The Incredible Hulk is a 1994 video game released for the Mega Drive, Master System, Game Gear, and SNES. Developed by Probe Software and published by U.S. Gold, the game is based on the Marvel Comics superhero Hulk and showcases him within the context of a side-scrolling action game with platforming and beat 'em up elements. The narrative involves the Hulk attempting to thwart the world domination bid of his nemesis, the Leader, while engaging in combat with other arch-rivals.
The gameplay incorporates a number of fighting moves for the Hulk to execute, and includes moments where his human alter-ego, Bruce Banner, must emerge to access areas that the Hulk is too large to reach. The scenario was created by two journalists from the magazine Mean Machines, and development took place over the course of 18 months. The game received mixed reviews upon release, with critics praising the visuals, music, and variety of moves while criticizing the controls and lack of enemy variety.
Gameplay
The Incredible Hulk is a side-scrolling action game with platforming and beat 'em up elements. The player controls the Hulk, who is tasked with searching for the Leader while defeating his troops. The Hulk is capable of a variety of offensive techniques, and has four states of being that influence the moves at his disposal: "Hulk", "Super-Hulk", "Hulk-Out", and his human alter-ego Bruce Banner. The Hulk's state is determined by his amount of "Gamma", which doubles as his health. The Hulk begins the game in Super-Hulk mode; sustaining enemy attacks reduces his Gamma, and he will be reduced to a regular Hulk mode if his Gamma drops below 40%. Falling below 5% Gamma will transform the Hulk into Banner, whose only means of offense is a gun with two shots, and who cannot sustain any enemy attacks without dying.
The game is divided into five levels, in which containers holding "Gamma capsules" are scattered throughout. Gamma capsules are divided between normal and "Mega" types; normal capsules raise the Hulk's Gamma level to a maximum of 70% or restore Banner to Hulk status, while Mega capsules enable the Hulk to achieve the Hulk-Out mode, in which he is more powerful and destructive. Hidden within the levels are special "Transformation" capsules that allow the Hulk to transform into Banner without losing any Gamma, enabling Banner to explore smaller areas that the Hulk is too large to access. At the end of each level is a boss encounter, which the player is given a limited amount of time to complete; the Abomination also appears as a mini-boss at key points in each level. The time limit can be increased by collecting "time coins" scattered throughout the level, which grant an additional ten seconds each. Other collectibles include extra lives, often found in rooms only accessible to Banner or via Hulk-Out mode, as well as a trio of hidden "continue coins". The game's difficulty setting can be adjusted in the options menu to "Easy", "Medium", or "Arcade".
Plot
The Hulk's nemesis, the Leader, begins a bid for world domination. He constructs a fortress base in a savage forest, manufactures a vast battalion of robots to march against the nations, and genetically engineers mutants to patrol and protect his fortress. Taking the Hulk's brute strength into account, he further enlists the aid of four of the Hulk's arch-rivals: Rhino, Absorbing Man, Abomination, and Tyrannus.
The Hulk clears the Leader's troops out of the city and defeats Rhino in a construction site. In his search for solitude in a remote forest glade, he falls into Tyrannus's underground labyrinth. After defeating Tyrannus, the Hulk infiltrates the Leader's fortress, where he encounters and defeats Absorbing Man. The Hulk confronts the Leader, who teleports him to the lair's interior, where his mutant soldiers are being produced. After destroying the lair's bio-mechanical "brain", the Hulk breaks through the lair's inner sanctum and confronts the Leader once more.
The game's ending is determined by the difficulty setting. The Easy ending has the Leader scoffing at the Hulk's power, further angering him. In the Normal ending, the Leader triggers the fortress's self-destruct sequence and leaves his hideout in an escape pod. The Hulk escapes before the fortress explodes. In the Arcade ending, the Leader attempts to escape, but the Hulk retaliates by throwing a chunk of rubble at the Leader's escape pod and sending it crashing down, and he stands triumphantly before the Leader's ruined fortress.