Iron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal | |
---|---|
![]() Cover art | |
Developer(s) | Realtime Associates |
Publisher(s) | Acclaim Entertainment |
Platform(s) | PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Game Boy, Game Gear, DOS |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Action |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Iron Man / X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal is a video game published by Acclaim Entertainment and developed by Real Sports and Realtime Associates for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Game Boy, Game Gear, and DOS in 1996. An Atari Jaguar CD port was planned but never released.[1][2] It is a one or two-player side-scrolling arcade game in which the player battles various villains from Marvel Comics' Iron Man and Valiant Comics' X-O Manowar comic book series. It was met with negative reviews which criticized it for dull gameplay and outdated graphics.
Storyline[]
The storyline is revealed through onscreen text. Iron Man and X-O Manowar must team up in order to stop a team of supervillains from grabbing the lost fragments of the Cosmic Cube. During the game it is also revealed that the space aliens that Aric stole his X-O Manowar armor from, want it back. The two super heroes battle through several levels to stop the terrorists and their supervillain leaders from trying to rule the universe.
Gameplay[]
At the start of the game, the player(s) choose to control either Iron Man or X-O Manowar.[3] Both Iron Man and X-O Manowar can jump, punch, shoot an unlimited supply of laser beams (that can be upgraded through icons) and use a limited supply of fuel to fly. At the start of each mission, a computer screen gives the player's objectives.
During the game players can collect medical icons to restore their health, and other icons to give more fuel, stronger laser blasts and a special icon that allows one mega blast from a character's armor chestplate. The game also allows the player characters to destroy various gas canisters, metal wiring and control panels to locate more icons, deactivate certain weapons, or advance in the game.
Two people can play the game simultaneously in a cooperative manner. Both can play as the same character if desired.[3]
Critical reaction[]
Reception | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Publication | Score |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 3.75/10 (GG)[4] |
GameSpot | 5.2/10 (SAT)[5] |
IGN | 3/10 (PS1)[6] |
Sega Saturn Magazine | 33% (SAT)[7] |
The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the animation in the Game Gear version but gave it an otherwise negative assessment, lambasting the poor controls and lack of variety in the levels.[4]
GameSpot, reviewing the Saturn version, said that "every aspect of Heavy Metal is a letdown — the graphics, sound, and gameplay," and concluded that the game "feels as though it was hastily thrown together. The result is a game that could have easily used another six months of development. People looking for a good action scroller should look elsewhere."[5] Lee Nutter of Sega Saturn Magazine commented that while the two playable characters have varying abilities yet are evenly matched, giving the game replay value, the action is extremely repetitive, the music is poor, and the graphics are barely above what consoles of the previous generation were capable of.[7] Covering the PlayStation version, IGN criticized the characters for being "interchangeable" and concluded: "It's just boring. The control is as sluggish as it gets, and the graphics, while decent enough for a 2D side-scroller, just aren't up to 32-bit standards."[6] Scary Larry of GamePro called it "an apt, enjoyable, but not terribly complex, game." He praised both the action and platform jumping, the rendered player characters, and "simple, clean backgrounds", though he criticized the music and sounds.[8]
Other media[]
The video game was also adapted into a 2-issue comic book crossover featuring the two heroes teaming up to save the world.
References[]
- ↑ "Payment Schedule for Jaguar games to Developers" (PDF). The Atari Museum. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ "The Ultimate Jaguar Unreleased/Beta/Source/Dev Master List!". Atari I/O. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
{{cite web}}
: - ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Iron Man/X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal: Two Comic Heroes Together at Last!". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (89): 282-3. December 1996.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Review Crew: Iron Man & X-O Manowar in: Heavy Metal". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (85): 26. August 1996.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 (December 1, 1996) "Iron Man / X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal Review", GameSpot
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 (January 15, 1997) "Iron Man / XO Manowar in Heavy Metal Review", IGN
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Nutter, Lee (April 1997). "Review: Iron Man/X-O Manowar". Sega Saturn Magazine (Emap International Limited) (18): 68-69.
- ↑ "ProReview PlayStation: Iron Man X/O Manowar". GamePro (IDG) (100): 104. January 1997.
External links[]
Iron Man | ||
---|---|---|
Creators | Don Heck • Stan Lee • Larry Lieber • Jack Kirby | |
Characters | Iron Man family | Iron Man • Ironheart • Rescue • War Machine |
Supporting | Avengers • Black Widow • Bethany Cabe • Captain America • F.R.I.D.A.Y. • Rumiko Fujikawa • Nick Fury • Guardsman • Maria Hill • Happy Hogan • H.O.M.E.R. • Hulk • J.A.R.V.I.S. • Edwin Jarvis • Pepper Potts • S.H.I.E.L.D. • Spider-Man • Howard Stark • Maria Stark • Thor • Riri Williams • Ho Yinsen | |
Antagonists | Main enemies | A.I.M • Blizzard • Controller • Crimson Dynamo • Dreadknight • Fin Fang Foom • Firebrand • Ghost • Justin Hammer • Iron Monger • Living Laser • Madame Masque • Mandarin • Melter • MODOK • Spymaster • Zeke Stane • Temugin • Titanium Man • Ultimo • Unicorn • Whiplash |
Other enemies | Arsenal • Black Knight • Blood Brothers • Coldblood • Crimson Cowl • Aldrich Killian • Detroit Steel • Doctor Doom • Kearson DeWitt • Firepower • Force • Grey Gargoyle • Sasha Hammer • Hypnotia • Killer Shrike • Mandroid • Mauler • Midas • Minotaur • Norman Osborn • Scarecrow • Sunset Bain • Sunturion • Technovore • Whirlwind • Wong-Chu • Yellow Claw | |
Comic books | Titles | Iron Man and Sub-Mariner • Iron Man (vol. 4) • Enter the Mandarin • Infamous Iron Man • The Invincible Iron Man • Iron Man vs. Whiplash |
Storylines | "Demon in a Bottle" • "Doomquest" • "Armor Wars" • "Extremis" • "Civil War" • "Civil War II" | |
Ultimate Marvel series | Ultimate Iron Man • Ultimate Human • Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars • Ultimate Comics: Iron Man | |
In other media | Films | Marvel Cinematic Universe (Iron Man (soundtrack) • Iron Man 2 (soundtrack) • Iron Man 3 (soundtrack)) • Marvel Animated Features • Iron Man: Rise of Technovore |
Television | The Marvel Super Heroes • Iron Man (episodes) • Iron Man: Armored Adventures (episodes) • Marvel Anime | |
Video games | Iron Man / X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal • The Invincible Iron Man • Iron Man • Iron Man 2 • Iron Man 3 • Marvel's Iron Man | |
Attraction | Iron Man Experience | |
Alternative versions | Iron Man 2020 • Mainframe • Ultimate Iron Man • MCU Iron Man • Incarnations | |
Related articles | Avengers Mansion • Force Works • Iron Man's armor (other media) • War Machine in other media • Iron Patriot • Iron Spider • Roxxon Energy Corporation • S.H.I.E.L.D. • Stark Industries • Stark Tower • Iron Man: The Armored Avenger |