"Although there is a steep learning curve (getting used to the camera for one), Spiderman offers some flashy graphics, a solid comic book story line, lots of Spiderman moves, and fun."

Platform: N64

Genre: Action

Publisher: Activision

Developer: Neversoft

ESRB: E (Everyone)

Released: Q4 2000

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Spiderman 64

It’s been a long time since I’ve played a Spiderman game – not since the days of the Sega Genesis. But with Spiderman you always know what to expect: an angst ridden Peter Parker trying to save New York/the world/the universe and Mary Jane from the likes of Rhino, Scorpion, Mysterio and Dr. Octopus, all the while trying to clear his alter ego of the crimes pinned on him. Spiderman’s latest incarnation on the N64 is no exception.

The story could easily be made into a comic book. It’s linear, which means you’re locked onto a specific goal; however, this is not a bad thing. But there are a couple of bad things to consider: the camera and managing all the moves.

The view is third-person and there’s no way to control the camera. The camera stays behind Spiderman for the most part but, on the outdoor levels especially, it can do more harm than good. It follows behind but will gradually move to a sideview, which necessitates adjusting your control. (The camera behaves a lot better in the indoor areas.) The only way to get the camera to center itself is to stand still for a second, which can be disaster if you’re chasing down Venom. Most annoying are the rotating angles during boss fights. Trying to master all the moves take a lot of time. Moves include jumping, punching, kicking, grabbing, throwing objects, crawling on ceilings and walls, webbing enemies, creating a web shield, swinging from building to building – everything Spiderman should be able to do. Complaint comes not with the number of moves but with the ease that they can be screwed up. A number of times I cocooned myself in a web shield when I intended to activate Spidey’s web-spike punching gloves. However, once the moves are mastered the game becomes much more enjoyable.

To help master the moves, a training option is included. This is a major strength for the overall game since it lets players get used to the camera and the type of gameplay found in the real game.

The graphics and animation are first rate. Everything looks and moves as it should – except Black Cat who looks like she ran into a wall. Spiderman executes his moves fluidly, even if there are a few instances of clipping. Especially good is Venom – his little symbiotic tendrils waving behind him as he jumps from building to building. Landmarks such as the Fantastic Four building are included, infusing the right amount of the Marvel universe. The indoor levels are done very well, too, with lots of open areas with high ceilings mixed with tight spots where every move counts. When enemies appear off screen a red arrow indicates which way Spiderman should turn to face the enemy and doesn’t distract from the action at hand.

Sound is so-so. The music is rocking good but the voice acting is scratchy, which I can forgive since it’s mainly due to the limitations of storage space on an N64 cartridge. (But the dialogue is delivered well.) There is some narration by Spiderman co-creator, Stan Lee, which is another nice touch.

Gameplay is varied. Some levels task Spiderman with swinging across town to stop a crime or escape police pursuit. Lots of web-slinging is required in the outdoor levels which is in contrast to the indoor levels. Indoor levels require lots of hand-to-hand combat and sneaking around on ceilings to get the drop on the bad guys. The boss fights can be very tricky. Taking Rhino on with your fists isn’t a good idea. In each boss "arena" the means to defeat them is usually built-in. For example, to defeat Rhino you must lure him into charging at you as you stand in front of an electrical transformer. Jumping clear at the last moment will 

result in Rhino getting an electric shock and a depletion of his energy. Spiderman has a very limited amount of hit points while the boss characters have big energy bars so using the environment to defeat them is the only way to go. Some boss battles are extremely tough. It might have been some kind of psychological block but it took me a day and a half to defeat Venom for the first time. Thankfully, when the really tough battles are won you have the option to save your game via the memory pak, otherwise you have to start from square one each time you start up the game. When you get squished during play, you can select "retry" and you’ll start at the beginning of the level or a checkpoint.

Although there is a steep learning curve (getting used to the camera for one), Spiderman offers some flashy graphics, a solid comic book story line, lots of Spiderman moves, and fun. It’s a must have for Spiderman fans and worth a look for everyone else.

- Omni

It is highly recommended that you play Spiderman with a memory pak.