Sometimes it feels like the odds are all stacked against you. Games based on movies tend to get a bad rap. The same goes for games based on popular comic book characters. So what do you do when your upcoming game is based on a recent big budget Hollywood blockbuster and one of the most popular comic book characters of all time? It's simple; you make sure it's super.

Up, Up and Away
What's the first image that runs through your head when you think of Superman? Is it a vision of Superman flying through the air, his crimson cape flapping behind him? Is he using his heat vision? Perhaps, he's using his super breath to blow back an enemy or ice down a hot spot. All of these elements define Superman. It would be a travesty to separate any one his super-powers from his super-persona. Thankfully, the team at EA's Tiburon studios realized this, giving us a non-gimped Superman from the get-go.

Immediately upon starting up the Xbox Live Marketplace demo of Superman Returns: The Videogame (SR) you'll be soaring high above the streets, darting through buildings and buzzing pedestrians on the ground at 600 mph. From the beginning, you'll experience the freedom that comes from being the man with the big red S. The entire city of Metropolis (more than 80 square miles) is ready for you to explore from the moment you start the game (although the XLM demo is limited to four smaller "Industrial" islands). With such an enormous area to cover, you'll be spending lots of time in the air. Luckily, flying isn't just intuitive, it's downright fun.

The Ultimate Boy Scout
Of course, Superman has all of his other core powers from the beginning as well. Heat vision, super blow breath, ice breath, and super strength are all part of the package. We wouldn't be calling him Superman without them, would we? However, with great power comes great responsibility (oh crap, wrong movie). While Superman himself can't be killed, his fate is tied to the city of Metropolis. If the baddies tearing up the city aren't dealt with it's game over, and you can count on their being plenty of super-villains: Metallo, Bizzaro, Mr. Mxyzptlk (try saying that name 5 times fast at all) and of course Lex Luther are just a few of the villains that will try to wreak havoc upon the citizens of Metropolis. How you dispose of these villains will be up to you, but remember; while your heat vision might make short work of a bad guy, it will also make even shorter work of the city around you. Always remember, Superman's job is to protect the city, but it's possible to cause more harm than good if you don't use Superman's powers wisely. If you hurt the city or its populace, you're really just hurting yourself.

Of course, Superman isn't just concerned with super-villains. He's going to have to deal with all kinds of dangers to the city of Metropolis; from fighting fires, which can be extinguished with his cold breath or by tossing a giant water tower at the blaze, to rescuing lost kittens (really, there's an achievement for this!). Superman does it all, that's why he's so super!

Fighting in SR isn't just heat vision and super breath. Superman is a rough and tumble kind of guy and will take the battle up close and personal. Want to use a bad guy for batting practice? Grab a lamppost or traffic light and it's batter up! Feel more like practicing you're fielding skills? Pick up a car (even better, a fuel tanker) and see if the baddies want to play catch.

It's great fun to be in control of such a powerful character, but let's face it; past Superman games haven't been all that… super. Making an interesting game around a character that, for all intents and purposes, is a walking cheat code can be tough. SR's interesting "Metropolis health bar" and super power fatigue gauge (even Superman can't use his heat vision forever) succeed in providing a plausible method of reining in Superman's powers, without compromising the comic mythology. Thanks to these mechanics, SR is able to deliver a challenging experience without having to rely on armies of kryptonite wielding drones. Of course, Superman will run into kryptonite in SR, but it's not going to be strapped to the forehead of every bad guy he encounters.

It's a bird, it's a plane…
It's hard to find a comic based game that actually delivers on the comic book experience. From the first time you take control of Supes, darting around the city of Metropolis faster than a speeding bullet, you'll know what it's like to be Superman. Superman fans longing for the chance to play as their favorite son of Krypton should make sure Superman Returns: The Videogame is on their Christmas list.

- teal