Review: Spider-Man: Friend or Foe (Xbox 360/Wii/PS2)

“Try my blue bubble launching side kick on for size!”

There’s no joy on Earth like having a child. I realize I probably talk about my son and niece a whole bunch when I write, but that’s because it’s a joy being a dad and an uncle. As a gamer though, it’s tough when your three year old wants to play and there’s nothing he can actually participate in.

Even Lego Star Wars can be tough for a not so nimble-thumbed three year old. Sure, he likes to make the cow jump in WiiPlay, but that’s where his skills end. With Activision’s latest Spidey release of Friend or Foe, however, we have a game that players of any skill level can enjoy. Moms, dads, and kids, all saving mankind together. Think of it as Marvel Ultimate Alliance for ankle biters.

Know from the start that this is not an open world Spidey game like the last 19 released. These graphics will not redefine what the 360 is capable of. It is simple in its controls, design, and look, and I couldn’t be happier! Call me old school, but I loved side-scrolling beat ‘em ups. Spidey had a ton of them back in the day (Sega’s Arcade classic, Total Carnage, etc.) and this is a direct throwback to the SNES heyday.

I like variety, and the fact that Activision and Marvel want to use Spider-Man and his Rogues gallery in a new and interesting way is a step in the right direction. After all, Spidey is a hero everyone should enjoy. Friend or Foe also strikes me as Activision’s attempt to build a Lego Spider-Man type of experience. Maybe they should have licensed Duplo?

In the Friend or Foe story, each major Marvel villain within the game begins as a mind-controlled boss. Who’s controlling their minds? Everyone form Doc Ock to the Scorpion is dying to know, and willing to team up with Spider-Man (and Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D.) to find out who this mastermind is. Once you defeat them, they become an addition to the S.H.I.E.L.D. roster.

The opening cinematic brings together all the heroes and villains of the movie trilogy. Miraculously, not one Spider-man villain in the game has remained dead for long. Even Anthony (my son) was aware that the Green Goblin is deader than disco, and kept pointing it out. It’s hard enough explaining death to a kid, never mind the resurrection of comic book villains.

The first noticeable change when you start to play Friend or Foe is in the art style. While Ultimate Spider-Man directly used comic book assets, and Spider-Man 3 was a spin-off of the movie, Friend or Foe mixes the two with brand new designs that are modern, stylish, and attractive. It’s a bit odd that they’ve gone this route as opposed to directly using the comic book, or even the upcoming animated series, as a basis.

I really enjoyed how the artists redesigned all the players, especially Venom (but I am a Venom fanatic). But the art doesn’t end there, as all the Phantoms (robots you beat the tar out of), returning comic book baddies (The Lizard, Rhino), and levels themselves are bright, colorful, and fun. From Tokyo to Egypt, each area is set up so that you can run from room to room, beat up Phantoms, and jump into the next room.

While the gameplay is slightly repetitive, the children in your house won’t care. That’s probably what keeps the game on track with its target audience. Kids can pick it up, play, finish a level, and leave to enjoy it another day. Sometimes boss fights can become more difficult than the rest of the game, but that’s when two player drop in is perfect.

When Anthony didn’t know how to stop the Scorpion, Daddy gave a helping hand. With the basic control system (punch, jump, and grab) Anthony had no problem understanding what to do and where to go. It brought a huge smile to my face when he turned around and said “No Daddy, I can do it!”

Despite that I enjoyed the game, there’s a lot of belief-suspension involved with the plot. Not only are Green Goblin and Octavius’ zombies roving around, but apparently they won’t take the opportunity to kick Spidey’s latex-covered arse. However, that is just fanboy nitpicking, because I do have an appreciation for a child-friendly E-Rated Spider-Man game that we can play as a family.

There’s also the fact that this is the first time in a video game that fans can play as all these characters, and they are fully realized. From Doc Ock’s tentacles, to Sandman’s, well, sand, every character in the game is fully playable and upgradeable. So while the fanboy in you may roll your eyes, the kid in you secretly gets a kick out of watching Spider-Man and Otto taking down The Rhino. There are even character combo attacks you can earn throughout each level that give a quick little Power Rangers-esque double team animation, leading to massively damaging attacks on all the Phantoms in the vicinity.

If you want depth, it is in this game. Between levels, player one (as Spidey) can walk around the deck of a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier to switch between sidekicks and upgrade them. Spider-Man has dozens of different web upgrades, and you can also build up the strength and special-attacks of all the sidekicks. While this is nothing compared to Marvel Ultimate Alliance, it is interesting enough that adult gamers will have additional content to balance while the kids are just waiting to play the next round.

There are moments that are such a throw-back for adult fans that I laughed out loud and had to explain to everyone why. Not far into the first level, Spider-Man declares that he could go for a “Fruit Pie”. There was a time when every, single comic book hero in the Marvel and DC Universe’s shilled for those deep-fried, congealed goodies. The ads were designed as a single page comic book page. This may seem odd now, but some of the greatest comic book artists ever worked on these ads, and they have a special place in the hearts of geeks over the age of 30.

Hostess Fruit Pie Ad Courtesy of Branded in the 80′s

On the subject of Peter Parker’s disturbing cravings for 1970′s mass-produced snacks, the voice acting in FoF is supremely well done. There isn’t a ton of dialogue during gameplay, but cutscenes feature all the characters going back and forth with a surprising amount of humor that is suitable for all ages. Although I personally would have added more Hostess references, all the villains have canned responses to Spider-Man’s quips that usually imply some sort of resentment.

Another thing that strikes me as odd is that the game is trying to be some sort of movie universe/fantasy hybrid, but only some of the characters actually sound like their big screen counterparts. The Goblin and Sandman voices are pretty close to Dafoe and Hayden Church, but oddly Dr. Octopus sounds almost EXACTLY like the German-accented version from the animated series of the early 1990′s.

Spidey himself, on the other hand, sounds more light-hearted and truer to the Wall Crawler’s personality than Tobey McGuire did in the third movie. “Here’s millions of dollars, Tobey, can you TRY to have a personality this time?” “No, my back hurts. I’m ready for my close up.”

If you don’t have kids, or are not a huge Spider-Man fan, Friend or Foe may be a waste of time (unless you are an Achievement Junkie–it’s a sweet and easy road to 1000 points!). However, if you have any kids in the house who are constantly begging you to watch Spider-Man, or to buy them a Spider-Man action-figure when you roam Wal-Mart, while they eat Spider-Man Fruit Snacks and poop their Spidey Underoos, then gather the kinfolk and play Spider-Man: Friend or Foe together. Even if it means your family consists of a mutated teenager and a murderous mad scientist.