Ben 10: Protector of Earth

Now here’s something new: a brawler with depth. It isn’t everyday that this happens. Actually…has it ever happened before? Devil May Cry comes to mind, and perhaps the first Onimusha. There was a time when Dynasty Warriors was fun, but that was so long ago it has practically been forgotten.

Ben 10: Protector of Earth may look like a kiddie game. It may not appear to be anything more than another licensed property. Regardless of what you think after perusing the screenshots, which don’t do the game justice, or the box art, which could only appeal to the show’s audience, Ben 10 has depth. And it achieved its depth in the same way that Capcom did in 2002: with great controls and an unparalleled amount of character individuality and variety. 

Aliens Against the World

Ben, the young, brown-haired hero on the box, is obviously this game’s main character. He can attack, double jump, and survive a fair beating. But he is only one fraction of a bigger, more intriguing picture. Ben has the ability to transform into uniquely different aliens that are strong enough to wipe out an entire army of enemies.

These transformations include a four-armed monster, a creature that can control fire, one who moves extremely fast, another that has powers akin to (but stronger than) Sonic the Hedgehog, and finally, something that looks like a cross between an octopus and a praying mantis. It’s not the most common lineup, and may not even be the most inviting, depending on your tastes. But once in control of these aliens, you’ll find it hard to put the game down – even after it reaches its quick end. 

Cannonbolt, whose walk is slower than a waddle, has the incredible power of being able to roll himself into a ball and slingshot his body around the environment. The cool thing is that, in addition to this Sonic-resembling mechanic, Cannonbolt can damage opponents while spinning and combine that move with a punching combo.

Special spin platforms help launch him into the air, and this leads to two essential elements. One is jumping – the game expects you to leap over several gaps. They’re not too frustrating, but you might want to keep a curse jar handy to prevent yourself from letting the game get the best of you. (A punching bag is also recommended.) The other essential element is boss destruction. You will use these launchers to shoot Cannonbolt up to the level of a massive boss. Only after hitting him in the face will he be weakened, at which point he’ll fall down and may be finished off with one continuous combo. Don’t let up or he will definitely get back up, and the second round won’t be as easy as the first.

Heatblast is like Pyro from X-Men. He can reduce, redistribute, and manipulate fire in the coolest ways. Platforms are a big part of the game, and many are engulfed in flames. Touch one for a second and more than 1/3 of your health meter will disappear – keep touching it and you’ll be dead before three seconds have passed. XLR8’s high agility is not enough to make it through the flames without getting burned. Heatblast, however, can suck the flames out like a vacuum cleaner. It takes two shifts to completely clear one platform, but it’s well worth your time. The few seconds wasted here will ensure you don’t die an unnecessary death, and make Smokey the Bear one happy animal. 

Smokey the Bear wants everyone to know: “Only you can prevent virtual platform fires.” 
 

Fourarms is the He-Man of the bunch. Take a quick glance and you’ll swear he’s Hellboy. “That’s him! That’s—! Oh, no it’s not.” He may not be as cool or as well known as the comic book hero he resembles, but Fourarms’ large size and multiple arms give him the strength to bash enemies, perform double jumps, and climb vines that just happen to be growing in the areas where they are needed most.

Wildvine has several interesting abilities. The first allows him to stretch his arm high into the air to reach a special plant. These plants aren’t like the others encountered in the game – they may be grabbed by Wildvine to climb further into the stage. That same move, which is activated by pressing the A button while holding up on the D-pad, may also be used to throw a projectile attack. To attack, leave the D-pad out of your execution. Wildvine’s multi-hit combo also takes advantage of his stretchy arms, which will no doubt remind fighting fans of Street Fighter II.

XLR8 is the least effective alien transformation. His extra high double jump and teleportation moves are cool, but their limitations are not welcome. Special moves consume energy, and that energy takes a few seconds to rejuvenate. Players can double jump with a standard character as much as they want. But because XLR8’s double jump is higher and is considered a special move, you can only do it twice before the energy meter is completely drained. And no, he doesn’t have a standard double jump to compensate for this loss. 

When brought together as one powerful, enemy-annihilating machine, these aliens kick major butt. Their attack variety, and most importantly the seamlessness of the controls, make for one exciting (but brief) beat-‘em-up experience.

Gameplay: 7.6
Four words sum it up: controls and attack variety. Ben 10: Protector of Earth isn’t some newfangled video game that everyone will go crazy for. It is, however, different from the overabundance of button-mashers released each year. This one, unlike the rest, has actual depth. And that makes it a lot of fun to play.

Graphics: 7.9
Ben 10’s cel-shaded characters are cool and the cartoon backgrounds are very well done.

Sound: 8
A deep score from an unlikely source, Ben 10’s music and sound effects surpass the audio content of most handheld games.

Difficulty: Easy
The massive boss battles pose a brief challenge, but that’s about the only difficult thing you’ll have to overcome.

Concept: 7
Ben 10 is not an original game concept. But it is great at executing what it has borrowed from other titles.

Multiplayer: 4.9
A battle to destroy as many cars as possible, for up to eight players. Game cards are required for each player, but that’s only half the problem. Haven’t we seen this idea before? You know, in a little game called Street Fighter II?

Overall: 7.6
One of the better brawlers available, Ben 10: Protector of Earth is all about action. Repetition is an unavoidable factor, but it is much less noticeable than in other beat-‘em-ups, thanks entirely to the controls, attack moves and character lineup.