Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation 2, Wii

It's a great time to be a G.I.Joe fan these days, that's for sure. Everything from lunch boxes to role play toys to video games are on the shelves vying for the attention of kids and collectors alike and that brings us to the latest offering from Electronic Arts - G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra - The Game.

The game starts out with a cinematic of a snowy landscape zooming down to the ground, where a crashed Cobra Flight Pod (Trouble Bubble) is crushed by the G.I.Joe Mobile PIT command center. Right away you know this is going to be fun and while movie based, there are lots of surprises in store for the hard-core vintage fan.

RoC: The Game is set around a two-player concept, so everything is done in tandem - more on this and its impact on game play in a moment. To start out, you select two characters (in the beginning your only options are Duke and Scarlett), and proceed to select your mission.

As you progress through each stage, you discover battle files (file cards) for movie and vintage characters, vehicles, and locations. Along with Battle Files, you earn points that are converted to Battle Points, the currency used within RoC to purchase unlocks, such as new characters, costumes, and more. Also, as your point totals and kills increase during your mission, you can activate Accelerator Suit power ups, which last only for a brief moment but give a great boost to speed and firepower - also, a slightly modern version of the 80s cartoon instrumental theme plays in the background.

Now, as to the game play itself, RoC is really designed for two players, but a single player can have a great time by letting the game's artificial intelligence (AI) control the one of your two playable characters. But speaking of RoC's AI, it is really detrimental when driving vehicles, such as the Snow Cat. The Snow Cat requires one player to drive the vehicle and control the ski-pedoes, while another player aims and operates the missile turret - the problem is that the AI does neither of these and forces you to drive the Snow Cat into position, switch to the turret, aim, fire, switch back, drive, etc. It is a very labor-intensive shoot-and-scoot situation but it's still fun and when was the last time you got to drive a Joe vehicle in a video game?

As for regular, non-vehicle game play, the AI is great and you can rely on it to take your other character and use them well, which helps you coordinate your attacks and strategy.

Game progression and flow are interesting in RoC. I was not really expecting such a linear game play scenario. You travel in only one direction, towards an objective, with mini-bosses and boss characters along the way, seeking power ups and bonus point boxes. In almost every aspect, this game reminds me of a much more advanced version of the Konami G.I.Joe arcade game, circa 1992. That game was simply an arcade shooter much in the tone and motif of Contra or other classic shooters of that era. When RoC is taken in that context, it thrives as what it is for its genre.

After spending several hours with G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra, I am impressed. This game is by no means ground breaking or revolutionary in any way, but the graphics are good, the storyline makes sense and most importantly it's fun. If you are a kid or collector or just a fan of simple but fun games, then you need to pick up a copy of G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra, get a friend and some burritos and have a great time!

Yo Joe!

Offical Game Information:
ESRB Rated: T (Teen)
Players: 1-2
MSRP:
$49.95 (Xbox 360, Playstaton 3, Nintendo Wii),
$39.99 (PSP),
$29.99 (Playstation 2, Nintendo DS).

Archive entry:
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra by Electronic Arts
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra for the Nintendo DS by Electronic Arts

Editor's Note:
Like what you saw? Hated it? Post about it in the YoJoe! Forums!

Screenshots:

Images from the collection of: Electronic Arts

Visit the Official G.I. Joe video game site here!