Spiderman 3 is a cool action game that uses the touch screen in some fantastic ways that improve the game play a lot. Several of the Nintendo DS games employ the system's touch screen control in the same fashion, but Spiderman 3 is one of those games that do it so easily and in ways that improve the experience of playing the game. You have to use the D-pad to move Spiderman around and to swing through the air, all of his attacks and web ability's are controlled by the touch screen. You really feel like your Spiderman as you unleash a couple of kicks to an enemies face, kick him in the air and catch him with your web cool.
There are more than twenty story missions as well as an additional forty challenge and race missions to tackle. Story missions are in ascending order, but you can complete the rest in any order you like, while the sandman and venom plotlines from the movie are the main part of the story, the game also expands on the movie's story by involving more of Spiderman's characters, such as lizard from the comic books and detective Dewofle. Mission goals vary, but they usually involve beating up a set number of enemy's in a time limit, or saving hostages. You'll also spend a fair amount of time climbing buildings and swinging through the air. The environments really are nice to luck at. Cars and people running about in the distance
When you start the game spider-man already has dozens of moves for you to control. Beating up thug's will earn you money to buy new punches, kicks, and web abilities. Attacking enemies also makes Spiderman mad and when the rage meter builds up you can unleash the black spider-man costume which makes you faster and stronger for a while.
Another good feature is the voice over that's Tobey Maguire, the actor that plays Spiderman in the movies does it. He reads most of the dialogue during the newspaper like scenes, now and then Spiderman comes out with some great one liner sentences like from the film.
Most people will finish the story in around five or six hours, completing all the challenges will take much longer, the multiplayer mode lets 4 of you compete in a thug beating up challenge, but you will all need a copy of the game because it doesn't support download play.
As action games go, spider-man 3 doesn't really bring anything new to the platform. However its controls go along way to make this feel fresh, and innovative.By Philip Strong
