Spider-Man 2 (N-Gage)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 2.5 stars OK
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 5.2 (2.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Avery Score
• Reviewed on: 07/22/2004
• Released on: 07/06/2004
• Originally published on GameSpot: Spider-Man 2 (N-Gage) Review

Activision has dedicated itself to bringing games based loosely on the movie Spider-Man 2 to as many platforms as possible. This includes the N-Gage, which has received a 2D platformer that is broken up by some 3D swinging segments. While portions of the game show promise, Spider-Man 2's jerky gameplay and occasional crash bugs overshadow these promising points.

The N-Gage Spider-Man 2's most apparent failure is its poor use of 3D. After every few stages, you'll be forced to endure a short time trial, the goal of which is to triumph over poor webslinging mechanics--and even worse crash detection--to arrive at your destination before the clock runs out. The N-Gage's clunky, low-poly 3D segments are never enjoyable, and they feel like last-minute additions to the game's comparably decent 2D segments.

Spider-Man 2 is loosely linked to the eponymous movie via a series of dialogue-laden, rendered stills of the film's characters. These tend to drag on too long, and they can't be skipped.

Spider-Man's action sequences comprise beat-'em-up fare that's typical of Spider-Man offerings. Spidey must navigate the game's stages by webslinging and webzipping, and there is a single attack key that can be used in conjunction with webbing projectiles and shields. Spider-Man's webslinging and webzipping are controlled by the 5 and 3 keys, respectively. These buttons do a good job of remaining context-sensitive, so this control setup isn't quite as limited as it sounds.

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