A final mutant post-script.

I played the console version of this a while ago with Cathy, and enjoyed it. I particularly like the open world hubs in these Lego super hero games; sadly that was cut from this handheld port for understandable technical reasons. A consolation is the extra tasks within levels that TT Fusion’s games in this era have.

The content is equivalent to the console game (ie. a new mashup plot spanning much of the Marvel world across 15 levels), but each stage has been broken up into 3 mini-levels. They’re fast-paced and easy to replay, which you will do several times if you want to clear out all the tasks, since in Free Play you can only pick one character to take into them (the game will also provide a default partner that you can switch to, to ensure progression). Unlocking new levels is actually gated behind doing a certain number of these, which is a bit of a bummer but I was doing them all anyway.

Universe in Peril (this handheld port uniquely has a subtitle) has a consistent isometric viewpoint, turning the levels into charming dioramas almost. It de-emphasises platforming similar to the handheld Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4, replacing your jump with a dodge move. Combat is a little more involved then, which is a welcome change for this particular instalment.

I played this for the X-Men content; I knew that for the most part, much of the character designs are heavily influenced by the Disney Marvel films, mixed in with comic stuff. But for the Fantastic Four and mutants, Fox’s film depictions are steered clear of (and equally for Spider-Man and Sony). Subsequent games cut them entirely as part of Disney’s agenda to focus on properties they owned the film rights to (it’s all moot now of course).

Anyway, all that to say there is mutant stuff here: Magneto and the Brotherhood (including Pyro and Juggernaut) as antagonists, Wolverine and Storm as recurring protagonists while there’s a set of levels set at the X-Mansion with Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast, and Cyclops, and Mystique and Sabretooth are unlockable. I particularly enjoyed using Deadpool, Iceman, and Phoenix when replaying levels. The fact remains that there’s no tie-in to the films, but oh well!

I played on Vita, which meant a lovely big, bright, high-res screen to enjoy a zoomed-out view of the action. The game can be controlled entirely with the touchscreen; thankfully all functions also have button inputs, although it only explains the touch controls in tutorials. I did find navigating the menus easier by touch though. Some of this menuing needed rethinking; you can’t see a level’s optional objectives until after you’ve picked a character and entered the loading screen, which adds tedium to the replays. Even so, I had a decent time with this game and I’ll say it again: I miss TT Fusion’s handheld ports.