Iron Man – Everything you need to know

The Iron Man movie is blasting its way to the theaters right about now and as you can probably guess, so is its video game iterations. Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man is coming to a console or handheld near you; do you know what you need to know about the video game? Brush up on your Iron Man (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, DS, and PlayStation Portable) knowledge by clicking the link below.

In today’s episode of QJ.NET’s Everything You Need to Know, we’ll be exploring the upcoming Iron Man movie tie-in video game from Sega, A2M (Artificial Mind and Movement), and Secret Level.

Now, we know we’ll be discussing a lot on this subject matter because a.) the Iron Man video game is multi-platform, b.) it’s a movie tie-in, and c.) it’s about one of the most iconic comic book superheroes. We’ll talk about all of that in this article and more, so don’t be daunted by the giant walls of text as we’ll take you into the wonderful world of Iron Man.

We’ll be discussing the origins of Iron Man a bit, plus the movie’s basic plot, which is basically where the game adaptations center their own plots on. Also, we’ll take a look at the past comic book to movie to video game projects and how they generally fared in the box office and the sales charts. Of course, we will also talk about individual game versions and platform exclusive content.

Let’s start, shall we?

Comic Book to Movie to Video Game

We’ve seen a good number of comic book superheroes grace the silver screen in the recent years – Spider-man, Superman, Batman, Hulk, Fantastic Four, and Ghost Rider, among others (*cough* Punisher *cough*) – and we saw them on our consoles and handhelds as movie tie-ins as well. That can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you feel about movie to video game (and vice versa) projects that seem to be a fad these days.

We, as gamers, have grown wary of any new video game that’s not based on original IP as we’ve been burned before (and in some cases, our childhoods skinned and gutted right before our very eyes), while moviegoers hesitate going to movies that are based on books and games that they happen to be fans of.

Oh-kay, there are some rare movie and video game gems that do manage to wow us, like… Hrmm… Well, the Lara Croft and Resident Evil movies were successes financially, as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game, while the Hulk video game wasn’t all that bad.

Let’s face it, we’ve long known and accepted that some things just don’t translate very well and sometimes, the chances that a certain project will go belly up (and possibly how bad a taste it will leave in our mouths) are directly proportional to the popularity of said franchise. The question is, will the Iron Man franchise live up to low expectations or will it blow us away?

But before we get into that, what do you know about Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man?

The Tin Man with a Heart of Steel

Tony Stark is not an ordinary guy, as superheroes are rarely ever ordinary. But as comic book fans would know, he’s not an ordinary superhero either. Why? Well, Tony Stark is a billionaire industrialist and inventor who deals with the trade and manufacture of munitions. That’s right. Weapons and basically, everything that has to do with war is his specialty.

He’s also reputed for falling off the wagon a good number of times. As with nearly all superheroes, Tony Stark experienced something that would become his turning point and make him take up the superhero mantle.

He was on a “business trip” once when the convoy he was on got ambushed. In the chaos, he got hit by a piece of shrapnel that embedded dangerously close to his heart. Stark was then taken hostage and forced to design weapons for his captors. He befriended a fellow prisoner, Yin Sen (or in the movie’s case, Yinsen), who helps him make a suit of armor that would keep his heart beating and of course, help them escape as well.

The villain in this story is another insanely rich industrialist, Obadiah Stane. Comic book fans would know him better as the first Iron Monger – a supervillain that uses an armor suit designed after Tony Stark’s Iron Man designs. It’s bigger, packs a meaner punch, and basically meaner.

Arguably, Stark really doesn’t fit the mold of the traditional superhero – you know, all heroic and such – but he does project heroism eventually, particularly during the Obadiah Stane story arc. We’ll stop right there should we tread on spoiler ground that might result in this writer’s lynching.

Now that we have a rough idea what we’ll see in the Iron Man film and video games, let’s move on to another fun subject: Iron Man’s suits.

Tailor Made, Virtually Indestructible, and Mmm, Shiny

We’ve seen a lot of superhero costumes over the years, from Wolverine’s yellow Spandex to the Hulk’s indestructible shorts, and we know that the costume doesn’t necessarily make the superhero/heroine. Most of the time, costumes and suits are just there to hide said hero’s secret identity, but in some cases, the clothes do make the superhero. In Iron Man’s case, it gives him superhuman abilities, and it doubles as his life support as well.

Iron Man’s suit has undergone several improvements and it’s certainly the most adaptable of the superhero suits. From the tin can with eyeholes Mark I to the very, very shiny red and gold Mark III, Tony Stark has made suits for seemingly every occasion. He created one especially for a battle with the Incredible Hulk, called Hulkbuster (that has a striking resemblance to Juggernaut), and he’s got a suit adapted for everywhere and everything (Space, Stealth, Recovery, and Underwater, among others).

The suits that will appear in the Iron Man video game port are divided into three: normal, unlockable, and exclusive. Check them out:

Mark I – This hulk of tin certainly doesn’t look much, but it’s where it all began. Instead of making a weapon for his captors, Tony Stark, with the help of Yinsen, created an armor that would help them bust out of captivity. It sort of looks like bits of metal sheets welded together, but it does the job with its metal fists and flamethrowers. You’re pretty much grounded in this monstrosity, but you can at least send shockwaves by strategically falling from a high place to enemies below. Can anybody say, “Need a light?”

Mark II – This armor was made when Stark came back from his near death experience with a new outlook in life. Mark II is shinier and definitely less bulky than Mark I, and the design is centered on flight.

Mark III – This is the armor most of us remember Iron Man wearing, the red and gold colored piece of beauty. After the Mark II flight tests, the Mark III was created, complete with the repulsor rays on the gauntlets and unibeam on the chest. Its strength lies on its customization options – everything is at the tip of your iron gauntlets.

The unlockables include suits straight from the pages of the Iron Man comic books:

Classic – The retro suit that debuted in Tales of Suspense has the signature gold and red color combination and it underwent a number of tweaks before the final version was made, well, final. Like the Mark III, the Classic suit has the palm-mounted repulsor rays, the chest unibeam, the jet boots, and micro motors for easier movement.

Classic Mark I – This is the Mark I that appeared in the comic books, making a debut in Tales of Suspense number 39. The original artists of Iron Man, Don Heck and Jack Kirby, drew the classic Mark 1’s sleeker tin man look.

Hulkbuster – As the name suggests, this armor was created to be the anti-Hulk, and is distinguishable by the Juggernaut look. It enabled Tony Stark to fight the Hulk head on, as it has improved strength (read: you can lift and hurl an entire tank with it) and durability, but as you can probably tell, it’s a bit sluggish and bulky.

Extremis – If you’ve been following the Iron Man comic books, the newer look of the Iron Man suits would be the Extremis armor. Tony Stark got it in the Extremis story arc and it’s where the suit gets fused into his body. The smaller bits of the armor reside inside his bones while the bigger bits are “summoned” to him when he suits up (remember The Centurions cartoon series?).

The console exclusive suits include the two suits that play/ed an integral part in Iron Man’s story, both in the alternate Ultimates universe and the original Marvel universe. Here they are:

Silver Centurion – This armor was actually used as a test armor in the Obadiah Stane story arc (comic book) and eventually used to defeat the first Iron Monger.

Ultimate Iron Man – As the name suggests, this is the Iron Man in the Ultimate Marvel Universe. As far as we can tell, the suit is the smaller version of the more realistic, and bulkier, Iron Man suit in the Ultimates.

Now that we’re dressed to kill and ready to take on hordes upon hordes of faceless soldiers, let’s start with what the video game iterations bring to the table in general.

Taking Care of Business

Iron Man (like most licensed games) will be covering all platforms. Since it will probably take us a whole lot of time discussing every nook and cranny of each version, we’ll discuss the general gameplay elements in all or most of the platforms to save you (and us) valuable time. So what do they bring to the table? Lots and lots of pew pew, followed by the subsequent booms.

Note that most of the gameplay stuff discussed in this section cover the third person action versions of the game (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, and PlayStation Portable). The DS version is an arcade-shooter-slash-action-game so most of the gameplay covered here don’t apply to that version. We’ll discuss the DS version’s gameplay later on but first, let’s get on what developer Secret Level has waiting for us come release.

We all know what Iron Man packs in that suit of armor: lots and lots of hurt for those who find themselves at the business end of Iron Man’s arsenal. Nearly all of the Iron Man suits have the palm repulsor rays/beams, and in the video game, we’ll be seeing that as Iron Man’s primary weapon. With it comes an assortment of missiles and grenades, the unibeam on his chest, and superpowered melee attacks. Also, you can attack by landing or crashing to the ground. That suit must weigh a ton and the force of it crashing to the ground will send shockwaves – quite literally.

The best thing about Tony Stark and his unending improvement of the Iron Man armor? Upgrades. The suits are customizable and so you can improve certain parts to your liking. It’s always a good thing to have extra cool thrusters and repulsors, right? The customizable bits of the armor are the following:

• Core Systems – upgrade for better defense, be it defense from direct fire weapons or long-range missiles
• Repulsors – upgrade for better damage, you can squeeze out more power from your repulsors or make it rapid fire
• Power Core – better power cores make for stronger unibeam blasts, plus you can convert the damage you take into reusable power
• Auxiliary Weapon – includes missiles and bombs
• Thrusters – you can choose between upgrading to give Iron Man a speed boost or make him turn on a dime

The suit also has the ability to reroute energy to certain parts of the armor. Need a boost while in flight? Redirect the suit’s energy to your boots-slash-thrusters. It’s applicable for Iron Man’s armor/life support, weapons, and melee attacks too. Energy management will be an integral part in being more efficient as Iron Man, be it when dealing pain, receiving it, or running away to recover.

Another thing that makes Iron Man a formidable superhero is his ability to fight both in mid-air and on foot, plus he can deal damage from afar and from up-close and personal. The ability to deal long ranged attacks while in flight and melee attacks while on the ground comes in very handy especially when you’re fighting armies armed with your own weapons, right?

The video game versions of Iron Man (except the Nintendo DS version) blends the entire “on the ground and in the air” combat, making your run as the armored superhero smoother and more immersive. It might take some time to get used to switching between hovering, flying, and running (and shooting at the same time), but you’ll get the hang of it once you get used to the controls.

Do you like mini-games? No, not Mario Party mini-games, we’re talking God of War and Shenmue mini-games. In Iron Man, the action is not all about pewpew-boom-pewpew-boom, as you can also flip jeeps over, rip tanks apart, and “redirect” missiles back to their senders (among other things) simply by grappling enemies and spamming the melee button.

Anyway, next we’ll discuss another common thing in the Iron Man video games: the villains. What’s a superhero without evil to fight, right?

Enter the Villains

We talked about Obadiah Stane and his tweaked version of the Iron Man armor, Iron Monger, and now we’re going to talk about Iron Man the video game’ villains and subsequent extra plotlines.

We’ve got a formidable list of enemies for Iron Man as it includes entire armies (Advanced Idea Mechanics, Army of the Ten Rings, and Maggia) and supervillains (Whiplash, Controller, Madame Masque, Titanium Man, The Melter, and Iron Monger). In case you didn’t catch them in the Iron Man and Avengers comic books, we’ll give you a briefer on them and their roles in making Iron Man’s life tougher.

First off, Advanced Idea Mechanics or A.I.M. is a group of intellectuals bent on world domination (aren’t they all?) and they plan to do it using technology. Now, don’t be fooled by their henchmen’s funny looking costumes as the organization reaches far and wide. The Maggia on the other hand is a Mafia-ish group in the Marvel Universe, recently led by Count Nefaria and his daughter Madame Masque.

We’re not entirely sure about the origins of the Army of the Ten Rings (it’s the group that kidnaps Tony Stark in the movie), but we can take a darn good guess. Only one Iron Man villain comes to mind when talking about ten rings – The Mandarin. (Hmm… We smell a sequel coming.)

Anyway, aside from the Iron Monger, included in the video game’s supervillains list are:

• Titanium Man – With armor made of titanium, he’s stronger than Iron Man and twice as big, so it roughly makes it a bit like the Iron Monger. It was also based on Tony Stark’s and Anton Vanko (Crimson Dynamo)’s designs.
• Whiplash – She uses adamantium whips as weapons and was an employee of the Maggia.
• Madame Masque – A criminal mastermind behind a gold mask, Madame Masque is also one of Tony Stark’s super ex-girlfriends. She has control over the Maggia and its Dreadnoughts.
• Dreadnought – It’s a gigantinormous machine/tank armed with several turrets, an EMP blast, and more turrets. It is unknown whether they’ll be under the Maggia or the A.I.M. in the video game as the Dreadnought is connected to both entities.
• Controller – As the name suggests, the Controller’s powers center on mind control. He’s no pushover, as he has an armored exoskeleton and superstrength.

Iron Man will definitely have his hands full with these villains around. There are rumors that The Melter will be in the game as well. He’s Bruno Horgan, a former industrialist and business rival of Tony Stark, and as the name suggests, The Melter melts reduces his enemies to puddles of goo.

Now that we know our intrepid hero, the hardware he’ll be packing, and the villains who are out to fry his metal underside, we’ll hop on to the consoles and handhelds. Since the DS version mostly deviates from the third person action shooter the other versions are built around, we’ll start small and have a look-see.

Small, Armed, and Dangerous – Iron Man DS version

The handheld versions of the Iron Man video game have very little in common, as the developer Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M) seem to have had the good grace to use the DS’ strengths for the game. The PlayStation Portable, like its big brother versions, is pretty much a third person action game, while the DS version switches between shoot ’em up (outdoors) and action god point of view shooter (indoors).

Now, that’s not the only difference. We all know that the cast of the movie (Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard and Shaun Toub) provided the voices to their respective characters in the video games. The DS version’s dialogue is presented with stills from the movie and the characters, coupled with voice-overs from the actors while the rest of the versions have 3D cutscenes with the actors’ likenesses.

In the DS version of Iron Man, we’ll be getting arcade shooter-ish gameplay as Iron Man either walks or flies around destroying everything in sight with his repulsor rays. It’s a multi-directional shooter and players will have to use both the touchscreen and the D-pad to control Iron Man.

It’s pretty simple, the D-pad allows you to control Iron Man’s movement, while the touchscreen allows you to control the direction Iron Man is aiming at. With that control scheme, you can pretty much shoot in one direction and fly toward another direction. You’ll have to accustom yourself with the said scheme as the action gets pretty hectic.

Iron Man will also have the repulsor rays on his palms, the unibeam, rockets, and an EMP blast for good measure. Like most shoot ’em ups, the power-ups in this game fly around when you take enemies down.

The Rundown

We had a taste of Iron Man via the demos released for the Xbox 360 and PS3, and we’ve got to say, it’s nice to see the armored superhero and play as him as well. It blended the aerial and ground battles quite nicely and it basically breathed life into one of Marvel’s iconic heroes (albeit the bumpy track record – R.I.P. Captain America). You know there’s a “but” in there and here it comes: It could have used some more polish.

The devs explained that they had to reduce the terrain’s detail to be able to draw it faster for when Iron Man is flying, and we know that there are other things to be factored in as well, like time constraints.

Movies take relatively less time to make than video games and as licensed stuff like this go, the movie and the video games get released simultaneously. The parts where you get to rip tanks, turrets, and helicopters apart are pretty fun, but it may get a bit tiresome since it’s basically the same thing over and over.

But then again, it’s Iron Man. What are its realistic chances of breaking the licensed video game mold? It’s not very likely, but we’re not saying that it completely blows. Iron Man has its good points, it just has kinks and dinks that otherwise would have made the game great.

Besides, there’s always the sequel.

Originally Posted on May 02, 2008 at 12:37 p.m.