..Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth..

Is it my dream come true? A Marvel fighting game that utilizes Kinect in such a way that lets me punch, kick, and pose like my favorite Marvel superheroes while I battle Skrulls? Well, that is what Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth promises, and so I'm there.

Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth is set during the Secret Invasion story arc (I'm talking about the actual comics here, folks) written by Brian Michael Bendis back in 2008 / 2009. In this storyline, the shape-changing Skrulls have slowly and meticulously taken over members of the Avengers, creating a "The Thing"-like atmosphere for our favorite team of heroes. This makes sense for a fighting game where you can be The Captain wailing on Iron Man (well, they have always been at each other's throats anyways…), because it is the Skrull version of Iron Man. Yay! I actually liked this arc (it's no Busiek Avengers, but what is!?); it was great fan-service to have a game based on this not-insanely-popular plotline.

The gameplay of Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth is fairly basic fighting fare, pitting two heroes against two heroes in basic fighting game environments and methods of play. So how does it fair on Kinect, you ask? We all know it's hard to make a Kinect game that is not either gimmicky or rough around the edges (so far, that has been my experience with Kinect games). However, Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth is actually quite smooth and well-executed. By mimicking a certain hero's move, like putting your arms up for Iron Man's repulsors, or even shouting HULK SMASH! in some cases, you will execute these moves in game. Surprisingly, they come across pretty tightly. If you are talented, you will be able to string together combos. It's actually really fun, and for an adult who is a huge Marvel fan, it puts a smile on your face to be acting like a six year old all over again, in your living room, pretending you are Spider-Man.

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