Here comes the Spider-Friend

By Alex Villafania, hackenslash Reporter INQUIRER.net IF there’s one popular Marvel character in video games, it's Spider-Man, who has had several titles under his belt in the last 30 years. He started out as an 8-bit hero in 1982 in the Atari 2600, then in 1987 in the Sega Genesis and PC until he became a major franchise title in the Sony intendo and Microsoft consoles. Spider-Man has been reincarnated in just about every known console. In his latest video game adventure, the developers (Next Level, Artificial Mind and Movement, Beenox Studios) made major changes in the storyline of the web-slinger that may not be considered as canon. But most of these changes are actually coming from the last three Spider-Man movies and while the video game-movie tie-ins did not fare as well as the movies, the other Spider-Man titles that were not related to movies were quite successful. I'm reviewing the PlayStation 2 version, and Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is one such title wherein the adventure is very loosely based on the movies. As in past video game adventures, Spider-Man will swing his way through levels of enemies up until the boss battles. But one unique difference in this game is that the end-level boss becomes Spider-Man’s sidekick, in much the same vein as in the Final Fantasy video games where the bosses become summoned guardians. Simply put, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is an action-adventure game and as such, he’ll be fighting a lot throughout the game with only a few minor puzzles to solve. The plot revolves around an unknown enemy who seems to be controlling Spider-Man’s foes using parts of the meteor that spawned Venom. Spider-Man is initially helped by S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (who remains unplayable in the PS2 version). This enemy is also using the meteor to summon ghost-like monsters called phantoms. Therefore, Spidey’s mission is to find out who the mysterious enemy is but in order to do so, he’ll have to employ the help of his legendary foes who are mind-controlled. By the way, his foes mostly look like the ones from the Spider-Man movies, particularly Doctor Octopus and Green Goblin whose costumes came directly from the films. His other enemies that can be played as sidekicks include Venom, New Goblin, Sandman, Rhino and Scorpion. One good thing about this game also is that Spider-Man is faithful to his trademark humor. The video game Spider-Man remains funny all throughout the game, though players may find it slightly disturbing that his foes almost never put up a fight (I mean after the boss battle) when Spider-Man is trying to convince them to join him in finding out who their tormentor is. The story may be simple but it’s just as good as any other action-adventure video game. However, the gameplay leaves much to be desired. Anyone who has played such games as the four-player Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Lego Star Wars would notice that the gameplay becomes boring and repetitive. If playing in single battle, Spider-Man can choose any of his foes who can join him in his adventures. Spidey and his sidekick can be played by toggling so you can play either as Spidey or the enemy. Also, take note that it’s not just his enemies that Spider-Man can play with. His other partners can be heroes, too, such as Silver Sable, Black Cat, Prowler and Iron Fist. But while playing any of his friends and fiends may be a treat, it’s not as good as playing the webhead himself. He has a lot more special attacks and combos that can deliver more damage to enemies. The game’s artificial intelligence also isn’t particularly, well, intelligent. The enemies would just come in and attack. Sometimes, they actually wait in line when Spidey is being attacked by another enemy though there would be open opportunities for enemies to attack from behind. Of course, by the time they get behind Spider-Man or his sidekick, the enemies in front would already be dead. In fighting enemies, Spider-Man would still get damage so there are red orbs coming out of dead enemies that can be collected to replenish life. By the way, it’s also very hard to die in the game, even in its hardest mode. The missions are divided into cities or historical places such as Nepal, Tokyo and Cairo. Spider-Man and partner have to swing their way through. Well, Spider-Man doesn’t necessarily have to swing around buildings that much. He can just run around or climb buildings but most of the time he’ll just run. The game is also particularly short and can be finished within 10 hours. The graphics in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe isn’t as great as in previous games. It’s outdated and seems to have come from past Spider-Man movie games. The developers could have gone with cel-shading like the one used for Ultimate Spider-Man (which should be considered as the best game in the series). Sad to say, the graphics is outdated. Overall, the game feels like a remake of older Spider-Man games so it’s not particularly fun. However, if fans of the franchise want to taste something different in playing a Spider-Man game, especially the opportunity to play alongside Spidey’s long-time enemies, then this is the game for you. Other players may want to play the next game. Spider-Man: Friend or Foe Genres: Action/Adventure, Beat 'Em Up Developers: Next Level Games (360, Wii, PS2), Artificial Mind and Movement (DS, PSP), Beenox Studios (PC) Publisher: Activision ESRB Rating: E 10+