Your only real concern of taking on damage is when the enemy surrounds you and starts firing from all directions. It does take a toll on your armor and can eventually cripple you to the point where your heart stops. But the second that happens, a mini-game will appear in which you have to tap out a sequence on the control buttons to restart your heart. Failing that, you will give up one of your three lives and get tossed right back into the game. It's like playing with one all encompassing cheat code enabled.

Upgrades are available for your suits, but you don't really have much of a say in the matter. Instead they occur by osmosis. The upgrades are performed automatically by the CPU, enhancing weapons systems favored by the player. It would be nice to be able to upgrade other weapons so that they could be of comparable power to the repulsor. But that's not an option like it is on the next-gen consoles where you earn money that can be relegated to any upgrades you want. Iron Man seems capable of so many moves that it's really frustrating to find the move list so restricted. You can't even jump.

Cutscenes are culled from the next-next gen console versions, and are voiced by the actual actors from the movie, including Robert Downey Jr., who plays Stark. There is a decided lack of production values on these scenes. The lip syncing is totally off, and the animations and graphics fall short of the photo-realistic quality they were intended to replicate. What we end up with is a grotesque caricature that is eerily disturbing.

The in-game environments are anything but photo-realistic. They aren't even up to comic book standards. They lack detail, clarity, color, and imagination. It's as though we are seeing a pre-rendered HUD world through Iron Man's eye scanners - on low battery power. The enemy character models lack distinction and are repeated, as are various blasé textures and buildings. The Iron Man suits do look good, however. There is some pop-up, but it's covered up by the various weather conditions such as fog, rain, sleet, and snow. There are some collision detection issues, as you will throw punches that have no effect upon your enemy or environment. I can't really complain about the control system. It's fairly solid. For the most part, the in-game animation is good. The sound effects are limited to a few cheesy laser swishes, but the music is rich and orchestral.

Iron Man just can't seem to get the lead out. Now let's end this article with another quote from the song: "Nobody wants him. They just turn their heads."

By Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer