| Introduction
The world's thirst for all things Spiderman appears
to be reaching overload at the moment. We've already
had computer games on the Playstation, PC and even the
Mac which isn't even considered a games platform. There
have even been two very successful Spiderman games on
the GameBoy Color and, with the hype surrounding the
movie, the franchise machine seems unstoppable. I'm
sure this won't be the last Spiderman title to make
it to the GBA and there will, without a doubt, be a
movie tie-in of some description. But back to the present
day and Mysterio's Menace. Is it worth shelling out
your hard earned cash for? Well let's see.
GamePlay
After a brief intro it's onto the map screen where
the game starts. There are only three locations to begin
with : Downtown, Pier 54 and The Empire Metals Foundry
but more appear as you finish levels. None of these
are locked so you can start anywhere you want although
the Pier 54 is probably the easiest. The object of most
levels is to locate something or someone and beat the
end of level boss. There are few weapons at your disposal
to begin and in order to complete the game you'll have
to locate all of them.
When you're in any of the various locations you will
notice that there are a great many bonuses and locations
that can't be reached. This can be a little frustrating
until you realize that the only thing stopping you is
the right equipment. For example finding the Electric
Suit reduces electrical damage and the Thermal Suit
allows you to walk through fire. As an added problem
these will never be found on the level you need them
so travelling around locations is common. There are
also secret areas which aren't always that easy to find
so try everything.
The gamescreen is all for gameplay with only a small
information graphic in the top left. This gives your
lives left, web fluid and health. It's not until you
press the 'select' button that you really get the rundown
on everything you've collected as this selects the inventory.
It's all here with items collected in color and everything
else grayed out. There's even a section at the top with
the current password (which changes as soon as you collect
a new item) and mission objectives. The password is
another minor disappointment which although only a 6
digit code would have been better as a battery backup.
Controls
The control system is incredibly complicated at first
as not only are all the buttons used but combinations
too. After a little practice though it becomes second
nature and even though the web-spinning techniques are
all they could be, sometimes combat lacks a little in
the moves department. The moves consist of just kicking
and punching and, even worse, the henchman never display
much intelligence. Fortunately controlling Spiderman
is a joy and he always lands right on target which in
later levels saves a great deal of frustration.
Graphics
From the opening scenes to the initial gameplay,
it's obvious that the developers at Vicarious Visions
have cranked the whole thing up a notch. On start-up
you're treated to screens resembling air-brushed comic
art. These also accompany all other levels and in addition
to forwarding the plot they help to tie the whole thing
together very nicely. The actual in-game graphics are
also of a very high standard and both Spiderman and
his foes move with ease. Some of the main characters
are also incredibly well animated with special effects
surrounding them. Overall these are exactly the improved
visuals we should be expecting from the GBA and from
here it should only get better.
Sound & Music
The music is one of those few gems that is actually
a pleasure to listen to, especially in the intro when
the graphics are in sync with the soundtrack. It's all
very dynamic and super hero-ish but never gets in the
way of the gameplay. The sound effects are also good
but are mostly limited to kicks, punches and various
web/Spidey sounds. But as is becoming usual with GBA
titles now, if you really don't like them, you can not
only turn off completely but also lower the volumes
of either sound or music.
Final Comments
For Spiderman fans this is a definite step up on
the two previous titles for the GBC. There have been
massive improvements in sound, graphics and gameplay
and anyone who breezed through the others will have
their work cut out here. The non-linear gameplay will
have you all over the city looking for those last valuable
items in order to complete all of the missions and as
a result you'll get a long-lasting and entertaining
game for your money. As for non Spidey fans it's good
but there are better titles out there already. Strip
away the license and you're left with a decent, but
not brilliant, game.
|
Hardware
Reviews 
Game
Title
