After delivering a poor game with Spider-Man 2 3D: New York Rooftops, Sony decided to release a follow-up to capitalize on that nonexistent momentum. Spider-Man 2 3D: NY Subway is like its predecessor in every way, only it takes place on an outdoor railroad. Even if you're a passionate fan of the film or comic, you still won't enjoy this joyless hodgepodge of minigames. Purchasing the LG VX 8000 version of NY Subway for $10 is a horrible value, especially since it's such a poor game.
NY Subway consists of five minigames, each of which must be beaten three times to advance to the next. These are loosely based on the scene in the Spider-Man 2 film in which Spidey must chase Doc Ock on a moving train. At no point do NY Subway's rhythm-based games make you feel like Spider-Man. The only combat sequence consists of the pressing of random buttons in time with their onscreen representations.
It's as yet unknown whether the joy of webslinging could be conveyed through a mobile phone's keypad. Spider-Man 2: NY Subway's simple timing games can't represent the medium's pinnacle, however. Pressing the up and down keys alternately to dodge thrown beams feels like a chore. Testing a player's reflexes is one thing, but Spidey's got more powers than just a spider sense.
Graphically, this game looks a bit better than its predecessor. The 3D models have undergone some work, and they more closely resemble the characters they are meant to represent. These models are set, though, in supremely unimpressive environments without much detail. For example: you're on a moving train, but you could be anywhere in the world, because there's no background at all--just a bright, white overlay, indicating outdoor ambient light. The sound isn't particularly worth enabling, and it certainly isn't what you'd hope for from the purportedly multimedia-rich V Cast service.
Playing Spider-Man 2: New York Subway is a poor use of your time. Its gameplay is identical to that of its predecessor, and it isn't any more compelling a second time around. The graphics are supposed to be the main draw here, but they're not nearly impressive enough to warrant V Cast's $10 price tag. NY Subway can be completed in about half an hour, and there's no reason you'd want to play for longer, save to justify your unwise purchase.
