Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction Gamecube Review

If there’s one thing that sets incredible hulk ultimate destruction gamecube apart from other superhero games it is the almost perfectly realised control players have over the monster. Using a simple layout of buttons A punches, Y strikes downward and B jumps, the controls are easy to pick up and offer a lot of moves, combos and power-ups that make fighting on the ground or in the air an absolute pleasure. The ability to run up the sides of buildings for some truly spectacular vantage points is also fantastic and really brings out Hulk’s grace and power.

Developed by Radical Entertainment and published in mid-’05 by Vivendi Universal Games, the game takes place in New York City (as well as the bandlands) after a government-sponsored team led by Dr Samuel Sterns has tried to cure the Hulk by injecting him with an experimental serum. Unfortunately for them, the serum only makes him grow even stronger and angrier! The result is that he destroys anything and everything that gets in his way.

While the story isn’t especially complex it does provide some nice character development, and a solid backdrop for the smackdowns that lie ahead. Unlike the structured level-based structure of Radical’s previous Hulk game, Ultimate Destruction opens things up with a free-roaming cityscape that includes bridges, hospitals and moving traffic – all of which are sure to become human fist fodder for the basketball-sized Hulk. There are also a series of ‘Challenge Missions’ that can be played for fun, or to earn extra smash points by running about the city or bandlands attacking cars and soldiers, picking up stray buses to turn them into weapons and so on.

Visually, the game holds up pretty well despite being five years old now, with only slight issues in terms of texture resolution in some areas. Graphix still looks good, though, and the graphical touches like the trail of broken pavement Hulk leaves behind him when he runs through the streets or the visible shock waves as Hulk rips a building down are well done. There are also a number of comic book style covers scattered around the city and bandlands that can be collected for extra bonus points.

Combat and environmental interaction are the real star of the show, though. Aside from the obvious attacks, Hulk is armed with a host of improvised weapons and can unleash the “Critical Mass” attack, which sees him rip into his foes in slow-mo with visible damage and blasts of energy. This is a real crowd pleaser and a great way to keep things interesting.

There’s not a huge amount to the game, and a few missions begin to feel a bit repetitive after a while, but the gameplay more than makes up for it. Whether running up the side of a building or throwing cars and trucks at each other, the game is fantastically enjoyable and, at times, simply hilarious. Taking down a full military strike force in one go whilst running about destroying anything that happens to be in your path is a real treat, and the fact that you can pick up buses and throw them at enemies like it’s nothing is simply amazing.