Hands on with Spider-Man Webslinger
It don't mean a thing, if you ain't got that swing
Whisper it quietly, but the best thing about Spider-Man – whether we're talking about the comic books, games or movies – is the web-swinging bits.
Forget creeping along buildings, whacking enemies, or alter ego Peter Parker's moody teenage angst. Spider-Man is all about whistling through the air from building to building on the end of a very long, very sticky bit of string.
Game developer Hands-On Mobile has clearly realised this, and its new Spidey game ditches all the other stuff in favour of pure string-based action. Spider-Man Webslinger has you swinging through New York scoring as many points as possible by pressing up, down, left or right when specified by your – oh yes – swingometer.
"It's basically a casual Spider-Man rhythm game," explains Hands-On's James Kaye. "I'm loath to draw Skipping Stone comparisons, but Spider-Man Webslinger is definitely a one-thumb game."
If you're a console gamer, the control mechanism might also remind you of rhythm-action dancing game Dance Dance Revolution; a better mobile comparison might be the Playman sports games released by Mr Goodliving. In other words, the game will reward good timing, without requiring you to wrap your thumbs around complex seven-button combos.
The controls may be simple, but that doesn't mean the graphics will be skimped on. The game is made up of eight levels, including commercial and residential districts, dodgy alleyways and office blocks, which you can swing through by daylight or at night. And Hands-On has put particular effort into making sure the visuals are extra spiffy.
"The engine is really good and the swinging movement is very satisfying to watch," claims Kaye. "It's almost balletic! We think it captures the essence of Spider-Man really nicely. There are also some really cool moves, like swooping down to catch thieves, and swinging around lamp posts and over flagpoles."
Spider-Man Webslinger is out soon, and it looks likely to appeal to Spidey fans both old and young, especially those who may have been put off by the console feel of previous mobile games based on the arachnid superhero.
And Kaye says it's quite possible that Hands-On will adapt the game engine for other Marvel characters in the future – presumably centred around their powers, rather than just slapping them into a similar web-swinging scenario.
We'll let you know whether Spider-Man Webslinger wins when he's swinging when we review the finished game on its release this summer. Click 'Track It!' above to stay in the loop.
