Spider-Man (GBC)

Today I'm taking a look at Spider-Man on the Game Boy Colour, because if there's one thing this site needs it's more platformers based on comic books.

This may look like your average 'hero poses above the city on a rooftop' title screen, but it actually has a bit of story leading up to it.

Somewhere, in one of New York's many secret sinister super-science labs, something is about to escape!

And of course the very first thing they do is go after Spider-Man, while he's minding his own business posing on a bridge in the rain.

Spider-Man, watch out he's RIGHT BEHIND YOU!

Cut to the title screen with Spidey sitting on the ledge staring at the menu options, and me waiting for something to sneak up and shove him off. Though now that I think about it, he'll probably realise what was coming with his spider-sense and just dodge out of the way.

I'll choose 'New Game' and see what happens.

Oh, I guess nothing actually happened, as the game starts with Peter hanging around at the Daily Bugle.

Huh, what was that? Sorry Boss, I was distracted by the way the angle of the top of the pillar doesn't match the angle of the ceiling tiles.

Fine, I'll get you your pictures Jameson... BUT AS SPIDER-MAN! That'll show him.

Uh, wasn't I just swinging away from the Daily Bugle building? Why am I back on the roof?

Despite how it looks, the game actually seems pretty fluid, especially compared to the Spider-Man games I played on the SNES. Though Spidey does seem to slide around a bit too much for a guy who can stick to anything, and I don't much like the delay on his jump.

Attack and defence, huh? Interesting.
Hey I recognise this music, it's playing the theme to the old Spider-Man cartoon. But only on this screen.

The web swinging is so much easier than in Arcade's Revenge or Lethal Foes. It's more like Web of Fire, I just tap jump twice and Spidey's swinging across the level, except in this I have infinite web fluid so I can swing to my heart's content.

Unfortunately it seems that nothing pisses a bird off more than humans cheating gravity, so this one deliberately swooped over to knock me out of the sky in a single hit. Funny how that never happened in the movies.

Seems like there's a riot going on down here on the slightly lower rooftops. Everywhere I go people are trying to beat me up or throw petrol bombs at me, and it's annoying. They all go down in a punch or two, but they just respawn again the second I scroll the screen away.

They do drop health sometimes though, so that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Aha, found the level exit. So long, assholes!

Wait, why am I in the subway? Wasn't I supposed to be taking photos of a building?

I tried turning around and walking back out the door, and to my surprise it actually worked. It seems I have some freedom to go where I want in this game. No map though.

That's what you get for never giving me a moment's peace.

The combat in this seems a bit crap, but at least I can tilt the odds in my favour by firing off a web from the other side of the screen to tie the fuckers up. Shame I can't just web enemies up permanently for the police to deal with though.

My keen superhero instincts tell me that this might be the building I'm looking for.

The Lizard's in the subway? Hey, I know where that is!


BUT FIRST...

Oh fuck, where the hell did this guy come from? And where'd the cops go for that matter? I could use a bit of help right now from people with guns.

I've found that I can get a few hits in if I web him up, but this guy's still wiping the floor with me. I'm trying to jump around and stay out of his way, but it's hard when Spidey's got a delay on his jump.


MUCH LATER.

Oh shut up, he was strong enough.

Uh, well as much as I'd like to stick around while a super-strong symbiont goes crazy, I've got a Lizard to chase. Besides, those cops are probably still around somewhere, I'm sure they'll know what to do with him.

Well these guys are certainly persistent, but not too bright.

This ledge would have given me so much trouble to get around in Lethal Foes, but in this Spider-Man can crawl around it effortlessly. He's an impressively agile little pixel man, though I'd be happier if the controls were a bit more responsive and he could change direction in the air.

Okay this shit was already getting old before I even got to the lab building. Who are all these people and why are they so keen on beating the shit out of Spider-Man? They're on every street, every building, they never go away and they never give up.

I should be taking my time here and being careful. If I webbed them up from a distance and took them down one by one I'd suffer less damage and probably even get some health from it, but I really have lost any interest in hitting these people.

And that's what I get for rushing through. A password and infinite continues!


EVENTUALLY.

Well I made it back to the subway this time... but it was full of goons. Fortunately down here it's pretty easy to stay out of their way. Though I do have to watch out for those ceiling rats.

So now I'm in a train station hunting the Lizard. It's like Lethal Foes all over again, except without the time limit thankfully.

Crap, I hope this doesn't mean I'm going to the sewers next.


SOON.

Uh, did I take a wrong turn somewhere? I think I might have ran right past the Lizard. I'll go exploring a bit and see if there's any clue nearby.


MUCH LATER.

Still no sign of the guy. I am even still in New York City?


EVEN LATER.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure this isn't where I'm supposed to be.

It sure would be nice if I had a map or some kind of indication where to go right about now. I mean I don't even know where I left the subway anymore.


EVENTUALLY.

Oh fuck it, I give up.


I'm sure it probably wouldn't be that hard to find the Lizard if I actually cared enough, but I don't really want to because I am so bored of this game. The web swinging and wall climbing is great, but I'm getting zero entertainment out of fighting these endless goons, and all I'd get out of finding the Lizard is probably another bloody boss battle anyway. Still, the game makes the SNES Spider-Man platformers seem a lot worse by comparison so it can't be that bad. Next game.