Spider-Man Guest Appearances

There are so many characters in the Marvel Universe that it's almost impossible to keep track of all of them. The world of the X-Men alone has an ever-evolving cast of hundreds, with so many foils, love interests, and background personalities that Marvel has to periodically release a compendium so fans can keep everything straight. To make matters more confusing, crossovers are constantly employed: Spidey might join up with Wolverine to take on Magneto; Reed Richards might join with Dr. Strange for a jaunt around the world; or Doctor Doom might find Captain America knocking down his front door in search of an antivirus. With such a rich background, it's not surprising that Spidey has had cameos in several video games where he wasn't the star. Nevertheless, his appearance was always appreciated even if he was underpaid.

	Title shot.
	Character selection.
	"Back breakfall! Back breakfall!"

Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
System: SNES
Release Date: 1996

Perhaps the most ambitious of the many comic book console titles, War of the Gems puts Earth, nay, the universe, in grave peril as the six infinity gems came close to being obtained by intergalactic dictator Thanos. Fortunately, the world's most powerful superheroes were tipped off by Adam Warlock, so Spider-Man, Captain America, the Incredible Hulk, Wolverine, and Iron Man were assembled to retrieve them and prevent a catastrophe of interstellar proportions. Each of the gems (time, space, power, reality, mind, soul) gives a different attribute when equipped. For example, the time gem lets you move faster and is best given to the Incredible Hulk. The gems also let you perform special supermoves, though some are more useful than others: Captain America releases an energy barrage that clears the screen, while Spider-Man simply grabs someone in his web (um, he can do this any day of the week, gem or no gem). Choosing the right character for the right stage is crucial. For instance, the Hulk doesn't have a chance in the Asteroid Belt level, but Iron Man flies through it easily. War of the Gems is a competent title and clearly was a test run for Capcom's upcoming arcade fighters. Many of the animations found in Marvel Super Heroes can be seen in their early stages in this title, like Wolverine's Tornado Claw. Not a bad game - even if Spider-Man is equipped with the power gem, enemies practically fall down for him.

Now show me Spider Fighters