bit-tech Shopping: TDK Aquaman: Battle For Atlantis (GC)

Rating: 4

Time with product: 2 Months

Strengths: Aquaman gets his own game, solid graphics, bargain price

Weaknesses: Weak combat system, camera and frame rate issues, loose control, repetitive enemies/environments, short overall length, no online support, limited extras, wasted potential

Summary: Publisher TDK is perhaps best known as an electronics manufacturer (VCR/cassette tapes, semiconductors, speakers, etc.), and the company's relative ignorance of software comes through loud and clear in this latest superhero misadventure. In his 90's reincarnation, Aquaman sports shoulder-length locks, a full beard and a fork for a left hand as he battles one nondescript group of underwater bad guys after another. Unfortunately, the combat boils down to simple buttom mashing (image an entire game based upon the water-world fighting in Primal). Without any FMV cinemas to further the storyline, you're forced to rely on boring comics-style windows between levels to advance the tale, and a handful of submarine vehicle levels don't add nearly enough variety. After a short five hours of play, you get to try the whole thing again as classic Aquaman or as one of the villains. DC Comics really needs to be a lot more responsible in selling out its intellectual properties. Developer Lucky Chicken Games put out a thoroughly mediocre product with Battle for Atlantis. Aquaman wasn't exactly a hot property before this game came out, but even a superhero may not be able to recover from this kind of damage.