PixlBit

The DS version of the latest Spider-Man entry is one I found to be a bit of a delightful surprise. I’d describe the title as a Metroid Fusion-inspired Brawler. In the game, three versions of Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, Noir Spider-Man, and 2099 Spider-Man navigate a modest-sized maze of a map, uncovering power-ups and secrets along the way as they bang up hundreds of baddies.

All three variations of Spider-Man are initially a bit different. Noir Spider-Man lacks the ability to wall-crawl and 2099 Spider-Man can’t shoot web. Over time, power-ups that make each Spidey unique, like Noir’s detection ability or 2099’s glide are unlocked and shared across each dimension, so the game creates a unique method of gameplay in each Spider-world, and then merges all three together slowly. It makes for an interesting effect, and really worked very well. Upon entering a new dimension, I’d develop new strategies, both in combat and exploration, based on what was available to the specific Spider-Man.

That being said, the dimension-hopping had a little bit of a downside, too. Each time the inter-dimensional highway is taken, one must combat a mini-game involving a spinning fragment of a mythical tablet, disembodied hands, and eye-tentacle creatures. Believe me, it’s a lot less fun than it sounds. Not only that, but there’s only one pathway to connect any one dimension to another. That means that a lot of the time, passing the baton from Spidey to Spidey can involve some time-consuming backtracking. This wouldn’t be all that bad, but unfortunately, there are only about three main enemy types in the entire game, not including bosses. That’s right. 2099 Spidey fights the same men and robots as Amazing Spidey. Yes, every time a boss goes down, the enemies all get an upgrade, and the alternate dimensions do give them a coat of paint, but it’s still the same enemies. Over and over again, despite dimension, despite game progression, it’s the same three guys.

Want a surprise? Fighting even just those three enemies about a hundred times remains amusing. Spider-Man is fast. He’s strong,. He combos well. He dodges swiftly. In combat, Spider-Man is very easy to control, and a basic combo is easy to pick up and learn. Abilities are eventually added and integrated into Spidey’s combos as time passes. Each boss, fortunately, requires a different approach and perfection of specific abilities, too, a welcome change from the few generic enemies that only see minor modification as time passes.

Did I mention how well Spider-Man controls? He’s fast. Very fast. Spider-man can cross most maps in mere minutes, so long as a clear route is available. Control feels perfect. I don’t think there’s much more I can say aside from that. The only downside? Maps are too small. Like how there aren’t enough unique enemies to practice Spider-Man’s incredible combat abilities on, there’s not nearly enough map to explore or play in. Sure, there are several grueling, perhaps even insane challenges with small maps to try to conquer with precision and speed, but these challenges are too difficult for the light-hearted gamer to even attempt, in most cases. While they’re a great diversion for more serious players, these small trials don’t make up for the cramped map in the main gameplay mode.

I had a great time playing Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. It’s not the best title in the world, and it left me wanting more variety in enemies, as well as a better opportunity to learn the best way to use Spider-Man, both in travel and in combat. In the end, despite a myriad of potential unlockables, I don’t feel like I have any desire to play the game again. In one short play-through, I’ve seen all there is to see and done all there is to do, and that’s where Shattered Dimensions falls short of games like Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion. It’s a great game, but it’s a bit too little to become something that could one day become a classic.