by
Ted Kritsonis
Faze Technology Editor

What it’s about: It’s Spider-Man, but not based on a movie. Instead, Spidey’s story in this game is based on the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series. Venom’s out of control and there’s some powerful businessmen that want to control his costume (which is alive, by the way), so they throw a gang of mercenaries after him. And who’s caught in the middle? Yep, good old Spidey.

What’s good about it: This game looks and feels great because it literally looks like the pages within the comic book. That “cartoony” feel (or “cel-shaded” as we call it in gaming circles) is exactly what Spider-Man games have lacked over the years, and it looks fantastic in this one. The game is more intuitive and plays much better than Spider-Man 2, which was one of the first games on the DS. Playing as Venom helps mix things up a little as his strengths and style are a bit different than Spidey's. The reason this works well is because Venom's gameplay is run through the touchscreen, while Spider-Man's goes through the traditional D-pad combination.

What’s NOT good about it: It takes a little time to get used to this one, that's for sure. If you're the type that gets frustrated early, then try to give this one a chance because it will get on your nerves. Once that's over with, you might find some parts of the game too easy, and when it's all over, you've got nothing to replay again.

What’s the verdict: This is the kind of game Spider-Man 2 should've been because Ultimate Spider-Man uses the touchscreen a lot better and doesn't put you in a position where you have to care more about reaching certain targets than moving the story along. It's about time Spidey started looking good on the DS.

Publisher:
Activision
Developer:
Vicarious Visions

Platform:
Nintendo DS

Rating: 8/10