Pandora's Box: The Ultimate GameCube Tier List

#87: The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer

Rating: E10+

Players: 1-2

Price Range: ~$10 USD

A game based on the non-canon ending of the first Incredibles film.

HUUUUUUUUUUH!?

A HIDDEN GEM!?

Well...sort of...

Okay, look, it's a licensed game and I know that it isn't very good, but I have a huge soft spot for it.

You see, this is one of my childhood games, and I've got to say, I still have a blast with it today when I spend an afternoon with my older sibling beating it.

Okay, let's dissect this.

This is a 3D beat-em-up platformer involving the characters Mr. Incredible and Frozone fighting against the Underminer's robotic army.

And I will tell you, there's something about the way that both characters function that just...clicks.

I would always play as Mr. Incredible while my older sibling played as Frozone.

Frozone, with his ice powers, can freeze enemies and even their projectiles (and water from fountains) to create ice balls, while also being required to create ice bridges and to slow down and destroy drill barriers to progress in the levels. Mr. Incredible can pick up frozen enemies and ice balls to not only instantly destroy other ice-cubed machines, but they are also needed to move on in the game's stages. His slam attack can also destroy immobile robots and his super strength could also flip or lift barricades to either put enemies out of commission, or to advance in the stages.

This duality of both characters creates such a dynamic that just is hard to come by nowadays, y'know?

Add in even a few bosses and a selection of enemies and stages that aren't difficult per se, but at just the right level for kids to have a blast too, and you got a recipe for at least some enjoyment.

Sometimes you climb a vertical shaft with rising...fire, or something..., other times you are escorting scientists or other characters.

It is all a dang good time.

And the thing is, many people can so easily argue that it could be very mind-numbingly repetitive.

But the game is so short that it doesn't overstay its welcome.

You and another person could beat the game in a single sitting within a few hours if you really know what you are doing, and so running another glorious playthrough is a blast.

They try to create replay value with these arena levels after the main game and collectables for extras, but it really doesn't amount to much.

And so, yeah, it is a really fun time with another person, even if it is still seemingly normal licensed fare on the surface.

Come on, a non-canon scenario where you fight the Underminer's robotic army and even fight him in a gigantic drilling mech, a brilliant use for a shockingly underdeveloped character in the actual Incredibles II, fighting through factories, destroyed landscapes, and laboratories sounds pretty cool.

Not to say that the sequel film is bad but...it is somewhat good and also standard Disney garbage I've grown to hate...

Overall, I always have a fun time with this game with my sibling when we play it. Despite it being just another licensed game at the end of the day, it is a decent one. It isn't anything spectacular, crazy, or even good for that matter, but its qualities, nostalgic memories, and low price keeps it up here.