SpiderMan for Dreamcast
- ESRB Descriptor: Cartoon Violence
- ESRB Rating: E - (Everyone)
- Publisher: Activision
- Genre: Action
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Even more fun than the old Spider-Man platform games
Pros
Visually and musically beautiful; Spider-Man's moves are created well; dandy action
Cons
Too short; the final level is a needless chore; port of a PS1 game?
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
It's not perfect, but it's still a great action game for the Dreamcast. Pick it up, true believers!
You know, that old theme from the Spider-Man cartoon always bothered me. You know the one. It's famous:
Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Does whatever a spider can
Actually, that little ditty is misleading as hell because Spider-Man can do much more than a common, household spider. He can, for example, take out a loan or drive a car. Spider-Man can woo a hot redhead, even, and support himself as a newspaper photographer. Spider-Man, indeed, is far superior to a spider, I'd argue.
Well, enough of that. Spider-Man is a very good title for the Dreamcast with a few limitations that keep it from being spectacular. I'll mention the good points first.
Spider-Man, due to his powers, has always been an intriguing hero. Furthermore, the character has been a darn good one to translate to console games by folks who know what they're doing. In fact, one of my favorite games for the beloved Sega Genesis is Spider Man: Maximum Carnage -- a classic platformer in which the powers of the ol' web-head are implemented quite well. I always liked that one, and this Dreamcast title has all the elements of the great platformer and much, much more.
Indeed, this title plays like a platformer in that the player completes levels by completing certain tasks, fights with bosses and follows an established storyline until the end of the game. However, this title is rendered in three-dimensions, and that makes for some fantastic visuals in the Dreamcast.
Indeed! Spidey can swing from building to building in the game, whip up on identical thugs over and over, enlist the aid of other characters from the Marvel universe and etc. Generally, Spider-Man roams through a well-rendered 3D world and the Dreamcast controls are set up so that it's easy for players to figure out how to shoot webs, whip up on baddies and all the other things you'd expect. The control layout is crucial to the game -- it's very easy to learn, and that makes for the ability to pull out the necessary move in a fight or while, say, falling off a building and in need of slinging a web quickly. The controls aren't perfect, but I'll get to that later.
The game starts out with our hero swinging through town on his way to stop a bank heist. Upon stopping the heist, Spider-Man learns technology items and the like have been swiped all over town by an imitation Spider-Man! Spidey must clear his name and, on the way, uncovers a laboratory under the Daily Bugle building in which symbiotes are being manufactured (this, of course, he uncovers while saving his wife, Mary Jane Parker). Spider-Man's job? Stop the blasted symbiotes! There's enough for background.
Now, there are 8 bosses and 32 levels in this game. Seem a bit short? It is. While the game is beautiful and features a smooth frame-rate, some grainy cut-screens of animation which detail the storyline and such, it can be beaten quickly (and, when I say quickly, I mean I beat it in well under five hours my first time through it). To make the game pass even quicker, the difficulty level is fairly low. Why even bother with the simple "child mode" when even the hardest level isn't too much of a problem?
The only level that's difficult is the last one in which Spidey is being chased out of the exploding, underground lab by a Dr. Octopus which has merged with the Carnage symbiote. Spidey must run through a very long, drab maze without being caught by "Monster Ock." What makes the level difficult is it allows for very few mistakes, which is a real problem with the Dreamcast controller. After a time, the ol' thumb starts to throb after manipulating the basted analog stick while running through the long, involved maze. I finally made it through, but I sure as hell as avoiding that level again. Sure, the ending is pretty amusing, but I've seen it twice now, and that's enough for me.
One major problem I have with this game has to do with the fact it is, as I understand it, a direct port from the Sony Playstation 1 version, but with better graphics and sound. I love the Playstation, but I'd expect something more involved and longer for the Dreamcast. Oh, well.
Now, there are some features of the game well worth mentioning. First of all, the sound is fantastic, featuring a heavy re-mix of the aforementioned theme from the Spider-Man cartoon, as well as snappy one-liners from Spidey and commentary from the famed Stan Lee. Spider-Man also interacts with good ol' Marvel villains and heroes such as Johnny Thunder, Black Cat, The Punisher, Capt. America and more. Sadly, none of the heroes stick around long enough to help Spider-Man.
Also, there are some secret costumes to unlock in the game, as well as historic comic book covers. The costumes, of course, have unique abilities which can be quite useful and are obtained once certain goals are reached. Want to unlock all the costumes, comics and some other goodies? Head on over to http://www.gamefaqs.com to find a list of cheat codes for this game (as well as several others).
All in all, this is a very good game for the Dreamcast, but just falls short of being excellent due to the low difficult setting, length and the fact it's simply a PS1 port with improved graphics. Still, it's a good one to add to your Dreamcast collection, and is likely something you'll play through a couple of times just for the hell of it.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Does whatever a spider can
Actually, that little ditty is misleading as hell because Spider-Man can do much more than a common, household spider. He can, for example, take out a loan or drive a car. Spider-Man can woo a hot redhead, even, and support himself as a newspaper photographer. Spider-Man, indeed, is far superior to a spider, I'd argue.
Well, enough of that. Spider-Man is a very good title for the Dreamcast with a few limitations that keep it from being spectacular. I'll mention the good points first.
Spider-Man, due to his powers, has always been an intriguing hero. Furthermore, the character has been a darn good one to translate to console games by folks who know what they're doing. In fact, one of my favorite games for the beloved Sega Genesis is Spider Man: Maximum Carnage -- a classic platformer in which the powers of the ol' web-head are implemented quite well. I always liked that one, and this Dreamcast title has all the elements of the great platformer and much, much more.
Indeed, this title plays like a platformer in that the player completes levels by completing certain tasks, fights with bosses and follows an established storyline until the end of the game. However, this title is rendered in three-dimensions, and that makes for some fantastic visuals in the Dreamcast.
Indeed! Spidey can swing from building to building in the game, whip up on identical thugs over and over, enlist the aid of other characters from the Marvel universe and etc. Generally, Spider-Man roams through a well-rendered 3D world and the Dreamcast controls are set up so that it's easy for players to figure out how to shoot webs, whip up on baddies and all the other things you'd expect. The control layout is crucial to the game -- it's very easy to learn, and that makes for the ability to pull out the necessary move in a fight or while, say, falling off a building and in need of slinging a web quickly. The controls aren't perfect, but I'll get to that later.
The game starts out with our hero swinging through town on his way to stop a bank heist. Upon stopping the heist, Spider-Man learns technology items and the like have been swiped all over town by an imitation Spider-Man! Spidey must clear his name and, on the way, uncovers a laboratory under the Daily Bugle building in which symbiotes are being manufactured (this, of course, he uncovers while saving his wife, Mary Jane Parker). Spider-Man's job? Stop the blasted symbiotes! There's enough for background.
Now, there are 8 bosses and 32 levels in this game. Seem a bit short? It is. While the game is beautiful and features a smooth frame-rate, some grainy cut-screens of animation which detail the storyline and such, it can be beaten quickly (and, when I say quickly, I mean I beat it in well under five hours my first time through it). To make the game pass even quicker, the difficulty level is fairly low. Why even bother with the simple "child mode" when even the hardest level isn't too much of a problem?
The only level that's difficult is the last one in which Spidey is being chased out of the exploding, underground lab by a Dr. Octopus which has merged with the Carnage symbiote. Spidey must run through a very long, drab maze without being caught by "Monster Ock." What makes the level difficult is it allows for very few mistakes, which is a real problem with the Dreamcast controller. After a time, the ol' thumb starts to throb after manipulating the basted analog stick while running through the long, involved maze. I finally made it through, but I sure as hell as avoiding that level again. Sure, the ending is pretty amusing, but I've seen it twice now, and that's enough for me.
One major problem I have with this game has to do with the fact it is, as I understand it, a direct port from the Sony Playstation 1 version, but with better graphics and sound. I love the Playstation, but I'd expect something more involved and longer for the Dreamcast. Oh, well.
Now, there are some features of the game well worth mentioning. First of all, the sound is fantastic, featuring a heavy re-mix of the aforementioned theme from the Spider-Man cartoon, as well as snappy one-liners from Spidey and commentary from the famed Stan Lee. Spider-Man also interacts with good ol' Marvel villains and heroes such as Johnny Thunder, Black Cat, The Punisher, Capt. America and more. Sadly, none of the heroes stick around long enough to help Spider-Man.
Also, there are some secret costumes to unlock in the game, as well as historic comic book covers. The costumes, of course, have unique abilities which can be quite useful and are obtained once certain goals are reached. Want to unlock all the costumes, comics and some other goodies? Head on over to http://www.gamefaqs.com to find a list of cheat codes for this game (as well as several others).
All in all, this is a very good game for the Dreamcast, but just falls short of being excellent due to the low difficult setting, length and the fact it's simply a PS1 port with improved graphics. Still, it's a good one to add to your Dreamcast collection, and is likely something you'll play through a couple of times just for the hell of it.
