Saturday 12 January 2013

LEGO announce Marvel Super Heroes video game

This time last year TT Games announced the release of LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, and now it is the turn of Marvel characters to get the LEGO video game treatment. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes will be the latest tie-in video game and will be released late this year. So why Marvel, and why now?


The game will see release in the last quarter of 2013, which makes sense as LEGO City Undercover is due out in March, and it will be in time for the key Christmas shopping period. It also seems the perfect time to strike with the Marvel video game, as The Avengers is still so fresh in everyone’s minds after its ridiculously successful release last year. The choice of LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is telling, as it shows that LEGO will not risk a licenced video game on a new property. When Disney released Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, LEGO came up with a tie-in video game. The Lone Ranger is clearly considered untested territory, whereas the films of recent years show that Marvel characters can deliver.

As noted in last year’s article, the fact that Batman is by far the most well-known DC character to non-comic book enthusiasts is probably why LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes was not just named “LEGO: DC Super Heroes”. Marvel have no such qualms – in fact, with the box office successes of Spider Man, The Avengers, X-Men and the upcoming release of Iron Man 3 – they would have been struggling to choose which hero to be the poster boy for the new game. This also solves the problem that many of the Marvel villains are not terribly iconic – the game can be chock full of the most well-known heroes and villains from any title Marvel like, whereas LEGO Batman games relied on how popular and well-loved the Rogues Gallery is.

It seems that it is too early yet for TT Games to reveal what new features will be included, other than that the Hulk will be a playable character – and in scale to his companions. How it will work with a much large character will be interesting – will all of the environments have to be tailored to accommodate Hulk, or will split screen be employed? Or will gamers have to constantly be switching characters to access new areas, some of which need someone of Hulk’s size?

LEGO video games seem less of a novelty than they used to, as almost every long-running franchise that LEGO makes toys for gets one. But with the excellent quality that TT Games seem dedicated to producing, there should be some fun surprises that add to the LEGO video game experience.


Game Informer have an excellent video game that looks at the origins of Traveller’s Tales, the company behind LEGO video games. Click here to check it out, highly recommended.


Here is the full press release:

LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes™


Marvel Super Heroes are assembling for an action-packed, brick-smashing good time! Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, The LEGO Group and Marvel Entertainment announced today that LEGO® Marvel™ Super Heroes will be available beginning Fall 2013 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Wii U™ system and Windows PC, as well as the Nintendo DS™ handheld system, Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is the first instalment in the highly successful LEGO videogame franchise to feature famous Marvel characters.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes complements the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes construction toy collection, which brings the characters, vehicles and action of Marvel’s renowned universe to the world of LEGO build-and-play adventure. There are currently eight iconic scenes from the X-Men, Iron Man and Spider-Man franchises available and more construction sets tied to the new Iron Man 3 feature film will launch later this spring.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes offers an original storyline in which Nick Fury calls upon Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine and other heroes spanning the Marvel Universe to save Earth from such threats as the vengeance of Loki and the hunger of Galactus, Devourer of the Worlds. LEGO and Marvel fans will enjoy classic LEGO videogame adventure and humor, while playing as their favorite Marvel characters.

“We’re very excited to bring a myriad of classic Marvel characters to life in LEGO form for some fun, family-friendly gameplay in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games Publishing. “Players will brave the ultimate mission to save the world as they explore famous landmarks in LEGO New York and take the adventure beyond Earth to iconic locations in the Marvel Universe.”

“Fans of both LEGO and Marvel have wanted this game for years, and we’re addressing that demand with more Marvel Universe characters than ever in a console game,” said TQ Jefferson, Vice President, Games Production, Marvel Entertainment. “If you’re a fan of Spider-Man, the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy or scores of other Marvel characters, this is the game for you.”

In LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, players will unlock more than 100 characters from across the Marvel Universe, including fan favorites like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Deadpool, Loki and Galactus! The game will pack in a plethora of super-cool character abilities, combat-like action sequences, epic battle scenes, puzzle-solving and a unique story told with playful LEGO humor.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is being developed by TT Games and will be published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

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