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Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, a dramatic scene is being played out on a concrete stage. And it has a familiar cast...

PP: Peter Parker, shy, retiring book-worm who, in his spare time is none other than the wall-crawling superhero, Spiderman.

FT: Flash Thompson, the high school jock. Big-headed, bullying and obsessional fan of our friendly neighbourhood web-slinger.

JJJ: J. Jonah Jameson, arrogant editor of The Daily Bugle where Peter Parker is a photographer. JJJ is a hater of all things spider-like.

Scene 1: The sidewalk, outside the offices of the Daily Bugle. Peter Parker (alias the Amazing Spiderman) bumps into his old school colleague Flash Thompson.

FT: Why the long face, Parker, you wimp?
PP: Old Jameson told me not to give any more coverage to Spidey. Says he's old news and a menace to society.
FT: Why that old fool, it's about time he realised that Spidey's the best thing that ever happened to this city. That's my hero he's insulting, why I oughtta wring his n...
PP: (Thinks If only he knew that puny Peter Parker is, in reality, the Amazing Spider Man - the shock would kill him.) I take it you disagree with JJJ then, Flash?
FT: You bet your ass I do, and so do most other people in this city, or else why would Empire be writing a game based on the guy?
PP: Really? (Thinks - First I've heard of it) Tell me more.
FT: Get your head out of the sand, Parker! Everyone knows about it. The player takes the role of Spidey and can do all of those really neat moves that the big guy himself can do. Y'know... crawling across walls and ceilings and stuff.
PP: What about the web-slinging, can you do that too?
FT: Are ya kidding? Course you can. You can shoot a line in eight directions which lets you climb up to the roof or swing from web to web. It takes a bit of getting used to but when you do, geez, its just like the real thing. I guess...
PP: So what d'you have to do then?
FT: Well, y'remember Mysterio?
PP: (Thinks Do I ever!?)
FT: That weird dude's returned and kidnapped this piece of skirt called Mary Jane and taken her to his hideout. You'd think it'd be a piece of cake for Spidey to get her out but Mysterio is a master of illusions and has rigged up a whole lotta traps to stop him.
PP: Sounds like Mysterio's style, alright.
FT. What?
PP: Oh, nothing.
FT: Anyways, each level is like, in the style of an old movie. Y'know monsters, mummies, spaceships, that kinda stuff and Spiderman only has limited energy.
PP: (Thinks - Don't I know it)
FT: If the big 'S' touches any of the monsters or hazards his energy drops; if it hits zero, it's so long Spidey. Tragic.
PP: Sounds kinda tricky. What happens if you lose a lot of energy early on?
FT: Well those guys at Empire ain't stupid - at the end of each level there's a room with a giant clapper board in it (you know, like in the movies). On the floor there's a band of flashin' stuff and, if you stand on it long enough, it'll put you back to full strength. Clever huh? PP: Not bad. Tell me more about the traps.
FT: Mysterio may be mad as a prairie dog but ya gotta hand it to the guy, he knows how to make life difficult for the web-slinger. Some rooms are fairly easy: press a button here, shoot a web there. But later on the rooms are filled with buttons and blocked passages - not to mention bad guys. Sometimes you gotta press a certain button, travel several screens, press more buttons, then when you get back to the room you started in you'll find bits accessible that weren't before. Phew!
PP: (Thinks Not a bad description from a brainless high school Jock)
FT: And that's not all. Somehow Mysterio has discovered how to block Spidey's wall clinging abilties. Some walls have slime that ya just can't stick to and other walls simply ain't fer scalin'... What a bummer.
PP: I must say, Flash you make it all sound very impressive,
FT: That's 'cause it is, weakling. It's gotta be the greatest thing ever seen on the C64!
PP: Watch out, Flash. JJJ's coming.
JJJ: Buzz off, kid and stop buggin' my staff.

Flash scurries off.

PP: You were a bit rough on Flash weren't you, sir?
JJJ: Wise up, Parker. You oughtta know better than to believe everything that jerk says. I've seen the game and its seems to me that the game ain't all that it's cracked up to be.
PP: What do you mean?
JJJ: For one the graphics are almost as puny as you. Okay, so the main sprites are well animated and the Spider sap's moves are great, but the backdrops are fairly weak.
PP: But surely playability makes up for it?
JJJ: Yeah sure. The puzzles would keep me busy, let alone Spiderbrain, but it can get kinda repeitive later on. And with no save game feature it can really rattle your cage if you die and have to go through the whole damn thing again!
PP: So you don't think much of it then?
JJJ: Let's face it, Parker, anything with that web-slinging loser in is a non-starter.
PP: (Thinks - It seems to me that this is a pretty good game but does have its faults) So then, JJJ, any chance of a pay check this week?
JJJ: Parker, when you give me work worth paying for, I'll consider it. Now stop wastin' my time with that webbed freak and get on the job, sheesh! Amateurs.
PP: Superheroism. Who needs it?

1. Animation on Spidey is great - you'll believe a sprite can walk on walls!
2. The fiendish puzzle element is well thought out and very nicely implemented.
3. Mysterio's complex is nicely mappable, so budding cartographers will have a field day.
4. The single load is a boon for cassette users.
5. The simple control method means that Spidey is responsive and easy to manoeuvre.
6. The mix of arcade adventure, puzzle play and dextrous dealings is very entertaining.

1. Lack of save game option makes the task long and arduous.
2. Plain graphics aren't over-appealing