Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade's Revenge

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Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade's Revenge
Developer(s)	Software Creations Unexpected Development
Publisher(s)	LJN Flying Edge
Platform(s)	SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear, Game Boy
Release date(s)	Game Gear 1992 SNES NA 1992 PAL August 19, 1993 Game Boy 1993 Genesis/Mega Drive PAL 1993 NA June 24, 1994
Genre(s)	Platformer
Mode(s)	Single player
Media	Cartridge
Input methods	Gamepad

Spider-Man X-Men: Arcade's Revenge also known as Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade's Revenge is the title of a video game first released for the Super Nintendo in 1992 by Acclaim's LJN label. The game was later released for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Boy, and Game Gear (versions for Sega consoles were released under the Flying Edge label). The single-player game features characters from Marvel Comics.

[edit] Game play

In the first level, the player controls Spider-Man who must use his spider sense to disarm several bombs located throughout the immediate exterior and maze-like entrance to an abandoned building. After the player completes this level Spider-Man learns that the evil Arcade has kidnapped Storm, Cyclops, Wolverine, and Gambit. The player must successfully complete each character's level (each set in Arcade's deadly "Murderworld") in order to get to control Spider-Man in a final battle with Arcade.

• Spider-Man's Levels: New York City rooftops with the bosses being the flying demon N'astirh and Shocker in the First stage, with Rhino and Carnage in the Second stage.
• Storm's Levels: Underwater level with Storm having a limited air supply. Her bosses were various machines used to control the giant tank-like levels.
• Wolverine's Levels: Circus-themed First level with the boss being Apocalypse at the end of the First stage, and a rampaging Juggernaut chasing him throughout the Second stage.
• Gambit's Levels: Two stages, both of which take place in a cave where a giant spiked ball is chasing him; the first level boss being a giant playing card, the final boss a gigantic version of Black Queen.
• Cyclops' Levels: Two stages, plus a final "Boss stage" after the Second stage; the First and Second in a giant mine complete with mine carts and multiple Sentinel, with the final boss being the Master Mold within its own Final stage.

After completing each stage, the player controls each hero as they fight in similar-designed mini-levels themed after the "Behind-the-Scenes" of Murderworld. The only character to have a significant change is Storm, who now walks, shoots multiple bolts of lightning rapidly and calls upon gusts of wind, and jumps about four times the height of the other characters. The last level takes place inside a large room, where Arcade chases Spider-Man back and forth in a large Arcade-shaped robot, which operates like a Matryoshka Doll, until Arcade is finally defeated. The X-Men stand-by at the edges of the room, occasionally attacking on their own.

The two 16-bit editions of the game were nearly identical, except the Sega edition removed the buzzing sound that occurred whenever Spider-Man's Spider-Sense occurred. The feature had existed in the Super Nintendo version.

[edit] Difficulty

Every stage is exceedingly difficult in that they all require that the player have some knowledge of the stage prior to playing. Even knowing the exact layout each stage can be difficult and can require ridiculously precise timing. A great example of this is one of the hardest stages in video game history: the Juggernaut stage, also known as Wolverine's second stage. In this stage the player is being chased down by the boss (Juggernaut) from the very beginning. There are only two ways to damage the boss. The first way to cause damage is to drop anvils down either on his head or in his path. The second way to damage the boss is to slice the Juggernaut with the normal punch move or the uppercut. This requires that the player get close enough to actually hit the boss, leaving little room for error.

The game is also loaded with instances of 'cheap deaths' usually characterized by trial and error. For instance, Gambit's second stage consists of a platform constantly moving up. The screen does not shift left or right, it simply shifts up at a constant rate until the boss. Oftentimes a player can choose different paths. Once a path is chosen there is no going back. Unfortunately many paths are death traps. Without any way of knowing which areas are traps the player simply has to learn through luck or through trial and error. Several times a player may take the correct path only to see that the other path is loaded with ammo, stars (which accumulate to an extra live) and bombs. Of course, the player that took the path loaded with items was quickly squished to death by the rising platform. One spot in the middle of the stage is loaded with stars but there is absolutely no way to get to them leaving players to wonder whether it was a programming glitch or just a joke.

Many gamers also express disdain towards the games ending which is as short as the game is difficult.

[edit] Reviews

Critics often found the game to be incredibly difficult to complete. However, thanks in no small part to a feature/glitch found in the first Gambit stage, the player could net "infinite lives". This made the seemingly unbeatable game much simpler, as all the player would have to do is play the Gambit 1 stage, collect several extra lives, intentionally allow the spiked ball following him to reach him, die, and choose another character at the Select Screen.

This technique could be repeated until the player completed the Gambit 1 stage.

Also, several magazines praised the game for being one of the first to offer a game Spider-Man that was easy to control and actually felt like controlling the Web-Slinger.

Despite acrimony over the difficulty, the game continues to attract attention due to the skillfully made soundtrack, composed and arranged by Tim and Geoff Follin.

[edit] Trivia

• The X-Men's costumes on the Genesis and Game Gear boxart are different than the ones worn in the game. On the boxart, Wolverine has his yellow and blue costume, Cyclops has his 1990's outfit and Storm has her full-bodied white costume. But in the game Wolverine has his orange and brown costume, Cyclops has his blue and white X-Factor costume and Storm has her full-bodied gray costume from the late 1980s.

[edit] External links

• X-Men video games on Marvel.com
• Spider-Man and the X-Men: Arcade's Revenge at MobyGames
• Video review (YouTube)