The Invincible Iron Man (video game)
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- Kevin McIntosh
- Marc Turndorf
- T.Q. Jefferson
| The Invincible Iron Man | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Torus Games |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Director(s) | Bill McIntosh |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Designer(s) | Jim Batt |
| Programmer(s) | Grant Davies |
| Artist(s) | Andrew McIntosh |
| Composer(s) | Ed Colman |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Run and gun |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Invincible Iron Man is a 2002 run and gun video game published by Activision and developed by Torus Games for the Game Boy Advance. The game, played from a side-scrolling perspective, is based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man, and is the character's first appearance on a handheld game console. Within the game's narrative, Iron Man must traverse through a series of levels and recover one of his stolen suits of armor while battling supervillains such as the Blizzard and Crimson Dynamo.
The Invincible Iron Man received mixed reviews from critics, who compared the gameplay to the Mega Man series. While they praised the visuals and generally found the gameplay to be solid, they faulted the game's lack of variety and length, and held middling opinions toward the audio.
The Invincible Iron Man is a side-scrolling run and gun game in which the player controls Iron Man,[1] who is tasked with recovering one of his stolen suits of armor and tracking down the culprit.[2] The game consists of eight levels, featuring four distinct environments divided into two levels each, and includes three bosses.[3] Iron Man's primary offensive measure against enemies is a pair of repulsors built into his gauntlets, which are connected to an energy gauge displayed on the upper-hand side of the screen alongside his health bar. Normal repulsor shots slightly decrease the energy gauge, while shots that are charged before firing decrease a larger amount. Energy can be restored either automatically over time or by collecting small energy balls scattered across the level.[3][4] Health can also be restored with designated power-ups.[1] Special power orbs located in various areas allow Iron Man to fire a chest-mounted cannon or to detonate a bomb that clears all enemies on-screen. Aside from these weapons, Iron Man is capable of a shoulder tackle that he can combine with his jumping ability to fly short distances. Hidden within each level is a portrait that unlocks a piece of artwork.[4]
Plot
Tony Stark is alerted that his Iron Man armor has been stolen from Stark Enterprises. Tracking down his technology to the harbor, Stark dons another Iron Man armor to retrieve it. Battling armored soldiers upon his arrival, Stark comes across his cousin Morgan Stark, who the former defeats easily in a battle. Despite getting back his armor, Iron Man discovers that Morgan uploaded the armor's data systems, which would give the benefactors the ability to reverse engineer his designs and turn them against Stark.
Iron Man follows the transmission to the woods, where he encounters a robot army commissioned by an unknown mastermind. The Blizzard appears, and as Iron Man gains the advantage, the villain flees. Chasing the Blizzard to a wintry habitat, Iron Man fights his way through the Blizzard's defenses before encountering him again. The Blizzard explains that when Stark's technology is finally replicated, an unstoppable army will arise. As the two battle, Iron Man disables a chamber that regenerates the Blizzard's powers and neutralizes him. Iron Man discovers a back door to a tower, and enters it to uncover the culprit.
After Iron Man breaks through the tower's security, the Crimson Dynamo reveals himself as the one who orchestrated the theft. Now armed with Stark's armor calibrations, the Dynamo fights Iron Man to a standstill. However, Iron Man exploits a weakness within the Dynamo's armor by overloading it with his energy blasts, helping Iron Man secure the victory over the Dynamo. This results in the armor releasing energy, triggering explosions throughout the tower. Iron Man escapes, as the Dynamo is seemingly killed in the process. In its aftermath, Iron Man ponders if another such incident could have a different outcome.
Development and release
The Invincible Iron Man was developed by Torus Games under the direction of Bill McIntosh, with Torus's Kevin McIntosh, Activision's Marc Turndorf, and Marvel's T.Q. Jefferson serving as producers.[5] The game was designed by Jim Batt, programmed by Grant Davies, and features art by Andrew McIntosh. The music and sound effects were respectively created by Ed Colman and James Langford. The levels were designed by Craig Duturbure, Alex Hutchinson, and Van Ricketts.[5] The Invincible Iron Man was announced by Activision on October 8, 2002,[2] and shipped to North American retailers on December 20.[6] It is the first handheld video game to feature Iron Man as a playable character.[2]
