back to article Reviewed: LittleBigPlanet 3, Lara Croft's latest raid and more

Christmas is all about interacting with people whether you like it or not. If you can’t convince your family to succumb to the new board gaming fad, here are three multiplayer video gaming options you can play as a family or that are more suitable for a younger audience than the forthcoming PC release of GTA V. All three of …

  1. Jedit Silver badge
    Headmaster

    Not a comics fan?

    The character in the first screenshot on page 2 is not the Caped Crusader, who is Batman. It's Bat-Mite, an Imp from the same dimension as Mr Mxyzptlk who idolises Batman and dresses up as him to fight crime.

    I'm quite surprised that Bat-Mite appears in the game, even if it is heavily influenced by the West-era comics. He was very much a product of that era where Batman got silly for a while, and had hardly appeared for 15 years before he was all but completely retconned out of existence during the Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. (Which is why I don't blame you for not recognising him.)

    1. WraithCadmus
      Boffin

      Re: Not a comics fan?

      It should be noted that Bat-Mite did turn up in the recent high-camp Brave and the Bold cartoon (2008-2011) which owed a lot to the West era. So perhaps he's recognisable enough to younger gamers to warrant inclusion?

      Icon: Victor Fries, in bubble-helmeted containment suit

      1. Lamont Cranston

        Re: Not a comics fan?

        Totally Awsome-sauce!

        Brave & The Bold does owe a lot to the West-era Batman, but watching Bats don a set of brass knuckless and then sock some goons in the jaw, does shift the tone away from the purely camp. Weird show.

    2. DizzyCriminal

      Re: Not a comics fan?

      Bat-Mite showed up in Grant Morrison's run in Batman:RIP.

      He resurrected a lot of old Silver Age stuff and tried to make it all fit in a single cannon because comics.

      It would of worked on the most part if you didn't need Deep Thought's processor to comprehend the madness of it all.

  2. Anonymous Custard

    Anti-Pitt?

    Is it my imagination, or has Lara Croft suddenly regenerated from Angelina Jolie to Jennifer Aniston?

    Not sure Mr Pitt would approve...

    1. John 62

      Re: Anti-Pitt?

      Took me a while to realise you meant Brad Pitt instead of the Mr Pitt who was Elaine's boss in Seinfeld season 6.

  3. Avatar of They
    FAIL

    Title.

    Lets be honest most of the characters in this game and others in the series only appeal to geeks. Most new people won't know Marvel or DC story lines, like Marvel heroes FF versions of the X men, and half the DC bad guys are unknown as they appear outside of any Film or TV link. Lego Lord of the Rings included characters from the Silmarillion, so you can't even use the word 'niche' to describe the minority of people that would know what "Sauron of the Second age" looks like.

    It is just stuff to pick up and collect to round out the numbers.

    My only annoyance with this is now Telltale have started doing the DLC / money making exercise. Already I see "season passes" and "Exclusive" content for various formats.

    Shame as Telltale made some honest and valued games in the past, but "freemium" seems to be key.

    I'll wait till the game of year edition comes out on a Steam sale as I can't be bothered with 6 DLC's at £7 or whatever it will end up as. When some DLC give you a hat, or some new clothes on a character it's just cheeky and can be ignored. But some DLC for this has been noted as giving you access to new worlds etc.

  4. ukgnome
    FAIL

    Seems Lara Croft is a big breasted anorexic.

    I know it's a game but it's a bit crass and hardly a great advert.

    Games developers do know that girls play games too, right?

    1. Lamont Cranston

      It's probably a little too late in the franchise

      to shift Ms. Croft into a more realistic figure.

    2. lucki bstard

      And the Calvin Klein adverts show everyday men as well?? Not to mention the male characters in this game that look like they have stepped off the catwalk?

      Marketing targets everyone, men and women alike.

      1. Andrew Richards

        True, but...

        ... there's a lot more of this rubbish that denigrates women. Male nonsense is catching up but here parity and equality does means it's a good thing.

  5. earl grey
    Facepalm

    too much whinging

    about bleedin' games. just play 'em, ok?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm fairly certain that all three Lego Batman games had completely separate from the films plots? In fact, wasn't Lego Batman 1 TT's first original story in one of their games, not lifted from a movie series.

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon