TEEN TITANS

TEEN TITANS' first game tried really hard to be more than just a cash in, and it mostly succeeds. You play as the whole squad, Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven and Cyborg, and the whole deal is that Brother Blood has stolen their DNA to make a lot of evil clones. The plot is really barebones, just a few lines of dialogue here and there, and it's basically just an excuse to get you from point A to point B like in the Road Trip episode of TTG. It loosely follows the vibe of the show's third season, so don't expect any deep character moments or twists.

TEEN TITANS COLLECTION

TEEN TITANS

The real hook here is the character swapping mechanic, you can switch between any of the five Titans on the fly by holding the L button and it feels slick. Every character has their own health bar and special move, and the game cleverly makes you use all of them, not just your favorite. Beast Boy turns into an animal to fit through tight spots, Raven puts up shields to pass lasers, Cyborg can smash the floor, Robin hacks computers and Starfire flies to reach high switches. It really feels like a team effort, which is rare for a beat 'em up. The combat itself is pretty simple, you've got a basic attack and a special move mapped to the R button but the color coded enemy system adds a layer of strategy, red enemies are weak to Robin, green ones to Beast Boy, purple to Raven and so on, so you're constantly swapping to deal max damage. It keeps things from getting too mindless, at least for a while.

That said, the game definitely has its rough patches, like the collision detection which is famously janky, you'll sometimes fall through angled platforms or get stuck on invisible walls. The enemy variety is also pretty weak, you're mostly fighting the same H.I.V.E. soldiers in different colors, plus some turrets and those annoying little drone bots. The bosses are cool at first but you end up fighting the H.I.V.E. again in a boss rush later on and the clone fights are just fighting AI versions of your own characters, which gets repetitive. The levels themselves are decently designed with some branching paths but they're not long, so the whole campaign can be beaten in like two hours.

Visually, the game is a mixed bag but leans more towards good than bad. The sprites for the Titans are huge, colorful and capture the look of the cartoon perfectly, Beast Boy's animal forms are especially detailed, the backgrounds are serviceable but kinda generic and the enemies don't get the same love and detail as the main cast, but honestly that's understandable. The music is typical GBA fare, it simply does the job, nothing special. There's also a collectible card system where you find 25 biocards hidden in the levels, which unlock character profiles and concept art. It's a nice incentive to explore but the rewards are pretty minor unless you're a completionist.

TEEN TITANS 2: The Brotherhood's Revenge

Now, TEEN TITANS 2: The Brotherhood's Revenge takes a different approach from the first game, and it's a change for the better in a lotta ways. Instead of letting you swap between all five Titans whenever you want, you're locked to whoever the level is designed for, starting with Robin breaking out of captivity and then going on a rescue mission to save the rest of the team. This might sound limiting but it actually lets the developers focus on making each character feel unique and fun to play. Robin can wall jump and pull off slick combos, Cyborg has his hover jets, Beast Boy transforms into animals and climbs walls as a monkey, Starfire flies around blasting stuff, and Raven is the standout, her telekinesis, teleportation and phasing abilities are so well designed that you'll wish she had more levels. The levels themselves are built around each Titan's specific skills, which makes the platforming way more engaging than the first game's generic environments.

That said, the game has its fair share of issues that hold it back from being great. The combat feels clunky and unresponsive at times, with attacks locking you into animations that you can't cancel out of, which is frustrating when you're trying to dodge or jump away. The collision detection is still a mess too, you'll clear a platform but fall right through it or get stuck on invisible walls, Cyborg's levels are especially painful 'cuz he's slow and clunky, so expect to take some cheap deaths on the chin. The enemy variety is still weak as well, with the same few soldiers appearing over and over, only broken up by the occasional turret or electric orb and the music is super repetitive.

The boss fights are a nice change of pace, even if you end up fighting General Immortus three times in different vehicles and Monsieur Mallah twice. The battle against The Brain is pretty creative, you climb up as Beast Boy and deactivate force fields while dodging electric shocks, which is a cool twist on the usual brawler formula. The collectible system is also a solid addition with energy potions and power items that permanently increase your health and attack power, giving you a reason to explore and replay levels with different characters and the level select screen that lets you jump back to any completed mission is a godsend if you miss something or just want to replay a fun section. It's more interesting than the first game in terms of gameplay and level design but it has the same frustrating cheap deaths.

Downloads

Titans, listen up! To get this digital loot onto your 3DS, your system's gotta be running CFW. Once that's squared away, fire up the FBI app from your HOME Menu and point its scanner at the chosen QRs down here. Each one's a direct transmission straight to your console, so just scan the code for the version you want, let the signal do its thing, and BOOYAH! Game's yours. When the download's done, the Titans will be waiting right there on your HOME Menu alongside your other icons. Tap it, suit up and get ready to save the day. So what are you waiting for? TEEN TITANS, GO!

TEEN TITANS

TEEN TITANS 2

TEEN TITANS (Español)

TEEN TITANS 2 (Español)