Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does... Well, some of the things a spider can

by Wootini

In case the Spider-Man 2 UMD movie that came with your PSP wasn't enough wall-crawling action for you, there's also a Spider-Man 2 game. Don't get them confused! Unfortunately, the movie is your better option, mainly because you can beat the game in the same amount of time it takes you to watch the flick.

The graphics are impressive for a launch title, but also because it's a launch title, it feels a little rushed. Not that there are bugs in it or anything, but it's wicked short, and hardly worth the money. Instead of the open-ended world of the console Spider-Man 2 games, this returns to the stricter mission-based level gameplay of the original Spider-Man game. And when you're working under a time constraint to finish a level, it doesn't really inspire you to search out the various secrets hidden in them. Am I supposed to look for bonuses, or keep Aunt May from being killed? Hmm... decisions, decisions... On the plus side, the graphics are good, and most of the movie cast returns to voice their freaky-looking CGI characters. It controls well, except for the camera, which can often get in your way when you're leaping or swinging around. As you finish levels, you're given points you can spend to improve your abilities, so theoretically, you can create the kind of character you want to play, but honestly, I never felt like any of it made a difference. And unlocking movies and storyboard and original art was a little disappointing because it's from the game, not the movie. The game sort of follows the plot of the film, adding in other villains to knock around, like Shocker, Rhino and Mysterio. It sort of tries to tie the game into the movie, but it also sort of fails. Not that it really matters, because it's over just as you're getting the hang of it. Seriously, I rented it from Blockbuster to play on a long bus trip to my grandmother's, and I played it on my way to work a couple days before and found myself almost halfway through it before I even took the trip! I had to stop myself and save it for later. And the problem is that while swinging around and beating up enemies is kind of entertaining, it's not fun enough to make you want to go back and replay the game. As a rental, it's awesome. But for 50 bucks? You've got to be kidding me. Major rip.