Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions Nintendo DS
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is the latest release of the web slinging hero on all the consoles and the newest game does not even have a movie tie in.
Ratings:
Graphics & Audio: 21/25,
Gameplay: 18/25,
Creativity 18/25,
Fun 18/25
Total: 75/100
What a refreshing change of pace to not have a major motion picture release not having to bring about the inevitable video games with it. The latest Spider-Man series of video games comes as a standalone, as in not released with a film, and has been released for all the consoles and PC.
The DS version of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a platforming side scrolling game that works out pretty well in the end but it does have its drawbacks. The game spends an equal amount of time on combat and exploration which does a great job of adding some good puzzle and adventure features.
Once your through a couple of areas of tutorial you get to the meat of being Spider-Man but the game takes you to three of the four different dimensions of the story. Shattered Dimensions has Spider-Man retrieving pieces of a stone tablet that are sent to different dimensions but the DS edition only has three.
You play as different versions of Spider-man and you use the special abilities of each Spider-Man which are a bit different from each other. The game makes great use of the smaller screen size and has been well developed in levels to make maximum use of the smaller size and dual screens.
Using some special moves to fight and make your way through each area you find the pieces of the broken tablet but each main piece is guarded by a boss. The game starts slow and quickly raises the tempo as you continue with the game and boss fights are as you would expect the height of each area.
Shattered Dimensions on the DS does a great job of balancing the fighting, exploring and story to give you a nice running game that has you moving along well without getting boring or too hectic. While you are limited in the abilities compared to the other editions the controls and using each one is easy and very well configured with the buttons of the handheld.
Developers have done a great job of toning down the story to keep the game workable on the handheld but with enough to be interesting and fun. Shattered Dimensions has done a great job of keeping the gaming with its adventure and fighting balanced to make the handheld version fun.
While they did a great job of keeping things fun it still has a few problems with lack of length and a silly puzzle game to move you from one dimension to another. The game is short and to move from the one dimension and Spider-Man type to another requires you complete some puzzle mini games that has you spinning pieces of the tablet while you push monsters away from it with the stylus.
The mini games are just goofy with no tie in to the game and seems like a way to add some content as it just a silly mini game that is more like something used in those mystery adventures. Graphics are pretty good and it works great with the dual screens, colors are well done and not exaggerated while effects look decent.
The audio is about par for the handheld as well and you get Stan Lee as narrator through the whole game for a great comic book feel to the game. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a great comic book feeling game on the Nintendo DS and works out well even with a few problems.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions could have been longer and without the mini game it would have been a lot better, as it is the Nintendo DS edition is well worth a look.