Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is a great game. It's gameplay shares many similarities with developer Raven Software's previous X-Men Legends games, but the formula still works. The game's been a big hit on Xbox 360 with its mighty list of unlockables, bonus characters and Xbox Live-supported co-op gameplay. Now the PlayStation 3 version has arrived, just in time for the system's launch. Thankfully, it's just as action-packed.

Doctor Doom, the nefarious evildoer who fights the Fantastic Four every chance he gets is back. He's formed a league of super villains and it's up to a team of super heroes to shut them down for good. Players receive four characters from the start: Thor, Captain America, Wolverine and Spider-Man. Over the course of the game, however, the player can shift the team around to their liking as new heroes get unlocked. This list includes Silver Surfer, Hawkeye, Blade, Ghost Rider, and even members of the Fantastic Four.

Alliance's team-based gameplay shines because it keeps things fresh and exciting. A group of four works together at all times, beating up countless thugs. The player can switch between these heroes with a press of the D-pad. Having this feature adds an avalanche of replay value, as each hero has his or her own special moves. Spider-Man, for example, can swing around with his web to set up powerful aerial moves and reach higher ledges as Wolverine can take more damage than most characters and slice up bad guys with his adamantium claws.

This gameplay shares similarities with previous beat-em-ups from gaming's past. The player must first wade through groups of thugs scattered throughout each level, then reach the eventual boss encounter against one of Doctor Doom's villain league. The wide scope of characters is off the charts, as all kinds of bad guys show their faces. (When was the last time Bullseye got some respect in a video game? Honestly.) The locations range from a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier flying over the city, a blood-red Mephisto's Hell and even to a devastated Skrull world.

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