Its interesting to look back at how Sega chose to market the Genesis early on. With no Sonic the Hedgehog they did not have a mascot to rely on. And let’s be real, Alex Kidd does not count, even they knew that. Instead Sega relied heavily on licensing deals that did two things. One, they gave the system and games some form of star power and two, it gave the system an older image. Mind you when I say older I mean teenagers rather than adults. While the likes of Buster Douglas and Tommy Lasorda lent their names to their respective sports titles Sega’s other endeavors were more interesting. In addition to Disney they had a deal with Marvel that gave us Spider-Man vs the Kingpin, probably the first decent Spider-Man game.
The Kingpin of Crime has taken to the airwaves to inform the people of New York of a heinous crime. It seems that Spider-Man has planted a bomb in the city that is planned to go off in 24 hours. As a concerned citizen Wilson Fisk offers a reward for anyone who can capture Spider-Man. Little do the people know that it is the Kingpin himself who has planted the bomb, with this being a smoke screen. As extra insurance he has hired some of Spider-Man’s deadliest foes to guard the keys to ensure the bomb goes off.
While it may seem simple at first the developers of Spider-Man vs the Kingpin have done an excellent job incorporating almost every element of Spider-Man’s world in the game. All of his powers are present in some fashion. You can climb on almost any surface, be it walls, the ceiling and even the background. They really went above and beyond capturing this element, down to the silly poses and such that look right out of a Todd McFarlane comic. Spider-Man is very agile, able to make incredibly high leaps. The only ability that gets short shrift is Spider-sense, which only warns you of danger a few times or when you meet a boss.
Your web shooters play a big role in the game in a number of ways. Webbing is for both travel and offense. The webs will cover bad guys and machinery in a few hits and cost next to nothing. You can expend a decent chunk to create a shield but honestly I never found it useful. The real star is web swinging. The developers nailed it better than any other Spider-Man game from that era. From the momentum to its arc it feels incredibly satisfying and most levels allow you to employ it to your heart’s content.
It wouldn’t be a Spider-Man title if you didn’t have to manage web fluid. And in another cool move they’ve incorporated Parker’s job into the mix. At any time you can take a picture to sell to the Daily Bugle. These can be of anything with each assigned a dollar value. The more exciting the photo (such as the bosses) the more money you’ll earn to buy web fluid. Web fluid is a finite resource and while the game does its best it is possible to end up screwed toward the end if you aren’t careful.
Spider-Man vs the Kingpin is broken down into stages but the overall game is governed by a 24-hour clock. That time limit is extremely generous considering how short the game is. Any time you continue it costs two hours which is significant. You also have the option to return home to restore health at any time, but its speeds up the clock. Managing these two is key to stopping the Kingpin. There is one last trick the game plays which is messed up. After a boss rush you have to enter the keys in the right order to stop the bomb. You have little clue to this, and one wrong move is an automatic game over. It is cheap and not fair in my opinion.
This is not a difficult game although it has its moments. The main culprit is the at times atrocious hit detection. The game is very particular about its hit boxes which can be frustrating. It almost completely ruins the fight with the Kingpin at the end. Anyone familiar with Revenge of Shinobi will recognize this battle and it is just as maddening here. If you take too long you’ll have to face Venom alongside the current boss. While tough it is manageable. What isn’t is the brutal boss rush at the end. Fighting them two at a time, and four in total feels like a cheap way to try and use up your remaining time by continuing. Between this and the ridiculous Kingpin fight I wonder if anyone tried to balance the game.
In Closing
End game frustrations aside I still like the game. Spider-Man vs the Kingpin is a solid game that is rough around the edges but still enjoyable today. It is also probably the best game starring the character from that era. It is mostly downhill from here sadly.
