Iron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal
| Iron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal | |
|---|---|
 Cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Realtime Associates |
| Publisher(s) |
Acclaim Entertainment Marvel Comics Valiant Comics |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Game Boy, Game Gear, DOS |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
Iron Man / X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal is a video game published by Acclaim Entertainment and developed by Real Sports and Realtime Associates for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Game Boy, Game Gear, and DOS in 1996. It is a one or two-player side-scrolling arcade game in which the player battles various villains from the Iron Man and X-O Manowar comic book series.
Storyline
The storyline is revealed through onscreen text, instead of animated sequences. Iron Man and X-O Manowar must team up in order to stop a team of supervillains from grabbing the lost fragments of the Cosmic Cube. During the game it is also revealed that the space aliens that Aric stole his X-O Manowar armor from, want it back. The two super heroes battle through several levels, familiar to comic book fans, to stop the terrorists and their supervillain leaders from trying to rule the universe.
Gameplay
Both Iron Man and X-O Manowar can jump, punch, shoot an unlimited supply of laser beams (that can be upgraded through icons) and use a limited supply of fuel to fly. At the start of each mission, a computer screen gives the player's objectives.
During the game the player can collect medical icons to restore their health, and other icons to give more fuel, stronger laser blasts and a special icon that allows one mega blast from a character's armor chestplate. The game also allows the player character to destroy various gas canisters, metal wiring and control panels to locate more icons, deactivate certain weapons, or advance in the game.
Critical reaction
| Reception | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||
GameSpot gave the Saturn version a score of 5.2 out of 10, saying that "every aspect of Heavy Metal is a letdown — the graphics, sound, and gameplay," and concluding that the game "feels as though it was hastily thrown together. The result is a game that could have easily used another six months of development. People looking for a good action scroller should look elsewhere."[2] IGN gave the PlayStation version a score of 3 out of 10, criticizing the characters for being "interchangeable" and concluding: "It's just boring. The control is as sluggish as it gets, and the graphics, while decent enough for a 2D side-scroller, just aren't up to 32-bit standards."[3] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the animation in the Game Gear version but gave it an otherwise negative assessment, lambasting the poor controls and lack of variety in the levels.[1]
Other media
The video game was also adapted into a 2-issue comic book crossover featuring the two heroes teaming up to save the world.
References
- 1 2 "Review Crew: Iron Man & X-O Manowar in: Heavy Metal". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Ziff Davis (85): 26. August 1996.
- 1 2 (December 1, 1996) "Iron Man / X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal Review", GameSpot
- 1 2 (January 15, 1997) "Iron Man / XO Manowar in Heavy Metal Review", IGN