SPIDER-MAN 2 (THE MOVIE) - 2004 (PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, GameBoy Advance, N-Gage)

Sure, you've got the movie's plot to contend with, but in this game, the developers have gone "back to formula". Instead of just following a set path, you can TRULY become Spider-man. Yes, I know, I've said that before, but I was wrong. The developers having taken a decidedly GTA approach to level design, and by God it works. Call it GRAND THEFT ARACHNID. Be a superhero through a free-roaming recreation of the island of Manhattan. Follow the main storyline, or just stop random crimes. BE Spider-man. Sign me the fuck up.

One of the first changes over the past games you'll notice is the webswinging. Where as the PSOne original invented the wheel (or the best version of the wheel up to that point), SPIDER-MAN 2 perfects it. There's only one word that can fully describe the feeling one gets from webswinging around Times Square at full speed and launching one's spandexed self into the stratosphere: Euphoria. Remember the first time you saw the webswinging in the new flick? Yeah, it's like that. You can DO that. Spidey is now able to charge his jumps, simply by holding down the jump button. Release when the meter is full, and you'll launch the webhead skyward, arms flailing like Tobey's against a blue screen on wires. Bound off the side of building, shoot out another web, change direction and do it all again. It's incredible. And the best thing is, it's about as "realistic" as you can get. No more shooting the web into the sky and hooking it onto clouds (or whatever it was attached to). No, now, you actually connect to something physical, be it a flagpole, skyscraper or tree. You can even hitch a ride on a helicopter and travel to the Statue of Liberty. If you're falling and have nothing to connect a web to, you go splat. New York is Spidey's kind of city.

As I said, you can roam the city solving random crimes, or follow along with the main story. As you progress through your missions (side and main) you gain Hero Points, which you'll use to advance chapters (the way story elements are separated in the game) as well as purchase swing and combat upgrades at Spidey Stores, which are basically comic shops spread around the city. These allow new and even more incredible moves to be performed. From dodge techniques, multiple weblines to ensnare baddies, killer combat moves like flipkicks and piledrivers, to comic standards such as webbing a guy to a lamppost and pounding him silly or just launching him into the air with a webline, it's all here. And I thought you could do everything a spider could BEFORE...

The main story doesn't follow the movie's plot exactly, just as the last movie-based game. They want to have a bit more bulk to it than Doc Ock, so Rhino, Mysterio and Black Cat all make appearances in the game. The side missions are cool, yet a little monotonous, as you save people from falling off buildings, sinking ships, shootouts and even rescuing kid's balloons. Still, there's variety enough to keep you busy, and if you're one of those people who aren't satisfied until you get a 100% completion, you find yourself swinging around the city searching out evil wherever it may lurk.

The game's graphics are a cross between the look of the film, and the MTV animated series. There's stunning visuals of Spidey swinging around the city and beating up baddies (with a cool Matrix like slow-down effect called "Spider Reflexes") and most of the cut-scenes are cool. However, some of the in-game cinematics (such as the side missions) are animated nearly as well as everything else. All the NPCs you encounter resemble each other, and practically none of their mouths move. The only time you'll see that in-game is with the main cast and the supervillains. Still, it does look nice overall.

The main cast returns from the movie for the voice over work, and despite their Hollywood credentials, it's often hit or miss here. Alfred Molina is excellent as always, and Tobey Maguire is dopey and decent, but Kirsten Dunst seems as though she wasn't quite sure what she was doing. C'mon, Kiki, you've done animated features before, it's the same thing. Of course, Bruce Campbell returns as your tour guide to you Spider powers, now chatting it up with you all over the game. It's obvious he has fun with this sort of thing as he mocks the player and praises you all at the same time. The rest of the voices do a decent job, though it could be described as a bit campy. New Yorkers comment as you pass them, and the quips that are missing from the movie show up here. At least they're somewhere in a Spider-related tie-in.

The GameBoy Advance version of the game is similar to the original movie's GBA game, however, it does try to capture a similar feeling to the home console version. You build up Hero Points by taking photos when the icon appears (by pressing select). The more points you acquire, the more moves you can unlock. The GBA version also features two villains not found in the console versions, Puma and Lizard. The handheld version is once again, one of the best action games for the little system.

With all the moves, the free roaming city, the side missions (delivering pizzas as Spidey is a hoot), the main story and all the cool other stuff, this is the winner for best Spidey game around. I think it's fitting that the best Superhero movie of all time gets the best Superhero game of all time. One Gamer's Opinion:

There you have it, True Believers. The best. Be sure to check out my regular column this week as well. Catch you all next time!

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