Superman: Countdown to Apokolips

Superman: Countdown to Apokolips is an action platformer with an isometric action flavor, developed for the Game Boy Advance by Digital Eclipse, a studio specializing in licensed handheld titles. Playing as Superman, the player confronts an invasion by the evil ruler of the planet Apokolips, Darkseid, and must protect Metropolis and other locations from his army of Parademons, who are gradually trying to devastate the city and pave the way for its total conquest.

The game combines fast-paced combat that draws on Superman's powers - flight, heat vision, super speed and strength - with level exploration and the completion of sub-objectives, setting it apart from purely linear platformers on the system and giving it a structure closer to an action adventure. The individual missions take place across several interconnected locations in and around Metropolis, so the player must deliberately move between areas and solve sub-tasks in a certain order before reaching the decisive confrontation. The combat system is straightforward, but thanks to the number of enemies on screen and the hero's varied abilities, it offers a satisfying sense of the character's power along with the motivation to try different combinations of attacks against different types of Parademons. The visuals are solid for their time, with clearly readable characters and backgrounds, accompanied by action-oriented, heroic music underscoring the epic tone of the story.

Licensed games based on comic book and movie properties often had a poor reputation on the GBA, but Countdown to Apokolips was among the better-regarded examples of the type thanks to its honest craftsmanship and respect for the source material and its characters. Today the game is a pleasant surprise for Superman fans and collectors of licensed titles looking for proof that even a comic book game on a handheld can be honestly made and playable even years later, without having to rely solely on the name of a popular character.

Why play it: For Superman fans and collectors of licensed titles alike, it's a pleasant surprise proving that even a comic book game on a handheld can be honestly made and playable years later.