Is This the Return of Jean Grey?

Ever since the Phoenix's involvement was revealed in Avengers vs. X-Men, we all thought the same thing: is Jean Grey going to come back? While Marvel hasn't given a definitive answer, they have said not to expect AvX to end like we think it's going to... which would be with the return of Jean Grey.

And though she's been spotted as a cast member of All-New X-Men, that's a young Jean that's time-traveled to the future. But with the end of AvX fast approaching, Marvel has revealed a new teaser that is a little more definitive:

Sure, it could be Hope. I guess. But Hope doesn't have long billowy hair like that. This is obviously meant to evoke imagery of Jean, and if they pull a fast one and have it be someone else, well, that'd just be lame.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He's accepted the fact that no one stays dead in comics.

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Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #14 Review

One thing that can be said about the Ultimate Universe is that its heroes are forced to deal with an even heavier dose of misery than those of the regular Marvel Universe. Currently, Ultimate America is in shambles, with soul patch-wearing robots ruling the Southeast, various states seceding from the union, and Texas primed to drop a bomb on New York City.

That's the situation the Ultimates are struggling to deal with in this second chapter of the Divided We Stand arc. And it's that sense of scale and sheer desperation that helps the book stand apart from the umpteen other Avengers-themed titles on the stands. Sam Humphries is finally able to write the Big Three in action as they team with Hawkeye and Black Widow to prevent Texas unleashing nuclear armageddon. Thor isn't given the chance to do much, although this issue does hint at ties between current conflicts and the Asgardian material that Jonathan Hickman dealt with in his issues. But Cap and Iron Man have some solid material. In terms of both the team roster and their personalities, this is a series that should appeal very much to fans of the Avengers movie.

In addition to the main cast, there's also a healthy dose of political conspiracy and maneuvering by the current villains. This material helps spice up the conflict and lend an air of unpredictability to the conflict. Unfortunately, these scenes don't always integrate that well with the Ultimates-focused ones. In particular, the final sequence reaches an awkward and unfulfilling conclusion.

Also disappointing is the return of multiple pencillers. I had hoped the series could avoid that for a while given how prevalent fill-in art was on Humphries' early issues. Billy Tan's pages are generally sound, though his facial work is pretty bland. Timothy Green tackles the remainder. As much as I've enjoyed Green's recent cosmic Marvel work, his pencils are too flat and rushed in appearance here. This series really needs to find a greater level of consistency and regularity when it comes to the visuals.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

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Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Takes its Tentative First Steps

Naoki Yoshida is keen to stress one thing above all else about Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: that it is neither an expansion nor a patch update, but is instead a brand new game.

Certainly, there are a whole host of new features to add credibility to this claim, even if its numerical denomination remains the same as its previous iteration. From the team working on its creation, to the engine used to power it, through to the user interface, combat system and around 90 percent of the in-game assets; a great deal about this MMORPG has changed. Yoshida also highlights that all of the field maps have been scrapped and recreated from the ground up, giving even existing Final Fantasy XIV players a whole new world to explore.

Of course, after the disappointment of the first attempt at Final Fantasy XIV, a great deal of change was necessary.

“

That doesn’t mean that we’re not looking to the future though, we realise that [new consoles] will be coming and making the game compatible with these systems is something that we’re currently thinking about.

The combat system, for example, borrows from Final Fantasy VII’s Limit Break mechanic, where actions during combat fill a gauge that can be used to unleash devastating attacks. Instead of being confined to the individual, this is an adapted party-based Limit Break system, which each party member contributes to and that can be activated by any one of them, with effects varying depending on the role of the person that triggers it.

However, the most immediately obvious change is the new engine, which does a very good job of providing an alluring reason to spend time in the world of A Realm Reborn and the forest setting shown during an in-game demo provides the perfect opportunity to highlight the real-time shadows as light filters through the tree canopy. The initially intrusive-looking HUD, which stacks three lines of spell and ability slots atop vital stat readouts, can be reordered, moved around the screen and then either locked in place or left floating to be adjusted on the fly.

Despite the increased graphical prowess of Final Fantasy: A Realm Reborn and members of its development also having worked on Square Enix’s impressive Luminous Studio engine, Yoshida dismisses the notion that that technology could be used in an MMO. In fact, the producer jokes that a MMO run on Luminous would probably require the power of a PlayStation 5.

Talk of the future generation of consoles does raise an interesting question concerning A Realm Reborn’s development for PS3: why release a MMO, that Yoshida acknowledges is built to run for anywhere between five to ten years, so late in the life of the current gen, especially when it is widely anticipated that the PS4 will arrive at some point in the next 18 months.

“

We talked about losing the trust of the player base with the original release of Final Fantasy XIV and so one of the steps to rebuilding that trust is to fulfil our promises.

“The biggest reason for doing so is because we promised that we would release Final Fantasy XIV on PS3 and there are still a lot of players that are waiting for us to do that,” Yoshida answers. “Before, we talked about losing the trust of the player base with the original release of Final Fantasy XIV and so one of the steps to rebuilding that trust is to fulfil our promises.

“That doesn’t mean that we’re not looking to the future though, we realise that [new consoles] will be coming and making the game compatible with these systems is something that we’re currently thinking about, but until Sony and Microsoft actually make an announcement, we can’t make an announcement.

“The biggest thing though is that our new engine is very scalable and so when new technology comes out we can easily scale to meet its capabilities.”

Yoshida proceeds to show us just how scalable the engine is by showing A Realm Reborn running in HD on high settings, followed by demoing the game on a laptop running on an Intel i5 processor. The game is optimised to around 70 percent and while the shadows suffer a noticeable downgrade in quality it still runs smoothly, albeit without the strains of being online.

“

The switchover to A Realm Reborn will be worked into the narrative.

Those currently playing Final Fantasy XIV needn’t abandon their characters, as the switchover to A Realm Reborn will be worked into the narrative, with an in-game event facilitating the switch-off of the servers running the original game as player data will be migrated across to A Real Reborn at some point during the beta testing.

As with any MMO, significant in-game time will be required to ascertain how well the implemented changes function and whether A Realm Reborn fixes the myriad issues of its predecessor. The upcoming beta testing will provide that necessary time to do that but the features highlighted so far suggest a game much improved.

The biggest test that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn faces is whether it can justify Square’s decision to charge a premium monthly subscription to enjoy its world remade. It’s something that Star Wars: The Old Republic hasn’t been able to sustain and, like Final Fantasy, that title entered the MMO market with a massive, well recognised and well loved brand behind it. Both the fans and beta testers will provide the answer to that question in the coming months and provide the biggest indicator of whether A Realm Reborn will outlive its doomed predecessor. Keep an eye on this one as it takes its first tentative steps in the world, it has the potential to grow-up strong.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn beta is expected to launch on PC later this year, with the PS3 version coming in 2013.

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Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transforms on Wii U

Memory is a funny thing. It twists and distorts the past, rewriting what actually happened. But occasionally, just occasionally, it stretches one’s memories into elaborate, death-defying race courses. Well, maybe it doesn’t, but that’s exactly what happens in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.

Classic settings from SEGA games gone-by have been reimagined as frantic tracks which you traverse as familiar SEGA characters, including Sonic, Joe Musashi, and AiAi. It’s a kart racer, with the emphasis firmly on speed, power-sliding, and power-ups. And you aren’t always confined to a four-wheel kart: your vehicle transforms periodically from a car to a boat to a plane, and back again.

We’ve already taken a look at the All-Star Racing on current-gen consoles but the game is also heading to Nintendo’s Wii U when it launches later this year. As with most games on Nintendo’s forthcoming console, it packs a raft of unique features tailored for the Wii U’s rather unique GamePad.

First up, as with most Wii U games, the action can be pulled down from the TV onto the GamePad. This is done rather simply by swiping your finger down on the controller’s touchscreen, as if you’re ‘dragging’ down the game onto the smaller screen. Conversely, if you want to resume playing on the big screen, flick your finger in the opposite direction. It works well, though I doubt people will use it mid-race; it’s too disorientating, but once you’re playing on the GamePad, the game looks good and handles well.

Allowing you to play the game on either screen, Wii U presents developers with the opportunity to transform (sorry) any console game optimised for large HD televisions into something more akin to a handheld experience. But is this not also a curse? Is something not lost in the transition from the big to the small screen? SUMO – the developer behind the game – doesn’t think so. “I don’t think it’s compromised,” says Steve Lycett, executive producer on the game. “For a start we’re already building the game across a selection of handhelds, on 3DS and Vita, so we consider it one more option the players has.” And compared to these handhelds, the Wii U’s screen compares favourably. “Put it this way, when I’m kicked off the TV as the latest soaps need to be caught up with, I certainly won’t complain about being able to seamlessly carry on playing!”

Adder's Lair

Seamlessly. That’s the crucial word with the Wii U. Used smartly and sensitively the Wii U’s controller allows the game to expand in novel and curious ways; otherwise, it just feels gimmicky and forced. When you’re in a race, jockeying for position, the screen displays a range of pertinent information – the current order of racers, a mini-map of the course. It’s all unintrusive and useful, but I expect most people to keep their eyes firmly on the race. Similarly, when you unleash one of the game’s eccentric power-ups, you’ll be able to see its destiny on the GamePad’s screen. Launch a remote-controlled car loaded with a stick of dynamite and you can watch it travel towards its unfortunate target. Again, it’s unlikely you’ll divide your attention, but if you’re the kind of person who revels in the misfortune of others, the GamePad’s screen will accommodate your sadism.

It’s a subtle expanding of the game’s canvas onto the GamePad; it’s not a crowbarring.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of the GamePad is not its touchscreen or its gyroscope (incidentally, you can also steer using the GamePad like a wheel, rotating it left and right) – it’s the ability to open up weird and wonderful forms of asymmetrical gameplay. Yes, I know it was one of the most of overused and mocked phrases of this year’s E3 but with one person using a GamePad while others use more traditional controllers – Classic Controllers or the new Pro Controller – new types of gaming experiences become possible.

Depending on the circumstances, a GamePad can prove to be an advantage or disadvantage, and All-Star Racing Transformed smartly uses this discrepancy as the basis for its mini-games.

I only saw one during my time with the Wii U version, called ‘Super Monkey Ball Arena’, and whomever had the GamePad took control of AiAi, who was as usual encased in his perspex sphere. Meanwhile, opponents using Classic Controllers played as Sonic and Tails in racing cars. The aim of the mini-game was simple: before the time ran out, squash the tiny versions of Sonic and Tails, who were driving around attempting to collect as many bananas as possible.

The GamePad “gave us a reason to think about how we can use the fact one player has an advantage (or disadvantage!),” says Lycett. And the source of inspiration behind many of these games is an interesting one. “We came back to game you’d play as school kids. So things like Tag, British Bulldog, Hide and Seek, all the classics basically, became the inspiration for what we’d prototype and try. Then it’s how you bend that into something SEGA themed, and luckily we’ve had a bit of experience of doing that.”

Seaside Hill

That’s how the game plays but Sonic All-Star Racing Transformed also looks good on Nintendo’s latest console. I only saw two tracks: Adder's Lair, inspired by Golden Axe, and Seaside Hill which is based on a level from last year’s Sonic Generations. Both looked good – like its predecessor, the visuals are bright and chaotic – but things were obviously still being fine-tuned for Wii U. Ocean View was nicely designed, especially as the level slowly crumbled around you, forcing you to hit the waves, where you weave in and out of the flailing tentacles of a huge mechanical cephalopod. The game is “easily on a par [with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions],” says Lycett. “We’re still very much getting to grips with what we can make the hardware do [...]. So it’s hard to really answer that right now, but yeah, I think once we’ve had a bit more time finding our way around it, chances are you can look to do things that you may not be able to do before.”

2012 is shaping up to be the year of the console racer, with LittleBigPlanet Karting and F1 Race Stars also lining up on the grid. But Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is the only one heading to Wii U, and it seems to be intelligently embracing the new console’s capabilities. It’s there during races, but in a subtle ways, expanding the game beyond the narrow confines of your television screen.

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Relaunching Deadpool: What's Next for the Merc with a Mouth?

So far, Marvel has revealed the books that will be comprising the Marvel NOW! relaunch in the months of October and November. One thing we've noticed is that most of these relaunched series feature a familiar group of writers -- big names like Matt Fraction, Rick Remender, and Jonathan Hickman. With the new Deadpool series however, Marvel has shown a willingness to look outside the usual talent pool. The newest book to star the Merc With a Mouth will be penned by comedians/writers Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan, with Tony Moore providing pencils.

The new creative team are clearly focusing on comedy. The first arc sees Deadpool take on a mission from S.H.I.E.L.D. and do battle with zombie versions of America's Presidents. We knew this mercenary was always fond of dead presidents, but not quite so literally.

We sat down with all three creators to learn more about how they landed the assignment, what they have planned for Deadpool, and the challenges of transitioning from comedy writing to superhero comics.

IGN Comics: Gerry and Brian, can you talk a little about your history with comics in general and Deadpool in particular?

Gerry Duggan: We met at a comic shop, actually. Around ten years ago now, around the back issue bin. Obviously we were both lifelong Marvel fans up to that point. Deadpool has always occupied that space of action and comedy that doesn't exist elsewhere in comics. I think that's why he resonated with us.

Brian Posehn: Yeah, he was kind of the obvious choice for us. We both can be serious too, and we've talked about writing a more serious book down the line, but it felt like the way to get the foot in the door was to do the thing that we're both good at. And Deadpool is really the only game in town where you can do both things that we enjoy doing – tell an action story but also have the main character be a smart-ass.

IGN: You guys did the mini-series The Last Christmas together. Did Marvel approach the two of you together from the beginning, or was it one and then the other came into the picture later?

Posehn: Well, this whole thing would never have happened if it weren't for Comic-Con, probably. In any situation where you get something going, it's all about who you know, and this really came from that. Hanging out with Axel [Alonso]. Meeting Axel through Rick Remender. And Remender, who's our biggest cheerleader, going, “These guys are funny. These guys love comics. These guys should be writing.” It originally started with the idea that we were just going to do a special. But with Marvel kind of reevaluating their books, they realized they don't really want to do specials anymore. Then we were on the back-burner for a while. But we've been talking about doing something with them for a couple of years now. But the seed was at Comic-Con, right, Gerry?

Duggan: Yeah. Once Rick made that introduction, it was easy to grab drinks outside of Comic-Con and talk about fun stuff. Deadpool had always sort of bubbled to the surface. We've had a couple of ideas that have been “no's,” and they've been right to say no in editorial. But there have been a lot more “yes's.” I think we're doing a really fun Marvel book. I've seen some of the reaction to the teaser has been wary of comedy. Yes, Brian is obviously a very visible comedian. But we're really approaching this as a Marvel book. This is a big action story that hopefully has some laughs as you're turning the page and is something that you're going to look at extra long. There's stuff in there, too, that Tony is doing that's really special. He's really making the story shine with his pages.

Tony Moore: I think where Brian and Gerry really knocked it out of the park is that they built the whole story on this premise that's so bizarre that I honestly don't know how it ever got approved. [laughs] It's funnier than it really should be. But it's so good. I'm so excited that Marvel is rolling with it. It just seems like one of those ideas where, on any other planet, it would have been turned down, almost before they got to the end of the sentence.

Duggan: [laughs] “What else have you got?”

Posehn: Gerry's a great writer, if you've read Infinite Horizon. If you've read that, you know that he comes more from a story world. I love that too, and for us, that was way more important to come up with good stories and cool things that we can do for five issues and draw people in. And when we're putting words in bubbles, I can make Deadpool say some silly stuff. But that sort of takes a back seat to telling a good story, really.

Moore: Besides the absurd premise that they've got, they also have some really great character moments in there that get inside everybody's heads pretty quickly so you can have some emotional stakes with these guys. They're really telling some good stuff.

Posehn: Even with our first comic, The Last Christmas, it was really the idea that was the most important thing – telling this story and then the silly stuff is gravy.

Duggan: And the thing, too, that I think was a balancing act – and Jordan [White] had a lot to do with this and Tony, obviously – was the tone of the story. It's an action/comedy, but I would say the DNA is in Big Trouble in Little China and Ghostbusters and those sorts of things where the stakes are high and these are real threats. If Deadpool can't get the job done, this country is done. There are big threats. And by the way, the way these Presidents are drawn – they're very menacing. Being able to draw something really interesting with some menace is sort of Tony's fastball. But he's also got the ability to render a joke and make that work. And not everyone can do that. At least looking at the first couple issues of art, I think we're making a comic that we would buy ourselves and put it at the top of our pull lists.

Posehn: Yeah, absolutely. We feel very lucky to do it. There's a reason we worked with Tony again. He did a cover for us on The Last Christmas. We're obviously big fans, and we're actually friends too, but he was an easy first call. Of course he's what we want.

Duggan: And hopefully America is good and sick of politics. Hopefully you won't mind seeing some of the former pillars of society and government come back with some very bad intentions.

IGN: Staying on the subject of the art for a minute, Tony, a lot of your recent work has been on books like Venom and Frankencastle -- the darker, more sinister types of books. Is your art style changing much as you shift into this series?

Moore: Not incredibly so. The basics are all still the same. I do feel a lot more relaxed with this book since it's not quite so morose as some of the other stuff, especially the work I did on Venom. That got pretty dark. This is a little more freewheeling, and I feel like my cartooning has loosened up a bit. It's made for some fresher art. I'm really happy with the way things have gone. It's a more relaxing kind of cartooning than I've been able to enjoy in a long time, so I'm pleased with the way everything has gone.

Duggan: Now might be a good time to point out that when this runs, you'll see some art that shows the tweaks he did to the costume. [Editor's Note: See the cover to Deadpool #1 above.] It's really costume. And they're subtle. You'll look at it and know that it's Deadpool, but it's a new Deadpool that really looks great.

Posehn: Less pouches.

Duggan: Less pouches and less weird, tech-y gear, but more versatile sort of, “Hey, you know what? Those are magazines. Those are clips.” You get the sense that he can reach behind his back and pull out either a frying pan or a shotgun. It looks great.

Moore: The idea was to take what was there and kind of streamline it a little bit and tweak it enough that it felt like a new beginning. And then keep the icon intact as much as I could, but try to have it make a little more sense so that I can really wrap my head around it when I have to draw it.

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Warehouse 13: "Personal Effects" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

I'll say one thing about this new season so far: it certainly hasn't been boring. Warehouse 13 has found a formula for keeping the viewer's interest piqued throughout a whole hour of television and dropping big hints about the future storyline.

Right from the start, this episode had lots of callbacks to old elements of the series. There was a picture of the Civil War re-enactment Jinks and Claudia went to, and we had the return of the "dead agent" vault. I really like it when this series is self-referential because the writers have come up with an impressive amount of clever ideas over the years and many of them could deserve a little extra screen time. The premise of this story refers back to the huge cache of artifacts that Sykes had and what happened to it, which was one loose end from last season that is neatly tied up here.

This story gets into the warehouse agent action very quickly. Within the first five minutes we've already got Pete and Myka busting into Sykes' house to grab, bag, and tag Sykes' old artifacts only to find that someone else got there first. It turns out to be a dude named Jessie who is portrayed by this week's guest star, Brian J. Smith from SyFy's ill-fated Stargate Universe series. He was a good casting choice since he's got a fair amount of experience with sci-fi stories and acting with CG special effects. He also has this innocuous boy next door charm that's perfect for this role.

Brian's character has a typical background for a Warehouse 13 antagonist: he's not really a bad guy, just a desperate person trying to figure out a way out of a tragic situation when an artifact lands in their lap. Or in this case, a box full of artifacts that he quickly scatters across a North Dakota town via the local pawn shop. Then the crux of this episode becomes an artifact scavenger hunt. What's more interesting than chasing one artifact? Chasing a box of them!

This is a brilliant move on the part of the writers. We get a gaggle of varied artifacts, placing our man cast in a bunch of different situations that bring excitement and that unique Warehouse 13 humor. The best joke of the episode was Artie's, “A jew and a black woman walk into a country club...”. That was beautiful, and made even more perfect by the fact that it's usually not Artie that comes up with these quips. Then we have the lady at the country club with the 9-iron was a hoot too. Some of the jokes weren't such a hit though. When Jinks goes “I'm gay”, and the lingerie clerk girl is all “Oh my god, do you watch Revenge?” I just shook my head and tried to ignore the extreme levels of cheesiness. But that's Warehouse 13 for you -- it straddles that thin line between cute quirky fun and groan-inducing camp, but it's always at least trying.

In the midst of all this action are a couple of dropped hints about the overarching plot points that are going to drive this season. Artie accidentally almost spilled the beans about his trip through time, and it's becoming clear that Claudia and Jinks now share a voodoo kind of bond that makes any damage to Jinks happen to Claudia. This is surely a side effect of the use of the metronome, but it'll be interesting to see how this plays a part in Artie's strange visions of Claudia stabbing him with a dagger.

There's another aspect worth mentioning: the special effects. After a step back last week, this episode comes back strong in the CG department with a number of clean and challenging effects. Thunderstorm effects can be tricky to pull off with a low budget, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that everything came out nice and pretty here. The sets and props work well too. The aftermath of dropping an armored truck through a hole in the ceiling of a warehouse was nicely done.

The only area where I feel this story dropped the ball a bit was the emotional impact of the story behind Jessie's motivation. The "I've got a sick family member and need to pay the bills" idea has been used many, many times in Hollywood and it is beyond cliche at this point. Jessie's ultimate sacrifice is still touching, but one wonders if a donor's heart would still be useful after a lightning strike. Still, overall this is a fun episode with lots of great material, and the flaws don't really detract from an otherwise enjoyable hour of TV.

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The Symmetry of New Super Mario Bros. Wii

You'd think there'd be a difference. Mario's been doing this kind of thing for decades – running, jumping, saving the princess. You'd think he'd have some advantage, some noticeably better skillset than a pair of simple upstarts setting out on their first-ever adventure. But, no. Nintendo decided against that. Nintendo decided that, in 2009's New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the world's most famous platforming hero would be able to be matched step for step, jump for jump by a couple of nameless, personality-less Toads.

From Mario's perspective, it doesn't make a lot of sense. He should run faster. Jump higher. Something. But, from the designers' point of view, it must have been better to make all players created equal.

Realizing a Dream

When New Super Mario Bros. Wii was revealed three years ago and then shipped to stores in late 2009, it sparked a new revival for 2D side-scrolling platformers – but it was a focused one, not just a general revisit to the genre. 2006's first New Super Mario Bros. on the DS had already done that, so the Wii follow-up's larger contribution wasn't just pulling platformers back into the spotlight, but pulling platformers back into the spotlight with a new emphasis on simultaneous multiplayer play.

It was four-player Mario! A design dream that Shigeru Miyamoto had hoped to realize for decades, finally materialized in Nintendo's fifth console generation. At long last you could set out to rescue the kidnapped princess with friends alongside you, having Mario accompanied by his brother Luigi and the two new characters, Blue Toad and Yellow Toad.

Well, calling them new characters is being a bit generous. These two Toads were about as generic as could be, as Nintendo refused to give them any kind of storyline introduction or even their own names. They were simply there to serve as alternate-colored clones of the red- and green-clothed plumbers. Some fans cried foul at the time – why not use established characters like Wario and Waluigi, or the "normal" Toad, or even the Princess herself to fill those spots?

The answer was simple enough – because the designers wanted everyone to play the same.

Symmetry and Asymmetry

New Super Mario Bros. Wii was designed to offer a wholly symmetric multiplayer experience. You've heard the opposite term thrown around a lot recently. "Asymmetric" gameplay refers to games in which different players experience different things while playing at the same time, and it's a big focus for the upcoming Wii U and its new GamePad controller. "Symmetric" gameplay, then, would refer to games in which every player essentially experiences the same thing. Like New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Whether you're controlling Mario, or Luigi, or Blue or Yellow Toad, your abilities are no different than anyone else's. Everyone runs at the same speed, jumps to the same heights – it's a level playing field for all. And it works well, no doubt about it – New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a brilliantly fun multiplayer experience. It's a good time. Hopping and bopping around, picking up your buddies and tossing them into pits, "bubbling up" when you're about to die and begging your pals to come pop you out so you can keep going. Nintendo's designers picked a good direction for the game.

But it's not the only direction they could have chosen. In the wake of New Super Mario Bros. Wii's success, we got several more examples of ways that four-player simultaneous 2D side-scrolling could be handled with a bit of asymmetry tossed in. Ubisoft's Rayman Origins cloned the approach of pairing two established characters with two generic tag-alongs, but Rayman, Globox and the Teensies all had wildly different animations that made them feel more individual. Kirby's Return to Dream Land took things to the next level by giving each character a different skillset – Kirby could suck up and copy enemy powers as normal, but Meta Knight, Waddle Dee and King Dedede had wholly their own identities wielding a sword, a spear and a giant mallet, respectively.

And Donkey Kong Country Returns, while only two-player, nevertheless made Donkey and Diddy distinct from one another – which enhanced the teamwork element of playing that game with a friend, as you both had your own unique roles to play.

Going Forward

So the question becomes, is there room for a little more asymmetry in the New Super Mario Bros. series, going forward? The upcoming New Super Mario Bros. U will explore one extreme with its "Boost Mode," which will give one player the power to insert blocks into the environment through the GamePad's touch screen while the others run and jump along as normal. Rayman Origins' sequel, Rayman Legends, will similarly invite an extra, fifth player to pick up the GamePad to control the environment-altering new character, Murphy.

But those may be examples of asymmetry taken a bit too far, at least for the crowd who cried foul about the two generic Toad Bros. in 2009 – because the initial expectation for many for a multiplayer Mario design wasn't a game where someone sat off to the side dropping extra bricks into the scene, or even for four players running and jumping around with the exact same skill set. The expectation was more in line with what Kirby's Return to Dream Land delivered – a game in which established individual Mario characters used their established individual skills to each contribute something different to the action.

So you'd have Wario as an option, bulkier and more powerful than the others and unleashing his trademark shoulder-forward bull rushes from his Wario Land series. You'd have Princess Peach, floating through the air with her hovering long jumps, maybe even wielding Parry the Parasol from her standalone platformer Super Princess Peach. Maybe you'd even have Bowser stomping along and breathing fire in playable form, as he has been a time or two in the Mario role-playing games.

The opportunity is there – and, in fact, the template for how it would work was laid down around 25 years ago, way back in Super Mario Bros. 2. Even without letting the villains get into the mix, you've got an established framework for how to make the heroes feel different right there – Mario is the average everyman. Luigi jumps higher than anyone else, kicking his legs wildly in the air. Princess Peach has those floaty long jumps and Toad ("the" Toad) is stronger than the rest. So perhaps it's time for a new Super Mario Bros. 2? (Not to be confused with New Super Mario Bros. 2.)

In Conclusion

The possibilities are there. The template is there. It's just up in the air whether or not Nintendo would ever choose to take New Super Mario Bros. in an asymmetric direction, after setting the definitive symmetric standard three years ago. New Super Mario Bros. Wii was great, and no doubt this year's two new sequels in the series will prove themselves to be solid entries in the franchise as well. But there's an opportunity for Nintendo's designers to refresh this franchise further some time in the future – if they follow the example of games like Kirby's Return to Dream Land and even the old Super Mario Bros. 2, and if they can actually embrace the established diversity of the Mushroom Kingdom's many diverse characters, instead of just tossing us more generic, nameless Toads.

Lucas M. Thomas led the charge to give Blue Toad and Yellow Toad a bit more personality back at E3 '09, and to this day he still personally refers to them as Yvan and Wolley. You can tell him your own nicknames for the Toad Bros by following him on Twitter.

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Comic Book Reviews for 8/1/12

This week in comics: Avengers vs. X-Men gets its groove back, the Swamp Thing/Animal Man crossover begins, iZombie comes to a close at Vertigo, Deadpool kills the whole Marvel Universe, Marvel goes all "Before X-Men" with The First X-Men mini-series, and Hawkeye gets a brand new solo series.

DC COMICS

Action Comics #12

Written by Grant Morrison | Art by Various

"Grant Morrison recently confirmed that he won't be continuing his Action Comics run beyond his initial 16-issue plan. That news casts a large shadow over issue #12. Like the rest of this story arc, there are both successes and missteps to be found, but the prevailing question now becomes 'How can Morrison properly wrap up such a wide-reaching story in a mere four issues?'" -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.0

Animal Man #12

Written by Jeff Lemire & Scott Snyder | Art by Steve Pugh

"With any episodic story there inevitably comes the 'recap' installment where the characters spend a majority of the issue reflecting on the past and little else. Luckily, Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder sidestep the painful parts of this necessary evil and add in just enough new content to set up for the long-brewing Rotworld storyline." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.5

Batwing #12

Written by Judd Winick | Art by Marcus To

"Hit the panic button, folks, because Batwing is officially in trouble. I get the idea. Really, I do. Justice League International could benefit from tapping into other books’ readerships. David Zavimbe is from Africa. Stick the JLI into Batwing, and both titles do better, right? Not really." -Poet

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

5.5

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #2

Written by J. Michael Straczynski | Art by Andy & Joe Kubert

"Aside from Silk Spectre, Nite Owl might be the Watchmen character best suited for an extended origin treatment. After all, Nite Owl is essentially equal parts Blue Beetle and Batman held together by a glue of sexual dysfunction. Unfortunately, issue #1 did too little to realize that potential, as it powered through Dan Dreiberg's early years and all the way up to his early team-ups with Rorschach. Where is there left for the series to go from there?" -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

6.5

Detective Comics #12

Written by Tony Daniel | Art by Tony Daniel

"Way to prove me wrong, Mr. Daniel. In my review for Detective Comics #11, I expressed my satisfaction with the depth given to Mr. Toxic. I was hopeful for a closer look at the emotions driving Mr. Toxic’s desperate quest in issue #12. I was expecting an open-ended portrait of a conflicted new villain. I was wrong." -Poet

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

4.5

Dial H #4

Written by China Mievelle | Art by Mateus Santolouco

"One of the goals of the New 52 relaunch was to offer more bold and unique series outside of the usual superhero crowd. For whatever faults it might have, Dial H is never guilty of being familiar or formulaic. If anything, its weirdness has been a hurdle to overcome. Luckily, China Mieville's opening arc has progressed to the point where it's easier to see past the surreal nature of the writing and appreciate the characters." -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.5

Earth 2 #4

Written by James Robinson | Art by Nicola Scott & Eduardo Pansica

"The most alluring feature of Earth 2 is how it continues to build its unique world and introduce old characters in new ways. I never thought the Atom would win me over, but here I am rather impressed with his impactful debut. While there are a few other good moments in this issue, a lack of elegance in the transitions and dialog stop this from being the standout title it could be." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.0

G.I. Combat #4

Written by Various | Art by Various

"For better or worse, G.I. Combat #4 offers little change over the previous issues. The series is still you best outlet for man vs. dinosaur mayhem, and its revamped take on Unknown Soldier is becoming comfortably decent, if not spectacular. As far as whether this book has more long-term potential than Men of War, that still remains to be seen." -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

6.0

iZombie #28

Written by Chris Roberson | Art by Mike Allred

"After just over two years, it’s time to say goodbye to Gwen, Spot, and the rest of the inhabitants of Eugene, Oregon. This issue marks the conclusion to iZombie, and rather surprisingly, Chris Roberson and Mike Allred manage to wrap up the many plot threads and deliver a satisfying, if bittersweet, end. Though the arc has felt somewhat truncated over the course of the last few issues, this installment takes its time to deliver the necessary send-off to the many characters we’ve come to love over the course of 28 issues." -Joey

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

8.0

Red Lanterns #12

Written by Peter Milligan | Art by Miguel Sepulveda

"This issue of Red Lanterns looks amazing thanks to Miguel Sepulveda’s incredible artwork along with Rain Beredo and Santi Arcas’s superb coloring, but Peter Milligan’s script is all over the place. He has a compelling story that has the characters in interesting situations -- Atrocitus faces his vengeful first Red Lantern and Bleez is tempted to become a Star Sapphire -- but his overdone dialog makes it an ungraceful affair. If anything, Milligan provides several large plot twists that bring the first year of Red Lantern stories to a mostly solid conclusion." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

6.0

Stormwatch #12

Written by Peter Milligan | Art by Will Conrad & Julio Ferreira

"When the New 52 revamp of Stormwatch was revealed, many fans questioned the purpose of including Martian Manhunter. Was this series anything more than a consolation prize for J'onn losing his Justice League founder status? Flash forward a year, and now the thought of J'onn leaving this quirky team is a depressing one. Issue #12 serves as a proper sendoff for the hero even as the book looks forward to the future." -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.0

Swamp Thing #12

Written by Scott Snyder & Jeff Lemire | Art by Marco Rudy

"Forget Avengers vs. X-Men and forget Trinity War. The only crossover I’ve genuinely been looking forward to (post-Omega Effect, that is) is Rotworld. Animal Man #12 kicked off the prologue chapter that continues here in Swamp Thing #12, and the two issues rely on one another pretty heavily. If you’ve been reading both books, I would say Animal Man #12 is less important to the Rotworld story so far, though it does depict the first meeting of Buddy Baker and Alec Holland. Swampy #12, however, holds the fun stuff as we get to see just what kind of desperate scenario these two characters have gotten themselves into." -Joey

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

8.0

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Watch the New Doctor Who Season 7 Trailer

Finally, it's here! The full trailer for the upcoming season of Doctor Who has debuted over at BBC Amerca, and it is a glorious thing to behold. Weeping angels, dinosaurs, and, of course, Daleks, show up in grand fashion.

The Doctor, Amy, Rory, and River Song are set to make a return this fall, along with a brand a new companion played by Jenna-Louise Coleman.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He will love Star Wars (and Doctor Who) until the end of his days.

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