Systems: Xbox, GameCube
Publisher: TDK Mediactive
Summary: Of all the superheroes in comic-book history, none have ever been quite as underrated as DC Comics' ruler of the sea, Aquaman. Recognizing Aquaman's struggle to gain some measure of respect in the comic community, TDK Mediactive decided to offer a helping hand with the release of Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis. However, after playing a few hours of this game, it's painfully clear that Battle for Atlantis is one game that should have stayed submerged in Davey Jones' locker.
Why It's Bad: Most people are familiar with the clean-cut classic, orange-and-green look that Aquaman had during his time with the Superfriends. TDK went a different route and used a more recent version of the sea king -- an Aquaman whose trials and tribulations had even cost him a hand. Battle for Atlantis follows this darker Aquaman as he fights to protect his kingdom from invading threats and classic villains, including arch nemesis (and fellow Superfriends star) Black Manta.
The graphics in Battle for Atlantis are generally pretty bland. Aquaman himself looks good, but the other characters are generic and repetitive. The backgrounds in the game are murky and bland. It's also somewhat eerie to see that Aquaman's massive underwater kingdom is a virtual ghost town. The only characters to be seen anywhere in the game are Aquaman and his foes. The gameplay in Battle for Atlantis is a convoluted mess as well. Besides the standard issue camera problems that usually accompany a 3D game like this, the game also suffers from an irritating control scheme. The directions for movement are constantly changing because of the shifting camera angle, and the combat controls consist of simply punch, kick, and grapple.
Oh yeah, as comic fans know, Aquaman's claim to fame is that he talks to fish. To re-create this awe-inspiring power in the game, Aquaman can call upon his fishy friends to rush in and lend a fin against his foes. Watching a dolphin or shark knock someone into a new time zone is probably the only good thing that Battle for Atlantis has going for it … and even that gets old fairly quickly. After spending any length of time with the game, it's easy to see why Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis is one game that should be left to swim with the fishes.
