Review #437: Spider-man 2(PSP)

 The PSP gets some love.

 I think that we can safely say that Spider-man 1 on the PS2 was a mess, regardless, Vicarious Visions went with that vision for the PSP version of Spider-man 2. What this means, essentially, is that Spider-man 2 on the PSP trades the free-roaming gameplay from the PS2 version for a more linear, stage-based design, not unlike previous Spider-man games, and, unlike what the previous game of its ilk would lead you to believe, is actually pretty decent.

 I'm tired of having written the same damn thing over 30 times already, but here it goes: Spider-man 2 on the PSP follows the plot from the movie of the same name, in which Doctor Octopus becomes somewhat of a tragic figure, but Spider-man must stop him from doing more evil. This game probably has the most accurate translation of said plot, it has the most similar train scene anyways! There're also a few new baddies added to make for a more fun game, like Shocker, Rhyno and the Vulture. The game has about 20 different stages, and it should last you about 3 hours total.

 Square is punch, circle is kick, triangle shoots web, R swings from web and L is your targeting reticule, y'know, if you've played the PS1 games or even Spider-man on the PS2, you'll be right at home. It might take a while before you get a hang of how to swing, y'see, this time around you tap R once and Spider-man will swing until he hits a wall. Holding R will make him go faster, holding up or down on the analog stick will raise or lower Spidey's altitude, and don't worry, Spidey's web sticks to thin air. The controls work well, but it's the camera that'll wrestle with you. There's no way to snap the camera back behind the webhead's back, and while you can turn it around with the directional pad, even if you use the claw grip, the game won't let you turn the camera as Spider-man moves, which is rather annoying.

 Stages are varied, and quite short which serves a handheld well. While the brunt of the game has you defeating all manners of thugs, there's the occasional mission that sees Spidey saving hostages or policemen. Clearing stages, defeating enemies and finding the elusive Golden Spiders will grant you points that can be spent to enhance Spider-man: Turn his 3 hit punch or kick strings into 4 hit strings, more health, more webbing or more strength. It works well, although they could've added a few more upgrades, since you'll be maxed out 3/4ths into the game.

 Spider-man 2 on the PSP is a game not to be underestimated! While the camera issues can sometimes get in the way of your enjoyment, it's a competent game that makes good use of the license.
 6.5 out of 10