Spider-Man: Battle for New York

For those who aren’t familiar with Marvel Comics’ “Ultimate” lineup of titles, the concept is to take a familiar Marvel character like, say, Spider-Man, and reinvent their origins and story for today’s generation. Forget everything you know about Peter Parker and his stint as Spidey in the pages of the classic Amazing Spider-Man series because Ultimate Spider-Man changes things enough to be a fresh take on a beloved myth. While a game across all platforms was released in the form of Ultimate Spider-Man, it only focused on Spider-Man’s encounter with the deadly Venom. Spider-Man: Battle for New York for the Nintendo DS focuses its attention on one of Spidey’s most dangerous adversary … the Green Goblin. The battle for New York is on and it’s good.

As I mentioned above, the storyline is taken from the Ultimate line, meaning that Peter Parker is a 15-year-old high school student and Norman Osborn is actually physically transformed into a monstrous freak rather than the man who wears a goblin costume and tosses pumpkin bombs that The Amazing Spider-Man fans have known and loved. Battle for New York takes us to the day Osborn, a man of science, witnesses on video Peter Parker being bitten by a radioactive spider and thus revealing to him the true identity of Spider-Man. Taking a serum he created, Osborn is transformed into the Green Goblin as he sets out to destroy Spider-Man once and for all.

As a Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance SP exclusive title, Battle for New York is actually a surprisingly well-conceived game that simply doesn’t slap these two characters together but adds a story that depicts the rivalry between the two. In true comic book form, there are even appearances from other Marvel characters (two of them aren’t even Spider-Man regulars). To top it all off, and much like the recent the Ultimate Spider-Man game, we even get to play as both the good guy and the bad guy. In fact, the game begins with gamers controlling the Green Goblin as he is going on a rampage in the streets of the city. The Green Goblin is a powerhouse that can not only jump high and scale buildings in massive leaps but he also has incredible strength and the ability to fling fireballs (including the ability to shield himself in a wall of fire). He even has the ability to grab his enemies and throw them like rag dolls.

Then there’s our hero, Spidey, who is relies on his fast reflexes and acrobatic movements as well as his ability to spin a web. Aside from his ability to jump far distances as well as traveling even more quickly thanks to a web line, Spider-Man throws some quick punches and kicks that do a lot of damage. Both characters control differently and as you complete a set of goals for each level you are rewarded with the means to upgrade both Spidey and Goblin’s abilities (health and melee damage) as well as character specific abilities and powers. Spider-Man, for instance, can upgrade the amount of web fluid our favorite web-slinger can shoot as well as a tumbling attack special move. Goblin, on the other hand, can increase his fireball damage as well as learn a ground pound special move.

The game’s levels alternate between both characters and, for the most part, they’re fun and action-packed levels. The problem is that the game is pretty short thanks to the fact that the levels move rather quickly … which is perfect for when you want to take your game on the go. Secondly, Spider-Man’s moves aren’t as smooth as they should be seeing as he’s known for his cool acrobatic skills. Plus, where are his famous Spider sense and why doesn‘t it tingle when he‘s in danger? What doesn’t disappoint are the level designs. You’ll be facing off against the Green Goblin as Spider-Man as the NYPD are after you and escaping an S.H.I.E.L.D. holding cell as the Goblin with Nick Fury and his men chasing you. The story will have you meeting Marvel characters like the Silver Sable as well as Captain America. It’s great stuff comic book fans will definitely like.

While these are some negative aspects of the game, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the touch screen is used rather sparsely. There are mini-games within the levels that do use the DS touch screen. For example, during the level where Spidey attempts to rescue fellow classmates he must keep a column from crumbling by pushing it back in place. Instead of simply repeatedly pressing a button you have to repeatedly stroke the screen in the direction indicated. Then there’s the Web Draw mini-game where you’ll have to fill the blank slots of a web. Finally there’s an Arm/Disarm mini-game where you are asked to tap a series of circles as they turn green in order to disarm enemies.

On the graphics front, Battle for New York looks like a Mark Bagley drawn comic book. The cutscenes alone look great with comic book-styled panels that tell the story. Yet the great part is that the in-game action also retains this look with its neat character models and more than decent backgrounds. As far as the visual effects are concerned, they could have been better and there’s some clipping issues that should have been worked out. Oftentimes, you’ll find Spider-Man web swinging through a solid wall. 

The game’s music is actually pretty good in a cinematic sort of way and if it didn’t awkwardly loop it would have been perfect. There’s some voice acting in the game as well and the actors do a great job of bringing the characters to life. You’ll hear Spidey throughout the game whether he makes a funny quip after defeating an enemy or getting hurt. The sound effects are nicely detailed and come out perfectly on the DS speakers so play this game with the volume up.

Spider-Man: Battle for New York for the Nintendo DS is a rather short ride but it’s an exciting one with a lot of fun twists and turns along the way. While the abilities could have used a little more style and polish, both Spider-Man and the Green Goblin are fun characters to control. Toss in a storylines that’s just as good as any story penned by Ultimate Spider-Man creator Brian Michael Bendis and some surprising cameos and we have a DS game worthy of the comic’s fans.

Gameplay: 7.5
The levels are appropriately bite-sized but filled with action and that’s a great thing. Unfortunately, thanks to the fast pace, the game is also short. Spidey’s powers can feel a tad awkward at times (but you’ll be thankful for the upgrades) while the Green Goblin’s brute force is just plain awesome. The touch screen is utilized in a few mini-games and that’s about it.

Graphics: 8.0
The game’s visuals are impressively beautiful and they look amazingly like Mark Bagley’s Ultimate Spider-Man comic book art. There are some amazing cutscene animations and neat visual effects that make this game look like a comic book come to life. Too bad there are some awful clipping issues that ruin things a little.

Sound: 8.5
The game’s soundtrack is also a highlight and while it loops in certainly places it’s forgivable. Even the sound effects are excellently handled and sound great through the DS speakers. However, these things don’t come close to the great voice acting throughout the game.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
There are times when you’ll be stuck in a particular level but it’s nothing that will have you frustrated. Some missions are timed, such as Spider-Man’s opening level where he attempts to rescue classmates from his burning school. The boss battles could have used more surprises.

Concept: 7.0
If you’re an Ultimate Spider-Man fan you’ll get a kick out of the story and the switching between hero and villain with some comic book-styled cameos by some recognizable Marvel characters. Both characters can be upgraded and their abilities are neat. There’s not much to go back to once you finish the game.

Overall: 7.5
While it’s a bit on the short side, Spider-Man: Battle for New York is a fun portable action game that does a great job of retelling the tale of the rivalry between our favorite web-head and the Green Goblin. Better yet, we even get a taste of being the Goblin in a game that plays like a comic book come to life. If you’re a Spider-Man fan looking for an original game to take on the go then you’ll want this one.