When was the last time a console (or any platform for that matter) featured a decent super-hero game? Seriously, beyond the spin-off Capcom fighters the X-Men and Marvel comic characters have never enjoyed a good game. After so many attempts at creating a good super hero game, you would think that at least a couple of them would be OK at best, right? Wrong. Just about every mainstream comic game in the past has been a flub, from the Atari 2600 to today’s current generation systems. Though certainly not horrible by any means, previous Marvel character games have been nothing but duds that do little to show off a character’s persona.

Neversoft’s latest entry into gaming, though, has basically done a 180-degree turn on that fact. Instead of just taking a famous Marvel license and slapping it onto a tired genre *coughAcclaimcough*, Spider-Man combines classic arcade gameplay with a cinematic-quality feel that will leave Spidey fans with a great sense of satisfaction. While plagued by a few control problems and story irks, Spider-Man still ends up as the greatest super hero title ever released and the most exciting action romp you’ll come upon this year.

Early in it’s development cycle, I always questioned Neversoft’s ability to truly create a good world for our favorite web-head to live in. I mean, how exactly would the guys behind the legendary Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater be able to convey a realistic tone of web slinging through the city-tops of New York City? A question that Neversoft answered not with words, but rather in the game itself. Actually utilizing the Pro Skater engine (which is now officially the most versatile engine in existence considering it spanned three different genres of games), Spider-Man’s world is so full of imagination and character that you’ll be checking your wrists ever now and then to check for supplied webbing. Spider-Man’s distance view is outstanding, letting you peer over buildings and look out hundreds of feet ahead without distortion in graphic quality or slowdown whatsoever.

Spider-Man’s gameplay hails back to old platform action titles that were heavy on action and little on anything having to do with intellect. Spidey closely follows that same pattern, but ironically the game leaves behind any of that standard’s flaws and honestly never really gets old. Playing consists of line swinging, wall crawling and beating up bad guys at its simplest form. Though the puzzles are few and far between, they all carry the same Spider-Man theme and will never make you ask, "What is that doing in this game?"

Sadly, the gameplay itself tends to expose Spider-Man’s two largest flaws: character control and camera perspective. First, Spider-Man really never handles quite well. His jumping is too erratic, button precision seems to be off, and the webshots themselves do not have an auto-lock, which means you’ll be doing a lot of time wasting web goo on the walls rather than the baddies themselves. My second gripe is the camera never really feels tight or snug. I'll give Neversoft credit in the fact that (most of the time) it will give the best look and view for the web head, but often Spidey’s too quick for the camera to follow fast enough. (Play one of Venom’s chase scenes and you’ll understand). It’s not the point at which Spider-Man is unplayable, but some parts in the game tend to be extremely frustrating on account of this.

Spider-Man’s story follows the life of Peter Parker, journalist for the Daily Bugle and better known as our favorite web-slinger. Spider-Man’s plot takes place at a science expo where Dr. Otto Octavious is showing off his most recent scientific technology when out of the blue Spider-Man appears and runs off with it! Oddly, Peter Parker himself is in the crowd that night, so it couldn’t have been the real Spider-Man, right? This is just a snippet of Spider-Man’s engaging story that will have you crossing paths with some of Spider-Man’s most classic villains and friends.

The only weak link to the otherwise fantastic tale is how Neversoft guided it. Don’t get me wrong, Spider-Man’s story is classic as it’s strait out of a comic itself, but the latter half of the game seemed a little rushed in the light that so many characters were introduced in such a short time span without much development of them in the process. As a result the game tends to be rather short in length, since it took me only a little under two days to beat the game on both the Normal and Hard difficulty levels. Sure, the extra incentives of gathering hidden costumes and comic covers are nice, but they don’t replace a good solid adventure in the end.

On the other end of the spectrum is Spider-Man’s presentation and that, my friends, does not slip up. Spider-Man’s graphics are without a doubt the best ever in a super-hero game. Everything from the textures of NYC to Spidey himself make a believable world for Spider-Man to swing around in, with the frame rate always keeping at a respectable pace no matter how heavy the action gets on screen. Like I said before the draw distance is outstanding for a PlayStation game, always making Spider-Man an ease to play and a pleasure to watch as well. The best looking Marvel game in existence, no ifs and buts about it.

Luckily Spider-Man shines through in the aural area as well. Narrated by Stan "The Man" Lee, co-creator of the Amazing Spider-Man comic series, Spider-Man gives off a feeling of polish that even most of today’s PC and Dreamcast titles can’t match. The classic web swipt! sound is here, and the usual kick and punch noises are represented as well. Background music is a mix of techno and rock which blends surprisingly well with Spider-Man’s gameplay and never acts as a nuisance to your play.

But the real stars of the audio are without a doubt the voice acting and dialogue. Whether it is Spider-Man, Rhino, or Mysterio, just about every major character has voice acting on par with today’s movies. Venom’s remarks are humorous and witty, as Carnage’s voice is sickingly eerie but comical on the other hand. Added with the game’s perfect CG cinemas and it’s like a digital version of a Spider-Man episode unfolding in front of you. I truly commend Neversoft for not leaving this vital, important part of the Spidey universe out on the doorstep behind everything else. Hearing this game is nearly as good as even watching it – Spider-Man’s sound is that damn good.

So is Spider-Man’s first PlayStation take a good one? For the most part, yes. Some confusing camera problems and control frustrations may bog it down, but Neversoft’s charm positively gleams through with their Spidey effort. Even I, a huge Spider-Man fan, am hard pressed to find a truly large quandary with the game, which shows a testament to its quality. Spider-Man faithful or not, do yourself a favor and give Spider-Man a few swings – I guarantee you won’t regret it.

Highs: Incredible presentation and production values. Classic gameplay that never gets old; delightful character representation that will entertain the ages.

Lows: Annoying and frustrating camera; controls are a bit too loose; questionable length.