As many veteran gamers will attest, movie-based video games  usually don't come off all that well--usually because they're thrown  together in haste in an attempt to quickly cash in on a hot film  license. ButX-Men: Mutant Academyis an exception, offering  plenty of characters, eye-popping graphics, and solid control as far as  fighting games go.Computer-generated visuals bring 10 X-Men home in their latex comic  book costumes, as well as their leather movie duds. In addition to  those characters featured in the movie,Mutant Academyalso puts  Beast and Gambit at players' disposal. (Rogue, however, is a no-show.)The fighting system forMutant Academyis built around three  special move meters, which can be built up during battle. Once the  special meter is filled, you can use your newly acquired moves to  perform wild displays of combat skills. Uniquely, the power from one  meter can be transferred to another, giving players an added strategic  advantage while fighting. The game plays fast and takes skill to  master, though it relies more heavily on special moves than combos.  Still, it ranks right up there with Capcom's best.--Robb GuidoPros:A 2-D fighter with 3-D rendered characters and an abundance of  special movesOffers 10 X-Men in a choice of costumes, including those from theX-Menmovie.Cons:Not as many characters as other fighters