Ultimate Batman : Super Heroes

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After the well-paced, delightfully funny Lego Batman earlier this year, it seemed like it had finally gotten a handle on how to shrink iconic action heroes into the diminutive super heroes.

The story does elicit a few smirks, but the jokes more often than not fall completely flat. Robin serves as the expected punch line whenever he's onscreen, repeatedly displaying his cowardice in the face of danger, but the joke quickly gets beaten into the ground. The reason for the lackluster laughs is that the story doesn't have anything specific to parody. The plot is based on the comic book characters, and though it does have some nods towards the movies, it doesn't make fun of any well-known scenes, so the humor relies on predictable slapstick instead of spoofing moments ingrained in popular culture.

he lone cinematic bright spot is being able to see the story develop from both sides of the morality coin. As Ultimate Batman and Robin, you successfully thwart Gotham's angriest individuals as they attempt to steal riches, unleash a flock of gun-toting penguins, or put a permanent smile on the populace's face with laughing gas. And while seeing good overcome evil certainly has its place, it's even more fun playing through as the bad guys; although it's odd that while most of the Batman levels end in a boss fight against a well-known rapscallion, the villain levels will never pit you against the Caped Crusader. It would have been satisfying to freeze him into a block of ice or give him a joy-buzzer handshake, but you're left fighting hordes of nameless police officers instead.

The game has a ton of unlockables, from new characters to fancy costumes, which makes it well worth replaying. It's just a shame the problems that have plagued this series since the beginning have yet to be addressed. There is no excuse for distressingly thick-headed AI in such a simple game. If you can rope a friend into playing with you, though, the game is a blast. You'll just have to provide the cheesy Mr. Freeze puns yourself.