X-Men Legends II

GameCore is CBSNews.com's gaming column written by William Vitka and Chad Chamberlain. This column was written by Alejandro K. Brown.

So why is it that I just can't stop playing this game?

The reason is that despite the nitpicking of the opening paragraph, this game builds on and improves on last year's hit game and gives you more of exactly what you loved from last year's hit game: more attacks, more story, bigger (way bigger) villains, more customization options, more powers and more mutants.

The biggest change this time around is that the good guys, the X-Men and their longtime foes, the Brotherhood of Mutants, have to band together to stop the *really* bad guy, Apocalypse, and his army from taking over the world and reshaping it into his vision. With a name like Apocalypse, you're right in thinking his vision isn't the best one for mankind.

At the beginning of the game, you can choose from several of the usually malicious Brotherhood to fight alongside the X-Men, such as Toad, Juggernaut & the master of magnetism, Magneto himself. You can even assemble all four fighters to be from the Brotherhood if you're gotten sick and tired of playing the good guys. OK, so they are the good guys in this game, but having the ability to control Juggernaut and Magneto is awesome.

While I have had the pleasure of playing X-Men Legends II on the Playstation 2, Xbox and PSP (Playstation Portable) consoles, I'm going to focus on the version I think is the best: the PSP version.

While the PSP version takes a while to load new areas, character detail screens, the (ironically) pause menu screen, it seems generally darker than its brothers, the text could have been made a little larger and has the same nitpickings as the big boys that I mentioned earlier, it's still the best version for your money.

Now that the negatives are pretty much out of the way, let's chat about why you will love this game, shall we?

The PSP version brings to the table 4 new characters to add to the console's 3 unlockable characters, including 1 new playable character available from the beginning that won't be found on any other console. Add to this the new PSP exclusive missions and you have a version that actually has more than its big brothers. In addition, you have a faithful version of the game that plays almost identically to the big boys that you can take with you. Believe me, being stuck in the subway with its numerous delays is made much easier when you have mutant powers in your pocket at your total command.

Despite the reduced number of buttons on the PSP, the commands are all there. Some buttons have double and even triple duty, but every command and move is faithfully recreated in mobile form. It takes some getting used to, especially if you are used to playing the console versions. The lack of extra buttons will initially throw you off, but you'll be delivering mutant powered slap-downs in no time at all.

The basic attack, grab, throws and special mutant abilities are all intact with many more additions. The first game had four set special abilities for each character. This time around, each character has a *minimum* of four special abilities to choose from as they gain experience. The weather controlling character Storm, for example, has an astonishing 10 powers to choose from as her experience increases. As if that wasn't incredible enough, the extra powers can be changed on the fly during combat quite easily. Need that lightning attack to finish off the next opponent, but it isn't active? No sweat. Just a few button presses and ZAAAP! Instant fried bad guy with no lag or load time.

Now, that is awesome. And apparently, what the gamers have been asking for. Other added tidbits: a new transportation system that can whisk you to multiple points on the map you're exploring. The days of trekking through the complete map just to get to missed items near the end of the level are over. Thank goodness! The increased number of special powers for the characters, while daunting, make the game much more customizable.

The developers have made recreating the Marvel Comics' universe into an entertaining, informative and detailed chronicle of the mutants the world has come to know and love over the last 40 years. If you aren't familiar with the history of the X-Men, that's fine. This story will bring you along for the ride as it introduces the main teams and the tensions of archenemies being forced to work side by side to defeat a greater evil. So to you, it will be Gauntlet ... with wall shattering optic blasts and plasma beams. For the fans of the mutant community, (you know who you are, having logged hundreds of hours in the first game last fall,) get ready for level 99 ... in your pocket. Keeping true to the source material while adding some new elements to the mythos is a testament to the development team's passion to both the printed comics and game.

You want another reason to like this game? Four-player multiplayer sweetness added to the recipe make the game oh so wonderful. And not just the regular PSP, lets-all-come-to-my-house-and-play-in-the-same-room-with-the-wireless-connection, multiplayer. Oh no. We're talking about the internet pal. You can either host a game or jump into one with other people on the internet and get your slap-down nationwide. Using the wireless networking capability of the PSP and a wireless internet connection (a wireless network router or a public wireless hotspot will do) you can take the action cross country with others at anytime. My experience with this was pretty cool; the lag was slightly off depending on the time of play, but never enough to make it a deal breaker.

I truly believe this is the beginning of the future of multiplayer gaming for handheld consoles.

The graphics are nigh identical across the board. Even with the Xbox, with all the power it possesses, seems "dumbed down" to look just like the others. The vocal work is really good and enjoyable to listen to, even if it is a little overdone and cheesy at times. The ambient sounds really hit the mark and the music lends itself to the grand undertaking that you and your comrades partake in. Sure, you'll get sick of the music about 25 hours in…but how many other non role-playing games you have you invested 20+ hours in lately?

If it sounds like I'm geeking out over this game, I am. I'll admit it. As a long time X-men fan, and player of the 1st game, it's great to see the sequel achieve more of what made the 1st game so much fun. Granted, if Gauntlet or Diablo-styled dungeon crawls don't appeal to you, then definitely pass on this game. But if you: