How insidious! How maniacal! How fun!!

Back in 1962, Stan Lee created a throwaway character for a series entitled Amazing Fantasy. However, instead of simply creating a finite storyline, the venerable master of Marvel Comics left an open-ended storyline. Sales of the magazine soared, and in 1963 the first comic featuring Peter Parker as Spider-man hit the market.

Since then Spidey has been a staple of American pop culture. There have been several comic book incarnations, a daily strip for newspapers, animated series and a live-action series. Spidey has also had a fairly successful life in video games.

With the release of a major motion picture, it was bound to happen that our friendly neighborhood Spider-man would again make an appearance in the video game realm.

Spiderman, an Activision and Treyarch release for the Xbox, is one of those new releases. This game breaks away from some of the previous incarnations, but still retains other elements that make it both familiar and excitingly new.

In previous games, though a three-dimensional feel was aimed for, the games did sometimes feel a little flat, and some of the animation was a bit jerky. The storyline had little to do with Spider-man’s origin. Stan Lee was the narrator and always began with a friendly greeting.

Welcome to the new and improved Spidey game. Bruce Campbell (of the “Evil Dead” and “Army of Darkness” movies, as well as television’s “The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.”) is the narrator and somewhat sarcastically informs players about the nuances of being Spider-man. The game also features the voices of Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe – both which star in the motion picture as Peter Parker and Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, respectively.

This is truly a three-dimensional game and Treyarch has taken great pains to make the characters resemble their motion picture stars. The animation is smooth and wonderful to watch. It is amazing to see Spidey do a yo-yo from the ceiling, land on an opponent’s shoulders and start punching on the head. Then as the bad guy drops, the Webslinger jumps off and throws in a few aerial acrobatics on his way to the ground.

As for the storyline …

Spider-man faithful know the superhero’s origins. Orphaned when his parents were killed in a plane crash, Peter Parker went to live with his Aunt Mae and Uncle Ben. He was a studious fellow, a bit of a social outcast, but life changed dramatically when, on a field trip to see experiments in radiation, an irradiated spider bit Peter. Its dying bite transferred spider DNA into his system and before long, Peter was climbing the walls – literally – and was remarkably strong and agile.

He tries to use his newfound powers for financial gain, entering a wrestling competition in a badly designed costume. He wins his bout easily and thinks little of it when the wrestling promoter is robbed. However the thief, in his escape, breaks into the home of Peter’s aunt and uncle, killing Uncle Ben. When Peter finds out the intruder, Uncle Ben’s killer (he does not know it is thief from the wrestling match), has been cornered by police in an abandoned warehouse, he dons his “costume” and goes in search of revenge. That’s where this game begins.

Spidey must battle through hoodlums, learn the game system, and catch Uncle Ben’s killer – which he sort of does. His escapades make him aware of his greater responsibility to use his powers for good, which is what he does. However, Spider-man also catches the attention of Norman Osborn, who wishes to understand how Spider-man mutated so he can use that science for his own personal (and company) gain.

This version of Spider-man not only features the Green Goblin, but Vulture, Shocker, Scorpion, and Kraven. There are battles galore, aerial acrobatics, an engaging storyline, and all-around entertainment.

The controls are somewhat easy, except for the camera, which may have players doing their own acrobatics to get it locked on and continually shooting from behind Spidey. The camera isn’t fixed behind Spider-man, and the Webslinger can turn to look straight into the camera. That can be disconcerting, especially when in a battle against multiple enemies.

While the environments are not particularly thrilling, they are well rendered. The game sound is excellent. Peter’s musings, the narration, and the voice acting all lend an element of excitement to the game.

There are some arcade elements to the program. There are power-ups throughout the levels that Spidey can use to recharge his health, or recharge his webbing. And each level is scored upon completion. Games cannot be saved in the middle of a level. It’s either succeed or repeat.

Spider-man is a terrific game, full of action and wonderfully rendered. The game does have some drawbacks, but the storyline detailing the origin of the Web-head makes this a must-have for all Spider-man fans, or for anyone who just enjoys a good action-adventure game.

This game does portray elements of violence, but is rated for Everyone.

Gameplay: 7.8
The game does have some load time, and its share of cutscenes which move the story along. There is also the issue with the camera controls, which can interrupt the flow of the game because you can’t see adequately where you are going, or whom you are fighting.

Graphics: 8.8
The three-dimensional animation is very well done, and the environments are huge.

Sound: 9
There are some repetitive phrases used, particularly by thugs, but this game still features an excellent audio track powered by the vocal acting.

Difficulty: Medium
There are several difficulty levels, and a training mode, which can prepare you for the game. The awkward camera controls are countered, somewhat, by the enemy AI which is a little suspect at times.

Concept: 8.5
The original storyline is terrific, and the refined webslinging systems (a step up from previous Spidey video games) enhance this game.

Multiplayer: N/A
This is a single-player game only.

Overall: 8.8
For a Spider-man fan, this is a title that cannot be resisted. There are some drawbacks to the game, which may turn off the average player who is not a Spidey fan. Counter that, though, with solid animation, more than its share of action, a great storyline and terrific voice acting, and you have a game that is a winner.