Spider-Man 2 (video game)

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For the 1992 Game Boy game of the same name, see The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
For the 2001 Game Boy Color game of the same name, see Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six.
For the 2001 PlayStation game of the same name, see Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro.
Spider-Man 2
Developer(s) Treyarch (consoles)
Publisher(s) Activision
Designer(s) Tomo Moriwaki (creative dir.), Akihiro Akaike (lead designer)
Engine Treyarch proprietary
PC version using Unreal Engine 2.0
Release date(s) March 29, 2004 (NA) GameCube
June 24, 2004 (NA) Xbox
June 28, 2004 (NA) Playstation 2
July 7, 2004 (Ger) all consoles
July 9, 2004 (UK) all consoles
Genre(s) Action game
Sandbox
Mode(s) Single player
Rating(s) ESRB: T
CERO: A
PEGI: 12+
PEGI: 7+(DS)
PEGI: 3+(GBA)
OFLC: M
OFLC: PG (GBA/DS)
Platform(s) Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, N-Gage

Spider-Man 2 is the name of several computer and video games based on the Spider-Man universe and particularly the Spider-Man 2 movie. KMFDM does the entire game instrumentals. These games were published by Activision for different systems in 2004:

These games are the official game adaptations of the movie Spider-Man 2. The home console (PS2, GC, Xbox) versions of this game have the feature of allowing the player to swing around Manhattan, Roosevelt, Ellis, and Liberty Islands for a more realistic Spider-Man experience. This free play experience is similar to that found in the video game Grand Theft Auto, while not featuring the explicit violence also found in that game. The other versions of the game feature more linear side-scrolling and platform sections with less emphasis on the free play experience of the home console versions. The PC version is also particularly noted to be aimed towards a much younger audience than the other versions.[1]

This game's roster of Spider-Man villains include the Shocker, Rhino, Mysterio, and Doctor Octopus along with various street thugs who commit random street crimes at any time. While street thugs only have pistols, 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 villains such as Shocker, Rhino, Doctor Octopus, and an additional boss, Calypso, who is not found elsewhere in the game.

NOTE: The following overview is mainly concerned with the free-roaming console versions of the game.

Contents

[edit] Description

The second game based on the movie Spider-Man 2, 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.

Following the tradition of the first game, Spider-Man 2 features some of the voices of the original actors in the movie, Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man and Peter Parker, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, and Alfred Molina as Doc Ock.

[edit] Gameplay

Players can now perform many moves and use many skills as seen in the film, including:

  • Wall Sprint: Spidey can run along vertical walls and even straight up the side of a building. If this skill has been upgraded, the wall running speed will be increased
  • Spider-Sense: Spidey can now use his Spider sense during times of danger. While his Spidey senses are activated, the rest of the game world slows down, which grants Spidey more speed and agility to dodge and attack, his attacks become more powerful and varied, and enemy attacks are easier to spot.
  • Charged Jumps: Spider-Man can jump higher than before. To activate, the player holds down the jump button to charge and releases it to jump. Jumps can be charged to different levels.

The zoom map provides a top-down view of the city centered on Spider-Man, but if Spider-Man reaches a high enough elevation and the zoom map is brought up, it will flip upside down to display the sky.

A screenshot of the game
A screenshot of the game

[edit] Sidequests

There are a variety of sidequests found in the game, and while none of these are really connected to the main plot, they are useful for earning hero points and awards.

  • Pizza Missions: Those missions are activated by heading to Pizza Iolo's. Spider-Man has to deliver pizzas to customers within a certain time limit, while trying not to mess them up by spinning in the air and doing other similar tricks. Completing all the missions will earn the "Employee of the Month" title.
  • Photo Missions: Spider-Man will go to the Daily Bugle and be assigned a place to take pictures of within a certain time limit. He will then have to return to the Daily Bugle and give the pictures to J.J. Jameson. Completing all the missions will earn the "Shutterbug" title.
  • Mary Jane Missions: These missions involve going to Mary Jane's apartment and finding a note telling Spider-Man to meet her in a certain location, such as a restaurant or a movie theatre. Like the others, these missions are timed. Completing them all will earn the "Lover Not a Fighter" title.
  • Video Game Arcade: At the arcade there are 4 minigames Spider-Man can play, each of them enhancing his skills and earning hero points. Winning them all earns the "Hardcore Gamer" title.
  • Tokens: There are many tokens hidden all around the city, which Spider-Man can search for and find to earn hero points. There are Skyscraper Tokens, found on tall buildings, Buoy Tokens, found on floating buoys off the shore, Hideout Tokens, found in thugs' hideouts, like basements, restaurants, fitness centers and pubs, where the player may have to fight them, and Secret Tokens, found in various hard to find locations. All of these tokens earn hero points.
  • Hint Markers: These are similar to the tokens listed above, except these can be found on the map, so they are easier to get. Most of them give the player hints for the game, but some are just funny comments, biographies, extra points or remarks. One such token mentions that, by finding all the hint tokens, they would be changed to say something different; After activating the last token, activating any token will play a random recording of Bruce Campbell saying 'Something Different' in a variety of ways.
  • Challenges: These can be activated by a blue challenge marker, found all over the city. They involve Spider-Man racing to a point or performing tricks and stunts within a certain time limit. The difficulty level ranges from "Easy" to "Insane". Winning each Challenge will give the player the opportunity to do the challenge again, but with a tighter time limit, earning more hero points. This second form is called a Mega Challenge. Beating all the Challenges will yield the "Silver Medalist" title, whilst beating all of the Mega Challenges will give the player the "Gold Medalist" title.
  • Fight Arena: The Fight Arena is a large warehouse which can be activated by purchasing it at the Spidey Store for 5000 hero points. Here the player will fight a number of bosses and other enemies that Spidey has faced before in the game, including Calypso in the last of 8 levels.

[edit] Critical reception

The home console game was released to generally positive reviews. 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 highly criticized, such as the 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). There was also some disappointment at the lack of unlockable content in the game, leaving players who completed all objectives with nothing to show for it.

The other versions of the game also received generally positive reviews with the exception of the PC 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.

The PSP version received moderate reviews. Gameplay and graphics were praised, while the bad camera angle and the length of the game were criticized.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Differences Between Versions

  • In the PC version of Spider-Man 2 some computers in the OsCorp and FNB levels show the Spider-Man 2 game.
  • In the Playstation 2 version, a sign on one of the buildings said "Tobey's Toy Store," a possible nod to actor Tobey Maguire.

[edit] References to Spider-Man: The Movie Game

  • Bruce Campbell is the narrarator in both games, and provides the hints in the second game. He is a friend of Sam Raimi's & cameos in both films the games are based on. Much of his narration references his previous narration from the first game. For example one hint marker has him talking about people asking him if he'll be eating a sandwich in this game, a reference to him leaving briefly to do just that in the first game's training mode. Another is when he mentions an upgrade that makes you "knock thugs down like bowling pins". He then says to himself "Hey, bowling, now there's an idea..." This is a reference to "Pinhead Bowling", an unlockable "training" mode in the first game.
  • Also, one of the "secret hideouts" in the game is a bowling alley similar to one featured in a bonus mini-game in the first game.
  • In the Spider-Man The Movie game, on the 4th level the player can see the word "Chaos" skywriten over NYC. In Spider-Man 2 the player can find a billboard that reads "Chaos Skywriting Service".
  • If the player goes to the Chrysler Building, there are feathers left from the Vulture fight in the first game.
  • During the mission wherein the player is tasked with hunting down Mysterio's "Secret Lair", the clown-like enemies encountered will emit a high-pitched laugh. However, if the player utilises their "Spider-Sense", this laugh will sound very similar to that of the Green Goblin from the first game.

[edit] References to pop culture

  • On the mission that requires the player to save reporters in a burning theater, Mysterio says the phrase "Klaatu Barada Nikto". The phrase is also used prominently in Army of Darkness, the third movie in director Sam Raimi's popular Evil Dead film trilogy. The line is said by Bruce Campbell. In both cases, the line is a reference to the same line in The Day the Earth Stood Still.
  • During the mission where the player has to defeat the giant Mysterio posing as the Statue of Liberty, the illusionist says "All your base are belong to us," a reference to Zero Wing. Also, when the player finishes the first mission involving Mysterio, he says "You have no chance to survive, make your time."
  • In the game one of the many thugs yells "Time for bit o' the old ultraviolence!", a direct quote from the film A Clockwork Orange.
  • One of the quotes Spider-Man makes while fighting enemies, "Now we turn it up a notch...BAM!" is obviously a spoof on Emeril Lagasse.
  • Sometimes when Spider-Man is fighting enemies, he says "Say goodnight, Gracie", which is a reference to The Burns and Allen show
  • Often, when Spider-Man enters a gym hideout, he will say "Hi guys! I'm here to beat you up!". He says "beat you up" in an German accent, echoing Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[edit] Trivia

This article contains a trivia section.
Content in this section should be integrated into other appropriate areas of the article or removed, and the trivia section removed.
  • One hint marker in the city tells the player something strange about Black Cat; a mysterious number code 38-24-36. This is not actually as mysterious as it may seem, as the numbers are merely her body measurements (B38 W24 H36).
  • The popular industrial band KMFDM did the games entire musical score.
  • As in real life Manhattan, there are two sets of spotlights in the FC area of the game, marking the area where the Twin Towers once stood. At night, these spotlights light up and two beams similar to the Tribute in Light can be seen.
  • Many things in the virtual Manhattan are changed, such as the distance of water between it and the rest of New York and the absence of several bridges. This also changes the height of several famous skyscrapers in the game, such as the Empire State Building which is actually around 100 feet higher than its real life counterpart.
  • In the very beginning of the game during the opening with Parker's narration, the camera pans by the Chrysler Building. If the player looks closely around the top, it's possible to see a black figure standing up there. That is Black Cat.
  • On the map, a few feet left of Liberty Island is the words "Governors Island" but there is nothing there in the real gameplay.
  • Inside the Comic Book Store, on the wall above the register are posters of Black Cat, Venom, Kraven the Hunter, Lizard, and Scorpion, among other villains.
  • In Peter Parker's room many things can be seen along the walls, such as pictures. A quote reads, 'We plant seeds for trees that we may never see'.
  • The little boy who loses his balloon in a recurring goal in this game reappears in Ultimate Spider-Man. He's the first person the player devours when using Venom.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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