Spider-Man 3

"Check it out if you're a hardcore fan of the series"

First off, this game is good if you buy it with low expectations. It is not Zelda, or Halo. It is one of Activision's first attempts at making a game from the ground up for the Wii. It has it's ups and it has it's downs, but for the most part, the game is a solid experience that will keep fans busy for quite a few days. If you loved Spider-Man 2, then stop reading and get this game now. It's pretty much the same but with, in my opinion, a better plot, controls and the ever-popular black suit.

-Graphics : 6/10
This game is not easy on the eyes. Citizens of New York are reduced to being a mess of pixels from a distance, the likes of which that would make the SNES look graphically advanced. Buildings lack texture as you swing by, this is particularly noticeable when Spider-Man is high up in the sky. Even when they look like mere boxes, the game seems to not be able to show more than five to six buildings at a time, the rest pop-up as you move along, like the days of the Playstation era.

Spider-Man himself looks very good, and that deserves a mention. In the black suit, he looks sleek and actually worthy of being called "Next-Gen." This applies to most of the other characters, Venom, The Lizard and Mary-Jane to name a few.

-Plot : 8/10
The game is loyal to the movie it is based on, however, it adds more content to make the game last longer. Adding new villains like Morpheus, Shriek and The Lizard, some of which are exclusive to the Wii version, to keep the player busy while steal having to deal with the black suit that is slowly corrupting Spider-Man, just like in the movie. Side-stories involve interacting with classic Spider-Man characters that did not make it into any of the movies and that will surely please all you fans out there.

-Gameplay : 5/10
The basic premise of the game is you start at a location. You are given an icon with number (it's distance from your location) on screen which acts as a sort of pointer for where you need to go. Follow the icon, get to your marker (sometimes, there is a set time limit, so you better hurry!) and initiate a certain mission. These include saving people from mortal peril and transporting them from point A to point B. Beating up four or five stooges. Tossing bombs into rivers and shaking both the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to complete various tasks. Finish. Repeat.

It gets very old, very fast, and you are often expected to do several of these at a time to advance. Combat is limited, there is the combo system, but it is so tedious that you will find yourself ignoring it, instead beating enemies up just by flailing the Remote around.

The black suits strength is broken, often defeating enemies with just one hit, making the player opt to battle in the black suit as apposed to playing as regular Spider-Man. However, after a while, the suit begins to overwhelm Spider-Man, and you must switch back. This is done by various forms of swinging the Wii Remote and Nunchuck as prompted by a mini-game. This too, gets very old, very fast.

-Replay Value : 6/10
The game is an open-ended, free-roaming experience, in the same sense as the 3D GTA games. As such, the prospect of swinging around New York will lure players back long after they have completed the game. There are still several gangs terrorizing New York that you are left to deal with if you choose. Purchasing all the power-ups to maximize Spider-Man's ability will undoubtedly keep you busy for a good while.

-Verdict : 8/10
Fans of the series will not be disappointed. People who are looking for a game that utilizes the Wii's motion controls will be extremely pleased with this game. As I am both, I found Spider-Man 3 to be quite the experience. If you could, buy this game and it's prequel. They are probably one of the best movie games out there.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/30/07