| Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage | |
|---|---|
Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage cover art (North American version) |
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| Developer(s) | Software Creations |
| Publisher(s) | LJN |
| Designer(s) | John Pickford & Mark Flitman |
| Platform(s) | SNES Sega Mega Drive/Genesis |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Beat 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | VRC: MA-13 |
| Media/distribution | 16-megabit cartridge (Physical) |
Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage is a scrolling fighting game for the Super NES and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, developed by Software Creations and published by LJN (a subsidiary of Acclaim) in 1994. The game, based on a sprawling comic book story arc of the same name, featured numerous heroes, including Spider-Man, Venom, and their allies from the Marvel Comics fictional universe like Captain America, Black Cat, Iron Fist, Cloak and Dagger, Deathlok, Morbius, the Living Vampire, and Firestar, all teaming up to battle an onslaught of villains led by Carnage, including Shriek, Doppelganger, Demogoblin, and Carrion.[1]
The game featured a colored cartridge. Both the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Super Nintendo versions were red. They were later released in the normal cartridge colors (black for Genesis, gray for SNES).
The game was followed up by a sequel called Spider-Man & Venom: Separation Anxiety.
Contents |
In this single-player side-scrolling beat 'em up (with a format similar to Final Fight, and Streets of Rage) the player controls Spider-Man and Venom through various levels to stop the supervillain Carnage and his gang, as well as hundreds of criminals they inspire in their wake, from taking over the city. The two 16-bit versions are virtually identical, aside from the quality of the sound and music.
Other Marvel heroes can be summoned by collecting appropriate items hidden within certain levels. Their effects vary greatly, and some of them have different effects depending on who the player is. Of note is the rarity and set locations of the power-ups necessary to summon aid, and that each character has a unique set of music to accompany their appearance. In order of appearance: Cloak, Black Cat, Dagger, Firestar, Spider-Man/Venom (depending on the player character), Morbius, Deathlok, Iron Fist, and Captain America.
Maximum Carnage is notable as one of the first video games to be directly based on a comic book story, rather than simply using comics characters in a standard video game "action/adventure" plot. Many of the game's cutscenes feature semi-animated versions of art taken directly from the comics. It was also notable as being the first Spider-Man video game to receive a teen rating (that being the Genesis version in particular (rated MA-13); the SNES re-release version had a rating of K-A).
The game received mixed reviews from critics and gamers, with many reviewers commenting on its repetitive, generic gameplay. It was given a 5/10 from Electronic Gaming Monthly and a 3.45 from Nintendo Power.[2] User reviews have been more positive, however, and it holds an 8.2/10 user rating on Gamespot.[3]
The game's soundtrack was provided by American rock group Green Jellÿ. The title screen theme song appears as the first track on the band's 1994 album 333 as "Carnage Rules." However, due to the state of video game music technology at that time the soundtrack was not recorded music, but a computerized rendition of the songs.