Spider-Man 2 (video game)

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For the 2001 videogame of the same name, see

Spider-Man 2 is the name of several computer and video games based on the Spider-Man universe and particularly the Spider-Man 2 movie. These games were published by Activision for different systems in 2004:

PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox version developed by Treyarch
Microsoft Windows PCs version by The Fizz Factor
Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable versions by Vicarious Visions
Game Boy Advance version by Digital Eclipse
N-Gage version by Backbone Entertainment

These games are the official game adaptions of the movie Spider-Man 2. The home console (PS2, GC, Xbox) versions of this game have the feature of allowing the player to swing around Manhattan, Ellis, and Liberty Islands for a more realistic Spider-Man experience. This free play experience is similar to that found in the video game Grand Theft Auto, while not featuring the explicit violence also found in that game. The other versions of the game feature more linear side-scrolling and platform sections with less emphasis on the free play experience of the home console versions. The PC version is also particularly noted to be aimed towards a much younger audience than the other versions.[link]

This game's roster of Spider-Man villains include the Shocker, Rhino, Mysterio, and Doctor Octopus along with various street thugs who commit random street crimes at any time. While street thugs only have pistols, crowbars and their fists to protect them, the 'super-villains' and their minions have their various unique powers and weapons that they use to either steal, cause terror or defeat Spider-Man. At the end of the game, it becomes possible to unlock a warehouse (the same one that you fought Shocker in) in which you can again fight villains such as Shocker, Rhino, Doctor Octopus, and an additional boss, Calypso, who is not found elsewhere in the game.

NOTE: The following overview is mainly concerned with the free-roaming console versions of the game.

Contents

1 Description
2 Gameplay
3 Sidequests
4 Critical reception
5 Characters
6 Trivia
7 See also
8 External links

Description

The second game based on the movie Spider-Man 2, the player has the ability to choose either to go on with the storyline or swing around the city. You can explore Manhattan, Ellis Island and Liberty Island, with many sidequests for the player to complete. The player can do random tasks to earn "hero points," which must be accumulated to continue with the plot and are spent on upgrading Spidey's skills.

Following the tradition of the first game, Spider-Man 2 features some of the voices of the original actors in the movie, Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man and Peter Parker, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, and Alfred Molina as Doc Ock.

Gameplay

Players can now perform many moves and use many skills as seen in the film, including:

Wall Run: Spidey can run along vertical walls and even straight up the side of a building. If this skill has been upgraded, the wall running speed will be increased
Spider-Sense: Spidey can now use his Spider sense during times of danger. While his Spidey senses are activated, the rest of the game world slows down, which grants Spidey more speed and agility to dodge and attack, his attacks become more powerful and varied, and enemy attacks are easier to spot.
Charged Jumps: Spider-Man can jump higher than before. To activate, the player holds down the jump button to charge and releases it to jump. You can charge your jump to different levels.

A screenshot of the game

Sidequests

There are a variety of sidequests found in the game, and while none of these are really connected to the main plot, they are useful for earning hero points and awards.

Pizza Missions: Those missions are activated by heading to Pizza Iolo's.Spider-Man has to deliver pizzas to customers within a certain time limit, while trying not to mess them up by spinning in the air and doing other similar tricks. Completing all the missions will earn the "Employee of the Month" title.
Photo Missions: Spider-Man will go to the Daily Bugle and be assigned a place to take pictures of within a certain time limit. He will then have to return to the Daily Bugle and give the pictures to Robbie. Completeing all the missions will earn the "Shutterbug" title.
Mary Jane Missions: These missions involve going to Mary Jane's apartment and finding a note telling Spider-Man to meet her in a certain location, such as a restaurant or a movie theatre. Like the others, these missions are timed. Completing them all will earn the "Lover Not a Fighter" title.
Video Game Arcade: At the arcade there are 4 minigames Spider-Man can play, each of them enhancing his skills and earning hero points. Winning them all earns the "Hardcore Gamer" title.
Tokens: There are many tokens hidden all around the city, which Spider-Man can search for and find to earn hero points. There are Skyscraper Tokens, found on tall buildings, Buoy Tokens, found on floating buoys off the shore, Hideout Tokens, found in thugs' hideouts, like basements, restaurants, fitness centers and pubs, where you may have to fight them, and Secret Tokens, found in various hard to find locations. All of these tokens earn hero points.
Hint Markers: These are similar to the tokens listed above, except these can be found on the map, so they are easier to get. Most of them give you hints for the game, but some are just funny comments, biographies, extra points or remarks. One such token mentions that, by finding all the hint tokens, they would be changed to say something different; After activating the last token, activating any token will play a random recording of Bruce Campbell saying 'Something Different' in a variety of ways.
Challenges: These can be activated by a blue challenge marker, found all over the city. They involve Spider-Man racing to a point or performing tricks and stunts within a certain time limit. The difficulty level ranges from "Easy" to "Insane". Winning each challenge will give you the opportunity to do the challenge again, but with a tighter time limit, earning more hero points.
Boss Arena: The boss arena is a large warehouse which can be activated by purchasing it at the Spidey Store for 5000 hero points. Here you will fight a number of bosses and other enemies that Spidey has faced before in the game, including Calypso in the last of 8 levels.

Critical reception

The home console game was released to generally positive reviews. The most popular aspect of the game was the web-swinging mechanic. However, parts of the game were highly criticized, such as the dullness of the side missions and the linearity of the story objectives (which many saw to be contrary to the developers' idea of creating a free-form game). There was also some disappointment at the lack of unlockable content in the game, leaving players who completed all objectives with nothing to show for it. Never the less, the console version is often considered the best superhero game ever made.

The other versions of the game also received generally positive reviews with the exception of the PC version, which was "dumbed down" for a young audience and thus featured more simplistic and less challenging gameplay. Many reviewers argued that the PC should have received a port of the console versions instead.

Characters

Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man (voiced by Tobey Maguire)
Mary Jane Watson (voiced by Kirsten Dunst)
Harry Osborn (voiced by Josh Keaton)
J. Jonah Jameson (voiced by Jay Gordon)
John Jameson (voiced by Charles Klausmeyer)
Aunt May (voiced by Mindy Sterling)
Betty Brant (voiced by Bethany Rhoades)
Robbie Robertson (voiced by Jeff Coopwood)
Dr. Otto Octavius, a.k.a. Doc Octopus or simply Doc Ock (voiced by Alfred Molina)
Black Cat (voiced by Holly Fields)
Shocker (voiced by Michael Beattie)
Mysterio (voiced by James Arnold Taylor)
Rhino (voiced by John DiMaggio)
Calypso
Dr. Curt Connors (voiced by Joe Alaskey)
Also features the voice of Bruce Campbell.

Trivia

On the mission that requires the player to save reporters in a burning theater, Mysterio says the phrase "Klaatu Barada Nikto", an Inside Joke relating to the classic Sci-Fi Movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. The phrase is also used prominently in Army of Darkness, the third movie in director Sam Raimi's popular Evil Dead film trilogy. The line is said by Bruce Campbell.
During the mission where the player has to defeat the giant Mysterio posing as the Statue of Liberty, the illusionist says "All your base are belong to us," a reference to Zero Wing, also, when the player finishes the first mission involving Mysterio, he says "You have no chance to survive, make your time."
Bruce Campbell is the narrarator in both games, and provides the hints in the second game. He is a friend of Sam Raimi's, mainly because of the work they did together on the Evil Dead movie series.
In the Spider-Man The Movie game, on the 4th level the player can see the word "Chaos" skywriten over NYC. In Spider-Man 2 the player can find a billboard that reads "Chaos Skywriting Service".
In the PC version of Spider-Man 2 some computers in the OsCorp and FNB levels show the Spider-Man 2 game.

External links

[Game Rankings page]
[Official Spider-Man 2 website]
[UGO:Spider-Man]
[Spider-Man 2] at MobyGames
[Spider-Man 2] at MobyGames (DS version)

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