2nd Op By

Gene Park 6.5 RATING

Jonathan is on the mark when he writes about the factors against Spider-Man: The Movie, specifically the curse of the movie license on a videogame. However, Spider-Man has another, unique curse with its release. It is also based on a popular comic book character, and experience has taught us that games spawning from comic books and movies are generally to be avoided; therefore, it is easy to get excited when a licensed game of considerable quality comes along, and its easy to overlook the flaws when that game succeeds where so many others have failed. Critically, Spider-Man for the Playstation was spared because Neversoft had gone where no other developer had gone before—they had given us a Spider-man that did mostly whatever a spider can. Critics were not so kind on Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, which essentially gave us less of the same thing. Now, Treyarch presents us with a little more of the same thing. The problem lies therein.

When the first Spider-Man game raised the bar for superhero games when it was released, and successive superhero releases have been gauged against the level of excitement it incited. However, this latest installment follows two adages: First, if it aint broke, dont fix it—this means the same fast Spidey action, with plenty of web slinging, chasing villains through the cityscapes and smarmy quips from Spidey himself (this also means dull enemy artificial intelligence, spotty camera and controls). Second, nothing new nothing ventured. Everything you found in the previous installments will be here in this new one, waiting for you faithfully. The only noteworthy additions to the game are the spectacular aerial battles with the Vulture and the Green Goblin. There is a genuine visceral thrill to be had when free falling through exploding pumpkin bombs only to land on the Goblins back and mercilessly bash away at his head. These aerial fights introduce another facet of what it may take to actually be Spider-Man. But fans of Spider-Man (myself included) know that Spider-Man is among the most multi-faceted superheroes ever created, and there is more to becoming Spider-Man than completing missions and capturing bad guys.

This leads me to a concern addressed by Chi in his second opinion of the first Spider-Man game. He wrote, "Given the nature of Spidey's super powers, the game should have been more free and open rather than linear and by-the-rails. With the game's current setup and pacing, I felt more like I was watching Spidey rather than actually becoming him." Early screenshots of the movie game showed New York City's streets bustling with traffic. In the final game, they're still there. However, you simply die when trying to mingle with the crowd. The huge environments in the outdoor levels are merely a tease, or hopefully, a sign of things to come. In the movie and comics, I seem to recall that Spider-man would regularly swing in to an alley or on a sidewalk to stop a crime in progress. None of that is present in the game, and all you do is literally follow the lead, as evident in the game's many chase sequences. The effect is watching Spider-man, not becoming Spider-man.

Jonathan addressed the issue of stealth, but I found many problems with it. A Spidey icon grows dark when you are in "dark spots," safe from being spotted by the enemy, but this led to many inconsistencies during play. I was able to stick to the side of a well-shaded cubicle and I was able to get away squeaky clean, despite the fact that I was sticking out like a Spider-Man on the side of a cubicle. Later, I hid at a part of the ceiling that should be well hidden from there peripheral vision, yet a guard spotted me and went for the alarm just because I wasn't in a programmed "dark spot." This led to frustration and boredom, forcing the me to merely "zip-line" across the room to different dark spots. Wrestling with the awkward camera angles you're subjected to when upside down doesn't help either.

The most recent Spider-Man games have been successful in avoiding disaster, thanks to a competent control and camera system. This latest installment will not disappoint fans of Spidey and the movie. There are dozens of moves and abilities at Spidey's disposal, and the aerial combat levels are a wonder to play, especially since the camera system works well for them. There are also dozens of hidden easter eggs that will increase the replay value of the game, including different costumes, modes, mini-games and a real treat for Green Goblin fans. However, if this formula continues, the Spider-Man series will eventually become old hat. For nearly 40 years, the hero of the Spider-Man comic book series has thrived because of the risks taken. His ability to rise above his problems in both the comic and real worlds says a lot about his resilience, in both spirit and in pop culture. But if Spidey as a videogame character doesn't take any risks, he'll be around for a lot less than 40 years.

Disclaimer: This review is based on the GameCube version of the game.

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