'Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe'

For: Xbox 360 and Playstation 3

From: Midway

ESRB Rating: Teen (blood, suggestive themes, violence)

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"Gimmick" is something of a dirty word in gaming circles, and leaning on DC Comics' heavy hitters _ Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and the Joker, among others _ to breathe relevance back into "Mortal Kombat" most definitely qualifies as a gimmick.

But it's hard to knock a gimmick when it works, and so it's hard to knock "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe," which freshens up a franchise stuck in neutral while taking full advantage of the moment to trim much of the fat that had accumulated since "Kombat" went 3-D.

That latter point, in fact, is the real story. Whereas recent "Kombat" games have tried half-heartedly to compete with other 3-D fighters, "Universe" essentially brings the game back into the second dimension, presenting fully three-dimensional characters who fight almost exclusively on a flat plane. That, in layman's terms, means "Universe" plays a lot like the original "Kombat" arcade games, combining the fluent animation expected from today's games with gameplay straight out of 1995.

But if you haven't played a "Kombat" game since those days, that means nothing to you. Fortunately, if you came to the party simply because Batman scored an invitation, there's good news there as well. Dual story modes let you play as either faction, and the absurd but entirely enjoyable storyline provides a great means to familiarize yourself with both rosters. The game's a visual mixed bag overall, but the fighters look great in motion, and Midway has stocked each with an ample supply of satisfying moves (including the series' trademark finishers) specific to each.

All that said, if you're coming to "Universe" expecting something on the level of "Virtua Fighter" or even "Soul Calibur," don't. Midway is unapologetic about keeping "Kombat" on the casual end of the fighting game spectrum, and "Universe," while gifted with move sets deep enough to appeal to serious fighting fans, remains a game at which anyone who can mash buttons and master a fancy move or two can excel. It's wildly imbalanced, but it's imbalanced on both sides, making for a frenzied, fun arcade experience that nonetheless will rub tournament-level players the wrong way.

Beyond the two story modes, "Universe" features a standard arcade mode, which itself features a unique end sequence for each fighter. Each character also has a Kombo Challenge, which is a great way to "win" something while mastering the game's more complicated attacks. As expected, "Universe" sports both local and online multiplayer (two players each), and as long as your Internet connection is respectably fast, it works pretty much as you'd hope it would.

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(Billy O'Keefe writes video game reviews for McClatchy-Tribune News Service.)