Despite a lack of depth or next-gen shine, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is nonetheless a terrifically fun and addictive brawler evocative of similar titles such as Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Gauntlet Legends. However, even more surprising is that Next-Level Games’ film-inspired effort overshadows the official Spider-Man 3 games by exercising something uncommon in movie adaptations, namely creative freedom. As an officially licensed movie product, Friend or Foe scores points with this reviewer for having the courage to exist outside the boarders of its source material, in so doing becoming its own experience rather than just a thinly veiled copy.
Playing as the friendly neighborhood web slinger, Friend or Foe partners you with any one of several heroes and villains, including such familiar faces as Venom, Green Goblin, and Doctor Octopus, as well as more fringe comic book personalities as Silver Sable and Iron Fist. The game’s paper-thin plot tackles the third film’s notion of an alien symbiote threat with tongue firmly planted in cheek as Spidey and a companion button mash their way through wave after wave of similar beasties using a fistful of combos and unlockable super powered antics. Long story short: if you are looking for an old-school brawler that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Friend or Foe could be just what you’ve been looking for.
The title, which was obviously designed for younger gamers or those young at heart, features gameplay that scales to support a wide assortment of skill levels and ages, from veterans to toddlers who just might be cutting their teeth on this very game. Environment and character designs favor a more cartoonish style rather than one based in realism, and together with lighthearted, at times humorous dialog, playing this game feels not unlike taking an active role in a Saturday morning cartoon.
Still, for something that is easy to pigeonhole as a A
Despite a lack of depth or next-gen shine, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is nonetheless a terrifically fun and addictive brawler evocative of similar titles such as Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Gauntlet Legends. However, even more surprising is that Next-Level Games’ film-inspired effort overshadows the official Spider-Man 3 games by exercising something uncommon in movie adaptations, namely creative freedom. As an officially licensed movie product, Friend or Foe scores points with this reviewer for having the courage to exist outside the boarders of its source material, in so doing becoming its own experience rather than just a thinly veiled copy.
Playing as the friendly neighborhood web slinger, Friend or Foe partners you with any one of several heroes and villains, including such familiar faces as Venom, Green Goblin, and Doctor Octopus, as well as more fringe comic book personalities as Silver Sable and Iron Fist. The game’s paper-thin plot tackles the third film’s notion of an alien symbiote threat with tongue firmly planted in cheek as Spidey and a companion button mash their way through wave after wave of similar beasties using a fistful of combos and unlockable super powered antics. Long story short: if you are looking for an old-school brawler that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Friend or Foe could be just what you’ve been looking for.
The title, which was obviously designed for younger gamers or those young at heart, features gameplay that scales to support a wide assortment of skill levels and ages, from veterans to toddlers who just might be cutting their teeth on this very game. Environment and character designs favor a more cartoonish style rather than one based in realism, and together with lighthearted, at times humorous dialog, playing this game feels not unlike taking an active role in a Saturday morning cartoon.
Still, for something that is easy to pigeonhole as a A
With the launch of NCsoft’s newest MMORPG, Tabula Rasa, a few short weeks away from it’s official launch we had a chance to talk to Starr Long, one of the game’s producers, about the game and the MMO genre in general.
Snackbar Games: Popular opinion from your camp seems to be that the MMORPG genre is stale, stagnant. If this is the case, why have you taken it upon yourselves to be the force of change?
Starr Long: Many of us on the team worked on Ultima Online. In fact I got the project started at Origin as a proof of concept with Ken Demarest A
Just two short years ago, venturing a guess that another game, an unknown game at that, would steal Dance Dance Revolution‘s well worn crown as the dominant rhythm action game for consoles would have been seen as the height of hubris. Yet that is exactly what peripheral manufacturer RedOctane and Harmonix Music Systems accomplished in 2005 with the release of Guitar Hero for the PlayStation 2, a game that not only captured the enthusiasm of the rhythm game community, but the larger gaming community as well. The industry was forced to sit up and take notice as both RedOctane and Harmonix set out upon a nearly untouched blue ocean while gamers and non-gamers pinned for their chance to grasp the game’s signature glossy black guitar-shaped controller.
In many ways, 2005 belonged to Guitar Hero in gaming circles, and the game’s sequel that followed a year later was met with frenzied zeal, offering more songs, modes, and a return to the same gameplay that made the initial title an instant icon. Legions of vicarious rockers were pleased, however the release was later weighed against news that Harmonix had been acquired by MTV, with the television network and publisher Electronic Arts later tapping the studio for their own rhythm action game, called simply Rock Band. Truly the lines had been drawn for what many predict will be a terrific showdown between rhythm game giants in Fall 2007, but before Harmonix would move on to its new home, the studio had one more title to unveil for the franchise it helped launch. Known by the somewhat tortured title Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, this latest release brings a new set of tracks from the decade of excess. Unfortunately, it brings little else to the party.
Virtually indistinguishable from Guitar Hero II, Encore serves as little more than a standalone song pack, a realization that would be entirely welcome had the selection been truly indicative of the decade from which it is pulled. While some songs feel right at home, other choices feel strange or just out of place, making the overall collection feel disjointed as players wonder aloud A
Atlus USA sure knows its fans, for they are many with deep pockets. The publisher has announed plans for a limited edition of the upcoming PS2 RPG Growlanser: Heritage of War, which will come packed with extras.
Limited to just a single print run, every copy will include a 100-page, full-color art book featuring the work of Satoshi Urushihara, a multimedia disc with art and music from the game, a keychain, two lenticular cards, and three commemorative pins.
Growlanser: Heritage of War is currently scheduled for a September
release.
