Gamernode: Reviews - Spider-Man 3

Spider-Man 3

• Spider-Man 3
• Nintendo DS
• Vicarious Visions
• Activision
• May 04th, 2007

A curse of DS titles seems to be the forced use of the touchscreen. I've seen a lot of games fail to a large degree because of forced gimmick use, and I've seen a lot thrive off of it. With the recent release of the Spider-Man 3 titles, I'm glad to say that Spider-Man 3 for the DS falls into the latter.

Like the last Spidey game on the DS, Spider-Man 3 is essentially a 2D side scrolling beat 'em up in a 3D environment. While that may frustrate some people, there's no doubting that the game looks beautiful. As you walk down the course of the area or level, the camera will rotate, you'll begin walking in different directions, and the game just looks pretty.

But where Spider-Man 3 truly shines is the combat. Unlike the console releases, on the DS, Spidey goes for something completely unique, and knocks it out of the park. Deciding to utilize the touchscreen to a great extent, Vicarious Visions made all combat in the game reliant on the stylus. Attacks are performed by quick swipes on the touchscreen, and it makes fighting fun again.

Walking, swinging and jumping are all performed with the d-pad and trigger buttons, so playing the game may feel awkward at first. Using your left hand for the d-pad and left trigger, and your right to hold the stylus and use the right trigger, it takes a while to get used to it. But once you do, it's awesome.

At times, however, the new structure can be frustrating, since the game doesn't always register what you do. I can't even remember how many times I tried to draw a circle on the touchscreen to perform the spinning attack, yet ended up punching instead. With how fast-paced the fights in Spider-Man 3 can become, the occasional bad detection may result in a few deaths, but for the most part it's solid.

Outside of the combat, there's still a solid game. Based on the movie, it largely follows the story of the film, and you'll face the same enemies in the game that Spidey faced in that. One difference is Dewolfe, who is basically Commissioner Gordon to Spidey's Batman. Dewolfe will send you on several missions outside of the film's plot, and they're a nice departure from what's going on, because you know what will happen next. (If you buy Spider-Man 3, I assume you've seen the movie.)

The game only takes four or five hours to beat, which isn't too unheard of for a DS game of this type. What's nice, however, is the addition of a lot of elements to increase longevity. You're able to go through previously beaten missions and better your time, unlock new items, and participate in races. Crime Watches are also a good chunk of the replay value, as they'll allow you to go back through areas and just wipe out bad guys, no questions asked.

Spider-Man 3 for the DS is the game most loosely based on the film, but it's also the best. The unique fighting mechanics and beautiful visuals make for a wonderful gaming experience. It's a shame the console developers didn't try something as ambitious as the overhaul of the fighting system Vicarious Visions produced. If you own a DS and want a good side scrolling action title, Spider-Man 3 is the best to come out in quite a while. It's also a good chance to test this fighting system, because I can guarantee we're going to see copious ripoffs of it in the future.

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