Spider-Man 2: The Game (Mac)

When I saw that Spiderman 2 was available for the Mac, I was elated. I love this game, and used to play it all the time on the GameCube. However, to my dismay, I am not able to even install it, because my macbook runs OSX Lion and therefore cannot use it because Lion does not support PowerPC games.Aspyr, or whoever creates the Amazon.com pages for these games, needs to advertise (and make it visible) that these games are in fact PowerPC Games and are therefore not playable if you have OSX Lion. I know that most mac users are now running Lion, so it is important that companies make sure that either their games are compatible with Lion or that their customers know if it is not compatible. I am very disappointed that this page failed to do so.

My beloved web-slinger is making a comeback, including the release of his newest video game on the Mac. Featuring the voices of Spiderman 2 stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Alfred Molina, the game pits Peter Parker against Doctor Octavius as well as classic foes in a story based on the film.Without giving away too much, the key scenes in the movie are loosely recreated in-game with a whole lot of supplemental twists to keep the action going. These extra adventures draw several characters from the comic book into Doc Ock's criminal scheme, giving Spiderman plenty of opportunities to practice his witty banter. Each character has been modernized to better fit the aesthetic of the films and show less of their dated comic origins.All of the staples of Spidey action are present too. Swinging through the city, zipping to ceilings, and climbing walls. You fight thugs with punches and kicks, tie them up with webbing, and even disarm them from a distance. Add more complex fights with the main foes and you have a lot of fun being a super hero!You get to chase Puma floor by floor through the open framework of a skyscraper under construction - lots of swinging, dodging projectiles, and overcoming acrophobia!And Mephisto's levels take Spidey's acrobatics to a whole new level - jumping from web to web at eye-level with airliners. I actually found it unnerving to look down!Unfortunately all of that action doesn't last too long. The difficulty level is fixed and the game is aimed at a younger audience, so it can go by quick. I finished it in just my second sitting.To fill the time there are mini-games everywhere. These optional challenges to find all the targets or swing through hoops to demonstrate your web-slinging skills encourage you to think like a spider and give you hero points that accumulate to unlock bonus missions.Just moving the plot along also requires puzzle skills since many required tasks are based on repeating a sequence (remember Simon?). Beating several of the bosses also requires simple pattern recognition.The puzzles, simple combat, and limited control makes the game feel a lot simpler than the last Spiderman movie game (released exclusively for Windows). While this version is a blast, the first was probably more exciting for older players.The graphics in the previous version were also more cinematic. The visuals in this sequel are good, but lean toward cartoon colors and lighting. Your opponents are limited too - you end up fighting identical thugs over and over.Worse than their uniform appearance is their tiny selection of dialog. Sounds in this game are limited. The only thing worse than the tinny sound of walking is hearing Rhino say "I'm gonna smash you!" for the tenth time!The cut-scenes too are poorly implemented. Which is bad because they are critical to the progression of the story. The mix of pre-rendered CGI and in-game animations distracts from the continuity of the action and, though they feature three of the movies actors, the rest of the dialog and voice acting is poor. On top of all that, some of the pre-rendered scenes are squished, ruining their cinematic value.There are some in-game scenes that work well, however. Simulating spider-sense, certain scenes queue you for input to evade danger. This is neat but too rare and usually moves Spiderman instantly to a new location. Along with long load times, this further disrupts the stories progression.Beating the game once opens up a free play mode that lets you explore the city and play any of the mini-missions for fun - a great way to practice your spider-skills. You do have to repeat the tutorial every time you start a new game, though. At least Bruce Campbell voices it - he performed the same role in the previous game and had a cameo as the wrestling announcer in the first movie.Despite limited re-playability, technical deficiencies, and a plot that doesn't flow as smoothly as it should, I liked this game. It's simple (even more than it's console versions), and the violence is light and non-graphic, so it's great for kids. But I think anyone can have a whole lot of fun being Spiderman!

i appreciate every game released for mac but this isnt really an excuse for a game. If you've played it or seen it played on one of the consoles and it seemed like a good game (like i did) dont buy it for Mac or PC. The game has been dumbed down for the PC and Mac. The fight scences are choppy and poorly coordinated. The graphics are bad compared to the consoles. You need a heavy duty Computer to run the game smoothly. The whole "no where you cant go nothing you cant do" phrase would be correct if you took the "t"s of the cants. I seriously must warn you you wont be getting a good game at all. Thank god i didnt buy it.