Spider-Man (2002 video game)
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- This article is about the video game. For the 2002 movie, see Spider-Man (film)
| Spider-Man: The Movie | |
|---|---|
| File:Spider-Man-the-Movie.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | Treyarch (consoles) Digital Eclipse Software (Game Boy Advance) |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Designer(s) | Tomo Moriwaki (creative dir.), Akihiro Akaike (lead designer) |
| Engine | Treyarch proprietary |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, PC, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance |
| Release | April 15, 2002 |
| Genre(s) | Action game, Beat 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Spider-Man: The Movie is an action game based upon the Marvel Comics character, Spider-Man, and is directly based on the first feature film starring the character. It was developed by Treyarch and released in 2002 for PC and several video game consoles.
Gameplay
Spider-Man is a level based action game, with you playing as Spider-Man. Most levels are indoors, but some levels require you to web-sling from building to building. Levels are in "sections" with a different enemy for each, each section lasting about 3 levels. Each level, except for the last two, has a bonus screen after it. Generally, there are the bonuses "Time" (clear level in a set time), "Perfect" (Not take damage/detected) and "Style" (use as many combos as possible). Other level-specific ones are "Secrets" (Uncover a secret area), "Combat" (Defeat all enemies). You can gain, depending on difficulty, points on completing these tasks. On Easy mode, each bonus is 500 points, Normal is 700, and Super-Hero is 1000 each.
The basics controls are swinging, zipping, punching/action, kick, web, camera lock, and the Web Mod in Enhanced Mode. Depending on how you combine different buttons, it makes different effects. Wall-crawling is automatic, as is "stealth mode", where Spidey is in shadow, and therefore is undetectable by enemies. This is necessary to gain extra points in the game.
There are 21 different combat combos, with 4 web controls, each having a type of "upgrade" to each. Golden Spiders are used to gain these combos.
Enemies
Here is a list of enemies in the game.
- Thugs
- Dennis "Spike" Caradine (The man who is believed to have killed Uncle Ben)
- Light Mechs: Robots designed to destroy.
- Hunter Killers: Robotic spiders.
- Herman Shultz/Shocker
- Adrian Toomes/Vulture
- Mac Gargan/Scorpion
- Sergei Kravinoff/Kraven the Hunter
- Norman Osborn/Green Goblin
- Razor Bats (Green Goblin's weapon, fought in the level "The Razor's Edge")
- OsCorp Security Guards (These will sometimes fight back. They pull the alarm if they see you)
- OsCorp Security Droids
- The Ultimate Weapon (Massive OsCorp produced weapon)
Secret Character
By completing the game on the 'Hero' difficulty, the player unlocked the ability to play as Harry Osborn, wearing his father's Green Goblin gear.
Instead of the film's plot line, the story as the Goblin is Harry, having discovered his father was the Green Goblin, is trying to uncover his father's links to the criminal underworld and redeem his family's name. When the player reaches the levels where Spider-Man faced the Green Goblin, the boss is still the Goblin, speaking with a distorted version of Norman's voice. Although this character's identity is never confirmed, the dialogue & distorted voice hint that it's Norman, having survived his battle with Spider-Man. However, other dialogue features this Goblin claiming that Norman gave him some goblin gear, which Harry brands a lie, possibly hinting that this Goblin is supposed to be the Hobgoblin.
Due to the game being designed for Spider-Man, some of the levels (Such as the race levels) are easier due to the Goblin riding on his glider, whereas some are harder due to sequences designed for web swinging.
In addition to the weapons used by the boss character (Pumpkin Bombs, Razor Bats and the Glider's gatling gun), the Goblin has the ability to run at super speed, and the ability to drop bombs from the glider.
Like with Spider-Man, if you fly close to the ground, people will start talking about him. Harry also does the double jump move of Spider-Man and uses all of Spider-Man's combat moves.
Levels
The levels follow the story of the film, with some additions (such as the appearances of Shocker, Scorpion and The Vulture).
Level 1-3: Uncle Ben's Killer
Level 1-Search For Justice
- Mission: Defeat the Skulls gang members and locate Spike.
Level 2-Warehouse Hunt
- Mission: Clear the warehouse.
Level 3-Birth of A Hero
- Mission: Defeat Spike
Level 4: Oscorp's Lightmechs
Level 4-OsCorp's Gambit
- Mission: Take some photos of Spider-Man and defeat the Light Mechs.
Level 5-7: Shocker
Level 5-Subway Station
- Mission: Rescue the citizens from Shocker.
Level 6-Chase Through The Sewers
- Mission: Chase Shocker and defeat his thugs.
Level 7-Showdown With Shocker
- Mission: Defeat Shocker.
Level 8-10: Vulture
Level 8-Vulture's Lair
- Mission: Climb to the top of the Vulture's tower.
Level 9-Vulture Escapes
- Mission: Chase Vulture through the city.
Level 10-Air Duel With Vulture
- Mission: Defeat Vulture.
Level 11-12: Scorpion
Level 11-Corralled
- Mission: Protect Scorpion from several robotic spiders.
Level 12-Scorpion's Rampage
- Mission: Defeat Scorpion.
Level 13-15: Green Goblin
Level 13-Coup D'Etat
- Mission: Rescue Mary Jane and defeat the Green goblin.
Level 14-The Offer
- Mission: Defeat The Green Goblin.
Level 15-Race Against Time
- Mission: Deactivate all the bombs within the time limit.
Level 16-17: Kraven (Xbox only)
Level 16-Kraven's Test
- Navigate through Kraven's maze of traps to find the antivenom for the toxin he gassed you with.
Level 17-The Mighty Hunter
- Defeat Kraven.
Level 18: Green Goblin
Level 18-The Razor's Edge
- Mission: Defeat Green Goblin's razor bats.
Level 19-22: Oscorp
Level 19-Breaking and Entering
- Mission: Collect pieces of the code to break into Oscorp Labs.
Level 20-Chemical Chaos
- Mission: Shut down OsCorp's chemical weapon project.
Level 21-OsCorp's Ultimate Weapon
- Mission: Destroy the Ultimate Weapon.
Level 22-Escape From OsCorp
- Mission: Escape from OsCorp.
Level 23-24: Green Goblin
Level 23-Mary Jane-Kidnapped!
- Mission: Follow the Green Goblin.
Level 24-Face-Off At The Bridge
- Mission: Rescue Mary Jane and defeat the Green Goblin.
Reception
The critical reviews were good, with many critics at the time considering it the best Spider-Man game yet.[1] However, criticism fell on the indoor levels,[2] Tobey Maguire's voice acting[3] and bad camera.[4]
High sales (two million copies of the PS2 version[5] and over 400,000 on the GameCube and Xbox[6]) were sold in North America alone, allowing the game to enter the "Best-Sellers" of each console (PS2's Greatest Hits, GameCube's Player's Choice and Xbox's Platinum Hits).
Trivia
- If one webswings low to the streets in City levels, people on the ground will see him and note his presence. One of these people will say "Look! It's The Spider-Man!", and Spidey will say "It's just Spider-Man, there's no The," an apparent reference to the line in the 1960s Spider-Man theme song "Look out, Here comes The Spider-Man!" Also, two men again reference the theme by going "Whoah, it's Spider-Man!" "Spider-Man? Is he strong?" "'Strong?' Listen bud, I heard he's got radioactive blood!"
- Additionally, a civilian may say "Look, look up there, it's...Spider-man" then Spider-Man says "Just stay away from that bird and plane metephors, that's that other guy." in reference to the phrase commonly associated with Superman, "Look up in the sky. It's a bird, it's a plane... It's SUPERMAN!!!"
- According to an interview with a member of the Treyarch team in the Spider-Man BradyGames strategy guide, there was a level created for this game that involved the player rescuing civilians from a burning building. However, due to the events of September 11, the team scrapped it, so they didn't appear insensitive when the game was released.