But who doesn't love the X-Men? They're all represented here. The biggies (both good and bad): Wolverine, Rogue, Storm, and Cyclops, plus Magneto, Mystique, and Sabretooth. Other favorites also made the cut, including Gambit, Nightcrawler, and Forge. The backgrounds are terrific, and in a particularly impressive design element, you can drift into other landscapes from your original map. For example, if, while fighting from inside Dr. X's mansion, you throw your opponent out the window, you'll find yourself outside on the garden map. It's a good trick, and it almost makes the load time between games reasonable (rematches are quick, but reloads that change environments are painfully slow).

Each character has their own special "super meter" attacks, all of which befit the mutant power detailed in the comic books. Playing one-on-one with friends in versus mode, you can calibrate your character so practiced players have less energy for a more balanced game. These touches are appreciated. So while it's not as addictive as Tekken or any similar benchmark game, X-Men: Next Dimension still has appeal, with a reasonably well-thought-out game design and endearing character elements. --Jennifer Buckendorff

Pros:

• Plenty of fan pleasers, including the chance to unlock good-old-days yellow and blue costumes
• Really cool combo attacks, unique to each character
• Voice work by Patrick Stewart

• Requires serious memorization of moves