In the third (and possibly final) installment of this week's look at gaming apps that use physical toys to enhance and amuse it's time for everyone's favorite twisty-based collectible figure game to take a shot. Uncanny Avengers assemble on my iPad!
Retailing for $14.99 wherever things like this are sold, the HeroClix TabApp sets combine colorful cartoon HeroClix figures based on Marvel's Avengers and X-Men with an iPad game that seems completely unlike the experience of actually playing the HeroClix game.
I am speaking from a position of disadvantage, having never played around with HeroClix myself. The addictive nature of my personality would soon see me up to my chest in tiny superhero and fantasy figures. My children would chew on them. My cats would chew on them. My wife would chew on them. We're a big chewing family.
Luckily there are only two sets of three Marvel HeroClix TabApp figures (I mention 12 in the video, ignore me), and I have all of these so collecting isn't an issue.
I've seen HeroClix being played, and it's really nothing like this. Your figure stays in one spot while the screen scrolls, thugs and super-villains rising to meet the challenge of knocking Iceman, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and Wolverine down a peg. I don't mention Cyclops, because in current comic continuity he is a giant ass.
It's not a bad little game, though I wish twisting the base—seems like a big deal—affected the play in any way. Your toys are statues, lording over the iPad, begging to be vanquished.