X-Men: Next Dimension (Game)

X-Men: Next Dimension

GAME » on October 15, 2002

GameCube (Platform)PlayStation 2 (Platform)Xbox (Platform)

X-Men Next Dimension is a 3D fighting game featuring characters like Cyclops, Wolverine, Magneto, Rogue, and many more. It is the spiritual successor to the Mutant Academy games.

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Overview

Developed by EXACT Entertainment and Paradox Development, X-Men: Next Dimension is a relatively unknown 3D fighter that uses many of the X-Menand their special abilities. It is a spiritual successor to the X-Men: Mutant Academy games. It's style of fighting is most similar to the Dead or Alive (Franchise) series. The game has a story mode, versus mode, time attack mode, and other traditional fighting game modes.

Gameplay

Next Dimension has a very high difficulty level. The timed missions in the story mode are extremely demanding of the player, allowing only 40 seconds to beat some of the toughest enemies in the game. This is troublesome, because throws are very slow, and the A.I. is very fond of using them. Like its predecessors, Next Dimension has very elaborate special moves and throws. The special meter fills up after every attack, and is in three different sections: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. Filling up the whole meter causes all levels to mesh together into level 4, and grants access to some of the most powerful moves in the game. The player can choose which special to use at any time. In other words, if the player has a filled special bar, he/she can still use level 1 2 or 3 attacks individually. Knocking a player into the air results in an onscreen message reading "air seek". If the player jumps at this time an he/she will zoom directly to the opponent and an air combo or special can be used.

Controls

This game has both 3D and 2D fighting. On the Gamecube, if the player wishes to move around the 3D environment, then he or she would use the control stick. If the player wanted to jump or dash, he or she would need to use the D-Pad. Also, all of the characters control nearly identical to one another. For instance, every single fighter has a (GC controls) B A right move.

Glitches

Glitches are prominent in this game. They occur often, and sometimes completely disrupt the gameplay. Glitches are sometimes minor (floating characters, animations not regestering instantly, etc.) but are almost always major. Here's a short list:

Invulnerablilty: While fighting the A.I., sometimes it becomes literally unable to take damage. This occurs the most when trying to attack someone who is in mid animation.
Going through walls: Somtimes after a powerful punch or kick another player may go to a place in the level they aren't supposed to, or even out of the level itself.
Going the wrong direction: Sometimes the players character will literally just go the wrong way in mid-combo, missing the opponent entirely.
Special moves don't work: Occasionally special moves either go right through the opponent, or just don't work. This is most likely due to the "invulnerability" glitch.
Throws that can't be dodged: The A.I. (and sometimes even the player) has the ability to throw its opponent from anywhere without even touching it. Sometimes it doesn't even use the throw animation.
Counters that can't be dodged: The A.I. has the ability to counter moves even while it's in mid-attack.
Gambit's Level 3 Super: This move can almost break the game when used. If used too close to an opponent, it can either turn Gambit around forcing him to face the wrong direction, or it can make the other character entirely invisible for the rest of the round.

Story Mode

Next Dimension's story mode is notable for it's difficulty and repetition. It has a fairly typical comic-book-turned-game plot with several different endings.

Plot

The game begins with the X-Men training in the danger room, only to be caught off guard by the Brotherhood (that's Sabretooth (Character), Juggernaut (Character), Mystique (Character), and Toad). Xavier realizes the attack is a front for something worse, and commands Forge (Character) to investigate. Forge is subsequently attacked by the Sentinels and kidnapped. Bastion, a former villain, kidnapped Forge in order to find out some of the X-Men's secrets. The X-Men find Magneto (Character) and the Brotherhood and finally discover that none of the attacks were Magneto's doing. Many of the X-Men battle the sentinels, and a select few even lose their powers. Magneto, Wolverine (Character), and Phoenix (Character) rush to Bastion's hideout to confront him. Wolverine, the first to arrive, takes down Bastion and collapses. Magneto and Phoenix show up to save him and find that Bastion hadn't been killed. The player fights Bastion as Magneto. If the player loses, he/she confronts Bastion a last time as Phoenix.

Playable Characters

Cyclops (Character)
Wolverine (Character)
Gambit (Character)
Storm (Character)
Phoenix (Character)
Beast
Rogue (Character)
Psylocke (Character)
Nightcrawler (Character)
Bishop (Character)
Havok (Character)
Forge (Character)
Magneto (Character)
Sabretooth (Character)
Mystique (Character)
Dark Phoenix
Juggernaut (Character)
Toad
Bastion
Lady Deathstrike (Character)
The Blob
Sentinel A
Sentinel B
Pyro (only available in the Xbox (Platform) release)

Connection to the Comics

The default costumes for the X-Men are mostly their "New X-Men" styles.
Incedentally, this is one of the few games in which Wolverine's default outfit is an actual comic book costume.
The player can unlock costumes, many of them from the books. A good example is wolverines original Yellow suit, or the Sentinels original purple and pink costume.
Additional characters from the comics are included, such as Blob (Character), Lady Deathstrike (Character), Bishop (Character), a younger Psylocke (Character), Dark Phoenix, and more.
A few themes in the Story Mode were similar to the comics, particularly the X-Men losing their powers and the decisions they're forced to make.
Wolverine's height is taken from the comics.
In the beginning cutscene in the danger room, Peter Parker (Spider-Man), Tony Stark (Iron Man), Bruce Banner (Hulk), and other Marvel (Franchise) characters graves are shown. The reason for that is because this takes place in a danger room simulation, and is meant to display great chaos.
In one of the first cutscenes, during the Brotherhood invasion, Professor X whispers Juggernaut's real name under his breath. This is because in regular comic book continuity Professor X and Juggernaut are related.
Wolverine and Sabertooth supposedly heal faster. This is because they have healing factors in the books.

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