Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (PSP)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.9 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Steve Palley
• Reviewed on: 10/07/2005
• Released on: 10/04/2005
• Originally published on GameSpot: Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (PSP) Review

Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects, Electronic Arts' new fighting game, has already appeared on the Xbox, PS2, and GameCube--but it's a very different game on the PSP. The developer's compensatory measures for the lack of two analog sticks, the smaller screen, and the lesser amount of storage space are fairly effective, arguably to the point of making the core gameplay a little better on the PSP. On the other hand, the elimination of the game's online multiplayer really hurts, as does the removal of much of the console game's unique extra content. Though Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is a competent portable beat-'em-up, it's not the best value the PSP has to offer.

On the PSP, Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects' story goes from heavily garbled to completely incomprehensible, due to the lack of explanatory cutscenes. The basic facts are that The Imperfects, six superpowered thugs in the employ of evil genius Niles Van Roekel, are out causing trouble in New York City so their boss can get his hands on a heavily guarded suit of alien armor--or something along those lines. In any case, there's ample excuse for Marvel's superheroes, led by crowd favorites like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Elektra, and The Thing, to go up against the nasty ol' Imperfects in a series of one-on-one battles. The battles take place in fully destructible environments that are heavily seeded with objects you can turn into convenient missiles or bludgeons at the touch of a button.

Thankfully, the PSP version of the game dispenses entirely with the console game's lackluster single-player scenario. Instead, the game's campaign mode throws you right into the action--as either The Thing or human dynamo Johnny Ohm, initially--in a series of 10 one-on-one clashes against the game's other characters. As you beat the 10-fight scenario with each character, another of the game's 18 superbeings becomes available, eventually cycling through 180 unique confrontations. Along the way, you'll also unlock additional battle arenas and special cards, which factor into the game's brand-new card-battling system. In addition, all unlocked content becomes available in Marvel Nemesis' other two play modes, quick play and multiplayer. It should be noted that the PSP version of the game includes two characters not found in the console versions, Captain America and Dr. Doom, but it is also missing Daredevil and the Human Torch.

The developer has made a fair number of subtle additions to Marvel Nemesis' gameplay system for the PSP, and they're good ones. For example, the game greatly simplifies the process of hitting your enemy with an attack by introducing a formal lock-on button, which doubles as your block. With a bit of practice, this combination of commands will let you both fight and protect yourself much more effectively. Moreover, the PSP's smaller screen has forced the game's camerawork to behave in a much more consistent fashion, and at a closer distance, too. You'll also enjoy the presence of warning arrows along the edges of the screen, which will indicate which direction your enemy is trying to flank you from, if he or she flies off the screen. Most of the levels are saturated with things that can be picked up and thrown, and many of these things are also explosive--but the imbalance between environmental attacks and regular attacks doesn't seem quite as onerous as it was in the console game. The developer seems to have cut down on the sheer number of these objects, as part of the general initiative to simplify the levels, and it's more manageable now. Furthermore, finishing moves have been cut out of the loop entirely--which is a good thing, because they weren't balanced very well in previous versions of the game.

Marvel Nemesis' controls are still very simple, which makes even more sense on the PSP. There's a basic attack button that will create combos with repeated tapping, a jump button, a lock-on/block/dodge button, and a throw button. The left shoulder button controls movement powers, like Storm's flight and The Wink's teleportation, while the right shoulder button applies superpowers to whatever you're doing at the time. For instance, holding down the right trigger while attacking will trigger an extra-powerful combo, while performing a power throw can initiate a brutal finishing move in one-on-one combat (sadly, you cannot skip these animations, and some of them are on the long side). Using superpowers depletes your power meter, but it also fills up the rage meter, which will grant you temporarily unlimited use of superpowers when full. Otherwise, the power meter recharges slowly on its own, and you can accelerate the charge by holding down the right shoulder button while stationary.

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