The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin

aka: Spider-Man vs. Kingpin
Moby ID: 45729

Description official description

The Kingpin is at it again, and Spider-Man has just 24 hours to find the keys to defuse a bomb primed to wipe out New York City. Worse, the Kingpin has convinced the citizens that Spider-Man is the bomb's mastermind, and they're now out for his radioactive spider blood.

To clear Spider-Man's name, the player must guide him through multiple levels and familiar super-villains in search of the bomb's keys - all while the 24-hour time limit mercilessly counts down. At Spidey's disposal are a range of hand-to-hand combat moves, plus web tricks including stunning web shots, web swings, and a web shield. Players can even form combos of web strikes and Spidey fists. And in a fairly uncommon platform maneuver, Spidey can stick to and crawl along any surface; including up walls and across ceilings.

The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin for the Sega CD takes the idea and basic gameplay from the Genesis version, but makes some significant changes. There are new levels, new bosses, and an expanded set of combat moves. The player now has the freedom to select the next level or boss to tackle from a map screen. Graphics have also been redrawn and expanded from the Genesis release. However, the player can no longer rest and heal at Peter Parker's apartment, or take photographs of enemies for cash; both prominent features of the Genesis version.

Animated cutscenes with voices are new to this version, as well as a new CD soundtrack. The player can also find and collect digital versions of classic Spider-Man comics, making further use of the multimedia storage space. A password system has also been added to save the player's progress.

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Screenshots

Credits (SEGA CD version)

83 People (71 developers, 12 thanks) · View all

Producers
Design
Programming
Additional Programming
Art Direction
Art
Cinema Animations
  • Gray Matter
Voices
  • DMP Entertainment
Level Layout
Additional Level Layout
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 71% (based on 12 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 16 ratings with 3 reviews)

Swing Time!

The Good
When it is initially released for the Sega Genesis, "The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin" was the best Spider-Man video game around. Even today, it remains one of the better platform games made for the system. While the Sega CD version follows the same basic storyline, it features improved animation, graphics and sound along with more non-linear game play, extra levels, fighting moves and new items to collect.

The Bad
The Sega CD version does not allow you to return to your New York City apartment to rest. Nor can you take photographs for money. Both were nice features in the Genesis version that have been left out. Instead, you can restore your health and webbing by collecting strange, red and blue circular icons.



The Bottom Line
The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin is, probably, the best single player, platform game for the Sega CD. For the most part it takes what was great about the original version and greatly improves upon them.

SEGA CD · by ETJB (428) · 2010

One of the Webheads best outings.

The Good
Spiderman as the most popular comic book character in the world has had his share of video games based on his exploits. The Amazing Spiderman vs. The Kingpin, is not only his finest 2D game, but is even good compared to the new 3D Spidey games.

Spiderman has been framed by the Kingpin. Now the whole city is out for his blood. Spiderman must find and defeat the real villains and clear his name. Traverse the Big Apple and so battle with classic Spidey villains such as, The Lizard, Venom, Hobgoblin, Sandman, Electro, and The Kingpin himself! The plot is enhanced by FMV sequences that are played throughout the game.

The Graphics in Spidey are quite good for the time. And the Sega CD version looks even better than it’s Sega Genesis counterpart. Spidey and all of his foes look good. And the FMVS while not the most impressive seen for the Sega CD are still pretty good.

In the department, you have voiceovers during the FMVS, and music provided by Mr. Big. The VO’S are good and of consistent quality. The music is a little more of a mix. While most of it is good, the few songs with lyrics are quite lame, and invoke a cheesy 80’s feel.

The Gameplay is pure 16-bit fun. New York is on a map, you use it to find the villains and complete levels. Many levels do not have to be done to finish the game, they are just extra. And there are a lot of them. As well as mini-games to play. Some bosses like Venom and Sandman require a special means to defeat making the game more like the Spidey comics.

The Bad
The lyrics are corny. No save feature only crap ass passwords.

The Bottom Line
Overall this is one of Spidey’s best games, even when put up against his newer titles.

SEGA CD · by MasterMegid (723) · 2006

A Spectacular Spider-Man Game

The Good
Spider-Man 's Sega CD outing is pure spun gold. It is a well-designed, action-packed platformer that improves upon the Sega Genesis version. This is arguably Spider-Man's greatest 16-bit video game, and one of the best Sega CD games.

Spider-Man looks great, is easy to control and has a wide range of attacks at his dispoal. The CD game has hundreds of possible levels that you can explore, fun animated sequences to help move the story, and a cool, rocking soundtrack.

Basically, it feels like the designers looked at the Sega Genesis Spider-Man and asked, "How can we make it better?" They added more levels, more bosses, more character animation, more attack moves, better music, better intermission sequences and more non-lineral gameplay.

The Bad
Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin has elements of non-lineral game play, but they don't amount to much.

Collecting digital images of classic comic books is fun, but doesn't actually impact the gameplay. The game does have different endings, depending on whether or not you get to the kingpin, defeat him and save your wife.

Most of the levels that you can play, in addition to the required levels, get repetitive quickly. It was an fun concept in 1993, but it has not aged especially well.

Quite a few aspects of the game have not aged well. The intermission sequences looked cool back in 1993, but not so much in 2018.

The voice acting is, mostly, ok, although sometimes it sounds as if actors were cut off mid sentence.


The Bottom Line
The Sega CD edition of Spider-Man vs The Kingpin is certainly the superior version. The cartridge version ain't shabby, but the CD edition controls better then the cartridge version. It has more levels, more bosses, more character animation, better music, better intermission sequences and multiple endings.

SEGA CD · by Edward TJ Brown (118) · 2018

Trivia

Version differences

The Sega CD version hosts several changes and improvements over its MegaDrive/Genesis counterpart, including:

* Animated cutscenes

* Faster gameplay

* New use of Spider-Man's web-slinging powers

* New stages

* Added bosses (including Vulture)

* Remixed stages from the Genesis version

* CD soundtrack composed by Spencer Nielsen

* Infinite continues

* No longer able to go back to Peter Parker's apartment for anything

* Passwords now record your progress

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by BurningStickMan.

Additional contributors: Satoshi Kunsai, formercontrib, Patrick Bregger.

Game added July 12, 2010. Last modified February 22, 2023.