With Spider-Mania descending on every modern game platform known to man, it's no surprise that the webslinger is also going to have an adventure on mobile phones. This adventure, Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock, isn't quite as ambitious as some of its console-based brethren. That's hardly a surprise, given the power difference between platforms, but Spidey's mobile adventure is uneventful and repetitive, leaving its decent graphics and simple but reliable control as its only positive features.
The game is broken into three level types, each of which is repeated at increasing difficulty levels. The first is the obligatory Spidey rooftop scene. Its simple interface requires you to press the 1 key to swing from building to building and the 2 key to ice thugs with some web fluid. This system, while typical of the game, is a vast departure from most action titles, which allow you to assume full control of your hero. The round will end when you reach Doc Ock and Mary Jane, who's being held hostage. Next, you'll have to chase Doctor Octopus through a train tunnel. These seem to be a staple of Spider-Man gameplay, regardless of platform. In any event, trains are flying through at breakneck pace, and you have to avoid them by dodging laterally or by jumping on the ceiling. Beware, however, as aerial obstacles abound. You can't hang out up top for long. As in the first level, you'll escape the tunnels and end the level once you catch up with Doc Ock. Finally, you'll get to fight the Doc. This is the easiest of the three levels, and it requires only a few shots of your web fluid. After defeating him, it's back to the rooftops. Beating these levels in the game's story mode will open them up for play in the arcade mode, which consists of the same levels, minus the context.
The graphics, which show Spidey from three perspectives, depending on the stage, are decent. Spider-Man doesn't quite look like he's sprinting, but the game isn't jerky by any means. There are only about a half-dozen sound effects, but that's fairly typical for a current Sprint Vision game.
The game's main strength is the use of a distinct, bare-bones control scheme for each of these levels. Spidey automatically runs at all times, meaning that all you'll have to perform is the occasional button press. This gives you the illusion of fast gameplay, without actually having to deliver it. You won't be fooled, but at least you won't be struggling to control a slow-moving webhead, either.
Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock's simplistic gameplay is a double-edged sword. It manages to offer a more immediately playable experience, but it's over too soon, and it doesn't offer enough to warrant extended play. This is an arcade-style game--complete with a high-score list--masquerading as an action adventure game. In the end, it's mediocre by the standards of either genre.
