Gaming Target - Game Boy: The Incredible Hulk

Written by Kyle Williams on July 02, 2003

Review: Based on the comic book, not the movie.

At this point it is safe to say that the buzz from the Hulk movie is over. I haven't gotten around to seeing the flick yet, but the word-of-mouth on the film is killing it's box-office performance. Of course, no major film event comes without dozens of merchandising tie-ins anymore and Hulk has arrived in the same "grand" fashion. As you might expect, Marvel Comics' Green Giant has also made his way into the digital world, including a brief little romp on the Game Boy Advance.

Being released so close to the theatrical event, you would expect the GBA release of The Incredible Hulk to parallel the film. Oddly enough, as you may have gathered from the conspicuous inclusion of the "incredible" adjective, this portable adventure pulls from the rich comic book history of the Green Goliath, not the brief Jennifer Connelly filled movie version. Hulk doesn't make the journey to the portable alone, either. Along for the ride are Rick Jones, General "Thunderbolt" Ross and his daughter Betty, The Leader, Tyrannus, The Executioner, and The Abomination. A literal rogues gallery of Hulk's friends and foes.

The Incredible Hulk starts at the beginning of the Hulk's tale, where Dr. Bruce Banner is bombarded with radiation from a test detonation of a gamma bomb as he saves Rick Jones from the blast. Over the next 30 levels you must pound countless soldiers and grunts into the ground. In addition to just punching the heck out of your opponents and throwing trucks at them, the Hulk has three different rage attacks that he can perform. These are the attacks that really show off the Hulk's strength as he can defeat half a dozen opponents at once with one of these moves. Pocket Studios implemented these attacks well with a unique method of unlocking these attacks every level, combined with a rage meter that climbs as the Hulk gets angry.

Set in an isometric viewpoint, The Incredible Hulk falls prey to the same fate as many Game Boy Advance titles. That is, the game doesn't have enough depth or variety to go the distance. While there is a variety to the background graphics, every level feels too much like the one you just finished. Simply put, you take the Hulk through the level, punch several people, get shot a few times, punch several people, throw a tank at a group of soldiers, and punch several people. This repetitive process becomes tedious and, if you do happen to die during a level, you will be more likely to turn your GBA off rather than try the level again. Besides, should the Hulk really have to punch a simple foot soldier three times in order to defeat him? I thought the Hulk was to have super-human strength!