Review: Street Fighter - Sakura Ganbaru!

Inspired by the famed martial artist Ryu, schoolgirl Sakura Kasugano rushes headfirst into the world of street fighting. She instantly garners the attention of rival fighter Karin Kanzuki, who eventually aids Sakura in her quest for finding Ryu. Along the way, she’s joined by a host of iconic Street Fighter characters.

Street Fighter: Sakura Ganbaru! is a two volume manga series originally published between 1996 and 1997, written and illustrated by Masahiko Nakahira.

Sakura Ganbaru! immediately follows the events of the Street Fighter Alpha manga, also by Masahiko Nakahira. Sakura has been saved from Bison by Ryu, an enigmatic karate fighter who instantly becomes Sakura’s greatest influence and idol. She sets out to be just like him and even hopes to reunite with him in order to challenge him to a battle. During her journey, Sakura encounters many familiar faces and becomes fast friends with the likes of Dan Hibiki, Chun-Li and Cammy. This adventure gives readers an exuberant look at the life of one of Street Fighter’s most beloved characters, showing her to be a tough, resourceful and plucky young heroine who readers will root for (as the title of the manga suggests we do). Being treated to the aforementioned guest spots is just the cherry on top.

The two collected volumes of this series reflect two individual story arcs that detail Sakura’s entrance into street fighting. The first arc focuses almost entirely on Karin Kanzuki’s mission to test Sakura’s fighting abilities and to eventually see her defeated, be it at her hands or at someone else’s. It is here where we meet Sakura’s pseudo-mentor Dan Hibiki, a rather incompetent fighter who is used almost exclusively for comedic relief, and the all-American fighting champ Ken Masters. This particular arc has a tendency to meander and feels almost exclusively like filler. It’s not bad by any means, especially since it does an adequate job of introducing readers to the cast in a way that is accessible and entertaining. I also must give props to Nakahira for including the Final Fight 2 character Maki, who has gone woefully unused by Capcom over the years.

The second volume is far superior to the first. It is here where we get to the meat of the story and where Sakura is actually actively searching for Ryu. She and Dan first travel to Hong Kong, where they are saved by Chun-Li after they get caught up in a human trafficking ring. Chun-Li then aides them in tracking down leads for Ryu’s whereabouts, which ultimately leads the duo to Russia, Thailand and, finally, back to Japan. This brief trek outside of Japan is a page-turner, especially as we finally get to see Sakura meet up with some of the most iconic characters from the Street Fighter franchise. What’s great about this is that it adds further depth and allows Sakura to play off different personalities. I especially found her interactions with Cammy to be particularly poignant and added to both characters’ narratives.

While Sakura Ganbaru! is buckets of fun, the one issue I had with the series was the overall portrayal of Sakura as a vaguely messianic figure. She veers into Mary Sue territory with her distinct lack of faults and her tendency to win just about every fight she gets into, despite being woefully inexperienced. She also learns how to channel her chi and deliver the iconic hadouken move on her first attempt. Nakahira’s insistence on having Sakura be the focus of every fight and of having her win nearly every fight makes all the other characters seem incompetent in comparison. Sakura’s victory over Karin seems laughable, considering how much Karin is built up as a martial arts savant, while both Chun-Li and Cammy come across as weaklings when both fail to prove themselves as individual threats to Gen and Zangief respectively. The downplaying of Cammy’s abilities is actually quite puzzling, especially since she was supposed to be Bison’s greatest assassin.

Overall, Sakura Ganbaru! is a cute little entry into the Street Fighter franchise. It’s a fun and entertaining read that works as a brilliant introduction into one of the franchise’s most recognizable heroines. Despite Nakahira’s tendency to portray Sakura as unstoppable and a lackluster first arc, this collection of stories presents a more cohesive and engaging narrative than the actual games do. Sakura Ganbaru! is a must-read for every Street Fighter fan.

RATING: B

Review: Ada Wong, Resident Evil 6

Originally introduced in the 1998 sequel to the first Resident Evil game, Ada Wong has long been a fixture in the zombie smashing franchise as a supporting character. With the release of Resident Evil 6, Ada was given a much-deserved spotlight and played an integral role in the narrative.

Despite the fact that she's considered one of the most popular characters from the Resident Evil franchise, Ada Wong had been no more than an accessory to the games she'd appeared in. While she may have had two mini-games in Resident Evil 4, Ada had never been placed on an equal standing with fan-favourites like Claire Redfield or Leon S. Kennedy. Resident Evil 6 addressed this head-on by building the narrative of the game around Ada and the producers are to be commended for that. Ada is finally given her own campaign within the main game and it is a major selling point for this particular entry. Her campaign is unique in that it combines the pulse-pounding thrills of espionage with the chills of zombie hunting. Ada's segment emphasizes stealth and encourages players to carefully analyse each situation. There is a sense of urgency and imminent danger in much of her campaign as well and, unlike the other campaigns, Ada does not have a partner to rely on when playing independently offline. That said, she does get to pilot a helicopter at one point and pwns just about everything in her crosshairs. It's also worth mentioning that Ada's campaign is essentially the linchpin that holds everything else together as it fills in all the holes in the other campaigns.

Upon beating Ada's campaign, she becomes available for play in The Mercenaries. Unfortunately, Ada's default has one of the most infuriating inventories in the game. While her crossbow was tons of fun in the campaign, it is now a burden. Its need to be reloaded after every shot is a pain-in-the-neck and the fact that it knocks singular enemies back is counter-productive to building up combos. That said, the pipe bomb arrows are useful for crowd control and for firing at boss-level baddies. Her Ammo Box 50 serves as her primary weapon and is more practical than the crossbow. It fires bullets like a machine gun but has the strength of a handgun. As such, there is the tendency to run out of ammo rather quickly so gamers need to be extra careful while using it since Ada doesn't have a good back-up weapon. The incendiary grenades she carries are ideal for tossing at the stronger bad guys when things get hairy. After achieving an A-rank with Ada's default, her alternate is unlocked. It is marginally better than the default. The MP-AF is her primary weapon and is a low-level machine gun that can be set to single or multiple fire modes. The latter mode is more powerful but tends to eat up ammo. Her secondary weapon is a snipe rifle. While the rifle may be high-powered and ideal for inflicting tons of damage, the reload speed is killer and places Ada in danger after each shot. The rest of her inventory contains hand grenades, flash grenades and two always-useful red herbs. The hand grenades will come in handy but the flash grenades should probably be discarded to open up her inventory for more helpful offensive items.

In many ways, Ada Wong is Resident Evil 6's greatest achievement and biggest disappointment. Her campaign is spectacular and serves as a major standout aspect of the game. It blends action perfectly with stealth and problem-solving puzzles. It's a diverse campaign and finally gives Ada the respect and attention she deserves. Conversely, she is one of the most poorly-stocked characters in The Mercenaries. It takes a lot of work to achieve high scores with Ada due to her counter-productive weapons that lack power and devour ammo. However, it's better to have a poorly-stocked Ada than have no Ada at all. After all, what is Resident Evil without its resident femme fatale?

Campaign Grade: A-

The Mercenaries Grade: C

Review: Sherry Birkin, Resident Evil 6

For long-time fans of Resident Evil, Sherry Birkin is fondly remembered as the plucky little girl who survived the viral outbreak in Raccoon City with the help of Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield. Over a decade later, Sherry Birkin is all grown up and ready to kick butt as an NSA agent tasked with bringing in the mercenary Jake Muller to fashion an antidote for the virus that creates zombies.

Of all the characters in Resident Evil 6, Sherry Birkin is probably the most welcome inclusion. There’s a sense of nostalgia attached to the character and seeing her once more is like catching up with an old friend. Of course, much has changed in Sherry’s life since she survived Raccoon City. As an NSA agent, she knows a thing or two about gun-slinging and she comes across as resourceful and intelligent. She’s still spirited but there’s a slight sassiness to her character that obviously comes with age. Sherry is also now eligible for romantic plotlines due to her age and her interactions with Jake Muller are dripping with sexual tension. Their chemistry is quite notable and comes across as more believable than that of Leon and Ada. Naturally, this is to be credited to the animators and voice actors. Above all else, Sherry is so interesting due to her emotional transparency and her desire to stick to her moral convictions even when that means going against orders.

As far as ‘The Mercenaries’ mode is concerned, Sherry is a tank. Her default costume comes with a well-stocked inventory that is tailored to zombie smashing and racking up combos. Her Triple-Shot handgun is fairly standard but it’s quite effective since it allows the gamer to follow-up with melee attacks. When it comes to tougher enemies, Sherry’s Lightning Hawk magnum is very useful. It doesn’t have the same crowd control effect that shotguns do but it efficiently deals damage to boss-level opponents. Sherry also carries a Stun Rod that is a decent back-up weapon should ammo run out or if the gamer is seeking to conserve ammo. Sherry’s inventory is rounded out by essential healing items – two red herbs and a First Aid Spray. Those red herbs are especially useful since they are scarce otherwise. While her default costume is great, her alternate is even better. Her inventory in her alternate costume is about as good as it gets. Her primary weapon is a high-powered assault rifle which has an alternate function that can utilize explosive rounds. The Bear Commander rifle is strong and takes care of enemies with incredible proficiency. Sherry’s secondary is the Assault Shotgun. It’s an excellent weapon for crowd control and for downing boss-level baddies. As with her previous costume, Sherry carries those essential red herbs and First Aid Spray. The only drawback to this alternate costume is that her inventory is clogged with the less-than-useful Flash Grenades that should be ditched at the start of the level to make room for more effective items. Of course, in order to play as Sherry the gamer first needs to achieve a B-rank on the Mining the Depths level and then achieve an A-rank as Sherry on any stage in order to unlock her alternate. The former task is a little more difficult but it’s well worth it since Sherry is probably the best character in ‘The Mercenaries.’

Though Resident Evil 6 has its share of faults and mistakes, Sherry Birkin isn’t one of them. She’s a fantastic character whose presence helps to ground Jake’s campaign. Additionally, Sherry’s well-stocked inventories in ‘The Mercenaries’ makes her an essential character that is most certainly more adept at dealing with bad guys than her male cohorts. Not bad for a girl whose speciality used to be running and hiding from enemies.

Grade: A+

Review: Helena Harper, Resident Evil 6

As Resident Evil mainstay Leon S. Kennedy's partner in Resident Evil 6, former CIA agent Helena Harper proves she's got what it takes to survive a zombie outbreak. Characterized as emotional yet able to perform under pressure, Helena off-sets Leon's cool demeanour and acts as a figure the gamer can invest in during the game's narrative. As any number of gamers would agree, it's not easy to be introduced into a beloved franchise as a new character but Helena takes that in stride in order to become one of the stand-outs in Resident Evil 6.

In a franchise where women reign supreme as badass zombie hunters, Helena Harper holds her own. She's somewhere in the middle between Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield. She's a skilled marksman whose stamina and agility are quite remarkable like Jill but isn't quite as seasoned and indulges in her emotions much like Claire. Though she receives second-billing in Leon's campaign, it can be argued that she is the true star as his narrative relies on Helena's in order to progress. Unfortunately, very little is revealed about Helena in-game and it is through the unlockable files that the gamer learns of her backstory. This is mildly inconvenient especially for those who may have to do a second or third play-through in order to find these files.

In "The Mercenaries" mode separate from the main game wherein the goal is to eliminate as many zombies and monsters as you can before the timer runs out, Helena is unlocked upon achieving a B-rank on the Urban Chaos stage. She's presented as a mid-level character whose primary weapon is the Picador handgun and her secondary is the Hydra shotgun. The best strategy for Helena remains in utilizing her handgun in order to rack up a combo and using it smartly so as not to run out of ammo -- this means using it to set up melee attacks. Though shotguns in general prove to be powerful weapons within the Resident Evil franchise, Helena gets stuck with the less-than-stellar Hydra. Though it may pack a little bit of power, it only carries three shells at a time and has a slow reload speed. This could prove deadly should she need to reload when a horde of zombies approaches. As such, the Hydra functions best in a capacity where she'll have enough room to reload without being interrupted or attacked. Helena's alternate outfit can be selected upon achieving an A-rank with Helena's default on any stage. This is a slight upgrade from her default outfit. Her primary weapon is the Ammo Box 50 which functions like a machine gun but has the power of a handgun. Maddeningly, Helena is once again short-changed with her secondary. Her Sniper Rifle may be powerful but it is inconvenient due to the fact that there is an animation that prevents her from moving very far following each shot so there's a frustrating delay between shots. As such, this could mean the difference between taking down an enemy and getting pounced on. This means that Helena must either consistently keep her distance while using it or she must use quick shots which will eat up her energy. Thankfully, the rest of Helena's inventory makes up for it. In addition to the red herb and first-aid spray for healing purposes, she has three incendiary grenades which provide instant kills for most enemies. Unfortunately (or fortunately for some), Helena's alternate costume is best categorized as a 'sexy cop' and clashes horribly against her characterization. Surely a stylish suit not unlike Sheva Alomar's wouldn't have been a stretch for a woman who used to work for the CIA.

Helena Harper is a welcome introduction to Resident Evil. She's smart, capable and allows the gamer to invest in her due to her loyalty and passion. She's also proven herself to be quite the fashionista as both her canon costumes in the game are quite stylish and functional. Though she may not be top tier among those available in "The Mercenaries," she can be utilized effectively to achieve the same high scores that the more advantageously stocked characters can. Helena has a long way to go before she can be placed on the same level as icons Jill Valentine or Claire Redfield but she has a promising future should she ever crop up in any future games. Hopefully she won't share the same fate as the oft-forgotten Rebecca Chambers or Sheva Alomar.

Grade: B+

Review: Resident Evil 6

Released in the fall of 2012, Resident Evil 6 is the much-maligned sequel to the divisive action video game Resident Evil 5. The game assembles a large playable cast, allowing gamers to choose from Resident Evil favourites like Chris Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy as well as newcomers like Helena Harper and Jake Muller. It reinvents the gameplay expected of a Resident Evil game and becomes what the producers at Capcom have called 'dramatic horror.'

The storyline of Resident Evil 6 is interwoven between four campaigns and tells the narratives of seven playable characters -- Leon and his new partner Helena investigate an outbreak in a small American town, BSAA agent Piers Nivens attempts to get veteran Chris Redfield back into action, NSA Agent Sherry Birkin joins forces with the mercenary Jake Muller against Neo-Umbrella, and Ada Wong solves a mystery concerning her stolen identity. This fractured storytelling creates an uneven narrative and leaves many with the impression that some campaigns are better than others. Leon and Helena's campaign stands the strongest. It is moody with haunting atmospheres and blends action with horror flawlessly. Helena makes for a captivating character and her involvement feels necessary. Likewise, Jake and Sherry's campaign has its moments of brilliance and the chemistry between the characters is palpable. The variety in settings is interesting and their campaign's Big Bad harkens back to the relentless Mr. X and Nemesis from previous instalments. Ada's narrative, meanwhile, serves as the linchpin of Resident Evil 6 and fills in all the holes left by the other campaigns. It mixes stealth with non-stop action to create a fun spy-fi adventure. Unfortunately, Chris and Piers' campaign comes across as dull and unnecessary. Piers is an eye-roll worthy creation who feels like a poor substitute for Jill Valentine and Chris is about as tolerable as a case of chicken pox. Chris' chapters would have been the ideal place to address what happens to Resident Evil icon Jill Valentine but the writers chose to leave that thread untouched. As such, it leaves the player feeling like Chris' campaign should have been scrapped in favour of expanding the other three.

Resident Evil 6's gameplay is hit-and-miss. While the expansion of melee moves feels like an improvement, the alterations made to the inventory and healing system feel unnecessary especially since they were perfectly functional in the previous instalment. Still, the usage of skills is an interesting development allowing for players to customize and tailor their experience to their personal play styles. The game also makes heavy usage of quick time events wherein the player must press certain buttons within a select amount of time or run from an unstoppable force. This can make for an exhilarating experience but at the same time will leave many wanting to rip out their hair given the difficult for certain QTEs. The fan-favourite Mercenaries mode also seems somehow harder than it should be but perhaps this is largely a result of the changes made in the gameplay and the significant imbalance in character inventories in that some characters have weapons that require time and precision that players really aren't afforded when playing The Mercenaries.

Overall, Resident Evil 6 can be an enjoyable experience and will surely be fun for most gamers. Obviously it has its share of flaws that will frustrate most. The decision to feature Chris Redfield once again is mind-numbingly idiotic when one considers the fact that his sister Claire hasn't been playable in a main game since 2000's Resident Evil Code: Veronica and since Jill Valentine offered more dramatic potential given what she went through during the events of Resident Evil 5. Claire and Jill's absence is felt so profoundly largely because the campaigns are so heavily focused on the narratives of the men despite the fact that the women from the franchise have larger fanbases. Furthermore, some of the changes in gameplay seem a little illogical and awkward while The Mercenaries mode doesn't feel as satisfying as it did in Resident Evil 5. Nevertheless, the game should be praised for taking risks and for the tremendously effective campaign given to Leon and Helena as well as giving Ada Wong the attention she deserves. It most certainly won't please all fans of the iconic zombie smasher franchise but when nitpicks are set aside it can be a satisfying jaunt into the world of Resident Evil.

Grade: B (Sorry Capcom! It would have easily been an A- had Chris' campaign been about Claire or Jill!)

Review: Killer Frost, Injustice - Gods Among Us

            To some, the inclusion of DC Comics villainess Killer Frost in Injustice: Gods Among Us was a bit of a head-scratcher. Though she may be remembered for appearances she’s made in cartoons, the character has always been strictly D-list in the comics. Nevertheless, she’s a character who can translate well to a fighting game if given the right gameplay. Unfortunately, Killer Frost becomes the video game equivalent to a peg-warmer in Injustice.

            NetherRealm has had a lot of time to perfect the fighting style of a character that uses ice as a power with Sub-Zero from their flagship game Mortal Kombat and yet they didn’t seem to put that to practice with Killer Frost. Frost’s gameplay depends entirely on the user’s capability to create and utilize her ice attacks. She is able to freeze enemies and create ice daggers and swords. This is vaguely reminiscent of Sub-Zero’s moveset but somehow feels subpar in comparison. Her list of moves seems hopelessly small since her fighting style leaves little room for her user to improvise. Further more, Killer Frost’s ruthlessness only vaguely comes across in her super move where she summons a rather nasty ice trap for her opponent. Still, more work should have been done on her character. The original Killer Frost was motivated to absorb heat from others to sustain herself so why not base an attack around that? She’s a character with a lot of potential but it was sadly not fully realized.

            As with most of the females and the majority of the villains in the game, Killer Frost is but an accessory to the narrative. She crops up here and there as an opponent to fight in the story mode but no time is spent attempting to give her motive or any spotlight. Visually, her default look is based entirely off of the Louise Lincoln version of the character and features her in a nicely designed blue bodice with matching glovelets and boots with fur trim. Her alternate is more punk-inspired as it involves a rather cool looking mohawk (pun intended).

            The decision to include Killer Frost in Injustice: Gods Among Us is a bit of a disappointment. While it’s nice to include lesser known characters, it’s also best to include as many A-listers as you can. As such, some of DC Comics’ most devastatingly deceptive villainesses are left out of the game. Wonder Woman’s nemeses Cheetah and Circe aren’t included while Poison Ivy seems unfairly left out since Catwoman and Harley Quinn are in the game. Arguably, Star Sapphire also would have made a more valuable contribution than Killer Frost has. That said, Killer Frost is far from being the worst fighter in the game. She may be the least interesting of the women but she’s leaps and bounds more useful than a slow poke like Bane or dullard like Cyborg.

Grade: C+

Review: Hawkgirl, Injustice - Gods Among Us

                Made popular by her appearance in the cartoon Justice League, Hawkgirl is the only other female member of the Justice League to appear in Injustice: Gods Among Us alongside Wonder Woman. Like the Amazing Amazon, she is a powerhouse fighter whose style emphasizes her warrior training.

                Hawkgirl is one of the easier characters to get a grasp of in the game. Her fighting style revolves exclusively around her mace and each special move shows off a different way to utilize this medieval weapon. As such, Hawkgirl has good range which makes her extremely versatile. Additionally, Hawkgirl is characterized as a tank in the game which means she can interact with the heavy objects strewn around each stage, enabling her to toss such things as motorcycles and large robots at her opponent. Where developers went wrong with Hawkgirl, however, was in her super move and her character power. Her super move sees her hurling her enemy into the air and delivering two high-powered blows to their body with her mace. It lacks the flare some of the other characters have and denies the character the opportunity to really let her opponent have it with her trademark weapon. In terms of her character power, she was given the passive ability to fly upon pressing the character power button. It’s not a very useful ability as battle is best waged on the ground. A better suggestion for her character power could have been heightening the electricity on her mace to cause additional damage for a short period of time.

                Very little is known of Hawkgirl in her narrative aside from the fact that she’s the first Hawkgirl and that her husband Hawkman has died in the alternate universe ruled by Superman. She’s hardly in the story mode and it’s rather disappointing since that makes her one of the only League members not to receive a chapter in that mode. Luckily, her costuming is at least on point. While her default costume is undoubtedly reminiscent of Kendra Saunders’ Hawkgirl costume it is still stylish and features some interesting textures. Her alternate costume is an Egyptian-inspired costume that’s both regal and badass. Having two great costumes in the game is a luxury most of the other characters don’t have.

                Hawkgirl is a treat to fans of Justice League and DC Comics more generally. They took a risk with a winged character and it paid off to some degree. She’s a brilliant warrior whose mace proves to be a rather fun weapon to toy around with on the battle field but the lack of attention paid to other aspects of the character is disappointing. While she’s hardly the worst female fighter in the game, she’s not the best either leaving her somewhere in the middle.

Grade: B

Review: Raven, Injustice - Gods Among Us

            For a game so focused on DC Comics’ Justice League, it’s surprising that the Teen Titans' Raven would make it onto the initial roster of Injustice: Gods Among Us over veteran Leaguers like Zatanna and Black Canary. Nevertheless, Raven makes for an interesting entry into the fighting game.

            Known as an empath, Raven’s powers have always been relatively difficult to adapt and in Injustice: Gods Among Us they come across more generically as mystical powers. While fighters like Wonder Woman and Catwoman are largely focused on melee assaults, Raven is largely dependant on her magical abilities which transform Raven into a more long-range fighter. She is able to generate projectiles, teleport and bind enemies without having to come into close contact with them. In this way, she’s one of the more defensive characters in the game as well as one of the more technical fighters. In order to utilize her properly, gamers will have to master her moveset. The mystical aspect of her abilities continues over to her super move where she teleports her opponent to a demonic realm where her father Trigon blasts them with a powerful beam. While it’s not one of the more spectacular super moves, it is both creative and pays homage to the character’s background.

            Raven’s status as a Titan carries over to the narrative and is presented as Cyborg’s partner as part of Superman’s Regime. Her narrative largely hinges on the ‘Evil Raven’ trope we’ve seen so often before so it leaves the audience with a feeling of déjà vu. Raven’s appearance is arguably one of the worst in the game. While her default costume pays tribute to her classic look and has a lot of texture to it, developers failed to capture Raven’s unique facial structure and, in their attempts, generated a cringingly masculine visage for Raven. In essence, Raven looks like a really bad drag queen. Since NetherRealm has a history of difficulty capturing the female face, it’s no surprise that one (or several) of the women in the game would suffer from the Mortal Kombat manface syndrome. That said, her chiselled features are much less distracting in her alternate costume as she is presented as demonic in that form. NetherRealm does at least deserve points for making an attempt to capture a different sound for Raven’s voice that fits the style of text used in her earliest appearances versus the emotionless gothic voice she was given in the cartoon.

            Teen Titans fans will no doubt rejoice over Raven’s presence in the game. She’s fairly similar to her comic book counterpart and her cartoon adaptation. Her moveset will also prove to be lots of fun for those willing to work at perfecting their combat with her. While she’s not one of the best females in the game, she’s at least interesting enough to keep more than a handful of people selecting her as their favourite… they’ll just have to ignore the fact that she looks like a man.

Grade: B-

Review: Harley Quinn, Injustice - Gods Among Us

            It’s hard to believe that it’s been 21 years since Harley Quinn was first introduced to us through Batman: The Animated Series and yet there’s no denying that the Joker’s on-again-off-again girlfriend has become one of DC Comics’ most iconic characters in those two short decades. Her latest appearance in the fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us has become yet another in a long line of adaptations which is sure to please her steadily growing group of fans.

            Like her fellow Batman femme fatale Catwoman, Harley Quinn is a wily fighter whose agility and acrobatics are displayed quite cleverly. Fans will be happy to know her trademark mallet makes an appearance and will have them bashing around their opponents with glee. However, the makers of the game took great artistic license with Harley’s character in that the majority of her move-set centres around gun usage. While the character is not unfamiliar with them, it’s never been such an integral part to her fight style before. Of course, Harley comes across much more like a pirate with her revolver than someone like Deathstroke who prefers automatic weaponry. Thankfully, Harley’s signature humour remains. Her super move is a silly little move involving an explosive pie and her character power is an iffy gamble that will either cause Harley to pull out a rose, Joker’s picture or an explosive. Make no mistake though... Harley is not to be trifled with as she’s one of the craftier characters in the game.

            Harley plays an interesting role in the story mode of the game but, just like Catwoman, she gets the short end of the stick. Rather than focus on the Joker, the writers and producers would have been better giving his chapter to Harley Quinn. Yes, the Joker’s more iconic but Harley provided more narrative interest. Appearance-wise, Harley Quinn becomes Whoreley Quinn in a rather eye-roll worthy get-up which is no doubt held together with super strength double-stick tape. However, her alternate costume proves more interesting with its rather badass leather jacket and pant combo. Still, Harley remains the most sexualized of the female characters. Of course, this has become a trend as of late in her video game appearances perhaps merely as an extension of her consistent characterization as a willing victim of abuse.

            Of the female characters in Injustice: Gods Among Us, Harley Quinn ranks high in terms of enjoyment and general badassery. While her lack of a chapter in the story mode is incredibly disappointing and her costumes leave little to the imagination, the character’s core is present and is sure to make her diehard fans happy.

Grade: B+

Review: Catwoman, Injustice - Gods Among Us

            When it comes to iconic comic book females, Catwoman is a name that is sure to cross a few people’s minds. As such, it was really no shock that she made it into Injustice: Gods Among Us. The feline fatale sharpens her claws on her enemies and proves to be a rather seductive thorn in the good guys’ collective sides.

            Agility is at the forefront of Catwoman’s fighting style. As one of the faster characters in the game, she utilizes quick swipes and a few cracks of her whip to rack up the combos. Her claws comprise a large part of what makes her so much fun to play as. They add just the right amount of damage to make you wince at how much pain your opponent must be feeling. The inclusion of her whip is not only expected but also necessary. Since she’s not a character who would use projectiles, the whip closes the gap when she needs to fight long-range. Catwoman’s unique “power” in the game is that she accumulates a tally of scratches throughout the battle which you can put towards unleashing a powerful scratch-happy combo. It’s one of the more useful abilities as it essentially performs like a mini-super combo.

            More generally, the producers of the game fumbled tremendously with Catwoman. They underused her in the story mode and failed to recognize the potential she had within the narrative they established. Rather than explore her perspective in this alternate universe, they chose to keep her in the background. This is especially enraging since there are disposable chapters in the story mode that would have been put to better use had they featured Catwoman. Of course, it’s even more infuriating when you consider the fact that Wonder Woman was the ONLY female to receive a chapter in the story mode. Sexism at its finest, folks. Additionally, it’s quite clear that the writers had no clue who Catwoman is but just had a general idea of how she might act. As such, she’s more of a caricature of Catwoman than anything else. She’s quite obviously in the role typically filled by Wonder Woman’s nemesis Cheetah and is treated as little more than Batman’s love interest. Disappointing. Where they did go right were her costumes. They deserve a standing ovation for carefully tucking Catwoman’s breasts into her costume so she can be taken seriously for once without the eye-roll worthy objectification she is subjected to elsewhere. Her default costume is a fabulous black leather get-up with a corset and metal attachments as claws. Her alternate costume is even better – it’s a purple catsuit with a proper mask! Now, if only we can get DC Comics to put her in it in their comics…

            If you’re looking for a fierce female to kick tons of ass with, look no further than Catwoman. She's fast and tons of fun. However, if you’re a Catwoman fan (like I am) you’ll likely be disappointed by the lack of thought that went into her character.

Grade: A+ (but a big ol’ D for narrative)

Review: Wonder Woman, Injustice - Gods Among Us

            The hotly anticipated DC Comics fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us is finally here and it’s probably safe to say it’s lived up to expectations. The gameplay is fluid, the story mode is comprehensive and there are plenty of extras available for people to unlock. The roster of the game has been a point of discussion for many but what was never up for discussion was whether Wonder Woman would end up in it or not. She was one of the earliest announced characters and remains part of the elite group of females chosen to be in the game.

            Wonder Woman is one of the more unique characters in Injustice. She is a powerhouse capable of bashing her opponents with heavy objects scattered around the universe and she does all this with incredible grace. The Amazing Amazon has two basic fighting styles. Her default style focuses on dishing out damage with her fists, emphasized by the usage of her tiara, bracelets and lasso. The lasso in this instance operates as a whip and a lariat, giving the gamer a varied range of techniques to choose from. Her other fighting style is a grounded assault based around her sword and shield. This is approach highlights Wonder Woman’s Amazon training. Her Amazon heritage is further weaved into her fight style by the appearance of a few Amazons to help her out in battle during a special move. It’s pretty badass. That said she can be tricky to fight with. Namely, her projectiles (tiara and shield) need to be timed properly in order to connect with their target and she's not as quick as you'd expect. 

            Wonder Woman also has the distinction of being the sole female to receive a chapter within the story mode (insert eye-rolls for the blatant sexism here). She’s fairly well-written and is treated faithfully in that her ideals of truth, love and justice are upheld beautifully. Her appearance, however, in the game is a little iffy at times. She veers too often into drag queen territory as her overall physique is far too top-heavy making her look overly masculine. Still, her costumes are fantastic. Her default costume is a practical option featuring pants. Luckily, it’s a structured look that respects her iconic star-spangled tights but maintains its own originality. Her alternate costume is very fierce. It’s more gladiatorial and truly shows off Wonder Woman’s warrior side.

            Fans of Wonder Woman can rejoice over the treatment she receives in Injustice. She’s the definition of badass but also retains that golden heart she’s so well-known for. She’s the sole female powerhouse in the game and is upheld as one of the League’s essential heroes. Perhaps it’s time we got a Wonder Woman game, hm?

Grade: A-