Ultimate Spider-Man (video game)

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Ultimate Spider-Man
Developer(s)	Treyarch Vicarious Visions
Publisher(s)	Activision
Release date(s)	NA September 22, 2005 EU October 14, 2005
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T) CERO: All Ages(A)(NDS) PEGI: 7+(GBA & NDS) 12+(PS2, Xbox, NGC & PC)
Platform(s)	GameCube, PS2, PC, Xbox, GBA, Nintendo DS, Mobile Phone

Ultimate Spider-Man is a video game based on the comic book of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. The game was released for all current-generation video game consoles, including PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, DS, GBA, and PC as well as a Mobile Phone game. Treyarch, who made the console games based on the Spider-Man movies, developed the console game, while Vicarious Visions developed the DS and GBA versions and Beenox Entertainment ported the PC version from consoles.

Stylistically, it differs from its predecessor, Spider-Man 2, in that it employs what has been dubbed Comic Inking Animation technology, a form of cel shading intended to make the game appear as if it were a living comic-book.

Original promotions claimed that the game would be canonical to the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, but recent events in the comics (particularly Silver Sable not recognizing Spider-Man outside of costume, despite learning in the game of his secret identity) call this into question. However, the majority of the game takes place three months after the supposed death of Eddie Brock Jr./Venom. It should also be noted that after the Electro fight Spider-Man asks Nick Fury why Electro isn't still locked up. No official statement has been made as of yet, and until Venom resurfaces in the comic, it is likely to be left up to interpretation.

Contents 1 Storyline 1.1 Comparison with the comic 2 Console & PC Version - Gameplay 2.1 City Goals 2.2 Message Log 2.3 Unlockables 3 Console & PC Version - Levels 4 Limited Edition 5 Mobile Phone Version 6 Game Boy Advance Version - Gameplay 7 Game Boy Advance Version - Levels 7.1 Unlockables 8 Nintendo DS Version - Gameplay 9 Characters & Cast 10 Trivia 11 External links

[edit] Storyline

In the game, we learn that Peter still has some of the Venom suit in his cells from when he first tried it on in Vol. 6 of the Ultimate Spider-Man comic, an arc mysteriously called Venom. For this reason, Venom begins hunting Spider-Man in order to absorb the part of the suit that is in Peter. At the same time, Trask Industries (the corporation that stole the rights to the Venom suit from Richard Parker and Eddie Brock, Sr.) hires Silver Sable (in her first appearance in the Ultimate Universe) to hunt down Venom. However, upon capturing him, only to have him escape, she decides to capture Spider-Man instead and brings him to Trask, where they experiment on him and introduce another sample of the Venom suit into him. This process inadvertently creates another copy of Carnage, who then escapes. Carnage encounters Venom, who defeats and absorbs him; as a result of this, Eddie Brock gains control over the suit and becomes more powerful, growing the classical white widow insignia. Peter is given a file by Trask, which he learns is a report on the crash that killed his parents. He learns that Eddie Brock Sr wore the suit and his subsequent loss of control caused the crash. Other segments in the game include the first appearance of Ultimate Beetle, an armored mercenary with Latverian connections and unknown motives who steals a vial labeled "SANDMAN" from Trask Industries; Alex O'Hirn, a Trask scientist who wears the R.H.I.N.O.2 battlesuit; and Silver Sable's mercenary crew, the Wild Pack.

[edit] Comparison with the comic

Marvel promoted issues 86-88 of the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book as the story that would deal with the fallout of the video game. However, these comics suggest that many of the game's events never actually occurred -- for example, Silver Sable seemingly has no idea who Spider-Man really is, even though she learned his secret identity from Eddie Brock in the game. Many fans wondered if these issues were actually an adaptation of the game's storyline, including Spider-Man and Silver Sable's first encounter, rather than a continuation of it. But as the story progressed, this did not appear to be the case either. As in the game, Silver Sable was hired by a large corporation to capture Spider-man, but this time the corporation was Roxxon and their reasons for wanting Spider-man had nothing to do with the Venom suit. Also, in the game, Peter and Mary Jane are still a couple, while in the comics, they had broken up.

In a recent interview, Bendis has confirmed that these issues were not an adaptation of the game, but were indeed a completely separate story arc that took place long after the events of the game. According to Bendis, the video game's storyline took place between issue's #36 and #46 of the comic book. While this does clarify that issues 86-88 were not meant to "replace" the events of the game, it does not explain why Silver Sable no longer knows Spider-Man is Peter Parker. This may be explained in a future issue, or alternately, it may simply be a continuity error. However, In a Newsarama interview with Brian Reed (Lead designer on the game) he claims the storyline in the game takes place at an undetermined time after the Silver Sable arc in the comic([1]). This would probably help to clear up confusions as to some of the game's continuity, however, it raises other questions, such as when did MJ & Peter get back together.

The game itself claims to take place three months after the events of the Ultimate Venom arc, and events within the game suggest the events of Ultimate Six have already passed, since the Green Goblin is found in a cryogenic cell. Electro is somehow free, despite having been apprehended by S.H.I.E.L.D. Kraven the Hunter's billboards can be seen around the city, which was mentioned in Ultimate Six. Eddie seems to have survived by lying low and staying away from Peter Parker, and picking off random victims to sustain his own existence.

[edit] Console & PC Version - Gameplay

In Ultimate Spider-Man you can experience a free-roaming city environment that covers Manhattan and Queens. You start in story-mode where the game automatically switches between Spider-Man and Venom. Spider-Man travels by his classic webbing, swinging from buildings and yanking himself along, and he does best in combat with an acrobatic hit-and-run attack, continuing to move and attacking enemies as the opportunity arises. Venom, by contrast, rampages - rather than producing webbing, he performs massive jumps and uses his tentacles to pull himself toward buildings. His weapons are his claws and tentacles, the former doing more damage and the latter having a much longer range and the ability to wipe out crowds of enemies. Venom can also throw cars at targets and perform much more brutal attacks - faceplants and backbreakers - than Spider-Man.

As the game progresses, Parker/Spider-Man and the player will have certain City Goals to accomplish in order to continue the storyline.

There are additional activities throughout the game such as finding secret tokens, landmark tokens, comic book covers and competing in trick races.

[edit] City Goals

Basically a menu for the player to check out how many tokens they have collected, and how many combat tours, races and city events they have completed. It also tells the player what goals must be completed before the story can continue.

[edit] Message Log

Every message that appears onscreen during game play appears here and is accessible through the pause menu.

[edit] Unlockables

This menu shows how many things you have unlocked through interacting with other non-playable characters, tokens you have collected, landmarks you have visited, etc. All unlockables are viewed as a coloured question mark and once unlocked is replaced by a picture. Categories include:

• Characters - unlocked each time you meet a new character (30).
• Landmarks - 15 which are gained through collecting Landmark tokens.
• Comic Book Covers - unlocked by collecting the Comic Book Covers Token. Each token represents one of the first 75 issues (Including variant covers) of Ultimate Spider-Man which are viewable in the gallery.
• Costumes
  • Spidey Wrestling (30 City Events, 30 Secret Tokens)
  • Peter Parker (50 City Events, 50 Secret Tokens and 5th Johnny Storm Race)
  • Peter Parker (Hoodie) (75 City Events, 75 Secret Tokens)
  • Arachnoman (90 City Events, 90 Tokens 20 Combat Tours)
  • Symbiote Spiderman (100/100 City Events, 190/190 Tokens, 60/60 Trick Races, 36/36 Combat Tours)
• Concept Art - 1 Gained after every chapter in story missions (20).

[edit] Console & PC Version - Levels

• Father's Pride: Peter clashes with Venom for the first time
  • Peter (no web shooters); Venom boss battle 1
• Workout: Peter exercises his powers and has a brief confrontation with Shocker
  • Peter(no web shooters); then Spider-Man
• Feeding Time: Venom, still alive after his confrontation with Spider-Man, goes on a feeding frenzy through Manhattan
  • Venom
• Hell of a Mess: After trashing a bar, Venom finds himself locked in battle with a very aggravated Wolverine
  • Venom; Wolverine boss battle
• Like a Rhinoceros, but Bigger: Peter is forced to duck out of a test to deal with the latest rampage of the Rhino)
  • Spider-Man
• Inexpugnable: With the Rhino's armour damaged, Spider-Man must now stay out of the Rhino's way long enough to get a chance to stop him
  • Spider-Man; Rhino boss battle
• Throw Down: Silver Sable has been hired to track down Venom, but Venom is not all that interested in being caught...
  • Venom
• Class Trip: Peter's spider-sense goes wild while on a class trip to the museum, leading to a confrontation with Venom where he is constantly plagued by headaches when he comes too close to his foe...
  • Spider-Man; Venom boss battle 2
• Pursuit: Having been captured by Bolivar Trask and Adrian Toomes, Eddie Brock is forced to pursue Electro as a test of what the Venom suit is capable of
  • Venom
• Mine: As Venom and Electro take the battle to Times Square, Spider-Man is knocked unconscious, pitting the two villains in a fight against each other for the right to kill Spider-Man themselves
  • Venom; Electro boss battle
• Cool Suit: Having released Norman Osborn from captivity, the Beetle is tearing through Queens and Manhattan, and Spider-Man must keep up with him to prevent innocent injuries
  • Spider-Man
• Skyscraper Battle: The Beetle and Spider-Man clash atop a half-finished skyscraper
  • Spider-Man; Beetle boss battle 1
• The Great Escape: After a confrontation with Silver Sable, Venom attempts an escape, but her mercenaries are after him as he flees through New York...
  • Venom; Silver Sable boss battle
• 18 and Over: On the 'goading' of Nick Fury (Who tells him to do nothing with no explanation), Spider-Man investigates rumours of genetic research at the Latverian Embassy, only to find the extremely angry Green Goblin is being held in the Embassy
  • Spider-Man; Green Goblin boss battle
• A Sample: Beetle is after a sample of the Venom suit, but Venom isn't exactly in a 'giving' mood
  • Venom; Beetle boss battle 2
• Crazy: Seeking a means of controlling Venom, Silver Sable abducts Peter Parker, resulting in a battle on Queensborough Bridge when Peter attempts to escape
  • Peter (no web shooters); Silver Sable boss battle 2
• Rescue: Silver Sable has been captured by Venom, forcing Spider-Man to pursue his nemesis to save his would-be captor
  • Spider-Man; Venom boss battle 3
• Brothers: Trapped in a laboratory, Spider-Man has been mutated into Carnage due to the residual Venom in his system, and now Venom is all that stands between him and the city of New York
  • Venom; Carnage boss battle
• The Final Battle: With the rest of the suit fragments absorbed by Venom, the symbiote is now determined to kill Trask, forcing Spider-Man into a final clash with his former friend to save the industrialist
  • Spider-Man; Venom boss battle 4

[edit] Limited Edition

There is a limited edition exclusive to the Playstation 2, which contains four character biographies (Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Venom, Ultimate Carnage, and Ultimate Beetle), an interview with Stan Lee, a G4 special entitled "Making of Ultimate Spider-Man", Developer tips and tricks, and a special edition (also called "Activision Edition") Ultimate Spider-Man comic book containing scenes from issues 33-39. The limited edition version comes in a different case sporting plain purple and red holographic sides. (With a Venom symbol and Spider-Man symbol on each, respectively.) The case also comes with a cardboard sleeve with a picture of Venom on it. The DVD surface itself has a new picture on it purple instead of red once again with Venom, the instruction manual matches this trend with the cover being a fight scene between the two. The limited edition features are accessed from a new menu titled 'Limited Edition' via the unlockables screen.

[edit] Mobile Phone Version

The Mobile Phone version has 10 levels each one more difficult than the last. You can choose to play as Venom or Spider-Man. As Venom you eat bystanders and defeat Spider-Man. While as Spider-Man you save bystanders and defeat Venom. In the end Spider-Man battles Venom in the ultimate battle.

[edit] Game Boy Advance Version - Gameplay

The Game Boy Advance version of Ultimate Spider-Man is a side-scroller, divided into seven "issues", each containing three chapters, the game allows players to control Spider-Man and Venom. This version features only three boss characters, each of which has a major impact on the storyline.

Unlike the Console, PC or Nintendo DS games, this version features a limited supply of Spider-Man's web fluid, it can be refilled only by picking up special markers scattered throughout levels, or dropped by enemies.

Additionally, players may choose to collect hidden power-ups to gain more web fluid capacity or gain new moves and abilities for both Spider-Man and Venom.

[edit] Game Boy Advance Version - Levels

• Issue 1: Small Time: Three Spider-Man levels. Spider-Man fights thugs, tries to find clues leading to their boss.
• Issue 2: Frenzy: Three Venom levels. Silver Sable's mercenaries try to hunt down Venom.
• Issue 3: Hidden Charges: Three Spider-Man levels. Silver Sable hires the Shocker and his thugs to lure Spider-Man into a trap.
• Issue 4: Starving Arist: Two Venom levels, one Spider-Man level. Eddie Brock's Venom suit leads him to Spider-Man, which causes trouble on Peter's class trip to the museum.
• Issue 5: Hunted: Three Venom levels. Silver Sable continues the hunt for Venom, this time trying to stop him with electricity.
• Issue 6: Silver and Cold: Two Spider-Man levels, one Venom level. Spider-Man searches for clues linking Silver Sable with Trask. Silver Sable battles Venom, which Spider-Man doesn't approve of.
• Issue 7: Lab Test: One boss fight for each character and a special level that switches between both roles. Peter Parker gets captured. During a test in Toomes's laboratory Spider-Man turns into a Carnage, due to the residual Venom in his system. More fighting ensues.

[edit] Unlockables

Beating the game once will allow players to start a new game in a harder Challenge Mode.

[edit] Nintendo DS Version - Gameplay

The Nintendo DS version of Ultimate Spider-Man is a side-scroller. The game allows players to control Spider-Man and Venom.

The gameplay greatly differs between both characters:

• In Spider-Man levels most of the game happens on the top screen and the touch screen is only used for selecting special attacks and operating certain objects (moving heavy objects, opening broken elevator door).
• In Venom levels the game switches to the touch screen, enabling players to use Venom's tentacles to throw objects or enemies, and even attack by tapping the screen.

The game features a slightly modified storyline, for example, players will face Shocker in a strangely challenging battle, considering the joke nature of the character.

The game also features a multiplayer mode, where players can unlock different characters and arenas for a head-to-head fight.

[edit] Characters & Cast

Character	Voice Actor
Spider-Man/Peter Parker	Sean Marquette
Mary Jane Watson	Andrea Baker
Silver Sable	Jennifer Hale
Nick Fury	Dave Fennoy
Eddie Brock Jr.	Daniel Capelarro
Ultimate Venom	Arthur Burghardt
Bolivar Trask	John Billingsley
Adrian Toomes	Brian George
Electro	James Arnold Taylor
Beetle	Tucker Smallwood
Shocker	Brian George
Ultimate Green Goblin	Peter Lurie
R.H.I.N.O./Alex O'Hirn	Bob Glouberman
The Human Torch/Johnny Storm	David Kaufman
Wolverine/James "Logan" Howlett	Keith Szarabajka
Sharon Carter	Jane Hajduk
Dr. Richard Parker	Loren Lester
Dr. Edward Brock Sr.	Terrence Stone
Ultimate Carnage
Boomerang
Black Widow

• Additional Voices: Sheryl Bernstein, Phil Buckman, Joey Camen, Larry Cedar, Vince Corazza, JD Cullum, Christopher Curry, Mark Deakins, John DiMaggio, Bart Flynn, Margit Furseth, Chris Hatfield, Nick Jameson, John Kassir, Danny Mann, Danny Marcus, James C. Mathis III, Jim Meskimen, Rene Moreno, Angela Sharton, Jason Spisak, Jessica Straus, Vernon Wells, Dave Wittenberg

[edit] Trivia

• In the Mobile Phone version, the Oscorp logo can be seen on crates and gas canisters.
• Bolivar Trask is the man who created the mutant hunting Sentinels in both the Ultimate and regular Marvel Universes.
• Adrian Toomes is the Vulture in the 616 universe, another one of Spider-Man's foes.
• The Arachnoman costume as depicted in the game was originally used for the Hollywood arc before the rights to use the movies' likenesses was permitted. It later appeared in a variant issue, and it appears on billboard advertising a film in the game.
• Concept art shows that after the Venom/Electro fight, the Ultimates & a squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were supposed to arrive but were cut.
• Similarly, concept art also shows the Beetle bowing down to a figure in a Latverian throne room. The figure wears a green robe & has 2 metal goat legs, which are 2 of the features of Ultimate Doctor Doom.
• As players will note, Nick Fury, Wolverine & the Human Torch are all in the game - This accounts for the 4 ongoing titles in the Ultimate universe being represented in the game.
• The billboards in the game all reference different things in the Ultimate universe, such as Kraven The Hunter's reality TV show.
• Rhino is revealed to be just a human who puts himself in a gigantic rhino suit and goes on a rampage.
• The Yancy Street Gang makes its debut in the "Ultimate Universe", though no actual names are given and they aren't related to the Thing like their 616 counterparts.
• Silver Sable, the Beetle, Bolivar Trask and Adrian Toomes all first appear in their "ultimate" form in this video game.
• Though they do not actually appear in the video game itself, both the names of legendary heroes Iron Man and the Hulk get mentioned during one of the levels. Spider-Man also makes a joke about Daredevil.
• Activision are currently making a sequel to the DS version entitled Spider-Man: Battle for New York, which will be released in November 2006.
• Johnny Storm mentions Marvel characters from Earth-616 during his races, such as Agatha Harkness, and the five Spider-Women. He also asks if Spider-Man needs "another radioactive spider", when Ultimate Spider-Man (as in the films) was bitten by a genetically engineered spider. Lastly, he mentions Madame Web, but confesses that he "doesn't even get the reference", a joke on the fact that Madame Web had not been introduced to the Ultimate universe at the time.
• When rampaging as Venom (after beating the game) the policemen refer to the situation as a "616". This is a reference to Earth 616, the designation for the mainstream universe.
• In the DS, X-Box, Gamecube and PS2 versions of the game, Beetle steals a capsule labeled "Sandman".
• In the DS version of the game, when Eddie Brock Senior is deleting the original files on the "Venom" suit, there is a file named "Alex O'Hirn" the Rhino's real name.
• Two major villains in the mainstream Marvel universe are depicted as common criminals in Ultimate Spider-Man. Shocker is encountered as the first criminal that Spider-Man fights in the game and appears in several City Events. He is defeated by webbing his hands up. Also appearing in several City Events is Boomerang, who is defeated like any other normal thug. Boomerang is considered a cameo appearance.
• Oddly enough, the Green Goblin seems to be of little intelligence in Ultimate Spider-Man. In the comic books, the Green Goblin was still able to speak and was much more intelligent. In the video game, he randomly stomps all around the city, roaring and growling loudly and doesn't speak words at all.

[edit] External links

• Spider-Man games on Marvel.com
• Official Ultimate Spider-Man Website

PS2 version on GameSpot

• PS2 Review on Gameplasma.com
• Starpulse.com: Complete review of Ultimate Spider-Man
• Ultimate Spider-Man at the Internet Movie Database

Spider-Man
Publications	Main continuity: Amazing Fantasy • The Amazing Spider-Man • Marvel Team-Up The Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 2) • Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man • Spider-Man Unlimited Other continuities: Ultimate Spider-Man • Marvel Adventures Spider-Man • Spider-Girl • Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane
Television	Spider-Man (1967) • Amazing Spider-Man (1978) • Spider-Man (1981) •Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981) • Spider-Man (1994) Spider-Man Unlimited (1999) • Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003) • Untitled Spider-Man Animated Series (2007)
Films	Spider-Man (2002) • Spider-Man 2 (2004) • Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Other topics
Spider-Man writers • Spider-Man artists • Spider-Man supporting characters • Spider-Man villains • Spider-Man's powers and equipment • Video games