Spider-Man 2:The Movie (Mac) review:3 stars (Review for the Alaska Apple Users Group) - My beloved web-slinger is making a comeback, including the release of his newest video game on the Mac. Featuring the voices of Spiderman 2 stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Alfred Molina, the game pits Peter Parker against Doctor Octavius as well as classic foes in a story based on the film.

Without giving away too much, the key scenes in the movie are loosely recreated in-game with a whole lot of supplemental twists to keep the action going. These extra adventures draw several characters from the comic book into Doc Ock's criminal scheme, giving Spiderman plenty of opportunities to practice his witty banter. Each character has been modernized to better fit the aesthetic of the films and show less of their dated comic origins.

All of the staples of Spidey action are present too. Swinging through the city, zipping to ceilings, and climbing walls. You fight thugs with punches and kicks, tie them up with webbing, and even disarm them from a distance. Add more complex fights with the main foes and you have a lot of fun being a super hero!

You get to chase Puma floor by floor through the open framework of a skyscraper under construction - lots of swinging, dodging projectiles, and overcoming acrophobia!

And Mephisto's levels take Spidey's acrobatics to a whole new level - jumping from web to web at eye-level with airliners. I actually found it unnerving to look down!

Unfortunately all of that action doesn't last too long. The difficulty level is fixed and the game is aimed at a younger audience, so it can go by quick. I finished it in just my second sitting.

To fill the time there are mini-games everywhere. These optional challenges to find all the targets or swing through hoops to demonstrate your web-slinging skills encourage you to think like a spider and give you hero points that accumulate to unlock bonus missions.

Just moving the plot along also requires puzzle skills since many required tasks are based on repeating a sequence (remember Simon?). Beating several of the bosses also requires simple pattern recognition.

The puzzles, simple combat, and limited control makes the game feel a lot simpler than the last Spiderman movie game (released exclusively for Windows). While this version is a blast, the first was probably more exciting for older players.

The graphics in the previous version were also more cinematic. The visuals in this sequel are good, but lean toward cartoon colors and lighting. Your opponents are limited too - you end up fighting identical thugs over and over.

Worse than their uniform appearance is their tiny selection of dialog. Sounds in this game are limited. The only thing worse than the tinny sound of walking is hearing Rhino say "I'm gonna smash you!" for the tenth time!

The cut-scenes too are poorly implemented. Which is bad because they are critical to the progression of the story. The mix of pre-rendered CGI and in-game animations distracts from the continuity of the action and, though they feature three of the movies actors, the rest of the dialog and voice acting is poor. On top of all that, some of the pre-rendered scenes are squished, ruining their cinematic value.

There are some in-game scenes that work well, however. Simulating spider-sense, certain scenes queue you for input to evade danger. This is neat but too rare and usually moves Spiderman instantly to a new location. Along with long load times, this further disrupts the stories progression.

Beating the game once opens up a free play mode that lets you explore the city and play any of the mini-missions for fun - a great way to practice your spider-skills. You do have to repeat the tutorial every time you start a new game, though. At least Bruce Campbell voices it - he performed the same role in the previous game and had a cameo as the wrestling announcer in the first movie.

Despite limited re-playability, technical deficiencies, and a plot that doesn't flow as smoothly as it should, I liked this game. It's simple (even more than it's console versions), and the violence is light and non-graphic, so it's great for kids. But I think anyone can have a whole lot of fun being Spiderman!3 stars (Not as bad as it has been made out to be...) - If you've seen screen-shots or video clips of "Spider-man 2: The Movie" it's likely that those come from the PS2, X-box, or Gamecube versions of this game. While the console versions do look a bit prettier, and offer significantly more interesting game-play, I have to give a lot of credit to this Mac version.

The Mac version (ported from the PC version) uses a 1-button action control system, which pretty much limits what you can do to contextual situations that arise during the game. Clicking the mouse button allows you to swing through the city if you see a Web target in the sky (which float through the scenery of the play area in a fairly silly way). If a bad guy is in front of you, the mouse click is the punch, kick, and combo - all determined by how many times you click the mouse. Since I'm playing using the keyboard, the 1-button interface is actually pretty neat because I was able to get into the game and start playing without learning a lot of controls. Were I playing with a game-pad, I would have been a little disappointed in the limitations the control system has to offer.

The bad-guys are true to the Spider-man universe (Rhino, with a nice-looking updated costume, is the first badie you face), but the AI is pretty weak. For example, when battling the Puma, you don't have to do much to avoid the projectiles he's throwing, aside from hide around a corner. The bank scene is somewhat true to that scene in the movie and offers a nice early introduction to Doc Ock. That part of the game had some genuinely interesting puzzles in it.

On my 1Ghz G4 Powerbook, play is smooth at 1024x768 with all the features turned on and set to "high detail".

Is this game better than the first Mac Spider-Man game from Aspyr?
Not really. The original Aspyr Spider-Man is a classic and offers a really unique game-play system and has a great story.

Is this game fun?
I think so. If you have a Mac, but not a PS2, X-Box, or Gamecube, I think this game offers a lot of Spider-man related fun. The voice acting (by the actual movie stars) is a treat and the graphics are very nice.

Is this game good for kids?
Maybe, depends on what age. There is a lot of punching and kicking and a bit of shooting in this game. I wouldn't let my six-year-old play this one (but he and I do play "Shrek 2", also by Aspyr). Kids old enough to handle the mild violence may benefit from the easy control system.

This is the one of several Mac game by Aspyr that has been based on a PC version of a game that is a lesser version of that game's console counterparts. Those games, along with this Spider-Man game, are all decent enough games, but pale in comparison to the versions you can get for one of the three major console systems. If you have one of those consoles, buy that version of this game. But if you're a Mac-owning Spider-man fan, I don't think this game is a waste of money. I'm glad I bought it...1 stars (Worse than the console versions) - i appreciate every game released for mac but this isnt really an excuse for a game. If you've played it or seen it played on one of the consoles and it seemed like a good game (like i did) dont buy it for Mac or PC. The game has been dumbed down for the PC and Mac. The fight scences are choppy and poorly coordinated. The graphics are bad compared to the consoles. You need a heavy duty Computer to run the game smoothly. The whole "no where you cant go nothing you cant do" phrase would be correct if you took the "t"s of the cants. I seriously must warn you you wont be getting a good game at all. Thank god i didnt buy it.
Spider-Man 2:The Movie (Mac) Features:
Computer Games
Macintosh (Machintosh)
Mac
Apple
Action
Adventure
Computer Role Playing Games (Game, crpg, crpgs, rpg, rpgs)
CD

Spider-Man 2-The Movie (Mac) is the CD-ROM version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "CLICK HERE TO ORDER" button below for around 29.99USD.