Four Nerds

I've always loved going out and digging through the used section at video game stores. There's been very few games that made me want ot rush right out and shell out $50 to play it right away. I never trade in good games because they're still fun no matter how dated the graphics are. I still play X-Wing from time to time and every so often, I break out the old NES.

The other day I picked up Spider-Man 2 for PS2 for ten bucks. Usually I stay away from movie tie-in games because most of them suck. Every so often you get a Goldeneye, but it's rare. The first Spider-Man tie-in had it's issues, like being able to swing from a web even though you're 50 feet above the tallest building. (What is it attached to?) I think the problem is that game design and movie production don't work at the same speeds. By the time a movie's look is established, they're half done. Then the game designers have to take that look and build a game. It's not enough time to do it right.

But this one was actually a lot of fun. It's probably because it's a sequel, and the designers could build off of their original game. You have total control over Spidey, from web slinging to wall crawling. If there isn't a building to attach to, you don't swing. You are able to explore Manhattan fully. I actually felt a bit of vertigo when I was sitting on top of the spire on the Empire State Building. I haven't even gotten to the missions yet. I've just been swinging around beating up muggers and carjackers.

Anyway, the graphics are passable, but not terrific. That's fine by me. Sometimes I think that game designers spend way too much time making a game look good, and not enough time making it play good. I love great graphics as much as the next guy, but if a game isn't fun to play, then graphics don't mean shit. Good writing, good level planning, and most importantly, good control are much more vital to whether a game sucks or not. Who wants to pay 50 bucks for a beautiful piece of shit? It's the same reason the US basketball team got their asses handed to them at the '04 Olympics. They didn't stick to fundementals.

So, bottom line, well worth the $10. Would I have paid $50? Probably not. Then again, I almost never pay $50.