System: Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox, PS2, PSP
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Raven Software

PCSTV sat down with the producers at Activision to get the lowdown on customizable costumes, hidden characters, a next-gen graphics engine, and why you haven’t truly played Spidey until you’ve tossed him around on your Wii. And, what’s this about PITFALL?

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The insane thing about Activision’s Marvel Ultimate Alliance game, is that comic book lovers get so MANY fan-favorite characters to choose from. From expected choices like Spider-Man and Thor, to the recently revealed Iron Man and The Thing, the joy doesn’t simply come from the fact that you’re controlling your favorite hero. With pitch-perfect voice actors, attention to detail in how the characters look and play, and a storyline that includes SHIELD, Dr. Doom, and a newfound Masters of Evil, clever Marvel fans might want to recreate their own little Civil War within the game’s arcade mode.

PopCultureShock.com had a chance to spend quality time with the game during Activision’s Press-Only day, and this is inarguably the biggest Marvel Comics-based video game ever. Hot on the heels of the award-winning X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, don’t let the developers hear you draw comparisons between the two titles. With Marvel Ultimate Alliance boasting over 20 playable characters (with at least 3 exclusive characters per console), and over 140 cameos from a huge cast of Marvel superstars, the developers at Raven Software (PS3, X360), and Vicarious Visions (Xbox, Wii, PSP) have crafted a game that’s actually more robust, more action-packed, and more, well, spectacular than Rise of Apocalypse dared hoped to be.