X-Men 2 - The Fall of the Mutants

Year 1990, I'm riding a 386, something that's supposed to represent mutant action is beeping from the speakers, and for the first time I'm picking a five-member team from the X-Men roster. I felt like a strategist. I was probably twelve years old and had no idea what I was doing.

X-Men 2: The Fall of the Mutants by Paragon Software is an action game set in Marvel's world of comic book mutants. You assemble a team, venture through individual levels, and hunt down villains — specifically members of an organization connected to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Once you get your hands on them, they'll show you the way forward. Sounds like a solid foundation, and in 1990, it really was one.

Gameplay is straightforward side-view action. Each team member has their own abilities matching the source material, so picking your roster isn't just a cosmetic matter — it matters who you take. Diverse enemy hordes stand between you and the bosses, and healing power-ups are scattered throughout the levels, so a bit of exploration pays off. Keyboard controls are functional, but nothing spectacular. They're not precise; you mostly slide from one enemy to the next and hope your health holds out.

What has aged well about the game is precisely that character selection system — it gave the feeling that this wasn't just a generic arcade clone, but something with depth tied to the franchise. The graphics match the era, so EGA palette and characters you'd struggle to identify without knowing the source material. Sound Blaster music was acceptable back then; today it's mainly a source of nostalgic ache. What's aged worst is the illegibility of the levels — where to go, what's happening, and why, the game doesn't explain much.

Today it's mainly played by those who remember Paragon's golden days or simply want to see what licensed comic book games looked like before anyone started throwing real money at them. A historical curiosity with a functional core. As long as you don't expect more than a brief trip back to 1990, you won't be disappointed.