Ask me what my ideal comic-book brawling game is and, without even a hint of hesitation, I'll tell you Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. I don't know what it is that made Capcom dial in the superhero essence so perfectly, but they did it, mixing together many familiar faces from the comic books with Capcom's universe to create the ideal fighting experience. Then, before Capcom could even consider a part three, Electronic Arts swooped in and struck an exclusive deal with Marvel to produce a fighting game with their heroes, and the party was over. Granted, if you still own a copy of MVC2, you probably cherish it just as much as I do. And now you can do it even more, now that EA's Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects has arrived.

I say this because EA has failed to see what made the MVC games so special- essence. Sure, they've worked directly with Marvel to produce an epic adventure all their own, and, yes, many familiar faces made the cut, from the rugged Wolverine to the sexy Elektra to the smarmy Spiderman, as well as a few foes like Magneto and Venom. But the game just doesn't feel the same. Imagine if you had yourself some of the best hot dogs you could ever taste in New York City, and then going back home and grilling up a generic supermarket hot dog. That's the difference between Capcom's games of old and Marvel Nemesis- and it's like night and day.

Marvel legends Mark Millar and Jae Lee lent a hand on the game's story and new character designs, and it actually isn't that bad a story. Some insane scientist (because, really, who wants a logical one in a comic book?) has an alien race scourging across the city, along with six super-powerful warriors who aren't quite the perfect level that he wants them to be at. Hence, their group name is the Imperfects, and they're still dedicated to this mysterious genius. That's where the Marvel universe comes into play, as numerous heroes (and a few villains) take on this strange alien force before it makes the Earth succumb to it. It's a typical comic book story, but it's told through some stylish cinema sequences.

If only the rest of the game could hold up to this style. The main problem with Marvel Nemesis is that it's so busy flashing many of its assets that it fails to focus on the one that matters most- substance. This is a flash-in-the-pan brawler at best, with a few cool techniques buried beneath an average fighting system. Sure, there's different types of heroes here, including a heavyweight division (The Thing, Venom) and a few lighter-on-their-feet fighters who focus on their abilities (Storm, Spiderman). But they play mostly the same, and the game never really rises to the occasion of unpredictability. You fight, move along, fight again, move along. It's a basic pattern that's unfitting of the superhero regime.

And this suffers worst in single player mode. You're put into the shoes of specific superheroes as they work their way through the story, battling dispatchable goons left and right and eventually getting into a boss fight with a stronger opponent. Then it's on and on until eventually getting to the scientist. As you progress, you shift to another character. The only real cool part about this game's single player mode is the ability to unlock goodies, such as trading cards and more characters for multiplayer (which I'll get to in a second). Past that, there's no real reason to trudge through it time after time. It lacks consistency and joy. It's like reading a comic book with pages torn out of it by your annoying kid sister.

And don't even get me started on the "finishing move" business. All EA has done to add some coolness to the game is give you the chance to finish off foes with some kind of super-throw. It's not even a designated finishing move, just something you can pull off after you or your opponent enter a "danger zone" of sorts. Where's Spiderman at when he can web an opponent into a ball and fling them off the roof? Where's Wolverine and his Berzerker Barrage? Man, talk about your lack of imagination.

Marvel Nemesis also suffers from some uneasiness in the design department. On one hand, Jae Lee's new creations manage to hold up well alongside the Marvel catalog, with each player packing a strange electric component that gives them a good menacing look. This also leads to some great lighting effects that take place throughout each level, including the destruction of terrain that's dazzling to watch. Unfortunately, these little quirks are strained alongside some uninspired level design, even in the small "arenas" where you have your boss fights. Would it have been so bad to include more locales from the comics instead of generic places like "torn-up city streets" or "rooftop to said office building"? Worse yet, the game's graphics, which smooth flowing with frame rate, sometimes look a bit jerky, and the camera options are limited. This results in a game you want to enjoy looking at, but too many things get in the way. Think of it as a prom date who suspiciously has more pimples than you do.

The game also has uneven issues with its sound. You'll like the fact that EA has employed some servicable voice actors to carry out the familar faces' voice tones with ease, but can't really get backed by anything but corny dialogue. Unnecessary taunts, for instance. The music is alright, fitting with the tone of the game, but you probably won't rush out and buy the soundtrack. Oh, well, at least EA Trax aren't plaguing the game...although I would've liked to find The Ramones singing "Spiderman" somewhere in here. Then you have the sound effects, which have their moments but seem a bit formulatic in their execution. More could've been done here, I think.

If Marvel Nemesis does have one thing going for it, it's the multiplayer factor. As I stated, you may have to trudge your way through a lackluster adventure to get them, but there are a number of characters that can be unlocked for versus battle, and it's interesting to see them match up with a second player in control, instead of a computer AI that seems to be dialing in its egotistical fighting style. The multiplayer gets even more unpredictable through online play, which I thought was a nice touch by EA. Here, you can compete online with another opponent through Xbox Live or the PS2 servers, and even set up custom battle rules if you're up for a fiercer kind of match. This is probably the main event of this game, and I'm sure comic book fans will find themselves rather engaged in it...unless the general gameplay puts them to sleep quicker than a Martha Stewart TV movie.

It's not even October yet and we already have some quality Marvel-licensed products for the picking. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is quickly moving up in the "sleeper of the year" category; Ultimate Spider-Man looks to be making waves in Activision's camp; and lest we forget X-Men Legends II, which looks to be far superior to the original. In order to compete, EA really needed to ramp up here, and, sadly, they did not.

Despite its promising multiplayer (online and off) and some cool unlockables here and there, Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects just fails to qualify as anything other than a rental. It just seems so substandard when it's supposed to be hovering high above the city it's out to protect. This isn't a celebration of Marvel's brilliance, just a muting of it beneath a shell of development that never gets off the ground. Indeed, imperfect fits right in the title. Capcom needs to get the license back.