read full review...

Fun Marvel RPG!!!

Pros
+ Awesome HD graphics!!!
+ Tons of characters & powers to learn.
+ RPG from the Marvel universe.
+ Co-op play.

Cons
- A lot of Marvel characters either are not playable or M.I.A.
- Fighting can tend to be repetitive.
- Effects glitch towards higher levels. (Requires a system restart to fix. Happened several times.)

Comments
This is only the beginning of games involving the entire Marvel Universe. Real time strategy will keep even an RPG hater interested enough to play through. There are only about 5 real CGI cutscenes and they look amazing. One of the biggest disappointment may be no Hulk or Punisher as well as a lot of other characters who won't be included. But most people will have their hands full trying to decide who to pick for their team anyway so it may be for the better.

Verdict
Must play for any fan of Marvel comics if not a must have title.Read full review...

Solid Multiplayer but a bit overhyped

The first thing to understand: the advertised 140+ superhero roster is overhyped. You only get to control around 30 heroes, half of which are second line heroes.

Gameplay is almost identical to X-Men Legends II: same button mashing frenzy with special moves and 4 player co-op adventures.

What's changed: 28 or so new heroes to choose from, although about half of them are second rate, you will find that you will use a handful the most. Graphics are a lot easier on the eyes than previous xbox titles, but it doesn't look like a next gen title. You can now create your own fantasy hero team with a customizable roster, team logo, and name which you can then take online to play with friends on Live or system link.

Bottom line is if you enjoyed X-Men Legends, look to this as the sequel and not a completely new Marvel title. Of the hyped 140 heroes in the game, there are only about 30 playables and some of the best are still left out (Hulk, numerous X-Men, THE JUGGERNAUT).

If you are a fan of superheroes and you want a button-mashing game that is fun and satisfying for you and 3 buddies that will last around 20 hours, this is it.Read full review...

If you liked X-Men Legends this game is for you

Let's get the bad out of the way first. The story is fairly standard for a superhero video game, you won't lose yourself in it as it's not especially deep, but it does provide motivation. The dialog is borderline terrible at points, and attacks are limited to light, heavy, and combo attacks that combine the two.

Where this game shines is the cast. You can choose from your favorite Marvel superheros from the well known (Spider-Man, Wolverine, etc) to the more obscure (Moon Knight, Miss Marvel). Once upon a time you could download additional characters, but since this game is fairly old at this point, that is no longer the case. Each character feels unique and customizable so you should have no trouble picking out a team. To increase the challenge, you can have as many as four, or as few as one character at a time.

This game is best enjoyed with friends, as switching rapidly between characters on your own will snap the camera back and forth and can be a little disorienting. If you're a fan of Marvel and you've got siblings or friends who are willing to put in the 10-15 hours to beat this game, then it's a solid buy.Read full review...

If you are a fan you will like it..otherwise it's ok

Good- If you are a marvel fan you will like the game. It has tons of characters and tests your knowlegde of characters and their powers which can fun in the mini games which also help you level up by getting correct answers. Good gameplay for this type of game.

Bad- The story is not as interesting as the 1st one. The game can get tedius over a period of time. Getting achievements can be easy but takes time if you miss them and have no guide.

Overall- I give the game a 8....being that I am a fan as well.Read full review...