• Fighting game.
• 8 s, with 26 sections featuring large 3-D environments.
• Battle Bastion and his evil minions.
• Combo chains, 8-way character movement, and new aerial combat.
• For 1 or 2 players.

X-Men: Next Dimension plunges players into a powerful enemy's plot to rid the world of mutants. Leaving traditional section-based fighting games in its wake, it's the only console fighter game that carries epic superhero showdowns across expansive 3-D levels. Players fight as 20 different X-Men characters (plus four secret characters to be ) through interactive environments, replete with combat-induced damage. .co.uk Review ------------- Playing X-Men: Next Dimension requires looking at the moves menu. A lot. If you're the kind of person who likes to memorise lists of moves--maybe even finds it fun as it gives you a sense of accomplishment--this game is for you. If you just want a game to play with some friends without cramming as if for an exam, you'd be better off with a different fighting title. But who doesn't love the X-Men? They're all represented here. The biggies (both good and bad): Wolverine, Rogue, Storm and Cyclops as well as Magneto, Mystique and Sabretooth. Other favourites 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 . For example, if while fighting from inside Dr X's mansion, you throw your nent out the window, you'll find yourself outside on the garden . 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, and all are fitting of the mutant power detailed in the comic books. Playing one-on-one with friends in versus mode, you can calibrate your character so practised 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 still has appeal with a reasonably well-thought-out game design and endearing character elements. --Jennifer Buckendorff