Spider-Man

The Good
Spider-Man is one of the best games based off of Marvel Comics' legendary web-slinger. It stays true to the original comics with a surprisingly decent storyline and great gameplay. Although the port to PC is fairly infamous for featuring a few almost game-breaking bugs, it remains an excellent game.

The plot begins with Peter Parker attending a science expo given by the "reformed" Otto Octavius (Dr. Octopus), when an impostor Spider-Man takes out the security guards and steals Octavius' new piece of technology. Parker also bumps into Eddie Brock (Venom), making things even more chaotic. Parker, the real Spider-Man, exits and puts on his costume to search for the perpetrator, but gets an unexpected report from Black Cat that a nearby bank is being robbed and the criminals are taking those inside hostage. From here, things get start to get interesting. The story is told with surprisingly well-acted cutscenes, most of which are entertaining to watch. Spidey creator Stan Lee also narrates, and does a decent job.

Before getting to the gameplay, it should be mentioned that the developers added a lot of nice extras to the game. You can unlock costumes for Spider-Man, such as the famous Symbiote suit, each of which has special features making gameplay under those costumes a bit different. Also included is a character viewer (allowing you to view and read about characters featured in the game) and the "Comic Collection", where you can view the covers and info for influential Spider-Man comics (unlocked by finding them in the game's levels). You can also view the cutscenes and storyboards for each one, but not before you complete the level before each scene.

Aside from the campaign, which I'll get to next, there is a training mode with five different scenarios to refine your gameplay skill: "Time Attack", where you attempt to kill as many enemies as you can within 60 or 120 seconds, "Survival Mode", where you try to survive as long as possible with an endless wave of foes approaching, "Speed Training", where you try to web-swing to the end of the area as quickly as possible, "Target Practice", where you shoot your web at famous villains while trying to avoid shooting your friends, and "Item Collection" featuring two gameplay modes with the goal of collecting as many medallions as possible within a set amount of time. These objectives may work to hone your playing skills, but probably won't keep your interest for very long.

Finally, there is the main campaign. It stays very true to the comics, with a fairly accurate recreation of Spidey's New York. The villains also replicate those seen in the comics - the generic thugs aren't far from something that would be seen in the Spider-Man universe, and main foes such as Venom and Scorpion are replicated well. Other Marvel characters such as Daredevil make cameo appearances, and the Fantastic Four's headquarters even makes a showing.

The gameplay is enjoyable and, in typical Spider-Man fashion, features a lot of web-slinging and wall-crawling, as well as punching, kicking, and jumping. Spider-Man can use his web to do different things to attack: he can shoot a web, hurl a ball of webbing, or make a dome of webbing around himself for protection and then break out of it to attack nearby enemies. You can also cover your hands in the white stuff, doing extra damage with punches. Webbing can also be used from swinging to another location (obviously) and to zip-line to whatever is above, such as the ceiling on the inside of a building. You also must collect health to survive and web cartridges to keep a steady amount of webbing along the way. Another item is the rarely seen Spider-Armor, special armor that turns Spidey black and white and adds an extra layer of health.

Graphics and sound are solid. The visuals are pretty well done for 2001, but could have been better. The audio consists of some pretty good music and sound effects which aren't outstanding but get the job done. As I said earlier, the voice acting is well done and the characters sound as they should, with Stan Lee doing some respectable narration.

The Bad
Now, here's what you've all been waiting for: the "almost game-breaking bugs" I noted earlier. There are two: when you reach the Daily Bugle building to fight Scorpion, there is an in-game cutscene where Spider-Man breaks through the window to enter. However, he will fall below and the game returns to the cutscene before. After another in-game cutscene in the game in the level "Catch Venom" where you have to chase Venom to his hideout, Spider-Man falls to his death. Unfortunately, using a level skip code is the easiest way to combat these bugs. Thankfully, these should be the only two levels you might have to skip.

The default controls are awful. However, you can change them, so it isn't much of a problem. Also, the camera only updates its movement after Spidey stops moving. This could create issues for some, but it never really affected the game for me to be honest.

The Bottom Line
Overall, Spider-Man is an entertaining diversion for fans of the web-slinger. It proves worthy of bearing Spidey's name, and despite the bugs in the PC version, it remains a great game.

The Good
The graphics for Spider-Man are surprisingly good, though lacking detail it still looks alright! The game also runs quite smooth for the most part. All the classic characters are here, Doc Oc, Venom, Carnage, just to name a few. Peter boy also has a couple of cool moves he can perform... i had no idea until i read the manual. There's also some very, very cool extras in the game like the comic collection, different costumes and story boards. The replay value however is high since different costumes can make the game harder/easier depending on which you choose.

The Bad
The controls grrr no mouse support. i'm so use to using the mouse in my games and this one is all keyboard. The camera angles, what a pain in the ass. It takes time to get use to it, i kept running into the damn walls. And lining up a jump..OY! You have the perfect path in your sites, you take a few steps back but this involves turning around which changes the camera position, you can't walk backwards... i'm not use to that. Must be the FPS addiction i got goin' on. Screenshots, typically what i do is hit the print screen key (with the printer OFF) and then paste it into photoshop later for some editing. Not with this one, the print screen key approach doesn't work, though there are other ways this is just the easiest for me. The voices for the game are so, so. What annoyed me most was when i wanted to explore the area, Spidey pipes up and says "i should follow my spidey compass" fine, shut up! keep exploring and he pipes up with "news flash! i need to follow my spidey compass blah blah blah" arrogant little shit. LOL Worst of all the game was too easy and just too short, i beat it with such little effort.

The Bottom Line
Certainly not a bad game at all, the game is good and the extra stuff makes this a must have for any Spider-Man fan!

The Good
Spider-man, as one of the most popular superheroes ever conceived has therefore had many videogames based on his exploits. Many were quick to call this incarnation of Spidey games the best. Yet MOST Spider-man games are pretty good. (I wonder how many people that claim that this “best” Spidey game, have actually played the other ones.-MM-) That includes Sega’s Spider-man arcade game, as well as their Spider-man vs. The Kingpin. So in this review I will not examine: is this the BEST Spidey game? It will be more on what makes it good/better/worse, than previous titles.

“Welcome, true believers.”-Common Spidey intro, Stan Lee-

In Spider-man, the infamous web head has been framed by a Spidey imposter! After he makes off with the newly re-formed Doctor Otto Octavias.(AKA Doctor Octopus.-MM-) Now the cops are out to capture Spidey. Meanwhile the city has been blanketed by a strange green fog. As Spider-man you must clear your name, while facing some of the web slingers greatest foes. And of course save New York City…again. This game is loaded with various levels all with different objectives. Some will involve fighting a super-villain, stopping a bank heist, or even crawling through dank sewers. One might think that a character like Spider-man that can do so many things would make for a game with confusing controls, and awkward mechanics. But like many of the web-heads other video game adventures, the controls are simple and easy to master. And also do a stellar job at emulating Spidey’s powers.

Fists Of Fury

For instance, “X” punches, while “B” kicks. Hitting these buttons repeatedly form combos. You can even mix punch/kick combos. “Y” is used to activate webbing. You can shoot web to tie up foes. Create web spikes, that increase Spider-man’s attack power. And my favorite grab a foe with your web line and then pull them back and into a wall.

As one would expect from a Spider-man game, you can also web swing. The 3D Spidey games do a better job overall of emulating Spider-man’s swinging. But like it’s 2D predecessors the basics are the same. That is to say that web swinging is easy to do. Something that some may take for granted, unless they have played games with bad superhero controls.(I.e. In Batman: Dark Tomorrow, using Batman’s grapple was an exercise in futility.-MM-)

You can also Zip line. A web technique that allows you to quickly web sling to another building, or up to the ceiling. This at the time was new to Spidey games, and is a most excellent feature.

Secret Agent Man

Spider-man also packs in tons of secrets. There are comic books to collect. Which are ingeniously hidden through out the game. Alternate costumes to unlock, when certain requirements are met. You can view character models in the 3D character viewer. The Playstation version had a unlockable mode called, “What If”. (“What If” comics featured alternate realities of the Marvel Universe. Such as, “What If, Spider-man killed the Lizard?”-MM-) And like the comic series of the same name, it was an alternate version of the game. It was nearly impossible to unlock. New to the Dreamcast version, some of the “What If” elements are already in the story mode.(Look for a cameo by Ghost Rider, among others.-MM-)

Graphically the DC version is superior in every way to that of the PSX, and N64.(You can actually see the web lines on Spidey’s suit!-MM-) Anyone that claims otherwise must be blind. Edges are clean, and lines run straight. Objects look more clear, and the view distance is greatly increased. Granted this game does not look as good as the Xbox Spider-man movie game. But it IS the best looking version of this particular Spidey game.

Sound wise the Dreamcast version excels as well. It is no secret that the Dreamcast had a much better sound card than that of the PSX and N64. The music sounds better, as do the voices and the sound effects. The voice overs themselves are a mixed bag. The voices of Black Cat, and Doc Ock are from the 90’s Spidey cartoon. And sound great in the roles still. It is a different Spider-man, and while not as good as the voice actor from the T.V. show the new Spidey does a good job. However many voices are poor. The thugs in particular. But some more major characters have poor voices as well. Such as Carnage.

The Bad
Evil Incarnations

Now that I have expressed the good, how about I go into the negative. As this game is not perfect. Firstly some levels are feel like filler. As if the design team needed to make the game longer than it was, and therefore added things that seem unnecessary. Yet that is not the worst of it some levels are just plain crap.

The save system is flawed at best. You can only save your progress after the certain levels. Not after every level as in better designed games. So you often end up playing parts over, or having to play longer than you wanted to. This may not bother everyone as much as it bothers me. But then again being mainly a PC gamer, I am used to save systems that allow you to save when ever you want.

There are also some weak plot points. I would spoil them if I gave them away. Allow me to just say this: Spider-man/Peter Parker is supposed to be a genius. Yet he does not see some things in the game clearly, which makes it look like he is in fact an idiot.

Why is the voice quality so mixed? You have some great voice overs, and then you have some terrible ones. Where is the consistency?

The Bottom Line
Overall this is a great Spider-man game. Not the BEST, but I don’t even know which one I would pick as my personal favorite. There are many versions of the game. Web head fans will want to play any version they can get there sticky hands on. If you have the means however I really recommend this version of the game. After all, who doesn’t want to play the best version of a game?