"Few games have ever fully
captured the essence that a movie produced. Luckily,
Spiderman has a deep fan base and has proved himself to
be a worthy candidate for a video game... movie or
not."
Intro
I have to admit that I'm quite the fanboy of Spiderman;
and have played nearly everything that had Spidey in it.
Probably my favorite to date was the Sega Dreamcast
version, although it was somewhat short.
With the media bombarding us with paraphernalia and a
slew of marketing garbage; I went into the game with low
expectations. I mean any game with the
web-slinger couldn't be that bad...
It's good to see that the new game releases can be
"shared" by more than one platform. I've
played the PS2 version as well as the GameCube version,
and I do have to say that the GC version is much more
polished. Headed up by Activision (go Pitfall!),
the base was solid, and I knew that.. but how they could
pull the movie theme into it and not distract fans was
enigmatic. They gave it a decent shot.
Not afraid of heights I hope...
I'm fully aware that the game was based on the
pre-thought success of the movie. The success of the
movie, also sprung up a deluge of toys and memorabilia.
Spiderman crosses a wide variety of age groups. From the
young, pre-teen adolescents; they can enjoy the
high-flying comical action. Adults and teenagers can
appreciate the subtle humor in the whole thing... along
with the super-cool moves Spidey can pull off.
Needless to say, the game had to be molded for a wide
range of players. Activision should be commended for
their wonderful tutorial, which really shows players the
ropes. The narrator tells you step by step what to do,
with some hilarious dialogue along the way. This really
sets you into the "Spiderman-mood". I
highly appreciated the training mode, and this should
help out novices as well as experienced gamers.
Those looking for an interactive movie-based game, might
be disappointed. The game, for the most part, follows
the storyline loosely, but thankfully interjects a host
of new material. If the game had been frame-for-frame
with the movie, it would have been a woeful release.
After playing the Dreamcast Spiderman, I really
fell in love with the physics of the game, along with
the great graphics. After playing the tutorial mode, I
again basked in the glow of classic Spidey physics. In
fact, the first thing you notice is how cool the
animation is; which really shows how well the base
engine works for the physics. As good as the physics
are, much of the camera angles bog down the wonderful
fluidity of the game. Spidey can do just about anything
the comic book hero could do. His web cannot only be
used as a non-lethal weapon, but it also can be used for
his primary mode of transportation. Just like the comic
book adaptation, all of his "Spidey senses"
are here. He can detect enemy presence, along with
"sticking" to just about anything.
Activision (and Treyarch) really pulled off some
spectacular moves that work brilliantly with the
GameCube's controller. The feel of the web, along with
swinging, is dramatically done and the initial feel is
amazing. After time, however, much of the web swinging
becomes fairly mundane. Nitpickers will also point out
that Spidey swings "magically" hanging onto
nothing. At first I felt a bit robbed from the lack of
control, but I didn't let it affect my experience.
The game pans out in a huge environment. The levels are
immense, but still totally linear. There is a set
pattern of events that must be triggered, and a special
compass guides you. It seems most games now are
incorporating this type of compass, which shows depth,
height and target location. Overall, the effect works,
but those looking for complete freedom might be a bit
let down. What really makes the game rewarding is the
experience of fully utilizing Spiderman’s abilities.
Clinging to a wall and propelling yourself up with a web
shot really add to the wonderful mechanics of the
adventure.
To add a new level that surpasses previous Spiderman
installments; is the variety of actions he can pull off
while on the ground. The battle system, although very
elementary, works well and is simplistic fun through
and through. Spiderman can punch and kick with the best
of them, but he has various combos that add to the
battle scenes. Along Spidey's journey, you will find a
wealth of power-up's and "secret" items to
acquire. These items allow you to "learn" new
combos, and are done in classic Spiderman humor.
When you add up great mechanics and physics along with
"old-fashioned" fun, the gameplay itself is
well worth the price of admission.
An XBOX, a PS2 and a GameCube walked into a bar...
With the same game being released on the three major
consoles, it's nice to see the GameCube hold its own.
The graphics are crisp and clear, with little pixelation
or slowdown. I was impressed to see the visuals exceed
the Sony behemoth, but still it falls short of the huge
power of the XBOX.
For those who look for amazing backgrounds, you'll need
to hold onto your seat. The backgrounds are huge,
colorful and simply breathtaking. Spiderman
really captures the ambience no matter what level you
are on. Whether you are flying high above skyscrapers,
or crawling in the sewers; you will always feel part of
the action. The performance of the game running on the
GameCube was rock solid, and showed no signs of choking.
My only complaint, as mentioned before, was the
frustrating camera angles at times. Many times, no
matter where you were, it was difficult to focus forward
and concentrate on your objective. This seems to plague
all games that fit under this category. Luckily, the
camera issues don't hinder gameplay as others, but still
is noticeably frustrating if you are in a tight
situation.
Where the game really shines is the amazing use
of audio. Where would Spiderman be if it wasn't for the
sarcasm and humor? I was glad to see Stan Lee's
personality shine through the game, as the dialogue was
darn near perfect. The game also really keeps you
involved on a "movie level", where the audio
plays as much a part of the experience as the graphics.
The soundtrack and sound effects were equally
impressive, and should keep even the harshest Spidey
freak grinning from ear to ear.
Unfortunately, the audio isn't as good as it should be.
The XBOX and PS2 sport a nice surround sound feature, in
which the GameCube has lacked from day one. This is a
disappointment, and I think Nintendo shot themselves in
the foot for not giving people that option on their
hardware.
66 Says:
As much as I loved the game, and as good as it is; I
can't fully recommend a purchase of it. The game is
miserably short and should take most gamers under 10
hours to complete. This is the same problem I had with
the Dreamcast game, in which the longevity was just
never there. The bottom line here is that the game is
well worth the price for good rental.
For those who have an XBOX and a GameCube, I STRONGLY
recommend choosing the XBOX version. The XBOX version
sports two additional levels, along with improved
graphics and Dolby Digital sound. I prefer the XB
version to the GC's in every category other than
control. The GC's controller is much better suited for
the game. The PS2 version, is also well playable, but
the graphics are much choppier than GC's and the XB's.
Overall, the game was a quick fun ride, and should be
experienced by any fan of the comic book series. There
are enough items and hidden material that should keep
most gamers going for a good while. Real fans will want
to purchase this, but casual fans will want to check it
out via rental.
7.8
