If you don’t have a friend, parent, or child to play with you, the AI takes control of whichever character you’re not using. You can switch between your duo at the press of a button and the AI is competent enough to hold its own, so there’s no need to constantly rescue the idiot computer.

 

 

Dying, or rather, fainting, is a fairly regular occurrence in Super Hero Squad, but all a puffed-out caped crusader needs is for his chum to wander over a give him a quick pat on the back and he’ll be up and at ‘em in no time. Heaven knows what the heroes say as they lean over each other that has such restorative qualities. Probably something about spandex.

 

 

The dialogue is standard Kids Cartoon fare. The TV version of the Squad can be found on the Cartoon Network and anyone familiar with American Saturday morning toons from the last 20 years will immediately recognise the tone. The writing is full of silly quips that would be groan worthy in a different setting, but Super Hero Squad is charming enough to dampen the affront. How could you ever dislike a game which lets you fire ice creams and tacos at Galactus’s face?

 

The script runs a fine line between throwaway and cheeky that stays on the right side of listenable. That it’s paired with such solid gameplay goes a long way to making the short cut-scenes more bearable.

 

 

Employing seasoned vocal actors doesn’t hurt either. I’m sure I recognised voices from shows I used to watch when I was a tiny person. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if 8-year-old boys found all of the laboured gags side-splittingly hilarious.

 

 

Young ‘uns, scamps, and whippersnappers are likely to be Super Hero Squad’s target audience, but the game is good enough that older gamers will have a pleasant time whipping through the 5 hour story mode. Dedicated comic fans are likely to notice all sorts of oblique references. I’m not much of a devotee, but even I was able to pick up on a few arcane nods to the multiverse’s convoluted history.

 

It won’t win any awards, but with the weather growing ever more inhospitable, "Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet" is the perfect evening’s entertainment for an ageing comics buff and his/her little geek-in-training.

 

 

 

 

+ Charming and light-hearted
+ Simple but rewarding combat system
+ Accomplished voice work