The Incredibles

7.0
Average

Gameplay	6.5	"Fantastic - assuming, of course, you’re under 12. "
Graphics	8.0
Sound	7.0
Value	6.0

By Emily Buxton

The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer follows directly on from the first Incredibles game (and movie, for those fans out there). A new deadly enemy has emerged in the form of the hulking Underminer, but this time you won’t have the support of a whole super family. Left to their own devices, it’s up to Mr. Incredible and his best buddy Frozone to put an end to the Underminer’s mischief.

The entire game is played with the two characters, so as a single player, you have the ability to switch between controlling Mr. Incredible or Frozone as required. This style of play is also perfectly suited for co-operative two player mode. Each character has a unique set of special powers and superhero moves. Mr. Incredible has a certain knack for smashing through barriers, lifting chunks of debris twice his size, and bowling over enemies by throwing hefty items their way. Frozone, while a little more subtle with his techniques, is by no means less effective. His ability to create frozen paths and reduce bad guys to shivering idiots is essential to the dynamic duos success. Teamwork is the name of this game – either with a second player or the A.I controlling the other character, and countless times in the game you’ll be forced to rely on each other to progress through the story.

While the levels are interesting enough, it’s clear that this game is made for the younger gaming audience. The characters keep up a never-ending stream of dialogue, as they shout out hints to help you along. The level designs are fairly repetitive, and are undoubtedly designed so even that anyone could catch onto the idea quickly. The bosses may prove challenging to some, but usually stick to a basic attack routine that can be figured out and overcome with ease.

The combat system is basic at best (the ‘combat system’ in question being a large amount of button mashing). One of the better new features in Rise of The Underminer includes a skills upgrade system. Defeating enemies earns each player a small amount of experience points that can in turn be used to purchase new super moves or to improve on basic skills. While it remains simple enough for young players to understand, it also gives a slightly more complex edge to the game, keeping the older players happy.

The well rounded graphics are one of the strongest areas in Rise of the Underminer. The game graphics are vibrant and colourful and the cut scenes are well animated and stay true to the slightly tongue-in-cheek style of the movie. The voice acting is superb, which almost manages to make up for the monotonous music track. While fairly interesting at first, the music becomes almost unbearable as the same slightly remixed tune can be heard throughout most of the game.

Although some of the enemies can be a little tricky, this game is one of the shorter kids titles available. The Incredible: Rise of the Underminer is unlikely to keep anyone over the age of 12 entertained for very long - however, younger gamers and Incredibles enthusiasts will find this an entertaining adventure.

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