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  1. Games
  2. Action
  3. The Wonderful 101

The Wonderful 101 crapped a rainbow in our brains

Features
By Lucas Sullivan published 13 June 2013

As many colors as there are heroes

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

It's morphin' time

It's morphin' time

Platinum Games is known for its over-the-top, visually stimulating action sequences, which can utterly overload the senses in the best possible way. The Wonderful 101 retains this trademark extravagance while being fun for the whole family, and presents you with a world where gymnasts and mailmen can become the city's greatest heroes.

Our E3 demo had us racing against the clock to repel an alien invasion, bolstering our team of super citizens along the way. Everything about the gameplay comes back to the line-drawing mechanic, which determines the function of your heroic masked mob. For instance, when you see a group of panicked civilians, circling them in a line drawn with the GamePad screen or right analog stick will empower and recruit them in a technicolor burst of energy. We were surprised to see that every individual in your collective of champions can be inspected.

You can even promote any one of them to be the group leader, giving the aforementioned mailman a chance to shine. Each citizen specializes in one of the four weapon types: a red hand, green gun, blue sword, and pink whip. The larger your group, the cooler the results of your transformations. For instance, a right angle drawing typically produces a humongous green pistol. But when we went for firepower with a bigger army and gun-centric leader, our heroes morphed into the instantly recognizable Super Scope and blasted enemies into smithereens.

There's so much happening on screen at any given time, between your formation, roster, and approaching enemies--and all of it is drenched in a rainbow of colors that give the graphics a charming cartoon appeal. It's no walk in the park, either--certain aliens can take quite a beating until you figure out which weapon is most effective. With its fast pace and colorful visuals, The Wonderful 101 feels like part Pikmin, part Power Rangers, and all zany action. We approve.

Check out the following slides for additional images and more information.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
Main hero Wonder Red can use his giant hand formation to catch enemy projectiles and fling them back.

Main hero Wonder Red can use his giant hand formation to catch enemy projectiles and fling them back.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
The whip made short work of this giant alien mech, ripping it apart piece by piece.

The whip made short work of this giant alien mech, ripping it apart piece by piece.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
Shoot your green pistol sideways for maximum coolness points.

Shoot your green pistol sideways for maximum coolness points.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
Sword slashes can decimate slower enemies and deflect incoming bullets.

Sword slashes can decimate slower enemies and deflect incoming bullets.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
Up to five players can join the fight, though we haven't yet had hands-on with multiplayer.

Up to five players can join the fight, though we haven't yet had hands-on with multiplayer.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
This tranformation appears to be a flan custard with a cherry on top. We think.

This tranformation appears to be a flan custard with a cherry on top. We think.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
The scale of some alien encounters is utterly massive.

The scale of some alien encounters is utterly massive.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
This spaceship houses a boss who's essentially blue Jell-O with an angry red core.

This spaceship houses a boss who's essentially blue Jell-O with an angry red core.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
Wonder Red can also shapeshift into a hang glider for maximum airtime.

Wonder Red can also shapeshift into a hang glider for maximum airtime.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
When superheroes aren't saving the city, they enjoy gleeful trips down waterslides.

When superheroes aren't saving the city, they enjoy gleeful trips down waterslides.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
CATEGORIES
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Lucas Sullivan
Lucas Sullivan
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Lucas Sullivan is the former US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+. Lucas spent seven years working for GR, starting as an Associate Editor in 2012 before climbing the ranks. He left us in 2019 to pursue a career path on the other side of the fence, joining 2K Games as a Global Content Manager. Lucas doesn't get to write about games like Borderlands and Mafia anymore, but he does get to help make and market them. 

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