Consoles: PlayStation 2 and 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS Advance, PC. (This review is based on the PS2 version, which is basically the same as the PS3 version but with an additional character.)

Developer/publisher: Activision

Genre: Action/adventure/superhero

Number of players: One

Rated: Teen

The premise: Just a normal day in New York for grad student/freelance photographer Peter Parker: Your best friend wants to kill you, your uncle's killer now has superpowers, your science professor is trying to take over New York, starting with Central Park, and your new suit wants to kill you with the help of a fellow named Eddie Brock. Somehow you manage to spend some time with your girlfriend. Just a normal day if you are the amazing Spider-Man.

This game is based on the movie but with additional content.

Game play: Anyone familiar with 3-D Spider-Man games created by Activision knows how wonderfully Spider-Man can move. The plot tells you what you should be doing, and there optional side missions that help you gain experience faster. Enough experience gets you a hero point; points enable you to save up and unlock abilities. These abilities are grouped, so you can't get the "30-hit combo" without getting the "5-hit combo" first.

The good/bad: There's a very good training and hint system. Whenever something new is happening, a help message will appear and actor Bruce Campbell will ad-lib the message. The alternative is taking your time on training missions instead of diving into the game. The first level of the game is the training mode.

A villain photo list is included in the game. The more villains you take on the list, the more experience you gain. This also gives you feeling of how many guest stars are included in this game. When games like this are meant to go beyond the movie, they mean it.

This version has no height meter, which would have been useful in disarming timed bombs on buildings. And for all the great dialogue that is going on, there is no option for the words to appear on the screen. So if a car goes by or someone is talking to you, you may miss a hint.

Tips: As soon as you acquire the black costume, be sure to use its greater strength to its full advantage, especially in boss fights. When removing the costume, give yourself enough room and the time to follow the commands.

My take: I was apprehensive about this game. Being an avid Spider-Man fan, I didn't know if this was going to be a lame movie tie-in. The heart of the game does not start until you beat the first level (training), so be a little patient for the real game to begin. The fighting system could use tweaking, and I hate the web swinging system. I found myself pointed in the wrong direction a lot of the time.

But despite some flaws, this is a decent Spider-Man game that is challenging, humorous and well thought-out. It's worth a try if you're a Spider-Man fan.

Jeffrey Davis, of Honolulu, is a video-game enthusiast.