Getting Your Avengers Gaming Fix On A Budget
If you’re like me, watching the new Avengers movie made you want to play some games with these characters. Strapped for money? Not all video games will set you back $50.Try turning to the inexpensive IOS market and you’ll find two Marvel Superhero games for only a dollar each - though Apple does say they're going up to $3 a piece soon.
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, a side scrolling game, tasks you, Captain America, with finding and rescuing three of the Howling Commandos behind enemy lines.
Thor: Son of Asgard is a 3rd person game with full motion and a fixed camera. The basics of the story are that someone, presumably Loki, has caused the start of Ragnarok and it is your job to find out how and stop it.
Each uses full 3-D graphics for game play and animated comic graphics for cut scenes.
I played both of these games primarily on a 4th generation iPod Touch, which is listed as a supported device. However, having tried it out on the iPad 3 as well, I can say you may get a better experience with the iPad’s bigger screen.
In Captain America you go directly from your mission brief straight into jumping out the back of a plane. Good so far. Next they introduce the controls one at a time; swipe right or left to run, up to jump, and down to slide. They introduce you to using the shield, attacking enemies, and finding hidden items quickly and easily as well. Each level they introduce a new concept such as wall jumping or land mines at a reasonable pace such that you don’t get overwhelmed.
Normally I wouldn’t compliment a game on its tutorials so much but I don’t have much else good to say about this game. I found that most of the time I was fighting the finicky controls instead of the actual enemies. The only time I was in any danger was when the commands didn’t register.
Also if during the platforming you want to walk just a little to grab that ledge, tough luck. Cap has two speeds: stopped and full run. This makes the stop command overly important. I also had a hard time getting him to turn around.
If like me you are a completist looking to get all the collectibles, get ready to run over the same patch of ground about 5-7 times just to grab that one hanging bar because of the difficulty in jumping at the right time.
While Captain America is a pretty game with good sound effects, the story is weak and the game controls are worse than most action games, even when you have to tap on glass instead of using a real controller.
After the lackluster performance of the Captain America game and the fact that the recent Thor console game got such bad reviews, I did not have high hopes for Thor: Son of Asgard. However, it was a pleasant surprise.
The controls, while not always as responsive as I would like, are solid and more responsive than Cap’s. The game at first glance is a bit repetitive with you facing the same enemies over and over. But with the introduction of different combos, different enemies, and matching combos and strategies specific situations makes for a better game.
Each level has hidden collectables that unlock vintage Thor comic covers as well as extending your life bar. Although slightly repetitive, game play is actually fun, and it feels more like a story overall.
If you are looking for a quick super hero fix I would recommend that you check out Thor: Son of Asgard but stay away from Captain America unless you have large amounts of patience for bad controls or are such a Cap fan you can’t help yourself. It’s just a buck after all.
