DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power | Switch Review

Superheroes are the dominant force in pop culture, forcing everything else to bob and weave around them. And why shouldn’t they? The idea of powerful people with the ability to do good is endlessly compelling. What makes these stories stand out for me is the person beneath the mask, having to struggle with their dual identities, and this is where video games have always had the hardest time. Comic book video games often lean on the action side of the characters, but DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power from Toybox, Inc. is a refreshing change of pace in this regard. In a rare move, this game puts civilian life at the forefront.

In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night

Based on the wildly popular animated series, DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power is immediately charming. I’ve only seen a handful of episodes of the cartoon (all the Green Lantern related ones, of course), so I wasn’t super versed on this take of the iconic characters. Yet right away, you can feel the fun that must be inherent to the series. The characters pop with lively, defined personalities and top-notch voice acting. The art style of the game stands out and gives everything a lot of life, and the music is bubbly and catchy. It makes a hell of a first impression, especially for fans of these heroes.

The general premise is that all your favorite superheroes and supervillains go to the same high school. Though mortal enemies at night and in their exaggerated personas, they’re simply classmates during the daylight. It’s definitely silly, but it’s also undeniably delightful. A particular highlight is Barbara Gordon and Harleen Quinzel being best friends, but Batgirl and Harley Quinn being bitter mortal enemies. This is probably all old hat for fans of the show, but it nonetheless put a smile on my face often as a newcomer.

A Superstitious, Cowardly Lot

The game is split into two main modes: exploring the city in your civilian identity or combating foes in your superhero identity. As one of six playable characters, you can explore a few different parts of town. There are shops to buy clothes, alleyways to explore, rooftops to clamber onto, and NPC’s to chat with. This section of the game is laid back and just lets you explore around at your leisure. There was honestly a lot of novelty in just roaming around a city as Diana Prince or Kara Danvers, since each character is painfully underrepresented in video games.

The other side of the coin is, of course, donning the capes and cowls. This mostly happens in predetermined combat arenas. These are usually pretty small and short encounters, but are loaded with enemies. Each superhero has only one combo string, executed with a single button. There are also character-specific cooldown powers, such as Supergirl’s freeze breath or Catwoman’s whip attack. While these powers help shake things up during encounters, there’s also no denying the combat isn’t deep. It’s simple, but that really feels like what the game was going for. It’s never totally boring, but it’s also never a lot of fun. Characters are unlocked at a really smart pace, though, and that helps to make things feel somewhat fresh.

Flash Fact

Keeping things less fresh, however, is the exploration and side quests. As much fun as it is for a fanboy to roam around the city as these characters, the environments get old fast. There are maybe six or so environments in the game (all introduced in the first two hours), and nothing fresh or interesting happens in any of them. You’re not unlocking new sections of areas, new ways to traverse, or fun shortcuts. There are no bonus secrets or fun easter eggs to discover. After those initial two hours, you’ll have seen everything the game has offered in this regard.

I don’t usually mind repetitive environments if the side quests give you something to do in these areas, but they are honestly pitiful. Most have you tracking down some item(s), engaging in extra combat encounters (that you will have to be loaded in and out of), or posting pictures to the game’s social media platform. None of these have interesting stories or characters luring you in, though, leaving you absolutely no reason to engage with them beyond paltry, boring rewards.

Truth and Justice

There is one worthwhile side activity, admittedly. You help in building up the district of Hob’s Bay. It gets destroyed in the game’s opening brawl, and LexCorp is teaming up with teeenagers to crowdfund its revitalization. It’s admittedly silly, but I got entranced in rebuilding the area. You get to decide where apartment buildings are built, as well as which shops are constructed and where. It’s a worthwhile enough way to break up the monotony of running from point A to point B.

Oh man, I totally forgot to mention the story. No wait, I think I forgot the story already. Jokes aside, it really is an afterthought. There are a bunch of nefarious toys and robots (the primary enemies in the game outside of one or two villain boss battles) causing havoc, and you’re trying to figure out who’s behind it. I wonder if it’s the guy at the pier handing out toys named Toymaker? I’m totally being too harsh on a kid’s plot, I know, but it just makes the characters look a little naive. It feels like a one-episode plot of the cartoon show stretched into eight hours.

Great Hera

The plot isn’t the draw anyway. It’s the characters and their friendships. The main cast of DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power are universally great. Even when they veer significantly away from the source material, it’s in the name of fun. And they are all just so much fun to spend time with. Heroes and villains alike are just a treat to play as and hang out with.

The playable roster is borderline bizarre, though. Bumblebee, Zatanna, and Green Lantern are featured on the box and during every loading screen, but are omitted as playable characters. This isn’t some Lantern fanboyism, as I was thoroughly satisfied by another character’s inclusion in this regard. It’s just weird to plaster them everywhere and then not have them playable. They’re present throughout the entire story, making their exclusion stick out like a sore thumb.

So I guess DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power is a mixed bag. It makes such an insanely strong first impression, but loses steam after only a couple hours. It’s probably an incredible game for families or youngsters, but I was disappointed it showed all of its tricks in the first hour or two and never came up with new ones. The smiles you’ll get form the characters interacting are worth it for DC fans, but for most people you can wait on this one. It does get bonus points for Star Sapphire finally being playable in a non-LEGO game, though, I can tell ya that.

This review is based on a purchased copy of DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power on Nintendo Switch. It is exclusive to that platform.