The same recipe baked into a whole new cupcake.
The Bad: Frame rates drop often, no hulk, no moon knight PS2 Marvel Ultimate Alliance is exactly that and more. If you are even remotely interested in action RPG's then this is well worth its price. Similar to most dungeon crawlers, MUA improves on the fun in nearly every aspect. What most people can agree on when deciding a great RPG is the story. Straight from the comics, you are cobatent with Marvels deepest arsenal of baddies and bosses. More than merely button mashing, certain combinations and abilities will unleash a fury of special effects and punishment on enemies. Switching between the four playing characters can be done on the fly with a simple press of the D pad. Menus and player management is relatively painless and made it easy to compare stats. The arcade like sound effects and combo follow-ups ad even more enjoyment when ripping through the plithera of tough enemies you will face. Even the Sega Genesis sounding heavy-metal soundtrack keeps you psyched while the team marches on to put the beat down.
While the weapon system and character customizations may seem shallow compared to other inventory management games, there is still a multitude of equipment to gather when dispersed throughout the entire 20 player roster. Different "armors" are unlocked by completing the character mini-missions which are also upgradeable as you progress. Like most RPG's you will rely on potions and coin collecting to buy/sell various goods and do quite a bit of leveling. In some cases, a puzzle must be accomplished or action taken in order to advance. You can choose to play through as a single team and gain more reputation points but, the game lends itself to play any character at any given time. For instance, some items are placed in areas where only flying characters can access, non playing characters continue to gain experience and NPC responses may differ depending on who's on your team at that particular time. Specific team combinations also come with additional bonuses to their stats.
In the end, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is a learning experience. Every interaction is insight into the history and character origin of the renowned Marvel universe. Do yourself a favor and grab this fantastic action RPG.