Mobile Game Review of "The Incredible Hulk" (2008)

This game is so new, it's not even listed on MFORMA (i.e. Hands On Mobile) website. So, here's a first review!

We all know the story of Bruce Banner, and the Incredible Hulk, the strongest superhero... All that rage... And this game lets you do a lot of things... grab people, objects, cars, and throwing them as weapons. Obviously, lots and lots of people are out to stop you. As this is the 2nd movie, Abomination/Blonsky joins the hunt, along with General Ross. The plot is exposed through anime style portrait and a dialog bubble at the beginning of the "level", but there's very few of that. Most of the game is in the fighting.

Based on the same engine that powered "The Incredible Hulk: Rampage" (2006) this new game, a tie-in of the movie, is a 2D beat-em-up akin "Double Dragon". You play the namesake, Hulk himself. You may start as Banner, but you don't do much with Banner. You're almost always in combat here and there. Soldiers with guns, soldiers with rocket launchers, and tanks (launching those nasty rockets) are after you all the time. The trick is to "ration" the "ammo", i.e. the objects, which can be grabbed (with left soft key) and thrown as weapons. Unfortunately, you can't pick up a tank like the first Hulk movie. You can only walk up to it and punch it, and it can turn its turret quickly and shoot a rocket or two into you.

The combat is divided into shorter stages. You start on a map, transform into Hulk, then fight a set of enemies... you defeat them, and you get some of your health back, or if you can run around and avoid getting hit... you will heal yourself. The trick is don't get hit by several rounds all at once, while take care of the enemies quickly. If you finish one stage, you get "victory!" pronouncement, a health bonus, then you're herded into the next stage. At the end of the stage, you need to fight a boss. Once the boss is defeated, you are sent to the next "level". There are total of 3 levels that I can count... Brazil, Campus, and New York.

Basically you have the basic punch. Once hit will smash almost anything except tanks. Hit a tank 4 times and it simply blows up, turret flying through the air and all that. You can also grab and pick up items, from people (throw the unfortunate into crowd of other soldiers!), cars, golf carts, ceiling fans, SWAT step-vans, park benches, phone booths, trash can dumpsters, and more. The best tactic is to throw item into enemies. Throw a car into a tank, and there's a chance the tank will explode. You get the idea.

In the last level, New York, you're given what appears to be freedom to climb onto certain walls in order to get to rooftops, then jump among rooftops. However, the level is designed to go only one way, so it's an illusion of freedom.

Reviewed on a widescreen LG LX9900 enV using Verizon V.Cast, the game is responsive, and quite exciting with lots of enemies on screen, dodging shots left and right, while smashing almost anything available. The only problem is it is so short... 3 levels, that's it? You're left wanting more. However, it does succeed as a tie-in.

I'll have to give this one an 5.5, as it captures the Hulk frenzy, without making it too easy. However, it gets marked down for being so short, and no Banner segments at all, and the combat gets repetitive and boring.