The Teen Titans game is based on the popular DC Comic and the Warner Bros animated series the same name Teen Titans.
User Rating: 6.7 | Teen Titans PS2
BACKGROUND The Teen Titans game is based on the popular DC Comic and the Warner Bros animated series the same name Teen Titans. The TV show had been running for about 3 years, and was growing more and more with a large fan base, from people who like computer animated shows, and with people who like the Japanese anime counterparts. Teen Titans uses classic but typical anime effects like huge surprised eyes, large sweat drops and alike, but in the looks of a computer animated show, so it really got a few different fans in, and proved well for the show. All five characters from the show Robin (The leader), Raven (The bitter mystical pyschic) Starfire (The naive, funny, yet very powerful one), Cyborg (The half man half electronic machine), and Beast Boy (The green skinned misunderstood one) are used in the main game. Will this successfull animated cartoon show transfer to the video game medium successfully. So far i say it does a pretty good job. GAMEPLAY In the main game you play as the TV shows 5 main characters, Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy. As soon as you start to play Teen Titans, you seem to have that old skool gameplay feel that was used so well in classic arcade games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and given the fact there are RPG elements, with new moves given along the way, plays out a bit like newer titles, like X-Men Legends for instance. Teen Titans is a very easy pick up and play game, as you have set buttons for set moves, for example X to Jump, and Square, Triangle, and Circle, for action and combination moves, from punches, kicks, fire balls/beams, charged moves, throws. and to the main Titan Special, which is an over the top, in your face kick ass move, that, in most cases kills all enemies on screen. Another really nice touch about the way Teen Titans is played is the fact that you can freely change between all 5 characters at any time that you wish in the main game, one press of the directional pad, and you are now Robin, and again, now Cyborg. It can get a bit annoying if you have to press all the way through to your favorite character, but at least this gives a nice variation within the main story, as the characters, even though generally one or the other have the same sort of moves, characters with beam attacks would be better to use in a enemy filled situations than ones without. This at least gives you a chance to change around and have a go with them all, at any given time, and also just to try all the characters main charged attacks, and titan special moves, as there are pretty cool to pull off, and gives a break from the constant button bashing. Also another action that you can pull off in most areas of the game is that you can pick up objects around the level, and throw them at your opponant, which is a quirky touch, which alot of games these days would include, especially this type of game. You can also pick up enemies that you have knocked down or stunned, and again throw them around a bit, which is fun to an extent. There are also powerups within the game, but do nothing that we havn't seen before, from adding more health and power abilities, to the only difference in the T pickup, which allows you to do your major Titan Special move, which is something that comes about every now and then around the levels, so you can check out all the character special moves. Although these powerups may not be overly different from ones in other games, there is a nice touch in finding, 'Larry The Titan' which is a bonus item pickup, which unlocks artwork aswell clips from the TV show aswell, so thats a great touch. There are a few problems though with the moves and the characters, in the fact that there is no real advantage in being one character over the other, apart from the specials used. As in most cases, you will be bashing the Square and Triangle buttons, to pull off punch kick combination, with any of the characters, and you feel no different in power, which is a shame. Raven and Starfire both hover above the ground, with beam projectile attacks, as like Cyborg, who has the same sort of beam attack but due to his size walks on the ground, with his hard hitting punches, well you imagine they are hard hitting due to his size, but in effect they are really the same Robin, who this time speeds around the level, with his hard hitting (but really the same as Cyborgs) punch and kicks, which again is alot like Beast Boy, but fortunatly, nearly all Beast Boys moves, has something that either represents a animal, or turns him into one. Its good that you can change character in the story so freely, but it would have been nice if at times you had to really use one of the character to progress the story, like a situation that needed either someone who can fly, or someone who can break a wall down with ease, but really there isn't. So unlike a few other games of the 'button bashing' style, which would generally have alot of difference in moves between the characters, unfortunatly not here in Teen Titans, so people playing the game might just find a character they like, and stick with them throughout the whole story, as there would be nothing pushing them to choose someone else, as the game doesn't insist that. GRAPHICS/SOUND Graphically Teen Titans, is nothing more that you would expect from a budget title, which is being released nearing the end of the PS2, and Xbox's life cycle, and that doesn't mean its a bad thing. All the character look nice and clean, and brightly made, with levels also looking to a high standard. Generally there isn't too much going on that would cause any problems to the game, and with the designers keeping this simple, it does seem to have pulled off a good result. The in game story clips are also created to a high standard, and even the menus and loading screens, keep you busy and clued up, by giving you information to read about upcoming levels, and also about new moves obtained, which is straight to the point. Within Teen Titans the sound is generally fine, yet does repeat itself alot, due to the nature of the game, with continuous enemies, that you have to punch kick and thow, there aint many more noises you can put together, but its still edgey at times. Voice acting that runs with the in game story clips, are done very well, and as a highlight, that they are voiced by the actors from the TV Show, which would really please fans of the series, and give that more authentic feel. STORY BRIEF (MAIN GAME / MULTIPLAYER) The game starts off with the 5 main characters infront of the large TV. Beast Boy and are Cyborg have been sent a new game, and start to play it, but release that this one is based on the Teen Titans themselves. They start to realise that the game is starting to play them, and are being controlled by an unknown villainous entity. Soon after the first cut scene, the Teen Titans base come under attack, and they are put into there very own video game based adventure. Throughout the game you are lead to mini bosses on each round, like Slade on the first few levels, and you have to work your way through to the each level, by basically killing all the enemies in one given area to proceed, and there after try and work your way to the 'Last Boss'. Before story mode is complete, you will come face to face with some of the other villians from the cartoon series, like Jinx, Gixmo, Brain, and Mammoth. The story itself, it pretty straight forward in the fact that until they find the 'Last Boss' they can not complete there adventure, and even though it gets repetitive after a while, i recommend staying in there for the run to see a very good ending scene, as the story itself is not a massive chore, as it can be completed in a few hours. The whole story mode can be complete with up to 4 friends who can jump into the action any time they want, and jump out again at any time they want. Its a good touch that really makes this a title that would be a hit with the kids, who all want a go, well this time they can, and altogether. All the same elements from the story mode when originally 1 player is playing, are all intack when 4 human players are also taking part. You can switch between characters from the touch of the directional pad, and you can all proform the special Titan Move to great effect. A nice little hint though when playing with friend, is that if you are running out of health, leave the game, which your friend is still playing, re enter, and there you go, all have full health again. The futher multiplayer aspect of Teen Titans, is again a 2-4 player verses battle mode, where you just fight against each other until you have taken all their energy down in the certain amount of rounds that you have set it to. The arenas that you play in at first all seem a bit of the same, which is disapointing, and would have been nice for a bit more difference while playing, as not everyone would have played though the story mode first, but once you play through the story mode, you start to unlock more arenas, that are of a fair size, and also multitiered. Also on some levels there are various hazards like flying fire, and electric currents, which make things more interesting for a while. A great touch to keep Teen Titans fans playing is the fact that in the Battle Mode (Master Of Games its actually called) there are 36 different characters to choose from, inclduing all the heroes and villians from the game you have played, as well as other from the TV show. So its a good place for them to push a few extra faces onto our screen. With more characters to choose from (After you complete the story mode, as every few levels you would unlock a character) its a good chance to play through everyone to check out some of the wacky moves that have been put into the game, especially everyone Titan Special, as the animations are still really nice, with a personal favorite in Beast Boy shananagans that he gets up to. After you have tried all the characters and had a look at all the maps, there is not much else to do, and would get rather repetitve, and when you face against computer it a shame the difficulty or the way the AI fights wasn't tweeked, as more times are not, there will continuously do the same move, until you die, and thats either while standing, or more annoyingly, continuously hitting you when on the ground. Even in 4 player Vs mode, it can still feel a bit of the same and im sure after you have completed the game, and check out the extra, this Battle Mode would be for the more die hard Teen fans, who need there Titan kicks, as otherwise, you would get bored after a while. CONCLUSION Overall Teen Titans, does exactly what it sets out to do. Its a good pick-up-and-play cartoon style beat em' up, that has an short envolving story mode, as well as a lengthly battle mode, which will appeal to fans of the comic and show, and due to its 'in your face' front cover casing, with the large 'TEEN TITANS' text, and the 5 main characters jumping towards you, would also be easy buy for parents looking for a game for there teens, where normally they wouldn't know what to get them. If you was looking for a tougher game, then you should notch Teen Titans up to hard difficulity, as it certainly gives a great challange, and there are reply factors in it for a while, and shoudl keep any die hard Teen Titans fan happy. In the end its a worthy title, that bring some memories of arcade classics onto the home console, and maybe if you look at the price you paid for it, you are certainly getting your money's worth, and as they say, 'You Get What You Paid For'. GamePlay - 7 Graphics - 6.5 Sound - 7 Longivity - 6.5 OVERALL - 6.8
