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Game Type: 3D Action / Adventure
System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/2000, DirectX8, P300 with 64 Mbytes RAM
Game Homepage: Activision
Downloads: Demo [132 Megs]
Order Now!: Spider-Man (PC)
Game Notes:
  ????New York flickers to life as another night of crime stands ready to grip the city. But, emerging from the shadows is a figure destined to fight the evil. He shimmies up the side of a building, shoots a web, swings across the night sky, and lands with a perfect backwards somersault onto the Daily Bugle building. Who is this masked hero?
????It's you! Now you are Spider-Man, going wherever you want in your free-roaming 3D environment. Fight, jump, crawl, and web-sling as you take on a legion of sinister villains. The city is depending on your every move. Start swinging!
Gameplay:
????This game was non-stop fun for me. I played through the whole game and I loved every minute of it. This game is for people who enjoy third person action games and especially for Spiderman fans. You may choose to play in kid mode, easy, medium or hard. The bad guys? strength and the amount of webbing you begin with change, depending on which difficulty setting you choose. Kid mode, just as the name implies, is meant for kids who aren?t too good with all the controls and need more webbing and life to pass levels normally. There is only mild violence, like fighting, but that?s what Spiderman does. There is no blood or torn limbs in this game. As you progress through the game you will find little comic books. After, you may look at these and other things such as storyboards, movies, and all the characters you?ve met so far.
????Just the idea of crawling anywhere in a room is entertaining. You can swing onto any buildings when outside and crawl onto walls and ceilings indoors. The controls are very easy to learn, but sometimes when you are moving along ceilings and walls you can get confused. Each bad guy/boss has different attacking methods and resistances, so you must think of effective strategies for each type in order to successfully defeat them. I really enjoyed how the game had different types of views. For example, one level is pure fast-paced action, where you must run away from a chopper while it shoots at you, and another part you must stay on top of a train and fight off a barrage of lizards until you reach your destination. If the game was slightly longer, the gameplay would?ve been perfect.
????Within the game there are a number of power-ups to aid you in your mission. Each power-up has a different function, listed below. To obtain a power-up, run, crawl, or use your zip-line to make contact with it. If Spider-Man has reached his holding capacity for a certain item, the power-up will become transparent when you make contact with it. Here are some of the power-ups to be found in the game:
 Web-Cartridges (Blue): Each web attack Spider-Man does (see Spider-Man's Moves section) will remove a portion of your overall webbing. Before you run out of webbing you'll need to pick up a new web cartridge. Web cartridges allow Spider-Man to execute his web attacks. Under normal conditions Spider-Man can carry up to ten web cartridges at any time.
 Health (Red and White): Health cartridges serve to restore a portion of Spider-Man's health throughout the game. Be careful however, you'll never know just how much a particular health cartridge will restore you. Play wisely to conserve your health.
 Armor (Gold): This rare power-up will change the costume and properties of Spider-Man for a brief time in the game. When you collect this power-up, Spider-Man's suit will change to its armored configuration. The Spidey-Armor has its own health bar, so it will take damage and leave Spider-Man unharmed. However, normal health cartridges will not work on Spidey-Armor, so be careful. Once its health runs out, Spidey-Armor disappears and Spider-Man returns to normal. Also, Spidey-Armor increases the amount of damage Spider-Man does to his opponents while reducing the amount of damage an enemy can do to him.
 Helper Icons: These icons will appear as an aid for less experienced players. The icons will inform you of anything from how to use your web to hints on how to solve some of the puzzles found in the game. To activate the helper icon, simply walk through it.
Note: Some helper icons will seem to disappear without being activated. This only means that you have already performed the task it was intended to teach you.
Gameplay rating: 4.5 out of 5
Graphics:
????Graphics are the main thing that should have been improved. The graphics in the game are good, but the view is annoying sometimes. The graphics in the movies could be better. The movement of the characters isn?t very realistic, especially the way they move their arms. I can?t complain about the quality of the in-game graphics. The surroundings look great, but it would be better if the weather would change, instead of just having perfect weather at all times. Spiderman?s movements look good in the actual game when you are controlling him. Sometimes the view gets irritating when you can?t see behind a wall and there is a bad guy right there. Only these minor problems reduce the graphics rating.
Graphics rating: 3.5 out of 5
Audio:
????The sound effects were generally well done. There are different sounds for each type of web that you shoot, Spiderman always has some little cheesy comments to add in, and the music is amazing. The sound detail and quality aren?t really impressive, but on the other hand there are a lot of sounds because of the different bad guys and settings. The comments Spiderman makes could be funny or totally lame, depending on your sense of humour. I think that they are mostly directed at kids. When I was playing on one level where you had to elude a chopper and the music was perfect for the situation. The sound effects won?t really amaze you, but the music will get you into the game for sure.
Audio rating: 4 out of 5
Overall:
????Overall this game meets my expectations. It is a bit too short, but I think it is worth buying just because of the fun factor. The graphics aren?t excellent, but they are still quite presentable. The sound is good and the music is perfect and is timed right, depending on the situation. If you are a fan of Spiderman, I recommend you get this. If you aren?t a Spiderman fan, but you like a good action game, then you should get it as well.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
ScreenShots: (Click To Enlarge)
             
Gameplay Tips: (Supplied by Activision)
- If you press jump while in mid swing, then re-engage your web swing, you can alter your course. This is called "Breaking, or Cutting Webbing."
- Use your Spider-Sense to fight multiple foes. The red arrows will point to where an enemy is located. Also, your Spider-Sense will point out the closest bad guys first.
- Sometimes Zip-Line webbing can be used to save yourself from falling. Make sure there is something above you to cling to first!
- Vary your attacks. Different enemies respond differently to attacks. Some have to be fought at a distance; others are not affected by impact webbing. Learn how to fight each enemy in a way that conserves both health and webbing.
- Use Web-Spikes to increase your punching power considerably.
- When facing multiple opponents, the Web-Dome is useful for both attack and defense.
- Don't forget that you're Spider-Man! Use ceilings and overhangs to approach the bad guys with stealth.
- Sometimes it's better to run than fight. Even super heroes know when a fight can't be won. Use discretion when confronted with some enemies.
- Use the environment to your advantage. Grab your enemies and send them flying. This is especially useful in the furnace room.
- Spidey may be a superhero, but he doesn't like water. Avoid swimming at all costs!
- Use combinations of punch, kick, and webbing to get more effective attacks.
- Remember, many objects in your environment can be picked up and thrown by Spider-Man.
- Remember to explore your environment; you never know what you might find behind a door or under some furniture.
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