| Platform Reviewed | Sega Saturn |
| Genre | Anime-Style Fighting Game |
| Number of Players | 1-2 |
| Multiplayer Value | Minimum |
| Length | Short, but many characters and endings |
| Difficulty | Variable |
| Skills Required | Hand-Eye Coordination |
| Interface Devices | Sega Saturn Joypad |
| Interface Design | Good |
| Programming | Good |
| Game Design and Playability | Excellent |
| Type Of Fun | Beat-Em-Up |
| Replay Value | High |
| Overall Value | High |
| Quality | High |
| The Best | All the arcade characters, the best version of the game for home play, superior anime-style graphics, absolutely fantastic gameplay. One of the years best fighters. Incredible, multilevel arenas. Just great. |
| The Worst | The endings could have been animated. |
| How much I'd Pay for This | 50 Bucks |
Description:
It's Marvel's X-Men done Street Fighter Alpha / Night Warriors style. Incredible super powers, Screen-burning special effects, and astounding multi-level arenas as much as 8 screens high, aerial combat, and remarkable background animation all put into Capcom's unique fighting game design.
Story:
The X-Men, a product of the Marvel Comics Group, have enthralled readers for years. The first superhero comic to explore the angst of being different, and a not-so-subtle attack upon both racism and homophobia, X-Men follows the adventures of a group of genetic mutants who are reviled by society but find succor in a special 'School For Mutants'. The X-Men learn to fight to help the very mankind that loathes their difference, and to accept themselves for the unique and wonderful creatures that they are.
In the X-Men: Children Of The Atom game, the player gets to take the characters from this hearfelt comic book series and use them to clobber each other. But that's O.K., because the X-Men have always been particularly good at clobbering stuff, after all they ARE superheroes, and that is what Superheroes DO.
Review:
It's X-Men done right for a change, done Street Fighter Alpha style but with attention to the special qualities of the characters: some can fly, some can shatter the very ground, and some can produce effects that obliterate vast tracts of real estate. Multi-level arenas filled with elaborate detail and animation make for a wonderful environment in which to crush the spirit, and bones, of one's opponent. Super Hyper-Power moves are spectacular indeed, and sometimes fill the screen. Voice and sound effects are superb, and if one is a fan of the X-Men, this is a treasure. One arena of particular note: the 'Danger Room' in Xavier's School For Mutants. The original 'Holo-Deck' long before Star Trek, this arena shifts constantly into differing animated environments, all under the constant watchful eye of Professor Xavier himself. Brilliant.
X-Men: Children Of The Atom is a superb, innovative fighter, provides for excellent value, and unique play elements. Very Recommended.
Jennifer Diane Reitz is a Game Designer and Computer Artist, and one of the founders of Happy Puppy. She is the creator of numerous games and software products, including Boppin' , Shark Chums, Elsewhere, and many others. She has worked for such companies as Activision, Sculptured Software, Epyx, SRI, and Electronic Arts, and founded Accursed Toys. She has been active in the computer gaming industry since it's earliest days. She considers games to be works of artistic merit and achievement, and views computer entertainment as the most important media of our era.