Spider-Man 2

Hey Web-head, ready for a new adventure? Well, maybe not “new” new, but certainly on a new platform.

Spider-man is moving onto the Sony PSP, courtesy of Activision and Vicarious Visions, and the Web-crawler looks right at home on the new handheld system. In fact, the stellar graphics, enhanced sound narratives and compelling combination of gameplay mechanics from the games (based on the movies that preceded it), make this iteration of Spider-man not only dynamic, but also addictive.

Let’s see, where to start? How about stunning load screens that are so visually appealing you actually don’t mind seeing them up on the handheld’s screen? Or maybe you are interested in the new voice animations that both Toby Maguire and Alfred Molina have supplied to the game. How about the fact that the voice of J.K. Simmons, as J. Jonah Jameson, marks its debut in any of the movie-based games?

The game has some wonderful aspects working in its favor. First, the control scheme is similar to the PS2 version of the title, but rather than follow them precisely, Vicarious Visions has opted for almost a hybrid of the first and second console platformers, with less emphasis on the acrobatic swinging, and more emphasis on combat and combo moves.

In fact, the game uses the square and O buttons for the punch and kick moves but challenges players to come up with new variations. Some combos will produce certain responses – like punch, punch, and hold the kick button will knock opponents up into the air, where you can juggle-pummel them – but the game rewards players for being inventive and creative in their combos. Get stuck into the same routine over and over, and you get less reward value for the combos. The higher reward value, the more points one can spend in the store to upgrade Spidey’s abilities.

The game’s thread starts out with a simple tutorial-type level – you need to knock out some bank robbers, and then chase a helicopter (using your swinging ability, targeting and webbing shot in short bursts). After that, it’s on to meet Harry Osborne and witness the tragic accident at Doctor Otto Octavius’ lab, which turns the later into the super-villain, Doc Ock.

And yes, the game does feature the same general storyline. Doc Ock coerces Harry to give him some tritium for another try at the super energy source, and he kidnaps MJ (Mary-Jane Watson, Peter’s love interest, if you haven’t followed the movies). Peter, as Spidey, must foil Doc Ock and rescue his ladylove. But on the way, there are other villains to battle, and therein lies the depth and challenge of this game.

Spidey will encounter Mysterio, the Vulture, Rhino and Shocker, all in various settings. Each boss battle will tax players to figure out the weaknesses and deal with the bosses. In the case of Rhino and Shocker, you will get to tangle with both of them, but you must defeat Rhino first, and simply fighting him hand-to-hand will not work.

The gameplay is intuitive and if you have had any experience with the other Spider-man games, you will pick this up in no time.

The sound of this game is very well done, and supplies a strong supporting role to the game’s graphics, which are superb. The animation is startling, and while the levels are puzzles, timed and mazes accompanied with a lot of action, the game flow is solid.

But the game does have a few minor problems – the first is the length of the game. While there are new cutscenes and even some different levels from the Spider-man 2 version on other console systems, the game is not that long, and because it is linear, the replayability of the title is diminished. The other drawback does pertain to the graphical elements and camera positioning in particular. You can control the movement of Spidey with the analog stick, but the camera is manipulated by the D-pad. If in a combat intense situation – such as the boss battle with Mysterio when you have to find the right Mysterio (apart from the fake ones), each of which is launching salvo of fire balls, which means you must be moving rapidly – the use of the camera to find and target the right one can be challenging.

Still, Spider-man 2 is a wonderful PSP release. That this happens to be part of the initial launch of the handheld is even more impressive. This is one game that action-adventure fans are bound to enjoy.

Gameplay: 8.8
The game has a fair amount of cutscenes, but they are really well done and enjoyable to watch. However, this could impede in the enjoyment of replaying the game at harder levels, or in an effort to garner more of the goodies sprinkled around some levels, not to mention improving scores to upgrade to better stats. On the other side of that coin, you can skip them with the push of a button, and the load times are rather quick.

Graphics: 9.0
The animations are wonderful, the environments are well textured and the game amply shows off the power of the platform. This is a game that will certainly treat the eyes. New CGI scenes and load screens only add to the candy.

Sound: 9.0
New voice-overs enhance this game’s sound and while it can sound a little tinny on the tiny speaker, musically speaking, plug in some headphones and you will be treated to a rich, robust audio experience.

Difficulty: Medium
The game has three difficulty settings, and those affect the time elements of (what else?) time missions and the encounters you will face. This game is almost a nightmare at the hardest level, and a little too simplistic and forgiving at the easiest. The puzzles are not anything you will not have seen before, but you will have to be on your toes and aware of all the goodies in any area.

Concept: 9.0
The PSP release of Spider-man 2 draws on some of the original (movie-based) gameplay and integrates it nicely with the second film’s story line – albeit with some plot twists, and cameo villain appearances. The control scheme is familiar and that makes this an easy game to jump into and play.

Overall: 9.0
Gorgeous graphics, solid gameplay, and a wonderful audio track make this version of Spider-man 2 a winner. This is one game that gamers deserve to see on the PSP, simply because of the “wow” factor. Vicarious Visions and Activision have taken a solid game experience and made it feel right at home on the new system. The only stumbling points this game faces are that it is a relatively short game, and the camera can be a bit of a bear at times, especially when you need to move it for glancing about during intense combat sequences. While it is hard to judge exactly what gamers will be treated to down the road, this game signals the next generation of gaming handheld experiences.