Spider-Man: Battle for New York (Game Boy Advance)

CNET editors' rating: 2.0 stars Mediocre
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Overall score: 4.0 (2.0 stars)
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Gamespot editors' review

• Reviewed by: Frank Provo
• Reviewed on: 12/20/2006
• Released on: 11/14/2006

It's amazing how one or two problems can totally ruin an otherwise decent game. The Game Boy Advance version of Spider-Man: Battle for New York wouldn't have won any praise for originality or for its audiovisual presentation, but it would have been a solid action romp, if only the hit detection weren't so broken and enemies weren't placed in surprise spots that make cheap damage the norm. For every moment you'll spend punching thugs and swinging through the air, you'll spend equal time being knocked back by hazards that aren't even close, being attacked by enemies you can't even see, and watching your attacks whiff.

You can play through some levels as Spider-Man and others as Green Goblin.

The overall design is solid, if unoriginal. You'll spend roughly half of the game's approximately 30 side-scrolling levels controlling Spider-Man and the other half controlling his nemesis, the Green Goblin. Goblin's levels focus on trashing the environment and beating up on S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, while Spidey's levels are more oriented around putting out fires and rescuing people. The two characters are also vastly different in what they're able to do. Spidey doesn't dole out a ton of damage or have much health, but he can use his webbing to trap enemies and swing through the air. Goblin, meanwhile, isn't very quick or agile, but he's built like a tank, his attacks are strong, and he can hurl explosive fireballs. Each level generally does a good job of balancing fisticuffs and exploration. While there's a fair amount of beating on cookie-cutter enemies, there's also a good amount of exploration, usually in the form of swinging between buildings, climbing up walls, and smashing through steel doors.

Unfortunately, no matter how much skill you develop, getting through the levels is nearly impossible. First off, the hit detection is unreliable, and the hit zones for some hazards are too big. Punches and fireballs frequently pass through enemies, and when you try to jump over a bullet or swing over the top of a flaming pile of rubble, you'll take damage even if the hazard didn't come close to touching your character. To make matters worse, enemies and turrets are frequently positioned in spots whre you can't see them until you're right on top of them. Sometimes, a ball of energy will come flying toward you and warn you that there's an enemy lurking nearby. Many times, though, you'll end up face-to-face with something dangerous and have only a split second to react. As it is, the levels are loaded with hazards, and the game is set up such that you have to restart a level from the beginning when you run out of health. That's enough challenge to acclimate to without the broken hit detection and cruel hazard placement ratcheting up the frustration tenfold.

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Activision Inc.

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store	price	in stock?	rating
Amazon.com	$19.99	Yes
Amazon.com Marketplace	$10.98	Yes

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Where to buy Spider-Man: Battle for New York (Game Boy Advance)

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• Amazon.com $19.99 Yes
• Amazon.com Marketplace $10.98 Yes
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