Hulk (2003) (VG)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Mark James

Writer:

Jeff Houde (written by)

Genre:

Action

Tagline:

Experience the Incredible.

Plot:

Set shortly after the movie, while on the run; Bruce Banner is contacted by his old mentor Professor Crawfrod...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Comic | Based On Film | Based On TV Series | Good Versus Evil | Incredible Hulk

Cast

Eric Bana	...	Bruce Banner (archive footage)
Katie Bennison	...	Betty Ross
Michael Donovan	...	Grey Hulk
Michael Dobson	...	The Leader
Paul Dobson	...	Madman
Jano Frandsen	...	General Ryker
Doc Harris	...	Robot
David Kaye	...	Soldiers
Dion Luther	...	Ravage / Dr Crawford
Murray McCarron	...	Soldiers
Wendy Nakano	...	Elevator VO
Graig Robertson	...	The Hulk
Lee Tockar	...	Half-Life, Flux
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Justin Gross	...	Soldier
Michael Hovan	...	Scientist
Jason Simpson	...	Soldier
Robert O. Smith	...	Soldiers / Guards (voice)

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Certification:

USA:T

Company:

Radical Entertainment

Trivia:

When Bruce Banner is sneaking into the military facility, there is a message over the PA system saying that a dog has escaped, and ordering a containment crew to "Sector 7G". Sector 7G is the sector of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant where Homer Simpson works in "The Simpsons" (1989).

Quotes:

Grey Hulk: [while holding a soldier] What are you going to tell your friends?

Movie Connections:

References "The Simpsons" (1989)

Nominee for Most Guilty Pleasure in a video game...

...and it won. What could be more pitiful than taking a metal bar and slamming it on top of a hapless soldier? Taking a car and slamming it on top of a hapless soldier, that's what!

With the Oscar aside, this game is actually successful in being loyal to both the comic and the movie, only in different ways. Hulk is the 'sequel' to the movie, with Banner mentioning that his year in South America was a way to escape the military and continue his research for a cure. At first, Professor Crawford (Banner's former mentor) claims that he has a cure for Banner's 'curse', only to betray him and use the power of the Hulk to transform him into Ravage and escape with the Gamma Orb that wields it. Ravage escapes, triggering Banner to become the Hulk and pursue him, only to run into the energy vampire Half-Life. As time goes on, Hulk will run into the likes of Madman, Flux, Ravage once again, and Hulk's arch-nemesis -- the Leader: all of whom (with the exception of Flux) partake in a hostile takeover of an army of Hulk beings.

To compare against all of the other Hulk beings you battle, you may find Flux the most humorous to beat down. Sometimes General Ryker will give Flux orders and Flux will just stand there tin-hut. Other times Flux will leap onto a balcony and toss grenades, calling them 'grape-fruits'. Despite all of the Hulk beings likeness, all have different moves: Madman has Thunder Stomp, Flux has Lightning Fist, and Ravage has Earth Shatter (which proves useful when fighting him). However, the Leader will prove the most challenging. Unlike the Hulk beings, the Leader possesses telekinetic powers -- allowing him to float out of your grasp, blast various psywave attacks, and (the most annoying) create duplicates of himself. But all possess one common characteristic: after depleting them of their health, they will go into Rage Mode, making them healthy again and make their attacks even more devastating.

Luckily for you, there are cheat codes that you can enter at either a Universal Code Terminal (which you will find in certain levels of the game) and in the Code Input sector of the game's main menu. Some give you longer life (Double Hulk's Hit Points), make you more invulnerable (Invulnerability, Regenerator), make him stronger (Double Hulk's Strength, Wicked Punch), or -- just for kicks -- change his looks (The Original Gray Hulk -- an earlier, more intelligent adaptation of the Hulk. For the fans of the comic, you'll recognize this character from early on in the Hulk comic series before Banner transformed into the Green Hulk.)

But then there are times when Banner isn't the Hulk, but just Banner. Though he seems helpless against soldiers and hellhounds (the mutated pitbulls), Banner has everything that contrasts his inner brute: stealth and intelligence. Many of the stealth levels require Banner to solve puzzles and find ways to quietly pass enemies, especially soldiers (in the first Alcatraz and Desert Base levels) and hellhounds (pretty much all except Desert Base). Luckily for you, movable boxes allow you to reach high destinations or hide within barriers that make you unknown to many enemies. Also, Banner can sneak behind soldiers and strangle them into submission. These levels are mainly for Splinter Cell fans and people who are really patient.

Overall: terrific storyline; successful in being a 'sequel' to the Hulk movie; impressive graphics and battle style; challenging stealth levels; very loyal to the comic; down-right fun beating up enemies in various ways.

Rating: 9 out of 10. The only real problem is the way the cameras are angled.