Reviewed: November 17, 2004
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Activision

Developer
Vicarious Visions

Released: November 16, 2004
Genre: Action
Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone

9
9
7
8
9.2

Supported Features:

Players assume the role of the most celebrated super-hero of all time and re-live the movie experience through all new missions featuring unique enemies, objectives and combat maneuvers. Utilizing the touch screen and new controller layout, players can quickly swing, run, jump, solve puzzles, engage in combat and switch to an arsenal of moves on the fly, while patrolling and protecting the city of Manhattan from the nefarious Doc Ock.

GAME FEATURES:

• Explore the world of the feature film – Swing, climb and web-sling through interactive 3D environments, battle the nefarious Doc Ock and experience scenarios, settings and characters, all directly from the hit feature film.

• Control Spider-Man like never before – Utilizing the Nintendo DS touch screen, players can easily switch between an arsenal of special moves by simply tapping the screen.

• Amazing graphics – The stunning new 3D graphics engine allows players to battle Doc Ock and other characters in Spider-Man’s legendary Rogue’s Gallery of villains in graphically enhanced environments never before seen on a hand held gaming system.

• Incredible depth of gameplay – As Spider-Man, players attempt to complete objectives such as defusing bombs, conquering boss mini-puzzles and defeating enemies by using the Nintendo DS touch screen.

Those who have played Spidey on the bigger consoles will probably be a bit skeptical about just how good Spidey transitions to the small screen. Well, the screen might be small but the scope of this game design is just as big as any full-size console with gameplay to match. Spidey is smooth and fast, undeniable requirements for any Spidey game.

Spidey is all about the moves, both in navigation and combat, and the control scheme for the DS version makes excellent use of both the D-pad and buttons and the touch screen to execute one-touch strikes, combined into flawlessly animated combos. The buttons allow you to jump, punch, kick, and shoot your web while the left trigger toggles Spidey Sense (bullet time), and the right trigger executes any selected special move.

Using a masterful combination of web shoot and D-pad combinations you can swing, or zip line vertically or horizontally across rooms. Everything feels so natural, just like a full-size console. Some of this can be attributed to the DS design but there is no denying that the design team put a lot of effort into the gameplay mechanics.

Spider-Man 2 is loosely based on the events of the recent film sequel. The game takes place over 14 missions that vary in length and difficulty. You’ll start off by rescuing people trapped in a burning building while fighting off the various thugs who stand in your way. You’ll then move out to the cityscape for some action along the skyline as you make your way to Dr. Octavius’ lab.

While the touch screen allows for direct input of game commands, the designers have also implemented several ingenious gameplay sequences that use the touch screen more effectively. The first such occurrence is the maze in level four where you must tap the screen to “punch” key locations and interact with the panel. You then use the touch screen to move a ball through a narrow maze without hitting the electricity. This is interactivity with a level of physicality you normally don’t associate with video games. It was almost like playing that old game, Operation, where you remove objects with the tweezers and try not to hit the sides of the hole.

There is also a level in the game that puts you on a train fighting Doc Ock in a 3D first-person perspective. The doc is firing projectiles at you and you must destroy the incoming fire by pointing at the screen, almost like a light gun game. Most important, these touch screen elements are designed so well you don’t even need to break out the DS stylus. You can easily play the game with your fingertip.

There is a ton of gameplay buried in this title. The game has multiple objectives for each level and your success is rewarded with new moves and abilities. Since you are graded for each level perfectionists will be compelled to keep going back until they get a perfect score for each of the 14 chapters.

The camera tracks Spidey as he swings around town, sticks to walls, and does battle with a variety of enemies on the street, on the rooftops, and inside buildings. Control is really slick once you get a feel for the various commands. Using a combination of D-pad and web shooter you can zip-line vertically, horizontally, or just swing in a normal arc. You can web your opponent or hit them with a ball of webbing. You also have a full complement of authentic Spidey combat moves.

The animation for Spider-Man is unbelievably smooth. I’d stack it right up there with the animation from the Xbox or any other console version of Spidey, even if you only see it from a primarily 2D perspective. Spidey’s moves flow naturally, even when you start executing complex combos, and transitions like swinging to sticking to climbing are seamlessly executed.

What little music there is was fairly impressive for a portable game. The DS is capable of a lot better sound than the GBA and Vicarious Visions is milking this system for everything it’s worth. The tunes are upbeat and really add to some of the action sequences and boss battles.

Naturally, perfectionists will want to strive for the highest scores and level rankings, which in turn will grant them new and more powerful moves and unlock bonus goodies.