Superman Man of Steel

by Circus Freak Studios

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006LEMA
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches ; 4.8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 5, 2002
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,203 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

In Superman: The Man of Steel, super villain Brainiac 13 has unleashed an unstoppable army of robotic drones that destroy everything in their path. To stop these drones from creating a giant Brainiac 13 monolith, Superman must travel to the far reaches of space and into the depths of the Phantom Zone. Back on Earth, Superman's arch nemesis Lex Luthor has designs of his own, and plans to use Brainiac 13's technology in his bid for world domination. You will battle a legion of Brainiac 13's robot drones with lightning-fast, third-person, arcade-style action, and have full access to all of Superman's powers throughout the game. The roster of legendary super villains includes Lex Luthor, Metallo, Bizarro, Mongul, the Cyborg, and the fiend behind it all, Brainiac 13. There are lush, gigantic, photorealistic environments, from the sweeping cityscape of futuristic Metropolis to the hostile environs of Warworld.

Product Description

You are SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL, ready to face your greatest challenge ever! Super villain Brainiac 13 has unleashed an unstoppable army of robotic drones that destroy everything in their path. You have to stop these drones from creating a giant Brainiac 13 monolith, and therefore must travel to the far reaches of space and into the depths of the Phantom Zone. Meanwhile, back on Earth, your arch enemy Lex Luthor plans to use Brainiac 13's technology in his own bid for world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I should have seen the signs, November 20, 2002

By 

Jeff Hodges (Denton, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Superman Man of Steel (Video Game)

Earlier this year, amid some personal turmoil, I decided that I would use some of my tax return to invest in a next-generation gaming system. In deciding to go with an Xbox, I had read about several exclusive games that got me really excited about the the system. This game was one of them. It promised a free roaming environment, open-ended gameplay, and the title "best superhero game ever". In the months prior to its release, it got a cover story in the Official Xbox Magazine and quite a bit of press. As it got closer and closer to release date, I heard less and less about it. Its release was unheralded, and at the time of this writing, Amazon does not even have a box graphic. These are signs of unfulfilled promises, folks.....

Man of Steel, as far as I have played it, anyhow, is in no way free-roaming or open-ended in its game play. I think I had more freedom in the 2600 game. All the missions I have played so far have been very time-based and any exploration of the environment whatsoever will pretty much get shut down when your mission fails.

Even without these promised aspects of gameplay, Superman: Man of Steel would be a tolerable action/adventure title if it was not plagued by a poorly designed controller layout. One would think that an important aspect of reproducing Superman's movements would potentially be super-manuverability, but Man of Steel does not capture this at all.

There are three distinct controller modes - hover, fly, and combat. The controls are different in each one. For maximum effect, they all have to be used in conjunction and each one has shortcomings that must be surmounted. The flying mode will not let you turn sharply enough, turn loop-to loop, or fly straight down. The combat mode relies on a "lock-on" system that is unnatural and unreliable. The hover mode is just plain confusing and far too slow for combat situations. While you are trying to juggle these three modes to get the maximum amount of manuverability, you watch your time slip away as you bump helplessly into the sides of buildings trying to figure out the quickest way to fly in a circle while you get beat down from behind by the countless hordes of Brainiac 13 robots........all with no training mode or viable controller options!

I will say that the game LOOKS amazing. Even though his movements are clumsy, Superman is very well-rendered during gameplay (although not so much so during the cut-scenes). His cape and the flight effects are show-stoppers. The real star of the game is the (noticably barren) city of Metropolis. What little exploration I have been able to do gives me the impression that it has a very well-defined and consistent map, but I have not had a chance to explore it as much as it seems like it deserves. The super-linear nature of gameplay keeps Superman always rushing to stop the next catastrophe before time runs out.

The lowdown: I envisioned being able to fly about Metropolis (open-ended GTA-style, of course) listening for cries of help that lead to a trail of crimes. The trail would eventually lead to some sort of Luthor-devised plot that would be in keeping with the Superman mythos. Maybe I would get all the clues, maybe not, but I would like to put on the shoes of the hero and watch what I would do if I were him. THAT could potentially be the "best superhero game ever". Instead I'm hovering around desperately searching for a tentative lock on a robot while trying to simply turn around before my time runs out. I don't think Supes has to worry about that too much.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Despite flaws, it's pretty good to be the Man of Steel, February 2, 2003

By 

Kevin Hall (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman Man of Steel (Video Game)

Maybe it's because I've played so many Superman games in the past that were REALLY bad, but I thought this game was a lot of fun. It does take a little time to learn the controls and get used to the gameplay, but after that, it's basically an easy game and you can just enjoy being Superman. (And isn't that the whole point, anyway?)

It's set in a more futuristic Metropolis (thanks to Brainiac 13's upgrades), but the look of the game reminded me a lot of the films- especially the nighttime levels in downtown Metropolis. (Copy the Superman soundtrack to your X-Box, and you really start to feel like you're flying around in the movie!)

I noticed one reviewer felt that the game was too rushed, but I think the pace is pretty well-balanced. The timed objectives are primarily in the first half of the game, and actually help to keep the game from becoming monotonous (since you do fight a lot of robots). There's also a lot of objectives that (oddly) aren't timed, and the second half of the game doesn't time you much at all. So, in many of the levels you do have the freedom to let the bad guys wait while you just fly around.

This game obviously isn't for everyone, but Superman fans should definitely give it a test flight.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Could be better, but still enjoyable, November 8, 2002

By 

Jonathan (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman Man of Steel (Video Game)

Because I've actually played the game, I'll write a competent review...The game consists mostly of timed objectives. Having to hurry everywhere without enjoying the game takes away from the scenery and make the game sometimes overly challenging. The free roam after completing a level is a much needed bonus to fully explore the levels. The graphics are very impressive at times, such as the flowing cape and blurred space behind him when he's flying fast. The controls take a bit of effort to master, but eventually become managable. Unfortunately, Superman isn't invunerable, I'm sure there are ways to make a game that accurately depict Superman's actual abilities. The game would be much more enjoyable if it was slightly slower paced. Who can enjoy a game that after every objective, you've got 30 seconds to complete another objective? If you're a Superman fan, you'll enjoy the game anyway. Just that fact that it's a Superman game for the Xbox inflates the star rating to a 4.