Remember that scene in “Spider-Man” where the Green Goblin drops both Mary Jane Watson and a bus full of children, forcing the web-slinger to choose which one to save?
It seems the developers of “Spider-Man: Friend or Foe” faced their own choice: Include 15 of the Marvel universe's most menacing characters or diversify the game's action beyond that of a straightforward beat-'em-up. And the minds behind the game were not ambitious enough to pull a Spidey and pursue them both.
“Friend or Foe” offers a Spider-Man fan the chance to wreak vicarious havoc with a wide array of villains, including Doctor Octopus, Venom, Green Goblin and Sandman. Allies such as Blade and Iron Fist are also added to the mix.
Each Marvel mainstay joins Spider-Man while he globetrots in search of fragments of the meteor that crashed to Earth carrying the symbiotic alien goo that created Venom in “Spider-Man 3.”
Standing in the way are armies of Phantoms - half-hologram, half-symbiote alien pawns that attack in several shapes and sizes.
For the bulk of the game, Spidey and friends are grounded and relegated to battling wave after wave of these foot soldiers. Between the three-hit combos and an array of web attacks, the combat stays fun despite the lack of depth. Spider-Man can lasso a foe, launch it in the air and juggle it with uppercuts, leaping kicks and balls of webbing.
Should players tire of Spider-Man, they can easily swap for his sidekick - and their unique arsenal of attacks - with a flick of the nunchuk. From Black Cat's grappling hook throws to Doc Ock's powerful octopus arm strikes, each character has its perks. But the redundant grind of the game's combat offers little room to use them strategically.
When Spider-Man isn't pummeling Phantoms, he's squaring off with the supervillains. Before he can convert them to his anti-alien cause, the web-slinger must defeat his archenemies and destroy the mind-control devices muzzling them.
It is during these boss battles that the grounded Spider-Man of “Friend or Foe” sticks out the most.
In one fight, Green Goblin flies around on his glider and hurls pumpkin bombs at Spider-Man from a distance. But players can only pick them up and throw the bombs back from a rooftop perch, even though the sensible action would be to web-swing Spidey's foot straight into the Goblin's face.
The absence of air combat is all the more glaring after the “Spider-Man” movie games - also made by Activision - that gave players the opportunity to swing their way along the New York City skyline whenever they pleased.
Even the 16-bit Spider-Man beat-'em-ups “Spider-Man: The Video Game” and “Maximum Carnage” offered web-swinging levels to balance out the punchy fare. But by including only a solitary web-line jump in Spider-Man's arsenal, “Friend or Foe” suffers for shortchanging its hero's signature power.
Solid presentation strengthens the game. “Friend or Foe” is a significant graphic improvement over “Spider-Man 3” - the character models look smooth and the cameras maintain a comfortable, if somewhat remote position.
Less attention was paid to the level design, apparently. While Cairo and the fictitious Tangaroa Island look exquisite, they consist of one wide-open expanse after another with few platforms and fewer pits. So-called secret areas are just as accessible as the main routes.
The adolescent voice of Spider-Man and the fluffy comedy in the game's dialogue direct “Friend or Foe” toward a younger audience than most superhero games, but the jokes are snappy enough not to exclude older players. Spidey seems to have a one-liner for every enemy he vanquishes, and each of his teammates chimes in with their own quips.
A two-player cooperative mode - a necessity of any beat-'em-up - multiplies the action of “Friend or Foe.” And smashing Phantoms with a friend is fun, but it won't make players forget that Spider-Man was meant for the skies.
Staff writer David Wilcox reviews video games for The Citizen. He can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you play
Game: “Spider-Man: Friend or Foe”
Score: 60 out of 100
Parental rating: E10+ for cartoon violence
Publisher: Activision
Platform: Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox 360, PC
Price: $49.99
Features: 1-2 players
Life span: 10-12 hours
The final boss: The playability of several popular Spider-Man characters makes “Friend or Foe” fun for a while, but the grounded beat-'em-up format will leave players longing to leave their feet.
“Friend or Foe” offers a Spider-Man fan the chance to wreak vicarious havoc with a wide array of villains, including Doctor Octopus, Venom, Green Goblin and Sandman. Allies such as Blade and Iron Fist are also added to the mix.
Each Marvel mainstay joins Spider-Man while he globetrots in search of fragments of the meteor that crashed to Earth carrying the symbiotic alien goo that created Venom in “Spider-Man 3.”
Standing in the way are armies of Phantoms - half-hologram, half-symbiote alien pawns that attack in several shapes and sizes.
For the bulk of the game, Spidey and friends are grounded and relegated to battling wave after wave of these foot soldiers. Between the three-hit combos and an array of web attacks, the combat stays fun despite the lack of depth. Spider-Man can lasso a foe, launch it in the air and juggle it with uppercuts, leaping kicks and balls of webbing.
Should players tire of Spider-Man, they can easily swap for his sidekick - and their unique arsenal of attacks - with a flick of the nunchuk. From Black Cat's grappling hook throws to Doc Ock's powerful octopus arm strikes, each character has its perks. But the redundant grind of the game's combat offers little room to use them strategically.
When Spider-Man isn't pummeling Phantoms, he's squaring off with the supervillains. Before he can convert them to his anti-alien cause, the web-slinger must defeat his archenemies and destroy the mind-control devices muzzling them.
It is during these boss battles that the grounded Spider-Man of “Friend or Foe” sticks out the most.
In one fight, Green Goblin flies around on his glider and hurls pumpkin bombs at Spider-Man from a distance. But players can only pick them up and throw the bombs back from a rooftop perch, even though the sensible action would be to web-swing Spidey's foot straight into the Goblin's face.
The absence of air combat is all the more glaring after the “Spider-Man” movie games - also made by Activision - that gave players the opportunity to swing their way along the New York City skyline whenever they pleased.
Even the 16-bit Spider-Man beat-'em-ups “Spider-Man: The Video Game” and “Maximum Carnage” offered web-swinging levels to balance out the punchy fare. But by including only a solitary web-line jump in Spider-Man's arsenal, “Friend or Foe” suffers for shortchanging its hero's signature power.
Solid presentation strengthens the game. “Friend or Foe” is a significant graphic improvement over “Spider-Man 3” - the character models look smooth and the cameras maintain a comfortable, if somewhat remote position.
Less attention was paid to the level design, apparently. While Cairo and the fictitious Tangaroa Island look exquisite, they consist of one wide-open expanse after another with few platforms and fewer pits. So-called secret areas are just as accessible as the main routes.
The adolescent voice of Spider-Man and the fluffy comedy in the game's dialogue direct “Friend or Foe” toward a younger audience than most superhero games, but the jokes are snappy enough not to exclude older players. Spidey seems to have a one-liner for every enemy he vanquishes, and each of his teammates chimes in with their own quips.
A two-player cooperative mode - a necessity of any beat-'em-up - multiplies the action of “Friend or Foe.” And smashing Phantoms with a friend is fun, but it won't make players forget that Spider-Man was meant for the skies.
Staff writer David Wilcox reviews video games for The Citizen. He can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you play
Game: “Spider-Man: Friend or Foe”
Score: 60 out of 100
Parental rating: E10+ for cartoon violence
Publisher: Activision
Platform: Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox 360, PC
Price: $49.99
Features: 1-2 players
Life span: 10-12 hours
The final boss: The playability of several popular Spider-Man characters makes “Friend or Foe” fun for a while, but the grounded beat-'em-up format will leave players longing to leave their feet.
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