The Incredible Hulk: The Pantheon Saga
Encyclopedia
The Incredible Hulk: The Pantheon Saga is a video game that was developed by Attention To Detail
and Silicon Dreams
and published by Eidos Interactive
for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn
and DOS
in 1996. The single player, side-scrolling action game is loosely based on storylines from the early 1990s issues of the Incredible Hulk comic book series.
On the EB Games sticker seal the game was listed as "The Incredible Hulk 2: The Pantheon Saga".
(now with the Bruce Banner and Hulk personalities merged into a functional whole) being kidnapped by the Pantheon
superhero team/family, and eventually agrees to lead the team to combat global problems such as terrorism
and war in the Middle East. The video game only loosely draws upon the Pantheon storyline, borrowing characters but not plot elements from the original comic book.
The video game begins with the Hulk
begin captured by the Pantheon and breaking free just as their cargo ship lands in the Pantheon's mountain headquarters. The brief intermission exposition scenes between the levels do not explain much of the storyline. In the first four levels, the player battles inside the Pantheon secret headquarters, until the Pantheon members Atalanta
, Ulysses
, Ajax and Hector
are located and defeated. After defeating them, they become your allies, and can temporary appear on screen to help the player. The storline shifts to several more side-scrolling levels where the player battles super-villains such as Piecemeal
, Trauma, Lazarus, the U-Foes
and the Maestro
. There are a dozen side-scrolling levels that are loosely based on the comic book series, although the game does not bother to try and connect the levels to a cohesive storyline.
The game is fairly difficult to defeat, and as many of the enemies and bosses are quick and often have ready access to various projectiles. Adding to the challenges are the certain puzzles that must be perfectly solved in a game, or else you are stuck. The game is almost impossible to defeat in the "hard" mode without the aid of a device such as the GameShark
. However, the game does include a password feature.
series, video game critics generally panned this game for its weak graphics, sound, and playability. While the game did have some decent 3D
graphics rendered on the PlayStation, most video game magazine critics panned the game for its average sound, poor hit detection and playability. The dozen levels in the game often do not seem to follow much of cohesive storyline, and this was a similar complaint made with the Fantastic Four
video game released for the PlayStation that same year.
Fans of the Hulk comic book also criticised the game for having little to do with the comics' Pantheon storyline.
Attention To Detail
Attention To Detail was a Warwickshire-based British software house that endured nearly 15 years, from its foundation by five University of Birmingham graduates in September 1988 to their liquidation in mid-2003...
and Silicon Dreams
Silicon Dreams
Silicon Dreams may refer to:* Silicon Dreams Studios, a computer game company* Silicon Dreams trilogy, a 1986 text adventure game trilogy by Level 9...
and published by Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive Ltd. is a British video game publisher and is a label of Square Enix Europe. As an independent company Eidos plc was headquartered in the Wimbledon Bridge House in Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton....
for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
in 1996. The single player, side-scrolling action game is loosely based on storylines from the early 1990s issues of the Incredible Hulk comic book series.
On the EB Games sticker seal the game was listed as "The Incredible Hulk 2: The Pantheon Saga".
Storyline
In the 1990s, the Incredible Hulk comic book series featured the HulkHulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
(now with the Bruce Banner and Hulk personalities merged into a functional whole) being kidnapped by the Pantheon
Pantheon (Marvel Comics)
The Pantheon is a fictional organization appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Peter David, the Pantheon first appeared in The Incredible Hulk The Pantheon is a fictional organization appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer...
superhero team/family, and eventually agrees to lead the team to combat global problems such as terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and war in the Middle East. The video game only loosely draws upon the Pantheon storyline, borrowing characters but not plot elements from the original comic book.
The video game begins with the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
begin captured by the Pantheon and breaking free just as their cargo ship lands in the Pantheon's mountain headquarters. The brief intermission exposition scenes between the levels do not explain much of the storyline. In the first four levels, the player battles inside the Pantheon secret headquarters, until the Pantheon members Atalanta
Atalanta (Pantheon)
Atalanta is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.Atalanta is a member of the super hero family the Pantheon. Atalanta is an excellent archer and uses arrows and a bow made out of pure energy.-Fictional character biography:...
, Ulysses
Ulysses (Pantheon)
Ulysses is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Universe. The first being the predecessor of the second.- Ulysses I :The original Ulysses was much older than Walter Charles, his successor. When Ulysses became annoyed at Agamemnon's illogical leadership decisions Agamemnon ordered...
, Ajax and Hector
Hector (Pantheon)
Hector is a fictional character, a member of the Marvel Comics superhero family the Pantheon. Hector uses an energy flail as a weapon. Hector appears to be something of a master strategist.-Fictional character biography:...
are located and defeated. After defeating them, they become your allies, and can temporary appear on screen to help the player. The storline shifts to several more side-scrolling levels where the player battles super-villains such as Piecemeal
Piecemeal (comics)
Piecemeal is the name of two Marvel Comics characters.-Piecemeal I:Piecemeal is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Universe. His first appearance was in New Mutants Annual #7.-Fictional character biography:...
, Trauma, Lazarus, the U-Foes
U-Foes
U-Foes are a fictional comic book supervillain team appearing in various series published by Marvel Comics. The group first appeared in Incredible Hulk #254...
and the Maestro
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
. There are a dozen side-scrolling levels that are loosely based on the comic book series, although the game does not bother to try and connect the levels to a cohesive storyline.
Gameplay
As the Hulk, the player can jump, punch, kick, and pick up certain large objects to throw as projectiles. Aside from the normal health bar, the Hulk also has a gamma energy bar that is depleted whenever the Hulk uses one of his special fighting moves. Along with the traditional side-scrolling arcade-style action, several levels often require the Hulk to solve a puzzle (i.e. locate and smash control panels in a certain order) to proceed in the level.The game is fairly difficult to defeat, and as many of the enemies and bosses are quick and often have ready access to various projectiles. Adding to the challenges are the certain puzzles that must be perfectly solved in a game, or else you are stuck. The game is almost impossible to defeat in the "hard" mode without the aid of a device such as the GameShark
GameShark
GameShark is the brand name of a line of video game cheat cartridges and other products for a variety of console video game systems and Windows based computers. Currently, the brand name is owned by Mad Catz, who actively markets GameShark products for the PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and Sega game...
. However, the game does include a password feature.
Criticisms
While Eidos was well known for its popular Tomb RaiderTomb Raider
Tomb Raider is an action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. It was originally released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn, with MS-DOS and PlayStation versions following shortly thereafter...
series, video game critics generally panned this game for its weak graphics, sound, and playability. While the game did have some decent 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
graphics rendered on the PlayStation, most video game magazine critics panned the game for its average sound, poor hit detection and playability. The dozen levels in the game often do not seem to follow much of cohesive storyline, and this was a similar complaint made with the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
video game released for the PlayStation that same year.
Fans of the Hulk comic book also criticised the game for having little to do with the comics' Pantheon storyline.