The summer movie season is finally here, so brace for those mediocre game adaptations. The first appears to be this lazy effort to cash in on the hype surrounding X-Men 3. Bridging the gap between the mutants' last cinematic adventure and this week's soon-to-be blockbuster, this title also offers an explanation for Nightcrawler's absence from the new film, aside from the producers deciding there were too many blue mutants already.
This game allows you to play as Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Iceman, who have about nine combat moves to split between them, not that they need any fancy combos when their overpowered mutant abilities can make short work of every dimwitted foe. The levels switch between rail-gun sequences with Iceman surfing his handiwork and repetitive brawling sequences that usually let you choose between Wolverine and Nightcrawler. Choose Nightcrawler. His use of teleportation in combat can actually be fun, but if you use Wolverine with nothing but his close-quarters claws and run into distant adversaries with guns, you'll get to experience his berserker rage firsthand.
THE DA VINCI CODE by 2K GAMES (2 stars)
Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox.
Rated: T.
The Da Vinci Code is a point-and-click adventure game without the point-and-click. Or the adventure. Some of the puzzles are entertaining enough but when solved tend to deliver baffling clues that will have you combing through dull levels, trying to figure out what to do next. The game reveals all the controversial revelations of the book and film, but devout Christians need not protest. I can't imagine anyone playing this long enough to reach those revelations.
OVER THE HEDGE by ACTIVISION (2.5 stars)
Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube.
Rated: E10+.
Video game tie-ins to kids' movies can be divided into two categories. There's the Shrek 2 variety, where regardless of what happens in the film, it's a beat 'em-up collect-a-thon. Then there's the Shark Tale kind, consisting of simplistic minigames, loosely based on film scenes. The junk food-hungry critters of Over the Hedge get a taste of both. Kids who loved the movie will likely eat it up, but adults will wind up with a sour stomach.
NBA BALLERS: REBOUND by MIDWAY (3.5 stars)
Platform: PlayStation Portable.
Rated: E.
This port of 2004's NBA Ballers inadvertently filters out much of the materialism and leaves you with a straight-up game of one-on-one basketball. Your crib can't look quite as gawdy on the PSP screen, and long load times prohibit you from browsing for bling, so you'll just have to play this for love of the game, which is refreshing.
Matthew Scott Hunter has been known to mumble, "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start" in his sleep. E-mail him at [email protected].