Greetings from the depths of the Marvel videogame offices! Some of you may know me as Marvel games intern Randy Ma (aka demonicmurry), while others in the office refer to me as lowly coffee scrub. Kidding aside, I have yet to retrieve any sort of caffeinated beverage except when it was for myself. I’m here today to give you the inside scoop as your undercover agent on the seedy underbelly that is Marvel's games department.
Before I arrived, I imagined while working at Marvel games we would have new releases of comics spread across a table every week, daily "Marvel vs. Capcom" matches, the "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" arcade games sitting in the break room, and the Albert Pyun-directed "Captain America" (1990) and Roger Corman-produced "Fantastic Four" (1994) playing nonstop on a television in the office. Most of that wasn't the case. But after these last few months interning, I was right about one thing, anyway -- that I would be working.
Despite my wild imaginations, an internship based around Marvel games has definitely reached the expectations of a dream job. My actual duties vary from game testing, looking at various art and design documents for upcoming games, doing research for Marvel properties, and entertaining the Marvel games team -- often, you will see me walking around the office with the "Resident Evil 4" Gamecube Chainsaw controller as a hall pass.
As I bid farewell to my Marvel games superiors, we are in the midst of some very exciting games. With the upcoming release of "Iron Man 2" in theaters, you can imagine that we are working hard on Sega's "Iron Man 2" game in improving on the original and throwing a few surprises your way. We’ve also been preparing on a few other Marvel games that I cannot divulge due that pesky confidentiality agreement I had sign. But definitely keep following MarvelBlip on Twitter and the Marvel games website, as 2010 will see some awesome announcements that will no doubt please fans and gamers alike.
I have also been working on MarvelKids.com, helping conceive and test the various Flash games we have on the site. If you haven’t checked these games out, they are definitely worth a look. I keep telling everyone that there are actual “real” games on the website to quench your super hero needs.
The games vary from the typical puzzle game to brawlers such as "Wolverine Search & Destroy" or the flight-shooter "Iron Man Flight Test 2.0," which was put under numerous testing phases before release. At one point, the game rivaled the twin-stick shooter "Ikaruga" in its difficulty. Definitely keep your eyes peeled on the site as we have some really great new and exciting titles scheduled for next year. This isn’t just a games intern shilling here -- I am actually excited to see these games go public.
But probably even more exciting than playing these Marvel games is actually rummaging through the Marvel archives researching for future titles. Often, I will spend hours going through old comics attempting to find a character’s first appearance, specific story arcs, or looking for cool images and art that can be used as reference for future Marvel games. It’s also a nice trip down memory lane looking at comics I owned back in the day, and it’s always a kick to see the old advertisements for Genesis and Super Nintendo games, Clive Barker movies I never knew existed, and the numerous Marvel contests that escaped me as a child. Who did end up winning that Captain Universe contest, anyways?
Of course, working with Marvel also has its unexpected perks. You may have noticed that over the past summer I was able to visit the set of "Iron Man 2" for Marvel.com’s coverage of the film. This opportunity completely came out of left field, as E3 was currently in full effect and the office needed someone in a pinch to attend the online press event.
To say the least, seeing live filming on set with star Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau did not disappoint. I even got a nice souvenir token from Favreau while one set! A military challenge coin, which is depicted in the image below (image couresy of Collider.com -- they got one too). Also unexpected was Favreau being able to sneak us into the other side of the studio lot to meet Scarlett Johansson in full Black Widow attire between filming an action sequence. It was...cool.
Before I leave you, let me give you a few points of advice if you ever get the chance to intern for Marvel's game division.
-You will be told that Todd Jefferson would be walking around the office wearing Thor’s helmet. This has yet to be seen by me and needs to be rectified.
-Never open an e-mail from Eric Adams when there is a video link attached. No good can come out of it.
-For every hundred Marvel comics in the Marvel games comic collection, there is an issue of a Vertigo comic somewhere in the batch. Get it out!
-Any time Chris Baker asks if you want to do a special project for him: It’s a trap!
-There’s always room for one more on the wall of old Marvel games on Chris Baker’s cubicle. (Added just the other day: Acclaim's "Fantastic Four" for PS1. He has threatened my last act as intern be to play it.)
-Never steal the “Easy” button that Todd Jefferson has on his office desk or he will Hulk out until he finds it.
-If you ever need to get rid of Eric Adams, randomly say something positive about Super Hero Squad or MarvelKids.com so he’ll be satisfied and leave you alone.
-There are about 10 games in our Marvel games collection that are trapped in the Negative Zone and shall never be found. (Chris insists that playing his new "Fantastic Four" game will grant us access because of Reed Richards and all. I don't buy it.)
-There are never any batteries around for a Wii-mote when you need them.
-Despite the flyers all over our office location here at Raleigh Studios that say that high school prom is around the corner, don’t freak out. That is just set dressing for "Beverly Hills 90210."
I ended up staying with the Marvel games team for an extra semester, bringing my time here to over half a year. It is clear I have deprived another intern for too long to take part in the shenanigans and personalities that make up being part of the Marvel games team. This was the best internship experience I have had out of the numerous other internships and jobs I’ve worked in the past -- and believe me, I have had many positions before this. My leaving is without question a bittersweet experience, but all things must come to an end.
As I exit the Marvel offices -- hopefully not for the final time -- I bid you with a farewell, goodbye...and Excelsior!
The following exchange took place between Marvel games intern Randy Ma and myself. Or at least something like it. Or, possibly, absolutely nothing like it at all. You decide...
Randy: I love all of your Blip blog posts! They're the greatest things ever, and I want to do some of my very own!
Chris: Really? You think so? I enjoy writing 'em and all, but--
Randy: I mean, they're, like, the greatest things EVER!!! I don't know how you do it, but I'd love to try!
Chris: I'd be ha--
Randy: "Happy to give me a chance?!" Wow, thanks, C-Bake! You're the greatest! You know...despite the daily whippings.
So, long story short, Randy wanted to do his own celebration of Cable being in "MUA2" and I went ahead and let him. Here's what Mr. Graduate School Gamer came up with...
Cable hasn’t made many appearances as a playable character in past Marvel games. So, in celebration of his being on the roster for playable characters in “Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2”’s downloadable content, I thought it would be nice to see what other Marvel games could also use the addition of this time-traveling tough guy.
Chris spoke a little last week about the strange premise behind this first-person shooter, where you play as a nameless cyborg created by Magneto to fight clones of the X-Men created by Apocalypse (let’s just call him Nameless Cyborg Man). In retrospect, I could totally have seen a “Days of the Future Past”/“Age of Apocalypse”-type storyline with Cable traveling through levels to fight Apocalypse in this game. A first-person shooter with Cable as the protagonist is just a match made in geek heaven. ...Plus, there's no question that Cable can destroy Nameless Cyborg Man any day of the week.
This was actually a pretty great game in its heyday, and I implore anyone reading this to try to play this 16-bit gem as soon as possible. The plot involves Apocalypse enslaving the mutant population of Genosha -- I would love to have seen Cable among the X-Men chosen for the job. Cable could have added a “Contra”-like element that would have given a whole new dimension apart from the game’s core brawling mechanics.
X-Men 2: Clone Wars (Genesis) 1994
Another revered action game from the 16-bit era, this sequel surrounds the crisis where the techno-organic race known as the Phalanx make their way to Earth with the intent on assimilating all its inhabitants. This would have been the perfect opportunity to introduce the techno-organic virus, which loosely followed the “Phalanx Covenant” arc from the comic series. And with a plot involving the techno-virus, I see no reason not to call in Cable to help out the X-Men. Okay, it’s not actually necessary for him to be in the game because this title is already pretty great. But can’t you tell by now that I really just want a side-scrolling "Contra" game with Cable?
And I can’t talk about Cable in videogames without talking about…
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (Capcom, 2000 -- Arcade, Dreamcast, Xbox, PS2, PSN, XBLA)
All right, so Cable famously appears in this game. You obviously are well aware of this. But there is no way there was going to be a post about Cable and Marvel games without this title making an appearance. Fans of "MvC2" often refer to him as one of the cheapest characters to play with in this classic, with various combos that take advantage of his Hyper Viper Beam finish. But that doesn’t mean the game couldn’t use more Cable.
When one of Cable's victory poses features his cybernetic arm becoming grossly mutated, we get "MvC2"'s only hint of the techno-organic virus. Wouldn't it be cool to integrate the virus into combat? Just imagine Cable finally being able to get some mid-range attacks and blocks utilizing that left arm. This would make the character an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. Well... Not that he isn't already...
Last week, when Activision announced Cable as a downloadable character for "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2," we asked you via Twitter to tell us your favorite moments involving Cable in video games. There aren't many. And I suppose it comes as no surprise that one particular game sticks out from the rest -- unanimously!
Here are your comments about said awesome previous Cable appearance in no particular order...
@tweeterrance is apparently a big fan of father/son bonding.
And then there are @b11a2 and @HeavyArms, who love them some futuristic weaponry.
Finally, I think this is my favorite. It's not what is said, it's who's saying it...
Yep. That's right. It appears that super evil dude who goes by another more familiar name not only tweets and uses a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo as his icon...but he's also a big fan of playing games as his greatest enemy.
So, yeah, Cable was great in "Marvel vs. Capcom 2." But seriously, folks -- what about "X-Men: GamesMaster's Legacy" for Sega Game Gear? Where's the love?...
(OK...maybe I just found out about that myself via Wikipedia like you did.)
Last week, I celebrated the announcement of downloadable Carnage for "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2" with a retrospective on all his game appearances. Well, you may have heard that Psylocke has been announced as a second downloadable character since then (once again, per audience demand), and I wanted to do the same kind of thing for her. But I won't. She's just been in too many games, and there's not much I can tell you that Wikipedia can't already.
Psylocke's appearance in the first "MUA" was quite different than what you'll see as "MUA2" DLC. As you might recall, you're cruising along toward the end of the game when all of a sudden Doctor Doom uses his newly acquired god-like powers to turn a bunch of defeated heroes into "Dark" versions of themselves to fight your team. With no real build-up to her, Dark Psylocke appears with Dark Cyclops (who had been established in an amazing cutscene), inspiring a bit of a "What the--?!" from the gamer, as you prepare to pound her to a pulp. And if that doesn't do it, her face will. I think Ash said it best in "Army of Darkness": "Honey, you got real ugly."
Marvel fans who walk around screaming "shoryuken!" know very well that Psylocke is crazy-lethal in fighting games from Capcom and Activision -- except one. Well after her fighting-game debut in "X-Men: Children of the Atom" (side note: also the first Marvel fighting game ever), she was snubbed from the playable roster of this debut Marvel vs. Capcom showdown.
Psylocke does, however, show up out of nowhere if you beat the game as Cammy (the Capcom cutie who sees even less use in actual pants than Betsy). For no apparent reason, Cammy has lost her memory after the last fight, and the Hand just happens to be hanging around to pick her up (thinking Lady Mandarin II, perhaps?). Cue flash of purple light and "Someone appears out of nowhere!" It's Psylocke. Ninjas beaten. Day saved. Cue the two screens you see above... Somewhat head-scratching cameo complete.
The first time we ever saw the modern interpretation of Psylocke in a game (and, on a personal note, the first time I ever saw the character, period) was perhaps her most forced appearance into a game. For whatever reason, she's the holder of a device that can summon Havok to heal Wolverine. Why does Psylocke have this? Why is she hanging out in a hidden room amidst teems of evil whatchamacallits? Why can't Havok give the device to Wolverine himself? Why didn't Wolvie just grab it from the mansion so that nothing's trying to kill him? And can't he heal himself already or something? We may never know the answers to these burning questions...
If you know anything about "The Ravages of Apocalypse," it's not so much Psylocke's appearance in this FPS "total conversion" of the original 'Quake' that makes you say "What the--?!" so much as the premise of the game itself. As an unnamed cyborg created to serve Magneto (of course!), it's up to you to take on cloned X-Men characters created by Apocalypse. Cyborg Psylocke is among them. And if you've ever wanted to see Betsy bleed, this first-ever M-rated Marvel title will likely be the only chance you'll ever get.
"Ravages" would rank No. 1 on the list if it actually included Ms. Braddock herself. But since it doesn't, that honor goes to...
Psylocke's first-ever game appearance wasn't so "What the--?!" in its day -- we weren't so discriminating as gamers in the days of DOS -- but looking at it now, such a reaction is almost inevitable. Without getting into too much detail (check out her bio for that), until about 20 years ago, the character looked incredibly different, to say the least -- just check out that image from the box art. (I also love that the birds-eye shots of her are basically just a blob of purple hair.)
But Psylocke's look in the game isn't all that's kind of peculiar about her gaming debut: "X-Men II" takes Betsy in her early X-days and makes her go one-on-one with...well...let's just say I think this screenshot alone gives "X-Men II" the No. 1 slot here...
So, what do you think of this list? Agree? Disagree? Did I leave off anything you can think of? And while I'm at it, what are your favorite Psylocke gaming appearances? Please...comment away, True Believers!
Excelsioryuken!
C-Bake
[Post your comments below or Tweet them directly to @cbake76 on Twitter! And be sure to follow @MarvelBlip on Twitter for all your Marvel video game news.]
We're just days away from the Oct. 20 release of "Marvel Super Hero Squad" from THQ, coming for your Wii, PS2, PSP and Nintendo DS. If you've been watching the cartoon, you've probably found yourself wanting to yell out "HERO UP!" and fight the forces of Doom. (Of course you have! Admit it!) And, as our Games Intern and special guest blogger Randy Ma explains (you might remember him as the lucky punk who got to go on the set of "Iron Man 2" -- beats getting coffee), if you like the animated series, there's no better way to live out what you see on Saturday mornings than by playing this game.
We all know by now that "The Super Hero Squad Show" is a riot, as it plays the personalities of our favorite Marvel heroes against each other for slapstick shenanigans. Likewise, THQ's "Marvel Super Hero Squad" game maintains the same manic humor of the show along with a Marvel-flavored story to go with it. I love that all of the cartoon's chief voice actors recorded extensive voiceover for this game, and as you might expect from such talented bunch, it results in some hilarious in-game banter and cutscenes.
It's also great to see some running jokes and references from the show. Just like in the show, you'll see the Squaddies try to undermine Ms. Marvel whenever they can (check out the clip above for an example). And the helicarrier? It still gets wrecked at every opportunity. You'll even see cameos like the pompous Gray Hulk (and you thought you saw the last of him in last week's episode!).
Aside from its sense of humor, "Marvel Super Hero Squad" also lets you experience your favorite super heroes like you never will in the show. For example, Wolverine never uses his claws against enemies in the show unless he’s slicing objects or robots -- but in the game, he can dig his claws deep into any enemies in his way. I wouldn’t call the game brutal -- far from it -- but it is definitely awesome to pull off finishing moves for characters as they lay the smack down on an opponent.
If coming up with what-if scenarios and pitting heroes and villains against each other is your thing, then "Marvel Super Hero Squad" will not disappoint. The game even contains a bunch of characters who have yet to make an appearance on the show -- a certain webbed wonder you'll unlock by collecting enough secret tokens springs to mind.
Basically, if you like the show, you'll like the game. So...
In case you haven't heard, the rollout of downloadable content characters for "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2" has begun -- and the first of five characters to be announced is one of the Marvel Universe's most delightfully psychotic super villains: Carnage.
Does it seem odd to have a serial killer teaming with the likes of Iron Man and (well, in this case, or) Captain America might seem a little odd at first -- and, let's face it, it is -- but when Activision polled gamers at New York Comic-Con this year about who they'd like to see in the game, Mr. Kasady topped the list.
With a gaming pedigree like that of Carnage, it's easy to see why you guys like him in your games so much. The "MUA2" DLC marks the Venom-spawn's eighth videogame appearance -- and his first playable outing. What were those other seven appearances all about, you ask? Well, let's check 'em out in chronological order...
Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade's Revenge (Flying Edge, 1992 -- Super NES/Genesis version described; also on Game Boy)
Carnage's first game appearance in color was...kinda weird, actually. Not only was he working for Arcade (very possibly the oddest choice of an ultimate super villain in Marvel games history), he was also teamed up with Rhino. 'Cause...that always happens, right? While Rhino charged, Carnage "[turned] his skin into solid darts" (so says the manual) that he threw your way until you pound him into submission and -- this is where it gets really weird -- you see a buck-naked Cletus Kasady lying on the ground, fading into life power-ups.
Spider-Man 2 (LJN, 1992 -- Game Boy)
Considering that Carnage's first costumed appearance was in March 1992, it's pretty amazing that he not only made two game appearances that year, but also actually made the cover of this Game Boy exclusive. I didn't play the game, but rumor has it (hooray for back-of-box captions!) you rode some sort of "deadly Skull-Coaster" in order to get to him.
Spider-Man/Venom: Maximum Carnage (Acclaim, 1994 -- Super NES, Genesis)
If you ask me, this game is the main reason why so many of you voted to have Carnage included in "MUA2." Based on a huge comics event of the same name (it even followed the story beat for beat), "Maximum Carnage" absolutely punished you as a player -- as either Spidey or Venom, no less -- but was so much fun at the time, you didn't care. It was one of the best beat-em-ups of its day, and Carnage was nothing less than ruthless throughout. Acclaim even made the cartridges red instead of the typical black or gray in honor of the guy's thirst for blood. It's still fun to play today -- just don't count on ever beating it without the skills to match your serious time investment.
Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety (Acclaim, 1995 -- Super NES, Genesis, PC)
You know you're at the height of symbiote popularity when Venom's name comes before Spidey's in this follow-up to "Maximum Carnage." This one was much more beatable, though, as you took on Venom's symbiotic "children" with Carnage waiting for you there at the end.
Spider-Man (Activision, 2000 -- PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PC, Mac, Game Boy Color)
As if "Maximum Carnage" wasn't great enough to popularize Carnage in the gaming space, his role in the first truly awesome 3D super hero game of all time was nothing to scoff at either. Late in the game, Spidey fights him and subdues Cletus...but that's not it for the Carnage suit, which plays a major role in the game's climactic escape sequence. If you have played and beaten this game, you know just how sweet what becomes of the suit actually is. And if you haven't? Well, go play the thing and see for yourself! It's totally worth it.
Ultimate Spider-Man (Activision, 2005 -- Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PC, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance)
What is it with Carnage and showing up in so many great Spidey games? Well, his appearance in this "sequel" to the original Venom story arc in the ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN comics was probably his weirdest to date. The game came out sometime between Ultimate Carnage's first and second appearances and fit beautifully into comics continuity -- at the time, anyway (not so much anymore). The twist here? The Carnage suit actually takes hold of Peter Parker as you pound him to a pulp playing as Venom. Good times.
Marvel Trading Card Game (Konami, 2007 -- PC, Nintendo DS, PSP)
I'll admit, I haven't played this one. But I have it on good authority that there is a Carnage card in the deck, and it probably looks something like what you see to the right. Actually, come to think of it...would this be his first playable appearance? (Whatever the case, he's definitely more exciting in "MUA2"...)
So, what are your memories of Carnage in Marvel games? Did I leave anything out? Show me some love in the comments, and I'll continue to do entries like these for the remaining four DLC characters as they are announced.
If you haven't heard, a little game called "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2" comes out on Tuesday. It's a big day for all involved in the project, including all the fine folks at Vicarious Visions, Activision and here at Marvel. On a personal level, I'm especially looking forward to seeing if you'll agree with my assessment that this is the single best Marvel video game to date.
And speaking of dates...well, playing so much "MUA2" has me kind of wanting to ask out a fictional character.
I'll have to admit that when I began working on this game two years ago, my knowledge of Songbird was about as basic as it gets: Thunderbolt. Great hair. Looks hot in blue and white. That was pretty much it. But playing "MUA2" has honestly given me a whole new appreciation for the character. Whereas my usual hero choice in a game of the "Ultimate Alliance"/"X-Men Legends" ilk is Wolverine almost all of the way (with the occasional Luke Cage or Hulk to vary things up a bit), once I decided to stick it to those no-good Anti-Registration hooligans, I was amazed at just how much I gravitated toward the lovely Ms. Gold.
"Pinkish-purple sound waves" might not immediately seem like the most intriguing basis for powers in a videogame, but just wait until you see my Mimi go! She flies (you know -- wings made of sound and all), shoots sound-pellet thingies as a long-distance attack, yells at you until it literally hurts, and -- my personal favorite -- snaps at you. Her fingers click and Cap's pals are down for the count.
If you're like me, it won't take you too long to unlock Songbird's alternate outfit, a rarely worn ensemble most prominently featured in THUNDERBOLTS #63. True story: Because of my newfound love of the character, at San Diego Comic-Con I came pretty close to dropping 550 bucks on this original cover art for said issue.
As good as that would look framed on my wall, I didn't buy it. I do, after all, intend on having a real girlfriend.
You know what's cool? When you know for a fact that the real fans out there -- the people like you and me who live and breathe the Marvel Universe -- are going to like the games you're working on. You put a ton of work into something, then you show it to your peers...and you can see in their eyes how much they're into it. Now, "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2" isn't quite out yet (September 15!), but the folks we've been showing it to -- people like you who really want to play it -- are digging it big time.
For example, take the latest issue of WIZARD (issue 216, October 2009), where they know a thing or two about super heroes. One of the magazine's three covers devotes itself to the game (something they don't do often), and the article within is filled with praise. "MUA2 keeps the best parts of the original's gameplay, and tweaks the elements that needed an upgrade," says WIZARD's Stephen Wettstein. "The game is kick-ass when played solo, but really shines when played with your friends."
And speaking of people who know a thing or two about comic books, the Marvel Studios office (the one out here in California) had a visit from Brian Michael Bendis the other day. We had a chance to show him "MUA2" -- and he loved it! Once our intern Randy and I showed Brian how to throw Captain America's mighty shield, all those who chose to oppose his shield yielded (yes...that was a '60s cartoon reference), and he had a smile on his face the whole time.
I was particularly pleased to see Brian get so into the SECRET WAR section that kicks off the game...'cause, like, he wrote it and all. He understood and appeared to even embrace small changes to better serve the game, like Iron Man being in on Nick Fury's attack on Doomstadt. He left enthusiastically telling us, "You've got a real winner on your hands here!"
Then, a few hours later, he tweeted, "Happy to give a huge thumbs up for 'Ultimate Alliance 2.' The stills do it no justice. It's gorgeous. Fusion is fun as ****. Cap, I predict, will be the most popular character in the game. Shield throwing is the ****!! The Deadpool dialogue was great."
But you know what? The feedback that means the most to us is the feedback that comes from someone else -- and that's you! The game was playable at Comic-Con last month, and no one's said a negative thing yet -- quite the opposite, actually.
It's "everything I ever wanted in a super hero game," Marvel fan Matt Morrow tells us. "And Deadpool."
His feelings are echoed by Ryan Collins, who runs a comic shop in Simi Valley, CA. "I was blown away by 'MUA2' at the con," he says. "Every aspect of it exceeded my expectations down to the little details in the environment."
It feels really good to hear feedback like that. And we hope to hear a lot more like that from you in just a little over two weeks...
Today is the last day in the office for Kyle Mansfield, one of two summer interns we've had in Marvel's games department this year. I wouldn't let him leave, though, without having him do his own blog entry about how awesome it is to work here. So, here it is...
Hello, all -- Kyle Mansfield here, Marvel’s favorite video game office intern! Though I have prowled the Internet for most of my 19 years of existence, I have yet to write a blog entry... So here it is, ladies and gentlemen! You're reading it first... Kyle Mansfield’s first blog entry! Wow, I hardly know what to say now that I have this great power at my fingertips...
Well, let’s start at the beginning of this Marvel journey of mine. When I first entered Nuclear Comics and Skate Shop in Laguna Niguel, CA, as a fat-headed 8-year-old buying Pokemon cards, I never would have imagined that I would return later in life to actually buy comics. When high school came around, I saw the art for CIVIL WAR on a banner on my friend’s MySpace page and was instantly hooked.
My weekly Wednesday load of comics grew and grew with Marvel comics, but I never thought of Marvel as a company. It was only a more interesting, alternate universe to our own. I quickly came to know way too much about the Marvel Universe, luckily without losing my social life. (It turns out girls dig a guy that they can rag on for loving comics.)
Ultimately, after I entered the creativity-fostering zone known as college (studying video game engineering nonetheless), I started to write a comic of my own. I figured there was no better place to hone my craft than Marvel HQ, so I went to Marvel.com to see if they had any writing internships. All of these were in New York.... But I did find a video game internship at Marvel Studios, Los Angeles...which is more than 3,000 miles closer to home. It also hit me that my major is videogames, so this made more sense anyway. The rest is history.
I’m extremely glad that I stumbled upon this internship. Over my three months at Marvel, I was either play-testing upcoming games (bragging rights), researching comics (what I do at home anyway), or helping to approve assets depicting Marvel characters (as close to playing God as I will ever be). Sounds like I have already found my dream job.
Working closely with C-Bake, Eric Adams and TQ really redefined the word “internship.” The only times I heard anything about picking up drinks were in my job interview (jokingly asked “Do you know herbal tea?”) and when BevMo opened across the street. In fact, the only real "grunt work" I had to deal with was organizing thousands of comics...which could definitely be worse. (Contrary to my expectations going in, there was no magical table full of free comics every Wednesday--but at least I got to read the ones I was organizing.)
I cannot say enough about how well I was treated. Most importantly, it was great to hang around people who not only understood what I was talking about when I talked comics, but knew more than me most often.
Chris Baker is a trivia master that knows everything that’s ever been posted on a web forum. His knowledge of games history is intimidating, but he always makes sure the little interns are comfortable and having a great time.
Eric Adams will try to create rivalries between interns and rag on you for not liking his games. When he’s not tossing you a football, he’ll be giving you snacks from home that his wife doesn’t like. Eric is all about keeping his “young and spritely” interns healthy.
TQ will dwarf you with his knowledge of the Marvel Universe. He’s always interested in what you are doing and is always ready to let you sit in on a meeting. I’d love to barbeque with him and talk "Dark Reign."
The most glamorous aspect of any games internship is play testing new games, and Marvel did not disappoint. Playing "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2" months before its Sept. 15 release date was a strange and awesome feeling. Most importantly, I feel like my pages upon pages of notes regarding bugs and licensing issues really contributed to the project. I also got my name in the credits...not too shabby.
I did the same with "Marvel Super Hero Squad," many online games for MarvelKids.com, and super-secret future projects (my only response to questions about this part: NDA). I liked some games more than others, but it was truly rewarding to play such a wide spectrum of game types.
Working at Marvel has been a dream come true for me, and I would love to come back. Though visiting E3 and walking past the set of "Iron Man 2" every day were major perks, having influence over the Marvel Universe in games is a feeling that cannot be matched.
Despite my wild imaginations, an internship based around Marvel games has definitely reached the expectations of a dream job. My actual duties vary from game testing, looking at various art and design documents for upcoming games, doing research for Marvel properties, and entertaining the Marvel games team -- often, you will see me walking around the office with the "Resident Evil 4" Gamecube Chainsaw controller as a hall pass.
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The following exchange took place between Marvel games intern Randy Ma and myself. Or at least something like it. Or, possibly, absolutely nothing like it at all. You decide...
All right, so Cable famously appears in this game. 
Psylocke's first-ever game appearance wasn't so "What the--?!" in its day -- we weren't so discriminating as gamers in the days of DOS -- but looking at it now, such a reaction is almost inevitable. Without getting into too much detail (check out 
Aside from its sense of humor, "Marvel Super Hero Squad" also lets you experience your favorite super heroes like you never will in the show. For example, Wolverine never uses his claws against enemies in the show unless he’s slicing objects or robots -- but in the game, he can dig his claws deep into any enemies in his way. I wouldn’t call the game brutal -- far from it -- but it is definitely awesome to pull off finishing moves for characters as they lay the smack down on an opponent. 
Spider-Man 2
Marvel Trading Card Game
If you haven't heard, a little game called "
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