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Spider-Man 2 (video game)
Encyclopedia
Spider-Man 2 is the name of several computer
and video games based on the Spider-Man
universe and particularly the Spider-Man 2
film. It is a follow up to the game Spider-Man: The Movie and was followed by Spider-Man 3
to promote the release of the third film
in 2007. These games were published by Activision
for different systems in 2004.
. The PS2, GameCube, and Xbox versions of the game, developed by Activision's Treyarch
studio, allow the player to freely roam around Manhattan, Roosevelt, Ellis, and Liberty Islands. The home console versions were also innovative in that physics-based algorithms simulated Spider-Man's web swinging in three dimensions, creating a new game mechanic unlike the traditional jumping or flying of previous Spider-Man games.
Versions of the game on other platforms feature more linear side-scrolling and platform sections. The PSP version of Spider Man 2 was compared to playing the Spider Man 1 plot.
While street thugs only have handguns, machine guns, crowbars and their fists to protect them, the super-villains and their minions have their various unique powers and weapons that they use to either steal, cause terror or defeat Spider-Man
. At the end of the game, it becomes possible to unlock a warehouse in which the player can again fight thugs and villains such as Shocker, Rhino, Doctor Octopus, and an additional boss, Calypso
, who is not found elsewhere in the game.
The player has the ability to choose either to go on with the storyline or swing around the city. The player can explore Manhattan
, Roosevelt Island
, Ellis Island
, Liberty Island
, and a mysterious label on the map over the water claiming "Governors Island
" with many sidequests for the player to complete. The player can do random tasks to earn "hero points," which must be accumulated to continue with the plot and are spent on upgrading Spidey's skills.
. Soon after this, he thwarts an attack in the streets of Manhattan by The Rhino
. Meanwhile, Doctor Otto Octavius attempts to recreate nuclear fusion
of that seen in the sun to provide an energy source for Manhattan. To control this fusion, he creates four metal arms which he can mentally control. His fusion creates a strong magnetic field, destroying the lab, killing his wife Rosie, and grafting his metal arms to his spine and giving his arms control over him. He blames Spider-Man for the incident, despite the fact that Spider-Man was not in the lab until the middle of it.
Octavius, now known as Dr. Octopus, kidnaps Aunt May
, but she is saved by Spider-Man. In the time following, special effects artist Quentin Beck
tries to prove that Spider-Man is a fraud by challenging Peter in a series of "games". Spider-Man emerges successful. Consequently, Beck tries to kill Spider-Man, but is thwarted. The embarrassment causes Beck to assume the identity of Mysterio, attacking journalists attending his press conference, and commands his "UFOs" to "invade" the Statue of Liberty
. Both of these attacks are thwarted by Spider-Man's efforts, with no casualties. Spider-Man eventually teams up with Black Cat, who leads him to the Shocker
, who escaped during Beck's initial competition with Spider-Man. Shocker is apprehended in a warehouse after attempting to use an experimental propulsion system to enhance his powers, while Mysterio is knocked out with one punch from Spider-Man while trying to rob a Speedy Mart. Mysterio tells Spider-Man that he trifles with his power once again, Mysterio tells him that Peter will face his doom today, and he hits him as Mysterio's helmet drops reveals himself to be Quentin Beck. Peter takes a few photos of Beck as Mysterio, and J. Jonah Jameson
uses these photos to make it appear that Spider-Man is in league with Mysterio. Black Cat then leads Spider-Man to an illegal weapons trade, where she tries to convince him to permanently become Spider-Man, but he rejects the idea, saying that he cannot stop being either Spider-Man or who he really is.
Dr. Octopus kidnaps Mary Jane Watson and steals tritium
from Harry Osborn to repower his nuclear fusion in exchange for Spider-Man. A long battle on top of a moving train leads to Peter being delivered to Harry. Harry unmasks him, and is greatly shocked that his best friend is Spider-Man. Nevertheless, Harry tells Peter where Dr Octopus is based, and Spider-Man sets off to defeat Dr. Octopus a final time. After shut down all the switches, Peter sees that the fusion reactor is still on and all of them explodes. After Peter defeats Dr. Octopus and push him into a switch that shocks him, Otto regains control of his mind and sacrifices himself to destroy the fusion reactor permanently.
The next day, Peter gets a surprise visit from Mary Jane, who tells Peter that she cannot live without him, and wants to offer her full support to his life as Spider-Man. With his confidence renewed, Spider-Man continues to defend the city from evil - thus a never-ending game.
with his fusion reaction experiment. The PC version then diverges from the console versions with a tutorial, (narrated by Bruce Campbell
) telling the player how to play as Spider-Man
, (i.e. web swinging, wall crawling, fighting, etc.).
The storyline for the game starts off with a cutscene of a gray van being chased down by the police before it crashes, and out comes two crooks. Spider-Man dispatches the crooks quickly, but the van drives away on automatic. Spider-Man follows it to the New York Maximum Security Prison where a large group of thugs are causing a riot. Spider-Man defeats many crooks and escaping prisoners before the Rhino
busts out of the prison. He briefly fights Spider-Man before he tries to charge away, but is caught in a laser cage set up by the police. Deciding to let the undefeated prisoners escape (whom he can later find in alleys and hidden areas), Spider-Man goes after the Rhino and defeats him by making him charge into the laser field (and subsequently pummel him while he is down, which is an option and could make Rhino's defeat quicker). And just before he is defeated, Rhino charges at Spider-Man one last time, escapes the laser field but accidentally rams into a gas station that blows up and knocks him several blocks away from the explosion, where Doc Ock takes his unconscious form. Spider-Man lets Ock get away with Rhino while he douses the fires caused by the explosion and then demonstrates a new power punch by defeating three crooks (these power punches are gained when defeating normal enemies, not bosses, and once they are gained, they drain out during combat, which quickly defeats enemies with a single punch).
Later, Peter Parker, Spider-Man's alter ego, is with his Aunt May at the bank, and goes to the bathroom just as Doc Ock and a gang of his robbers hold the bank hostage. Spider-Man pummels his way through the robbers and saving the hostages, including Aunt May, until he reaches the basement of the bank where he confronts Ock. They fight, but Ock gets away with his stolen cash. Spider-Man once again lets him get away in order to save Aunt May from a band of three robbers who kidnap her and take her into their van. Spider-Man stops the van, dispatches the robbers and saves Aunt May.
The next day, Peter is walking with Mary Jane Watson
through the city when they both spot MJ's car getting stolen. Peter tells MJ to wait where she is while he calls the police. Then Spider-Man follows the car to a garage where he confronts the villain Puma
and a band of his crooks in a warehouse. Puma leads Spider-Man on a chase throughout the warehouse while Spider-Man pummels his way through Puma's cronies, and their initial fight takes place in a small room. After Puma takes some beating, he takes the fight outside to the rooftops, at a water fountain and finally to an unfinished construction site. There, Puma finally surrenders in his fight against Spider-Man, but gleefully tells him that he was merely a distraction for Spider-Man while Doc Ock kidnapped Mary Jane. In a cutscene, Puma tries to get away but Spider-Man webs him up and finally defeats Puma. He calls Mary Jane, but Ock has kidnapped her.
Later, Ock and his cronies attack OsCorp. Spider-Man goes to OsCorp to foil the heist there, defeating many cronies and saving countless civilians and scientists, as well as disabling the eight bombs Ock placed in the building. Spider-Man is then confronted by Rhino in a room with six generators which Spider-Man makes the brutish villain ram into and electrocute himself, but Rhino is not done yet. He confronts Spider-Man for a third time in a room with four liquid nitrogen tubes that Spider-Man destroys and leaks the gases in the tubes, quickly freezing the room. But fortunately, Spider-Man escapes the room before it freezes and Rhino is frozen with it, finally defeating him. Then Spider-Man leaves OsCorp through an elevator to continue his search for Doc Ock on OsCorp's rooftop before he finds himself in a New York literally torn out of the ground and into the sky by the machinations of the supervillain Mysterio
, who has done this to further Ock's plans.
Spider-Man destroys the generators that seemingly hold New York in the sky, as well as fighting through Mysterio's numerous robots, before fighting and chasing a flying Mysterio himself, which Spider-Man fights back by throwing meteors at the villain that the latter throws down from the sky to defeat the superhero. But Mysterio is not done yet; he tries to kill Spider-Man again with a giant laser gun on top of the Daily Bugle
, but Spider-Man destroys it and defeats Mysterio. Mysterio tells Spider-Man of Ock's plans and disappears, reverting New York back to normal.
Spider-Man takes the final fight to Doc Ock through the subways, fighting past the remainder of Ock's cronies, saving Mary Jane and battling Doc Ock in a final showdown at his fusion reactor. Spider-Man pummels enough sense into him to make Ock realize the error of his ways and he sacrifices himself by pulling his machine in with him into the river (much like the movie), and Spider-Man escapes with Mary Jane without revealing his identity to either.
The other versions of the game also received generally positive reviews with the exception of the PC/Mac version, which was "dumbed down" for a young audience and thus featured more simplistic and less challenging gameplay. Many reviewers argued that the PC version should have received a port of the console versions instead. Other complaints included that advertisements for the game made no indication that the PC version was different from the console version, and then recent changes to PC Game return policies made getting a refund difficult.
However, IGN
gave the game a review of 8.8 out of 10 for the PlayStation 2
and Xbox
version, 9 / 10 for the Nintendo GameCube
version, 7 / 10 for the PSP
version, 7.5 / 10 for the Nintendo DS
version, 6.5 / 10 for the Game Boy Advance
version, and 4.5 / 10 for the PC version. IGN stated on the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox version to "call it Grand Theft Spider-Man. And call it damn fine." The version even got the IGN Editor's Choice Award for the year. IGN, reviewing the GBA version, credited positively the presentation, graphics, sound, web-zipping and wall-crawling. They only negatively stated that the music loops a lot because of the enormously long levels, "not the tightest combat developed for a Spider-Man game", and stated that the levels are "a big pain in the butt to accomplish".
The PSP version received moderate reviews. Gameplay and graphics were praised, while the bad camera angle and the length of the game were criticized.
The Official PlayStation 2 Magazine ranked the game #50 of the "Top 100 PS2 Games of All Time." In the Screwattack top ten 'Top 10 Movie-Based Games' Spider-Man 2 came in eighth.
In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die
.
Also features the voice of Bruce Campbell
as the tour guide
, and for the hint markers.
group/collaboration KMFDM
. Unlike previous works by this group (which frequently contained lyrics and/or samples pertaining to provocative, sometimes revolutionary themes, albeit apparently in parody of mass media influence), these contributions do not contain any lyrics worthy of mention. Nonetheless, the work is available to download at the KMFDM store (albeit for a nominal fee).
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
and video games based on the Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
universe and particularly the Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
film. It is a follow up to the game Spider-Man: The Movie and was followed by Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 (video game)
Spider-Man 3 is an action game loosely based on the Spider-Man 3 film and released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were developed by Treyarch, the PC version by Beenox while...
to promote the release of the third film
Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
in 2007. These games were published by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
for different systems in 2004.
Gameplay
These games are adaptations of the film Spider-Man 2Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
. The PS2, GameCube, and Xbox versions of the game, developed by Activision's Treyarch
Treyarch
Treyarch is an American video game developer company, founded in 1996 by Peter Akemann and Doğan Köslü , and acquired by Activision in 2001...
studio, allow the player to freely roam around Manhattan, Roosevelt, Ellis, and Liberty Islands. The home console versions were also innovative in that physics-based algorithms simulated Spider-Man's web swinging in three dimensions, creating a new game mechanic unlike the traditional jumping or flying of previous Spider-Man games.
Versions of the game on other platforms feature more linear side-scrolling and platform sections. The PSP version of Spider Man 2 was compared to playing the Spider Man 1 plot.
While street thugs only have handguns, machine guns, crowbars and their fists to protect them, the super-villains and their minions have their various unique powers and weapons that they use to either steal, cause terror or defeat Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. At the end of the game, it becomes possible to unlock a warehouse in which the player can again fight thugs and villains such as Shocker, Rhino, Doctor Octopus, and an additional boss, Calypso
Calypso (comics)
Calypso is a fictional villain in the Marvel Comics universe, who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #209. She was created by Denny O'Neil and Alan Weiss.-Fictional character biography:...
, who is not found elsewhere in the game.
The player has the ability to choose either to go on with the storyline or swing around the city. The player can explore Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island, known as Welfare Island from 1921 to 1973, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York City. It lies between the island of Manhattan to its west and the borough of Queens to its east...
, Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
, Liberty Island
Liberty Island
Liberty Island is a small uninhabited island in New York Harbor in the United States, best known as the location of the Statue of Liberty. Though so called since the turn of the century, the name did not become official until 1956. In 1937, by proclamation 2250, President Franklin D...
, and a mysterious label on the map over the water claiming "Governors Island
Governors Island
Governors Island is a island in Upper New York Bay, approximately one-half mile from the southern tip of Manhattan Island and separated from Brooklyn by Buttermilk Channel. It is legally part of the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
" with many sidequests for the player to complete. The player can do random tasks to earn "hero points," which must be accumulated to continue with the plot and are spent on upgrading Spidey's skills.
Plot
It is two years following the events of the first game. Spider-Man is trying to balance his civilian and superhero life, frequently late or absent for school, work, and leisure time with his friends. Following dinner with Mary Jane Watson, Peter thwarts an armed looting of an art museum, and tracks down an escaped robber, the Black CatBlack Cat (comics)
The Black Cat is a fictional character, a superheroine in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
. Soon after this, he thwarts an attack in the streets of Manhattan by The Rhino
Rhino (comics)
The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic...
. Meanwhile, Doctor Otto Octavius attempts to recreate nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. This is usually accompanied by the release or absorption of large quantities of energy...
of that seen in the sun to provide an energy source for Manhattan. To control this fusion, he creates four metal arms which he can mentally control. His fusion creates a strong magnetic field, destroying the lab, killing his wife Rosie, and grafting his metal arms to his spine and giving his arms control over him. He blames Spider-Man for the incident, despite the fact that Spider-Man was not in the lab until the middle of it.
Octavius, now known as Dr. Octopus, kidnaps Aunt May
Aunt May
May Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, but she is saved by Spider-Man. In the time following, special effects artist Quentin Beck
Mysterio
Mysterio is the name of three fictional characters, all of which are supervillains and enemies of Spider-Man in the . The original Mysterio was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #13, although it was later retconned that the aliens seen in Amazing...
tries to prove that Spider-Man is a fraud by challenging Peter in a series of "games". Spider-Man emerges successful. Consequently, Beck tries to kill Spider-Man, but is thwarted. The embarrassment causes Beck to assume the identity of Mysterio, attacking journalists attending his press conference, and commands his "UFOs" to "invade" the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
. Both of these attacks are thwarted by Spider-Man's efforts, with no casualties. Spider-Man eventually teams up with Black Cat, who leads him to the Shocker
Shocker (comics)
The Shocker or just Shocker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #46 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr.-Fictional character biography:Herman Schultz was born in New York...
, who escaped during Beck's initial competition with Spider-Man. Shocker is apprehended in a warehouse after attempting to use an experimental propulsion system to enhance his powers, while Mysterio is knocked out with one punch from Spider-Man while trying to rob a Speedy Mart. Mysterio tells Spider-Man that he trifles with his power once again, Mysterio tells him that Peter will face his doom today, and he hits him as Mysterio's helmet drops reveals himself to be Quentin Beck. Peter takes a few photos of Beck as Mysterio, and J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
uses these photos to make it appear that Spider-Man is in league with Mysterio. Black Cat then leads Spider-Man to an illegal weapons trade, where she tries to convince him to permanently become Spider-Man, but he rejects the idea, saying that he cannot stop being either Spider-Man or who he really is.
Dr. Octopus kidnaps Mary Jane Watson and steals tritium
Tritium
Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. The nucleus of tritium contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of protium contains one proton and no neutrons...
from Harry Osborn to repower his nuclear fusion in exchange for Spider-Man. A long battle on top of a moving train leads to Peter being delivered to Harry. Harry unmasks him, and is greatly shocked that his best friend is Spider-Man. Nevertheless, Harry tells Peter where Dr Octopus is based, and Spider-Man sets off to defeat Dr. Octopus a final time. After shut down all the switches, Peter sees that the fusion reactor is still on and all of them explodes. After Peter defeats Dr. Octopus and push him into a switch that shocks him, Otto regains control of his mind and sacrifices himself to destroy the fusion reactor permanently.
The next day, Peter gets a surprise visit from Mary Jane, who tells Peter that she cannot live without him, and wants to offer her full support to his life as Spider-Man. With his confidence renewed, Spider-Man continues to defend the city from evil - thus a never-ending game.
PC game
The plot of the PC game differs drastically from the main console versions. It first starts out with a short cutscene from the primary console game that introduces as to how Dr. Otto Octavius became Doc OckDoctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
with his fusion reaction experiment. The PC version then diverges from the console versions with a tutorial, (narrated by Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Lorne Campbell is an American film and television actor. As a cult movie actor, Campbell starred as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films and he has starred in many low-budget cult films such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-tep, Escape From L.A. and Sundown:...
) telling the player how to play as Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, (i.e. web swinging, wall crawling, fighting, etc.).
The storyline for the game starts off with a cutscene of a gray van being chased down by the police before it crashes, and out comes two crooks. Spider-Man dispatches the crooks quickly, but the van drives away on automatic. Spider-Man follows it to the New York Maximum Security Prison where a large group of thugs are causing a riot. Spider-Man defeats many crooks and escaping prisoners before the Rhino
Rhino (comics)
The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic...
busts out of the prison. He briefly fights Spider-Man before he tries to charge away, but is caught in a laser cage set up by the police. Deciding to let the undefeated prisoners escape (whom he can later find in alleys and hidden areas), Spider-Man goes after the Rhino and defeats him by making him charge into the laser field (and subsequently pummel him while he is down, which is an option and could make Rhino's defeat quicker). And just before he is defeated, Rhino charges at Spider-Man one last time, escapes the laser field but accidentally rams into a gas station that blows up and knocks him several blocks away from the explosion, where Doc Ock takes his unconscious form. Spider-Man lets Ock get away with Rhino while he douses the fires caused by the explosion and then demonstrates a new power punch by defeating three crooks (these power punches are gained when defeating normal enemies, not bosses, and once they are gained, they drain out during combat, which quickly defeats enemies with a single punch).
Later, Peter Parker, Spider-Man's alter ego, is with his Aunt May at the bank, and goes to the bathroom just as Doc Ock and a gang of his robbers hold the bank hostage. Spider-Man pummels his way through the robbers and saving the hostages, including Aunt May, until he reaches the basement of the bank where he confronts Ock. They fight, but Ock gets away with his stolen cash. Spider-Man once again lets him get away in order to save Aunt May from a band of three robbers who kidnap her and take her into their van. Spider-Man stops the van, dispatches the robbers and saves Aunt May.
The next day, Peter is walking with Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
through the city when they both spot MJ's car getting stolen. Peter tells MJ to wait where she is while he calls the police. Then Spider-Man follows the car to a garage where he confronts the villain Puma
Puma (comics)
Puma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe most closely associated with Spider-Man. While originally a villain, he gained a great respect for Spider-Man and became his occasional ally.-Publication history:...
and a band of his crooks in a warehouse. Puma leads Spider-Man on a chase throughout the warehouse while Spider-Man pummels his way through Puma's cronies, and their initial fight takes place in a small room. After Puma takes some beating, he takes the fight outside to the rooftops, at a water fountain and finally to an unfinished construction site. There, Puma finally surrenders in his fight against Spider-Man, but gleefully tells him that he was merely a distraction for Spider-Man while Doc Ock kidnapped Mary Jane. In a cutscene, Puma tries to get away but Spider-Man webs him up and finally defeats Puma. He calls Mary Jane, but Ock has kidnapped her.
Later, Ock and his cronies attack OsCorp. Spider-Man goes to OsCorp to foil the heist there, defeating many cronies and saving countless civilians and scientists, as well as disabling the eight bombs Ock placed in the building. Spider-Man is then confronted by Rhino in a room with six generators which Spider-Man makes the brutish villain ram into and electrocute himself, but Rhino is not done yet. He confronts Spider-Man for a third time in a room with four liquid nitrogen tubes that Spider-Man destroys and leaks the gases in the tubes, quickly freezing the room. But fortunately, Spider-Man escapes the room before it freezes and Rhino is frozen with it, finally defeating him. Then Spider-Man leaves OsCorp through an elevator to continue his search for Doc Ock on OsCorp's rooftop before he finds himself in a New York literally torn out of the ground and into the sky by the machinations of the supervillain Mysterio
Mysterio
Mysterio is the name of three fictional characters, all of which are supervillains and enemies of Spider-Man in the . The original Mysterio was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #13, although it was later retconned that the aliens seen in Amazing...
, who has done this to further Ock's plans.
Spider-Man destroys the generators that seemingly hold New York in the sky, as well as fighting through Mysterio's numerous robots, before fighting and chasing a flying Mysterio himself, which Spider-Man fights back by throwing meteors at the villain that the latter throws down from the sky to defeat the superhero. But Mysterio is not done yet; he tries to kill Spider-Man again with a giant laser gun on top of the Daily Bugle
Daily Bugle
The Daily Bugle is a fictional New York City newspaper that is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe, most prominently in Spider-Man comic titles and their derivative media...
, but Spider-Man destroys it and defeats Mysterio. Mysterio tells Spider-Man of Ock's plans and disappears, reverting New York back to normal.
Spider-Man takes the final fight to Doc Ock through the subways, fighting past the remainder of Ock's cronies, saving Mary Jane and battling Doc Ock in a final showdown at his fusion reactor. Spider-Man pummels enough sense into him to make Ock realize the error of his ways and he sacrifices himself by pulling his machine in with him into the river (much like the movie), and Spider-Man escapes with Mary Jane without revealing his identity to either.
Reception
The home console game was released to generally positive reviews, citing the realistic, life-sized Manhattan, large variety of crimes and emergencies to stop and vivid use of Spider-Man's abilities making the player really feel like Spider-Man. The most popular aspect of the game was the web-swinging mechanic, where Spider-Man had to shoot webbing at an actual building, unlike previous games where he shot webbing up into the sky. However, parts of the game were criticized, such as the complaints of some of dullness of the side missions and the linearity of the story objectives (which many saw to be contrary to the developer's idea of creating a free-form game).The other versions of the game also received generally positive reviews with the exception of the PC/Mac version, which was "dumbed down" for a young audience and thus featured more simplistic and less challenging gameplay. Many reviewers argued that the PC version should have received a port of the console versions instead. Other complaints included that advertisements for the game made no indication that the PC version was different from the console version, and then recent changes to PC Game return policies made getting a refund difficult.
However, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game a review of 8.8 out of 10 for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
version, 9 / 10 for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
version, 7 / 10 for the PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
version, 7.5 / 10 for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version, 6.5 / 10 for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
version, and 4.5 / 10 for the PC version. IGN stated on the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox version to "call it Grand Theft Spider-Man. And call it damn fine." The version even got the IGN Editor's Choice Award for the year. IGN, reviewing the GBA version, credited positively the presentation, graphics, sound, web-zipping and wall-crawling. They only negatively stated that the music loops a lot because of the enormously long levels, "not the tightest combat developed for a Spider-Man game", and stated that the levels are "a big pain in the butt to accomplish".
The PSP version received moderate reviews. Gameplay and graphics were praised, while the bad camera angle and the length of the game were criticized.
The Official PlayStation 2 Magazine ranked the game #50 of the "Top 100 PS2 Games of All Time." In the Screwattack top ten 'Top 10 Movie-Based Games' Spider-Man 2 came in eighth.
In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die
Quintessence Editions Ltd.
Quintessence Editions Ltd. is a publishing company based in London which is the originator of the "1001 Before You Die" series. Typically, the titles in this series are intended as reference books. They are illustrated books authored by multiple contributors...
.
Cast
- Peter Parker/Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
(voiced by Tobey MaguireTobey MaguireTobias Vincent "Tobey" Maguire is an American actor and producer. He began his career in the 1980s, and has achieved his greatest fame for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films.-Early life:...
) - Black CatBlack Cat (comics)The Black Cat is a fictional character, a superheroine in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
(voiced by Holly Fields) - Dr. Otto Octavius/Dr. OctopusDoctor OctopusDoctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
(voiced by Alfred MolinaAlfred MolinaAlfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
) - Mary Jane WatsonMary Jane WatsonMary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
(voiced by Kirsten DunstKirsten DunstKirsten Caroline Dunst is an American actress, singer and model. She made her film debut in Oedipus Wrecks, a short film directed by Woody Allen for the anthology New York Stories...
) - Harry OsbornHarry OsbornHarry Osborn is a fictional character, a supporting character of Spider-Man in the . In addition to being Peter Parker's best friend, Harry was the second Green Goblin and is the son of Norman Osborn...
(voiced by Josh KeatonJosh KeatonJoshua "Josh" Keaton is an American actor, voice actor, singer and music producer.-Early life:Keaton was born Joshua Luis Wiener in Hacienda Heights, California. He has three sisters: Danielle, Alitzah , and Sabrina...
) - Rhino/Alex O'HirnRhino (comics)The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic...
(voiced by John DiMaggioJohn DiMaggioJohn William DiMaggio is an American voice actor. A native of North Plainfield, New Jersey, he is known for his gruff, deep voice and New Jersey accent, which he uses to voice mainly villains and anti-heroes.-Filmography:...
) - Shocker/Herman SchultzShocker (comics)The Shocker or just Shocker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #46 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr.-Fictional character biography:Herman Schultz was born in New York...
(voiced by Michael Beattie) - Mysterio/Quentin BeckMysterioMysterio is the name of three fictional characters, all of which are supervillains and enemies of Spider-Man in the . The original Mysterio was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #13, although it was later retconned that the aliens seen in Amazing...
(voiced by James Arnold TaylorJames Arnold TaylorJames Arnold Taylor is an American voice actor, Impressionist, and Announcer. He is the current voice provider for Fred Flintstone as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and also the movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Johnny Test in Johnny Test...
) - CalypsoCalypso (comics)Calypso is a fictional villain in the Marvel Comics universe, who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #209. She was created by Denny O'Neil and Alan Weiss.-Fictional character biography:...
(voiced by Angela V. SheltonAngela V. SheltonAngela V. Shelton is an American comedian and actress. Her television credits include Mr. Show with Bob and David, Grounded for Life, and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. She is also the voice of the bonus villain Calypso in the Spider-Man 3 video game. She is also one half of the duo Frangela, the...
) - J. Jonah JamesonJ. Jonah JamesonJohn Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
(voiced by Jay GordonJay GordonJay Paul Gordon is a producer, journalist and lead singer of rock alternative band Orgy- Early life :Originally from the Excelsior District of San Francisco, California, Gordon is the vocalist in the synth-industrial band Orgy, which rose to prominence through their signing to Korn's fledgling...
in most consoles and J K Simmons in the PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
console) - Aunt MayAunt MayMay Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
(voiced by Mindy SterlingMindy SterlingMindy Lee Sterling is an American actress. Although she had worked in film for over 30 years, she only began to garner attention after playing Frau Farbissina, the diminutive and domineering Germanic cohort of Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, and has a recurring role as Ms...
) - Betty BrantBetty BrantElizabeth "Betty" Brant is a supporting character in Marvel Comics’s Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #4 .-Fictional character biography:...
(voiced by Bethany Rhoades) - Robbie Robertson (voiced by Jeff CoopwoodJeff Coopwood-Personal life:Coopwood was born in Chicago, Illinois to Louise Riley and Jesse Coopwood. His father, Jesse Coopwood was a legendary jazz radio broadcaster in Gary, Indiana. His mother, Louise Riley, a former gospel radio broadcaster, and talk show hostess in markets from Chicago and parts of...
) - Dr. Curt ConnorsLizard (comics)The Lizard is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe and enemy of Spider-Man. The Lizard first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #6 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko...
(voiced by Joe AlaskeyJoe AlaskeyJoseph "Joe" Alaskey is an American actor, comedian, and voice artist, credited as one of the successors of Mel Blanc in impersonating the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other characters from Warner Bros. cartoons. He was born in Watervliet, New York.-Other work:Alaskey has also done voices...
) - PumaPuma (comics)Puma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe most closely associated with Spider-Man. While originally a villain, he gained a great respect for Spider-Man and became his occasional ally.-Publication history:...
(Exclusive to the PC and GBA version of the game, voiced by Dee Bradley BakerDee Bradley BakerDee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
)
Also features the voice of Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Lorne Campbell is an American film and television actor. As a cult movie actor, Campbell starred as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films and he has starred in many low-budget cult films such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-tep, Escape From L.A. and Sundown:...
as the tour guide
Tour guide
A tour guide provides assistance, information and cultural, historical and contemporary heritage interpretation to people on organized tours, individual clients, educational establishments, at religious and historical sites, museums, and at venues of other significant interest...
, and for the hint markers.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the video game consisted of new, original material produced by industrialIndustrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
group/collaboration KMFDM
KMFDM
KMFDM is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project...
. Unlike previous works by this group (which frequently contained lyrics and/or samples pertaining to provocative, sometimes revolutionary themes, albeit apparently in parody of mass media influence), these contributions do not contain any lyrics worthy of mention. Nonetheless, the work is available to download at the KMFDM store (albeit for a nominal fee).
See also
- Spider-Man: The MovieSpider-Man: The MovieSpider-Man is an action game based upon the Marvel Comics character, Spider-Man, and is directly based on the first feature film starring the eponymous character. It was developed by Treyarch and released in 2002 for PC and several video game consoles. The game has many scenes and villains that did...
- Spider-Man 2Spider-Man 2Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
- Spider-Man 3 (video game)Spider-Man 3 (video game)Spider-Man 3 is an action game loosely based on the Spider-Man 3 film and released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were developed by Treyarch, the PC version by Beenox while...
- Spider-Man (games)
External links
- Spider-Man 2 at Marvel.com
- Spider-Man 2 at Game RankingsGame RankingsGameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...