This review is for the version released for the Wii(haven't experienced any other). Licensed games almost always suck. They do. There are infinitely few exceptions to this rule(TMNT and Aladdin are among this last group). They're rushed and underdeveloped. You see, if a film doesn't have quite enough time for the crew to do all that they wanted to, you might find build-up(and thus, impact) to be lacking, themes to not be explored fully, etc. When the same thing happens with a game(where they often have to construct everything from the ground up), we get an incomplete piece of software. Shortcuts are taken(such as how foes have one of just a couple of weapons, AK's or a slow and strong one), and instantly fade away when defeated), bugs go unfixed(I've really only run into one in this; however, it froze up the entire machine), and the result is a flat product that will be forgotten once the hype surrounding whatever movie it is based upon has died down, at least by all but the most forgiving fans of the intellectual property. Ah, if only I could say that that isn't true of this. If you love the picture, you're likely to find this to be a blast; that's my situation, and that's what I expected(I knew it wouldn't be masterfully done). And if not, no, this isn't for you. Also, if you're doing one or the other, watch it, don't go for this. The story follows it, adding a sub-plot or two, and it gets away with this pretty well. It's told through rather nice-looking cut-scenes(I don't think they're CGI), very smooth animation, fairly photo-realistic and a good range of facial expressions. They are where Downey's acting is best; he seems a tad uncomfortable for several of the in-game lines. The performances are pretty convincing, and Monroe who is in place of Paltrow really throws herself into it. On that note... when *did* Potts get boobs like that? And show cleavage? You could argue that her hair, once or twice, flies at absolutely nothing. Sound overall is reasonable if unimpressive; the score is like that of the flick, and yes, the theme from that is there, too, excellent. The graphics are what you'd expect on the console; not "ugly", the colors are right, the lighting and FX(fire, explosions, snow- and sandstorms could look grander, have a greater effect on you, so to speak) have less range than the other Next Gen's. That's not why you choose Nintendo's; and whilst this under-uses the possibilities(I lost count of how many different things required the same motion with the Nun-chuk... the Dashing by waving it and indicating a direction is nifty and helpful, though), and moving the Wii-Mote left or right for mêlée strikes(yes, I get that it's so you can do it fast, still) isn't as natural as if it were straight ahead(like in Madworld and The Conduit, for example), it is fun with the inclusion of motion. You get to punch through steel doors(!) and tanks(!), and you can try all three Mark's(and yes, the first does, indeed, have a flamethrower). Flight is extremely simple, entertaining(with plenty of open areas for it), nearly always available to you and you will have a hang of it within moments. The Afterburner is cool. Falling from high up and landing causes a shock-wave that hurts those nearby. The entire control scheme is well-done, and there are 3 setups for it. Camera is 360 degrees(essentially) and free, and you turn it the same way as in Splinter Cell: Double Agent, by pointing at the edges of the screen. A "reset to regular position" function would do wonders, since aim is determined by it, and it takes time to fiddle around with it. You walk independently of it, in third person perspective. This grants you exceedingly little in the way of an arsenal. Repulsor Ray(and the Unibeam, which can't be used without charging it, and yet you may be forced to use on account of the Power Distribution system, a potentially interesting feature that is overly limited), a Gatling gun(yes, it's awesome, and yes, it does take away from the fantastic reveal in the live-action effort that this is related to)/pulse rifle, and rockets/missiles. Yeah. One that's in the middle, and then one for soft and one for hard targets. That's it. There are upgrades, provided you use the trio. They, the unlockable artwork and the choice of armor(it will have the equipment necessary; it's largely limited to being a visual change) are it for re-playability, that and stats which are stored. Oh, and there's only a dozen linear missions(no free roam), and the majority of them last between 15 and 20 minutes(at least you can try any of them again). No, really. You can complete it the day you get it(yeah, consider settling for rental), as in, four hours, tops. This does make you feel like you *are* Iron Man. The HUD is unobtrusive, and you have to wonder, should it be? Shouldn't there be info all over it? Same for Terminator VG's. On that, this is ridiculously easy, since you're so superior. There is little challenge in this. The only thing others can particularly hurt you with are RPG's, so enemies using them are spammed. That's another thing, this practically grows stale(it would, if it were longer), because what you do, as fun as it is, is *all you do*. Move(on the surface or in the air), shoot(one of the handful of types of opposing forces), fight a boss every now and then(2 or more are about exactly alike), that's it. Objectives don't step beyond the familiar. The Marvel universe is barely visible in this. AI is decent(many run away from you awkwardly). There is mild, bloodless violence in this; it's as inoffensive(and then some) as the silver screen blockbuster. I recommend this solely to anyone else who can't get enough of this take on the title character; everyone else, this isn't *that* compelling. 6/10
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