10 Spider-Man Games Everyone FORGOT
advertisement
VOICE OVER: Aaron Brown
WRITTEN BY: Aaron Brown
Spider-Man is a world famous hero, but some of his video games have been forgotten by many. For this list, we'll be looking at the wallcrawler's video game portfolio to find 10 of his adventures into gaming that didn't nail the superhero landing like his more popular recent outings. Our list includes “Spider-Man: Mysterio's Menace” (2001), “Spider-Man: Friend or Foe” (2007), “Spider-Man” (1982), and more!
Script written by Aaron Brown
Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re crawling the walls to find 10 Forgotten Spider-Man video games. For this list, we’ll be looking at the wallcrawler’s video game portfolio to find 10 of his adventures into gaming that didn’t nail the superhero landing like his more popular recent outings. What’s your favorite obscure Spidey adventure? Zip on by and let us know down in the comments.
Swinging in where things all began, Spider-Man for the Atari 2600 was the very first time Spidey ever crawled a wall in the video game medium. Obviously rudimentary by today’s standards, the red and blue pixeled Spidey must climb to the top of a skyscraper and defuse bombs planted by Green Goblin along the way. Spider-Man can swing along certain sections of the building but must also keep an eye on his web fluid meter or risk plummeting to the bottom. Enemies in windows can even cut Spidey’s web lines should he miss apprehending them on his way up. Although limited by the hardware of the time, Spidey’s first outing in gaming still manages to capture the essence of the webhead.
While Spider-Man:Shattered Dimensions was a critical and commercial success due in no small part to its use of numerous Spider-Men across different dimensions, its direct follow-up Edge of Time didn’t receive the same attention and has been mostly forgotten even by diehard fans. Edge of Time follows Spider-Man 2099 and modern day Spider-Man as they attempt to stop time from collapsing on itself due to their attempts to stop Doc Ock, Anti-Venom and a scientist named Dr. Sloan. After getting trapped in each other’s opposite timelines, the Spider-Men can directly affect the other’s worlds to help them navigate puzzles and obstacles through a “cause and effect” system. Despite being a solid follow-up with some inventive ideas, Edge of Time couldn't reach the same heights swung to by its predecessor and has instead been lost to time.
Spider-Man has had numerous outings on handheld devices but one of his best is also one of his most overlooked. Yet another overlooked sequel -this is going to be a running theme on this list, just watch- Mysterio’s Menace was a Gameboy Advance exclusive sequel to the two PS1 Spider-Man titles. Although the game’s story begins simple enough (Peter needs to buy a new fishbowl), much like everything else in Peter’s life, it doesn’t exactly go to plan. What begins as a simple errand leads to Spider-Man confronting many of his rogues gallery such as Electro, Scorpion, Rhino, and of course Mysterio himself. The handheld game managed to incorporate what made its console counterparts such a success such as web swinging and numerous unlockable suits that came equipped with their own special abilities. At least Peter still ended up getting that fish bowl in the end.
Many Spider-Man games have attempted to adapt the series’ iconic comic book style to video games, but none of them have done better than Ultimate Spider-Man. Based on the comic book run of the same name, Ultimate Spider-Man uses its comic book origins to tell its story through panels, and the effect is unlike any other Spider-Man game before or since. Ultimate Spider-Man implements many of the same elements and mechanics from the wildly successful Spider-Man 2 video game but expands on them by allowing players to experience 2 separate but intertwining storylines featuring both Spider-Man and Venom each with their own unique playstyles. With a surprisingly deep storyline and an unending wealth of villains to battle, Ultimate Spider-Man might not have been a success upon its initial release but is now considered one of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man’s best video game entries.
One of the more ambitious entries on our list, Web of Shadows introduced a lot of ideas that should have made it one of the most talked about video game outings for Spider-Man. Building heavily off of what was already established in Spider-Man 2 and 3, Web of Shadows improved the combat of those titles by allowing fights to continue off the streets and onto walls and into the skies above using its web-strike mechanic which would zipline Spidey to his next opponent. Web of Shadows focused heavily on Spidey’s relationship to the venom symbiote and would allow players to switch back and forth between Spidey’s usual suit and the black suit and utilize each one's unique abilities. As a symbiote invasion overtakes Manhattan, Web of Shadows allows Spider-Man to make moral decisions that can affect the outcome of not only the overall narrative but his interactions with key characters as well.
Spider-Man is no stranger to off the wall adventures, but his one foray into point and click adventure games seems to have been enough for the wallcrawler. In The Sinister Six, Spidey must take on the titular Six, Doc Ock, Hobgoblin, Shocker, Mysterio, Vulture, Tombstone, and Chameleon in a series of increasingly ridiculous scenarios. Players take control of both Peter and Spider-Man during different sections of the game with Peter handling the majority of the branching conversation paths and puzzles while Spidey handles all the boss battles. The detailed art work and surprisingly well animated FMV cutscenes help Spider-Man’s encounters with the Sinister Six climb to greater heights than many other similar titles of the time.
Over his long career as a crime fighter, Spider-Man has teamed up with his fair share of his rogues gallery, many of them being antiheroes to begin with, but Friend or Foe is one of the few to let you team up with them in the video game space. After shards of the meteor that brought the Venom symbiote to Earth begin mind controlling many of Spider-Man’s biggest bads, he begins to track them down, and after defeating them in a one on one boss battle, they’ll agree to join his team. With the likes of Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Black Cat, Venom and even Blade all joining Spidey’s roster, there’s no shortage of playable characters for every gamer’s playstyle. Borrowing many of the same mechanics as the Ultimate Alliance games, Friend or Foe features upgrade trees for every playable character as well as two player co-op.
And we’re back with ANOTHER forgotten sequel to a successful predecessor. Separation Anxiety was the follow-up to Maximum Carnage and once again saw Spider-Man teaming up with Venom to stop Carnage from wreaking havoc around New York City. Gameplay was extremely similar to Maximum Carnage but players were given access to new heroes to fight alongside with Hawkeye, Ghost Rider, and Daredevil teaming up with the duo to hunt down Carnage. Strangely, however, despite or maybe due to it being released only a year after the acclaimed Maximum Carnage, Separation Anxiety was surprisingly bare bones compared to its counterpart, lacking the cutscenes that made the original so engaging. This, along with the title’s lack of commercial presence, meant that separation anxiety was the least of this title’s problems as it completely botched its superhero landing.
Another Spider-Man game, another overlooked sequel. This time it’s the follow-up to the wildly successful Spider-Man games that swung onto consoles back in 2000. While the sequel mostly followed its older brother’s lead, it did make some meaningful changes such as finally allowing Spidey to swing down to his friendly neighborhood and explore the streets at ground level and allowing Spidey to infuse his webbing with elemental properties such as electricity and ice. With no shortage of hero and villain cameos that made the first game so exciting for longtime fans as well as improvements across the entire game, it’s almost as if the Daily Bugle undermined all of Spidey’s accomplishments to hide this gem from longtime fans. Oh wait…
The only title on our list not released outside of Japan, but is still playable thanks to fan translations, Lethal Foes helped lay the groundwork for Spider-Man's wildly successful first 3D outing in 2000. Credited as the first Spider-Man game to allow full control of Spidey as he swings around the game's numerous levels within the given time limit. Lethal Foes also featured a surprising amount of Spider-Man’s villains catalog as well as cameos from numerous heroes along the way similar to what the Spider-Man 2000 title would end up emulating. It’s really a shame and a mystery why this title was never released outside of Japan considering the incredible job the team did and just how influential the game ended up being to subsequent Spidey adventures.
Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re crawling the walls to find 10 Forgotten Spider-Man video games. For this list, we’ll be looking at the wallcrawler’s video game portfolio to find 10 of his adventures into gaming that didn’t nail the superhero landing like his more popular recent outings. What’s your favorite obscure Spidey adventure? Zip on by and let us know down in the comments.
“Spider-Man” (1982)
Swinging in where things all began, Spider-Man for the Atari 2600 was the very first time Spidey ever crawled a wall in the video game medium. Obviously rudimentary by today’s standards, the red and blue pixeled Spidey must climb to the top of a skyscraper and defuse bombs planted by Green Goblin along the way. Spider-Man can swing along certain sections of the building but must also keep an eye on his web fluid meter or risk plummeting to the bottom. Enemies in windows can even cut Spidey’s web lines should he miss apprehending them on his way up. Although limited by the hardware of the time, Spidey’s first outing in gaming still manages to capture the essence of the webhead.
“Spider-Man: Edge of Time” (2011)
While Spider-Man:Shattered Dimensions was a critical and commercial success due in no small part to its use of numerous Spider-Men across different dimensions, its direct follow-up Edge of Time didn’t receive the same attention and has been mostly forgotten even by diehard fans. Edge of Time follows Spider-Man 2099 and modern day Spider-Man as they attempt to stop time from collapsing on itself due to their attempts to stop Doc Ock, Anti-Venom and a scientist named Dr. Sloan. After getting trapped in each other’s opposite timelines, the Spider-Men can directly affect the other’s worlds to help them navigate puzzles and obstacles through a “cause and effect” system. Despite being a solid follow-up with some inventive ideas, Edge of Time couldn't reach the same heights swung to by its predecessor and has instead been lost to time.
“Spider-Man: Mysterio’s Menace” (2001)
Spider-Man has had numerous outings on handheld devices but one of his best is also one of his most overlooked. Yet another overlooked sequel -this is going to be a running theme on this list, just watch- Mysterio’s Menace was a Gameboy Advance exclusive sequel to the two PS1 Spider-Man titles. Although the game’s story begins simple enough (Peter needs to buy a new fishbowl), much like everything else in Peter’s life, it doesn’t exactly go to plan. What begins as a simple errand leads to Spider-Man confronting many of his rogues gallery such as Electro, Scorpion, Rhino, and of course Mysterio himself. The handheld game managed to incorporate what made its console counterparts such a success such as web swinging and numerous unlockable suits that came equipped with their own special abilities. At least Peter still ended up getting that fish bowl in the end.
“Ultimate Spider-Man” (2005)
Many Spider-Man games have attempted to adapt the series’ iconic comic book style to video games, but none of them have done better than Ultimate Spider-Man. Based on the comic book run of the same name, Ultimate Spider-Man uses its comic book origins to tell its story through panels, and the effect is unlike any other Spider-Man game before or since. Ultimate Spider-Man implements many of the same elements and mechanics from the wildly successful Spider-Man 2 video game but expands on them by allowing players to experience 2 separate but intertwining storylines featuring both Spider-Man and Venom each with their own unique playstyles. With a surprisingly deep storyline and an unending wealth of villains to battle, Ultimate Spider-Man might not have been a success upon its initial release but is now considered one of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man’s best video game entries.
“Spider-Man: Web of Shadows” (2008)
One of the more ambitious entries on our list, Web of Shadows introduced a lot of ideas that should have made it one of the most talked about video game outings for Spider-Man. Building heavily off of what was already established in Spider-Man 2 and 3, Web of Shadows improved the combat of those titles by allowing fights to continue off the streets and onto walls and into the skies above using its web-strike mechanic which would zipline Spidey to his next opponent. Web of Shadows focused heavily on Spidey’s relationship to the venom symbiote and would allow players to switch back and forth between Spidey’s usual suit and the black suit and utilize each one's unique abilities. As a symbiote invasion overtakes Manhattan, Web of Shadows allows Spider-Man to make moral decisions that can affect the outcome of not only the overall narrative but his interactions with key characters as well.
“Spider-Man: The Sinister Six” (1996)
Spider-Man is no stranger to off the wall adventures, but his one foray into point and click adventure games seems to have been enough for the wallcrawler. In The Sinister Six, Spidey must take on the titular Six, Doc Ock, Hobgoblin, Shocker, Mysterio, Vulture, Tombstone, and Chameleon in a series of increasingly ridiculous scenarios. Players take control of both Peter and Spider-Man during different sections of the game with Peter handling the majority of the branching conversation paths and puzzles while Spidey handles all the boss battles. The detailed art work and surprisingly well animated FMV cutscenes help Spider-Man’s encounters with the Sinister Six climb to greater heights than many other similar titles of the time.
“Spider-Man: Friend or Foe” (2007)
Over his long career as a crime fighter, Spider-Man has teamed up with his fair share of his rogues gallery, many of them being antiheroes to begin with, but Friend or Foe is one of the few to let you team up with them in the video game space. After shards of the meteor that brought the Venom symbiote to Earth begin mind controlling many of Spider-Man’s biggest bads, he begins to track them down, and after defeating them in a one on one boss battle, they’ll agree to join his team. With the likes of Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Black Cat, Venom and even Blade all joining Spidey’s roster, there’s no shortage of playable characters for every gamer’s playstyle. Borrowing many of the same mechanics as the Ultimate Alliance games, Friend or Foe features upgrade trees for every playable character as well as two player co-op.
“Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety” (1995)
And we’re back with ANOTHER forgotten sequel to a successful predecessor. Separation Anxiety was the follow-up to Maximum Carnage and once again saw Spider-Man teaming up with Venom to stop Carnage from wreaking havoc around New York City. Gameplay was extremely similar to Maximum Carnage but players were given access to new heroes to fight alongside with Hawkeye, Ghost Rider, and Daredevil teaming up with the duo to hunt down Carnage. Strangely, however, despite or maybe due to it being released only a year after the acclaimed Maximum Carnage, Separation Anxiety was surprisingly bare bones compared to its counterpart, lacking the cutscenes that made the original so engaging. This, along with the title’s lack of commercial presence, meant that separation anxiety was the least of this title’s problems as it completely botched its superhero landing.
“Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro” (2001)
Another Spider-Man game, another overlooked sequel. This time it’s the follow-up to the wildly successful Spider-Man games that swung onto consoles back in 2000. While the sequel mostly followed its older brother’s lead, it did make some meaningful changes such as finally allowing Spidey to swing down to his friendly neighborhood and explore the streets at ground level and allowing Spidey to infuse his webbing with elemental properties such as electricity and ice. With no shortage of hero and villain cameos that made the first game so exciting for longtime fans as well as improvements across the entire game, it’s almost as if the Daily Bugle undermined all of Spidey’s accomplishments to hide this gem from longtime fans. Oh wait…
“The Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal Foes” (1995)
The only title on our list not released outside of Japan, but is still playable thanks to fan translations, Lethal Foes helped lay the groundwork for Spider-Man's wildly successful first 3D outing in 2000. Credited as the first Spider-Man game to allow full control of Spidey as he swings around the game's numerous levels within the given time limit. Lethal Foes also featured a surprising amount of Spider-Man’s villains catalog as well as cameos from numerous heroes along the way similar to what the Spider-Man 2000 title would end up emulating. It’s really a shame and a mystery why this title was never released outside of Japan considering the incredible job the team did and just how influential the game ended up being to subsequent Spidey adventures.
