Spider-Man 2 (Game Boy Advance)

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When you first start out, Spider-Man only has a limited selection of abilities. This is so that you can get used to the controls, which are fairly intuitive. The A button controls jumping (tap) and webswinging (hold), the B button activates kung fu attacks, the R button lets you latch onto walls and hooks, and the L button activates Spidey's webshooters. In between missions, you can use the experience points you've accumulated to buy additional attacks or to upgrade Spidey's existing abilities. New attacks include a slide kick, a splits kick, a web net, a web whip, and various martial arts combos. Upgrades generally improve Spidey's speed and strength, or they extend the amount of web fluid and armor that you start each level with. For the most part, the controls are responsive, although Spidey does tend to take forever to change directions when he's crawling. Otherwise, the game is about what you'd expect from a side-scroller. The enemies are generic and plentiful, and you'll come across the same obstacles and puzzles level after level.

The graphics and audio aren't the best the GBA has to offer either, but there are all sorts of slick details that nonetheless make it easy to crack a smile while playing. Spidey's basic movements--walking, webswinging, and muscle-flexing--are fluidly animated, and he has a fair number of wacky, comic-inspired attacks, such as backflips, uppercuts, and splits kicks. The feeling of comic-book bravado is further heightened by the campy visual exclamations that go along with most attacks. A healthy variety of sound effects and voice clips accompany the action, which is good since the music is overly dramatic (at best) and is oftentimes obnoxious. Between levels, the story is told through a combination of movie stills, custom 3D rendered artwork, and text dialogue.

Even though Spider-Man 2 doesn't break any new ground, it has a leg up on many other action games because of what the character brings to the product. Whether you're strictly a movie buff or have followed the comic book for years, you're going to easily be able to identify with the characters, stories, and missions that the game serves. Furthermore, it hardly matters that the same enemies and puzzles are reused over and over again, because Spidey's superpowers give the game all the variety it needs. Turn it on and within 30 seconds you can be swinging through the air or kung fu kicking the bad guys just like Spider-Man.

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