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Superman Returns (video game)
Encyclopedia
Superman Returns is a video game loosely based on the movie of the same name
, developed by Electronic Arts
-Tiburon
in Orlando, Fla., in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
and DC Comics
.
The game features the voice and likenesses of Brandon Routh
, Kevin Spacey
, Kate Bosworth
, Parker Posey
, and Sam Huntington
who reprise their roles from the film as Superman
/Clark Kent
, Lex Luthor
, Lois Lane
, Kitty Kowalski, and Jimmy Olsen
respectively.
The game was released on Xbox 360
, PlayStation 2
and Xbox
. The Nintendo DS
also featured games based on the film, but they are fundamentally different from the console titles. The games were released on November 22, 2006 in the United States and November 30 in Australia, to coincide with the DVD
release of Superman Returns
.
. Superman's complete array of superpowers are at the player's disposal, and the player is required to 'master' Superman's powers, because Superman might cause harm to the city if his powers are used incorrectly.
The player is able to fly at different speeds, the maximum being 800 mi/h, which is faster than the speed of sound
. As stated above, each power has different levels of energy. Superman's x-ray vision is used automatically when Superman picks up an object. The object will be made transparent to the player so it will not obstruct the player's point of view during gameplay.
The player can't lose if Superman takes a certain amount of damage, instead the player can lose if the villains inflicts too much damage to the city, like hurting civilians and destroying cars. Superman has a stamina meter that depletes as he uses more of his power, but recharges quickly. If Superman is high up in the air, in direct sunlight, even an empty stamina bar will fully recharge almost immediately. Aside from villains, there are also disasters Superman must prevent, such as cooling off a burning building with his superbreath or preventing meteors from hitting Metropolis.
on November 15, 2006. In the demo, the player plays through the game's first mission and fights the game's first boss, Metallo
.
Following this incident, astronomers announce that they have discovered the remains of the dead planet Krypton. Superman flies to the distant galaxy in the space rocket that his father sent him to Earth in to investigate the ruins of his homeworld and to see if there is anything left. He finds only gigantic, asteroid-sized chunks of kryptonite
, pieces of the planet that were irradiated by the supernova that destroyed the great civilization. Superman turns his ship around and heads back to Earth, but along the way he is intercepted by Mongul
and forced to compete in gladiatorial combat in Warworld
. Mongul first puts him against an elite team of warriors known as the Plahtune, but the Man of Steel easily beats them. Next, he confronts Overkhast, an alien who can fire energy from his hands and who can also transform into a gigantic energy-based creature that can emit shock waves of power. After Superman overcomes him, Mongul himself steps into the arena to battle Superman. Though he is powerful and possesses great strength, Mongul is still no match for the Last Son of Krypton. At the conclusion of their fight, Superman picks up Mongul and prepares to deliver what would most certainly be a killing strike. Mongul taunts him, "Go on, Superman. You know you want to." Superman then throws Mongul to the floor and states that the fight is over. Superman then finds his ship and sets off for Earth, but Mongul vows that he will find him.
Superman's return to Metropolis is greeted with ecstatic applause by most, but Lois Lane
seems somewhat hesitant to put her faith in him again. Soon after his return, however, Metallo
attacks the city with an army of robotic beings. Superman is forced to fight both the supervillain and his minions. The lesser opponents are of little consequence to the Kryptonian, but Metallo is another matter. Superman and the robot go hand-to-hand, and Metallo transforms into a towering monstrosity that Superman cannot directly touch, because his kryptonite-laced body will cause the Man of Steel to temporarily lose his stamina. Superman compensates for this by throwing vehicles at the villain. Realizing that he is about to be defeated, Metallo fires a large missile to level the city, but Superman intercepts the projectile and hurls it into the stratosphere. Superman shows Metallo no mercy, gathering all of his powers and charging the villain, tearing through his body and ripping out his power source.
Unknown to Superman, during his absence Lex Luthor
broke into the Fortress of Solitude
and stole his data crystals. Lex Luthor experiments with the crystals by adding a small particle to water, and the resulting city-wide power failure releases numerous villains and genetic creatures, including Bizarro
. Bizarro begins a rampage throughout Metropolis, destroying buildings and attacking citizens. Though Bizarro is of equal might, Superman is a much more experienced warrior. In the end, Superman defeats Bizarro, but does not kill him because he knows that the poor creature is incapable of understanding his actions.
No sooner has he defeated Bizarro than an old enemy returns for a rematch. Mongul and his minions have followed Superman to Earth. Superman battles the Plahtune and Overkhast, and after beating them confronts Mongul once again. The fight is fierce, but as before the Man of Steel emerges victorious. Mongul admits that he is defeated and flees Earth.
There is no time to celebrate this victory, because Lex Luthor has put his diabolical scheme of creating a new world with the Kryptonian crystals into effect. Luthor plants the main crystal and an entire new landmass begins to form off the coast of Metropolis, which causes several tornadoes to form and tear through the city. Superman deflects the tornadoes and extinguishes the fires that have erupted throughout the city, then flies out over the water to investigate. He finds Lex Luthor's boat sinking, the evil mastermind having abandoned it after planting the crystal. Lois had sneaked onto the ship and is trapped as it is sinking, and Superman rescues her and takes her unconscious form to the coast guard. He then discovers the gigantic new island forming as a result of the crystal. Superman lands on the island, and discovers too late that he has fallen into a trap. The island is laced with kryptonite. Lex Luthor beats and taunts the Man of Steel and then kicks his powerless form into the ocean far below. But Lois arrives with the coast guard and rescues Superman, who flies into outer space to bask in the rays of the sun before burrowing his way under the ocean floor and lifting the landmass directly out of the water and throwing it into space.
Superman flies back to Metropolis to take care of the few remaining villains who earlier escaped him, and the game ends.
in Superman Returns: The Videogame is a tornado; Not Lex Luthor; Not General Zod
; not that Nuclear Man -- not even Richard Pryor. A tornado!". Official PlayStation 2 Magazine UK gave the game a 5/10, saying "They've got the man bit down but in no way is this super." OXM gave the Xbox version of this game the award of "Best Graphics... if They Were on a PlayStation 1" in the 2006 Game of The Year Awards. X-Play
gave it a 1/5 for poor control, boring and bland enemies, and for featuring a tornado as the final boss.
Superman Returns
Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer. It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II by ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace .The film stars...
, developed by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
-Tiburon
EA Tiburon
EA Tiburon is an Electronic Arts video game development studio located in Maitland, Florida, United States founded in 1994. It is located just north of the Orlando, Florida downtown area. It was formerly known as Tiburon Entertainment, which was acquired by EA in 1998.The studio is most well known...
in Orlando, Fla., in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
.
The game features the voice and likenesses of Brandon Routh
Brandon Routh
Brandon James Routh is an American actor and former fashion model. He grew up in Iowa before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, and subsequently appeared on multiple television series throughout the early 2000s. In 2006, he gained greater recognition for his role as the titular hero...
, Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
, Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
, Parker Posey
Parker Posey
Parker Christian Posey is an American actress. She became known during the 1990s after a series of roles in several well-received independent films. As a result, she has often been referred to as the "Queen of the Indies"....
, and Sam Huntington
Sam Huntington
Sam Huntington is an American actor, best known for his role as Mimi-Siku in the 1990s film "Jungle 2 Jungle" and as Jimmy Olsen in "Superman Returns". He now stars in the TV series Being Human.- Personal life :...
who reprise their roles from the film as Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
/Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
, Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
, Kitty Kowalski, and Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
respectively.
The game was released on Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. The Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
also featured games based on the film, but they are fundamentally different from the console titles. The games were released on November 22, 2006 in the United States and November 30 in Australia, to coincide with the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release of Superman Returns
Superman Returns
Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer. It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II by ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace .The film stars...
.
Gameplay
The game has an 80 square miles (207.2 km²) free-roaming map, and Superman is able to fly into the stratosphere generated in the game though not into the depths of the ocean surrounding MetropolisMetropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
. Superman's complete array of superpowers are at the player's disposal, and the player is required to 'master' Superman's powers, because Superman might cause harm to the city if his powers are used incorrectly.
The player is able to fly at different speeds, the maximum being 800 mi/h, which is faster than the speed of sound
Speed of sound
The speed of sound is the distance travelled during a unit of time by a sound wave propagating through an elastic medium. In dry air at , the speed of sound is . This is , or about one kilometer in three seconds or approximately one mile in five seconds....
. As stated above, each power has different levels of energy. Superman's x-ray vision is used automatically when Superman picks up an object. The object will be made transparent to the player so it will not obstruct the player's point of view during gameplay.
The player can't lose if Superman takes a certain amount of damage, instead the player can lose if the villains inflicts too much damage to the city, like hurting civilians and destroying cars. Superman has a stamina meter that depletes as he uses more of his power, but recharges quickly. If Superman is high up in the air, in direct sunlight, even an empty stamina bar will fully recharge almost immediately. Aside from villains, there are also disasters Superman must prevent, such as cooling off a burning building with his superbreath or preventing meteors from hitting Metropolis.
Demo
A demo for the game was released for the Xbox 360Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
on November 15, 2006. In the demo, the player plays through the game's first mission and fights the game's first boss, Metallo
Metallo
Metallo is a comic book supervillain and cyborg who appears in Superman stories published by DC Comics. Metallo's trademark is his kryptonite power source, which he often uses as a weapon against Superman. His traditional identity is John Corben...
.
Story
The story begins with Metropolis suffering a devastating meteor shower. Superman uses his full array of powers, including his strength, freeze breath, and heat vision to destroy the deadly rocks before they can strike the city.Following this incident, astronomers announce that they have discovered the remains of the dead planet Krypton. Superman flies to the distant galaxy in the space rocket that his father sent him to Earth in to investigate the ruins of his homeworld and to see if there is anything left. He finds only gigantic, asteroid-sized chunks of kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
, pieces of the planet that were irradiated by the supernova that destroyed the great civilization. Superman turns his ship around and heads back to Earth, but along the way he is intercepted by Mongul
Mongul
Mongul is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the character debuted in DC Comics Presents #27 and was created by writer Len Wein and artist Jim Starlin. The second version first appears in Showcase '95 #85 and was created by...
and forced to compete in gladiatorial combat in Warworld
Warworld
Warworld is a fictional artificial planet published in several stories by DC Comics, most of which feature Superman. It first appeared in DC Comics Presents #27 , and was created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin.-History:...
. Mongul first puts him against an elite team of warriors known as the Plahtune, but the Man of Steel easily beats them. Next, he confronts Overkhast, an alien who can fire energy from his hands and who can also transform into a gigantic energy-based creature that can emit shock waves of power. After Superman overcomes him, Mongul himself steps into the arena to battle Superman. Though he is powerful and possesses great strength, Mongul is still no match for the Last Son of Krypton. At the conclusion of their fight, Superman picks up Mongul and prepares to deliver what would most certainly be a killing strike. Mongul taunts him, "Go on, Superman. You know you want to." Superman then throws Mongul to the floor and states that the fight is over. Superman then finds his ship and sets off for Earth, but Mongul vows that he will find him.
Superman's return to Metropolis is greeted with ecstatic applause by most, but Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
seems somewhat hesitant to put her faith in him again. Soon after his return, however, Metallo
Metallo
Metallo is a comic book supervillain and cyborg who appears in Superman stories published by DC Comics. Metallo's trademark is his kryptonite power source, which he often uses as a weapon against Superman. His traditional identity is John Corben...
attacks the city with an army of robotic beings. Superman is forced to fight both the supervillain and his minions. The lesser opponents are of little consequence to the Kryptonian, but Metallo is another matter. Superman and the robot go hand-to-hand, and Metallo transforms into a towering monstrosity that Superman cannot directly touch, because his kryptonite-laced body will cause the Man of Steel to temporarily lose his stamina. Superman compensates for this by throwing vehicles at the villain. Realizing that he is about to be defeated, Metallo fires a large missile to level the city, but Superman intercepts the projectile and hurls it into the stratosphere. Superman shows Metallo no mercy, gathering all of his powers and charging the villain, tearing through his body and ripping out his power source.
Unknown to Superman, during his absence Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
broke into the Fortress of Solitude
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
and stole his data crystals. Lex Luthor experiments with the crystals by adding a small particle to water, and the resulting city-wide power failure releases numerous villains and genetic creatures, including Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
. Bizarro begins a rampage throughout Metropolis, destroying buildings and attacking citizens. Though Bizarro is of equal might, Superman is a much more experienced warrior. In the end, Superman defeats Bizarro, but does not kill him because he knows that the poor creature is incapable of understanding his actions.
No sooner has he defeated Bizarro than an old enemy returns for a rematch. Mongul and his minions have followed Superman to Earth. Superman battles the Plahtune and Overkhast, and after beating them confronts Mongul once again. The fight is fierce, but as before the Man of Steel emerges victorious. Mongul admits that he is defeated and flees Earth.
There is no time to celebrate this victory, because Lex Luthor has put his diabolical scheme of creating a new world with the Kryptonian crystals into effect. Luthor plants the main crystal and an entire new landmass begins to form off the coast of Metropolis, which causes several tornadoes to form and tear through the city. Superman deflects the tornadoes and extinguishes the fires that have erupted throughout the city, then flies out over the water to investigate. He finds Lex Luthor's boat sinking, the evil mastermind having abandoned it after planting the crystal. Lois had sneaked onto the ship and is trapped as it is sinking, and Superman rescues her and takes her unconscious form to the coast guard. He then discovers the gigantic new island forming as a result of the crystal. Superman lands on the island, and discovers too late that he has fallen into a trap. The island is laced with kryptonite. Lex Luthor beats and taunts the Man of Steel and then kicks his powerless form into the ocean far below. But Lois arrives with the coast guard and rescues Superman, who flies into outer space to bask in the rays of the sun before burrowing his way under the ocean floor and lifting the landmass directly out of the water and throwing it into space.
Superman flies back to Metropolis to take care of the few remaining villains who earlier escaped him, and the game ends.
Reception
Superman Returns: The Videogame was not received very well by many critics, citing it as another example of the so called "Superman video game curse". IGN criticized the game's lack of a concluding villain saying that "The final bossBoss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
in Superman Returns: The Videogame is a tornado; Not Lex Luthor; Not General Zod
General Zod
General Zod is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, a supervillain who is one of Superman's more-prominent enemies. The character first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
; not that Nuclear Man -- not even Richard Pryor. A tornado!". Official PlayStation 2 Magazine UK gave the game a 5/10, saying "They've got the man bit down but in no way is this super." OXM gave the Xbox version of this game the award of "Best Graphics... if They Were on a PlayStation 1" in the 2006 Game of The Year Awards. X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
gave it a 1/5 for poor control, boring and bland enemies, and for featuring a tornado as the final boss.