Page 45 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #3

thing that God, nature, or just an acci- Spidey fans to start the day waking up buzzing.
dent had given him. Just once, he in his or her Spider-Man pajamas after Spider fans finally got a chance to
wanted to be selfish and use his new having slept the night on his or her Spi- see if they could fill Spidey's shoes in
gifts for personal der-Man Parker Brothers' "Spider-Man" for the
gain. What was bed sheets Atari 2600. The game has Spidey race
wrong with that? and blan- against time trying to reach a Super-
Peter never got a kets. Enjoy Bomb before it blows up one of New
break in life; not breakfast York's many towering buildings. If suc-
from birth, not from with Spider- cessful, his reward will be another sky-
childhood, and not Man cereal scraper to save. A hero's job is never
from luck. He just while done in New York.
wanted to be some- watching The game features simple graphics
body. The rest is Spider-Man with a red and blue stick figure Spider-
history. on televi- Man shooting a straight black line off
Spider-Man sion and the top of his head to a building. He
quickly took off with then go to then swings upwards or sideways
his own comic book school with along the blocky building, trying to
series, and during a Spider- avoid the thugs (also blocky stick fig-
the height of his Man back- ures who appear in windows) who are
comic book popularity in Maximum Carnage (Genesis) pack (Spider-Man trying to cut Spidey’s webbing and
the early to mid 90’s, pencils, pens, and cause him to fall to his death (SPLAT!).
Spidey fans were able to follow his ad- notebooks inside, of course) and a If Spidey swings over the thugs, he'll
ventures in over 5 titles including: The Spidey jacket to go along with his or capture them and be rewarded with
Amazing Spider-Man, The Spectacular her clothing (everything from t-shirts to extra web fluid.
Spider-Man, The Web of Spider-Man, sneakers; Spidey belt is optional). If As you progress up the building,
SPIDER-MAN, and The Sensational it's the weekend, per- you'll encounter an unfin-
Spider-Man. haps the children would ished portion of the edifice
TV shows would naturally follow. like to play tennis; with where you need to web-
His comic book spun off into a few what else? A Spider- sling onto steel beams
short lived TV shows including an ani- Man tennis racket. If and avoid the pumpkin
mated series in the 60’s, a live action in you can eat it, wear it, or bombs the Green Goblin
the 70’s, and two animated series in play it, chances are has laid in your path. If
the 80’s. While they were all fun to there's something with time permits, you can gain
watch, none of them captured the true Spidey's likeness on it. more time, points and web
essence of Peter Parker and Spider- All the TV shows and fluid by touching and de-
Man. One would feature his Spider- commercial products fusing the bombs before
Instincts but lack his personality. One help kids play out their they explode. If you time
may feature some of his quick wit but dreams of being a web it wrong and touch the
little of his athletic skills. One animated slinging super-hero. Al- bomb as it explodes, the
series regularly featured our friendly though all of them rely blast will knock Spider-
neighborhood Spider-Man swinging on the imagination of Man off his web line or his
from web lines seemingly attached to children to play out the hold on the wall and
clouds! While none of them contrib- battles and storylines, Spidey will begin his
uted to television history, they did none offer the chance to deadly descent. If his en-
prove Spider-Man's staying power over fully play out their fan- ergy (the web meter at the
two decades and up to today (thanks to tasy. One doesn’t actu- bottom of the screen
reruns and video tapes). ally do battle with any of Spider-Man's gauges energy level) is low, however,
More licensing followed. Everything worst villains, or swing across Manhat- the blast will definitely end his adven-
from Spider-Man candy, Halloween tan buildings on a web line, or save ture. If the bombs explode without Spi-
costumes, breakfast cereals, watches, Mary Jane in the nick of time (all the der-Man touching them, they'll harm-
and even shampoos were sold at one while in a real time environment where lessly disappear, miraculously leaving
time or another. A few years ago, web split second decisions will decide the high beams unscathed.
shooters were finally produced after whether Spidey is a hero or a zero). Players may feel disappointed (and
over thirty years of Spidey fans won- But a new technology would slowly even disbelief) that the game doesn't
dering why no change that… allow Spider-Man to climb up walls
one had both- without first shooting a webline. Pump-
ered to come Enter The Amazing Spider- kin bombs are also a disappointment
up with such a Man because they never really pose a threat
toy (although it The Green Goblin is hold- if our hero scales up either the far right
was probably ing New York City's skyscrap- or far left sides of the building.
over fears that ers hostage! His thugs are None of the previous letdowns will
Spidey fans over-running the buildings and prepare you for your encounter with the
would try to to make matters worse, the Green Goblin; a stick figured green and
web swing off Goblin has planted a Super- purple character who does nothing
buildings for Bomb at the top of every build- more than glide back and forth a few
real - like the kids who thought they ing. Just to make it tough for you, he inches below the Super-Bomb. Since
could fly like the Man of Steel simply by has his pumpkin bombs scattered there isn't any danger of the Goblin
wrapping blankets around their necks). along the high rises as well. Time is tossing pumpkin bombs at you, simply
Hypothetically it's possible for little running out and your Spider-Sense is wait until he passes, swing up and

Classic Gamer Magazine Spring 2000 45