Page 46 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #3

touch the Super-Bomb - that's the Spider-Man animated show of the
all there is to it. Of course, like 60’s. His dialogue is straight out of the
all villains in an Atari game, he corny Super-Heroes (I'm only here to
glides across faster as you de- serve the public, Madam!) handbook,
feat each level. How else is the which all Super-Heroes had to sound
Goblin supposed to beat you like at one time or another. In addition
when there isn't enough RAM to to the cartoon, there's even a rock
do anything else? soundtrack in the game with the lead
Given a chance (and a little track being performed by Eric Martin
imagination), the game can ac- (90’s rock group, Mr. Big).
tually be quite challenging and Sega tries desperately to capture
fun. You'll come to the same the many aspects of Spider-Man's life,
conclusion that going up the from Mary Jane's cuddles & kisses
sides of the building is the fast- when she's with her husband; to Spi-
est way to win. At that point the der-Man saving an old lady from a
game basically becomes a race as you Spider-Man (Questprobe) purse snatcher; to battling all of Spider-
try to beat the bombs from exploding. Man's most ruthless villains, all in one
The television commercial has Spidey captured the essence of Spider-Man. game. While some of the other titles
asking the viewer, "Is this more action They all ended up being “just another were based on a comic book mini-
than even Spider-Man can handle?" fighter game,” lacking any real story, series, this title is an original story (as
We think not. plots, or anything else. They were, original as it can get for a video game
however, all fun to play and were all title, which isn't really saying much).
The Spider's Games arcade hits. This is also its downfall because the
With the arrival of more powerful 8- Sega's Spider-Man vs. The King- writers try too hard to find a way to put
bit and 16-bit systems, software devel- pin for the Sega CD would probably be all of Spidey's worst villains in the
opers had the opportunity to create the best title among the 8-bit and 16-bit game and fail to make it work. The
Spider-Man games that were more so- Spidey titles. In it, Spider-Man must story doesn't give a lot of insight into
phisticated than the Atari version. Spi- save New York from a Super Bomb why the Kingpin would try to blow up
der-Man would make numerous ap- (set to detonate in 24 hours), which the New York since he lives in the city, or
pearances (both starring and cameos) Kingpin (along with Doctor Octopus, why anyone would try the old, "Let's
on the Nintendo, Game Boy, Super Electro, Hobgoblin, Mysterio, The Liz- frame Spider-Man!" scheme that so
Nintendo, and Sega Genesis during the ard, The Vulture, and Venom) has set many villains have tried and failed in
late 80’s and 90’s. up in a scheme to frame Spider-Man the past.
Titles included Acclaim's Maximum and blow up New York. In addition, a The game also tries to be unique by
Carnage and Separation Anxiety; LJN's bounty has been put up by the wealthy having Spider-Man dispose of some of
Return of the Sinister Six, Invasion of philanthropist Wilson Fisk (a.k.a The the villains in much the same way as
the Spider Slayers (The Amazing Spi- Kingpin) to help turn the citizens and he would in the comic books. For ex-
der-Man 3), and Spider-Man/X-Men ample, to beat Venom, Spidey
in Arcade's Revenge; Rare's Amaz- would have to lure the symbiotic
ing Spider-Man 1 and 2; and creature through the streets and into
Sega's Spider-Man, Spider-Man vs. a church where he would have to
The Kingpin, and Spider-Man: Web set off church bells to immobilize
of Fire. Unfortunately, all of them Venom. Unfortunately, at the end of
would fall short of being the great the game, Spider-Man would have
Spider-Man video game fans had to face Venom again, but this time
been waiting for. They would all he could just beat him up without
suffer from the chronic chore of any help from church bells or sonic
having to collect web fluids and guns. This only adds to the conclu-
power enhancements at various sion that the story was rushed be-
stages of the game. The video cause the designers didn't spend a
games also forced Spider-Man to lot of time trying to help the gamer
battle the same thugs until he make sense of the game's inconsis-
reached the boss at the end of the tencies.
level. None of them would offer a real Spider-Man (Genesis) To further add to the confusion, Spi-
story or plot to challenge the game der-Man is forced to find and collect
player (most of the games were loosely police of New York against our friendly five keys from various Super-Villains
based on various mini-series that were neighborhood Spider-Man. To make which will be needed to defuse the
featured in the comic books). matters worse, Mary Jane has been bomb (when was the last time some-
Spidey would make a few arcade kidnapped (revealed later in the game) one needed keys to defuse a bomb?).
appearances as well. Hits like Cap- and her life is at stake. Of course, since there are more villains
com's Marvel Super Heroes, Marvel The game is a multimedia treat for than keys, some of the villains (once
Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, and Spidey fans because not only can you beaten) will simply offer clues on where
Marvel vs. Capcom along with Sega's play as everyone's favorite wall to find the other keys. Another big set-
Spider-Man would help establish Spi- crawler, you get to watch an animated back is that the game mentions various
der-Man's presence on both video cartoon throughout the game (unlike New York landmarks such as Coney
gaming venues (arcade and home). most cases of playing cartridge games, Island, yet prevents the player from
While all of them feature our hero fight- when one would only see standard pic- traveling to that location.
ing Super Villains and fellow Super- ture cut scenes). Unfortunately, the On a more positive note, the graph-
Heroes, none of the arcade games fully cartoons are a bit campy, resembling ics in Spider-Man vs. Kingpin are done

Classic Gamer Magazine Spring 2000 46