Release Date	May 2 2008
Format	PS2, PS3, PSP, 360, Wii, DS, PC
Publisher	Sega
Developer	Secret Level
Price	Various
Distribution	Centresoft
Contact	01216 257109

Ironman

When it comes to superheroes, there are some that stick out more than others. Some because they have powers everyone wants (Superman is the obvious contender here), and some because they’re just plain cool (Wolverine, take a bow), and others because the costumes are ace.

There are a couple though, and they are few and far between, who are miles ahead of the pack for a much simpler reason – technically, they aren’t superheroes at all. One of them likes to dress up as a bat and lives in the DC universe, but we’re not here to talk about him.

The other is Tony Stark, better known as Iron Man, he of the upcoming blockbusting movie adaptation, the huge cult fan base and excellent gadgets. Out of the entire pantheon of do-gooders those lovely people at Marvel have created over the years, Iron Man surely resonates the most. Why? Well, because he’s just a normal bloke really.

No genetic mutation has occurred in Iron Man’s DNA, nor was he caught up in a military experiment, born on another planet or gifted with the use of the force. He’s just a pretty smart cookie with a predilection for advanced engineering and an eye for a decent colour scheme. Now, in 2008, a mere 45 years since his birth in Tales of Suspense #39, he’s being brought to cinemas and the screens of living room.

The tears of joy that have no doubt already been spilt by enthusiastic fanboys as they scour trailers and congregate like pimpled Masons in online chatrooms will not be in vain. Iron Man is coming, and it will rock.

The basics of the story may not be familiar – but in a nutshell, industrialist, genius and weapons supplier to the military Tony Stark is captured and nearly killed whilst demonstrating a new missile system to the US Army (previous incarnations have placed this event in Vietnam and the Gulf, whilst this time round it is good old Afghanistan). Forced to work for his captors, he secretly designs and builds a suit of armour that he can escape in. Once back on home soil, he carries on working on his creation, and voila, Iron Man is born.

The game, designed by Secret Level, is a third person romp around a world of super villains, intrigue and global conflict, in which players get to take control of the Iron Man and basically kick ass. Open-ended battlefields conveniently filled with plenty of enemies make a great playground for a customisable Iron Man, whose suit of armour can be enhanced and filled with lovely new weapons and extras.

As is befitting a title that is so closely linked to such a huge film project, there has been great co-operation at all levels to ensure that fans are not left disappointed. “Secret Level has worked incredibly closely with Marvel and Industrial Light & Magic to make sure the game is as close to the film as possible,” comments Sega’s product manager Ben Payne.

“When we showed the game off at Comic-Con last year, Jon Favreau (director of the movie) came and had a play, and he’s been keeping an eye on what Secret Level have been doing with the title. To the extent that he saw bits, and said ‘I want that in the movie’”. Additionally, Robert Downey Junior, Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges have all added their voices to the title.

Extra good news for Marvel fanatics is that only a third of the missions of the game are directly connected to the film’s plot – the rest linked into the Marvel universe, so players are able to move further into Tony Stark’s world than a straight forward film adaptation would have allowed them.

A large support campaign is also swinging into action alongside the film launch (game and film will launch on the same day), with Sega keen to make sure that as many of the huge numbers expected to see the film are itching to get their hands on the game as possible.

“We are spending very heavily on Iron Man,” adds Payne. “The majority of our spend is on a cinema campaign, where 30 second spots will tag three million admissions to Iron Man screens. We’re also working closely with Paramount, Hasbro, Toshiba and LG.”