Spider-man - The PS4 Masterpiece and the PS4 DLC Misfire

This Planet Virtua is no stranger to Spider-man. In fact, they are some of the earliest reviews written for this world and that is because he is awesome. Honestly, this is more of an article for Spider-man himself and singing the praise to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko for bringing him to the comics. The webslinger arrived in his first issue, Amazing Fantasy #15 in August of 1962 to profound praise all across the board. The kids loved him and bought the issues off the rack. Instead of an adult with a teenage sidekick, it was a teenager who had to go to school, have a day life and also go around town fighting crime in red and blue. 

Spider-man went from a teenage super-hero to an adult and joined the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, The Defenders, The Web Warriors, had a clone, had several different dimensional copies of himself and has fought villains ranging from a brick wall with legs to Dracula himself. He's teamed up with Batman, Captain America, Hulk, Black Panther and any other number of superheroes throughout the ages. Going into his full backstory would be a big job, so we'll just be covering the more prominent video games.

Spider-man hit his peak with Spider-man 2 for the Gamecube era, and that is where the 2018 title of Spidey leapt from. It has some of the most intuitive controls and broad spectrum of gameplay since those olden days. Spider-man from the PS4 took up the mantle completely, with an all new storyline, a fresh new face to an old but loveable cast, and gameplay that truly captured the essence of everything we love about the old web head. 

If you were to list its greatest traits, one of them would have to be the spider suits you're able to get throughout the game. All you need to do is find backpacks all across New York City and then you will be able to choose from a vast array of Spider-man suits that range from his original class, to Spider-man 2099. My favorite has to be either the MCU Iron Spider or the Scarlet Spider. I just love the look of Ben Reilly's suit, I don't know why. 

The greatest thing is yet to come, True Believers, as this is a game that very prominently features the Sinister Six! You have battles with Rhino, Electro, Vulture and, of course, Doctor Octopus. Doc Ock is actually the best villain here because you get to know him throughout the entire game. Peter Parker acts as his lab assistant and he needs funding. Once they cut his funding, that's when he gets into some very horrible crimes. 

You find Easter eggs all throughout this entire game, and they're all a joy to see. New York City is vast, and it's a pretty accurate representation of Manhattan Island. You find your way through the city with a very accessible map, and you swing your way to side missions, main story missions, or you can just swing around and stop random crimes. The more crimes you stop, the better your rewards so you can level up your powers, along with your technology. This gives you access to some awesome gadgets that will enhance your webshooting, along with your healing abilities. 

One place where this game fails is the stealth sections when you are Mary Jane or Miles Morales. It is just not a fun experience to take away all of your powers and make you throw balls to distract guards. Being able to stick to walls and being able to web up guys to keep them quiet is much more fun, even though those sections don't tend to last very long, especially in the gang beat'em up sessions when it's all just lost upon the second wave anyway. The sniper stealth sections are also kind of a low point. I get that it's more dangerous with higher damage weapons, but those sections just take forever, while not being difficult, just tedious and boring.

There are some things in the story that were not so well received, and for good reason. There is also a side mission where you fight an insufferable Youtuber and they are committing crimes just for views. This section is also quite tedious. 

Aside from some of the smaller missions, the core of the story and the gameplay in the story mode is definitely more than worth your time. Even the opening fight with the Kingpin is very well implimented, as it is the thing that sets off such a gigantic crime wave in the first place. He even warns us of that at the very beginning of the game. From there, the boss battles are quite awesome. While the double teaming with Scorpion and Rhino is kind of a long slog, it is really fun still. Electro's fight sections are also pretty fun, though not very difficult. Even the ending boss battle is challenging, while not overly so. It's a real run in Spider-man's shoes and you see his hardships as he is constantly getting the shaft for having a life as both Spidey and Pete. It's not an easy life, and it was very nice to see him get back with MJ. 

Then, of course, they had to speed-run a so-called "game" to go along with such an awesome title. Spider-man Miles Morales was originally going to be a DLC for the game, but for some reason, they just released it with a SLIGHT discount from a full game. It came out for the PS4 and PS5, but really, it had some seriously bad timing issues, mostly because it was done in the blink of an eye. Seriously, this game is four, maybe five hours long if you do some more of the side quests, of which there are not many. 

The other gigantic issue with this game is that it is so devlishly easy, the only reason I ever died was because I forgot about an ability I could use. Seriously, with how fast the Venom Strike replenishes, you can just suddenly go invisible, hide, then come back with another strike, while taking more and more of the gangsters by surprise. That invisibility breaks this game in half. You go invisible at any time and you have all of Spider-man's strengths. 

Aside from that, this is still the same game we know and love. Miles is not a bad character, even if they shoved in "modern messages" into the story, he still remained a good guy. Why they had to kick Peter Parker out of the story completely is a bit of a sham. It seems like they could have saved this all for the actual sequel, and do it to where you follow two Spider-men, but that's not what they did. Instead, we get this half baked game, and it seems they also changed a few things about Spider-man 2 that rubbed fans the wrong way. Still, they came out with a good game with the original Spider-man for PS4 and they prettied it up with some PS5 technology later on. Honestly, they got it right the first time, rushing out a mocked up DLC and then changing everything about the sequel just doesn't play in their favor. 

Spider-man is best when he is Peter Parker and he is more than happy to welcome partners in hero work, but no story should ever shove him aside when his name is in the title. Implimenting the Arkham Series fighting mechanics and pushing in some flips and Spider-man kicks was the best thing they did for this entire game and injecting spider venom straight through the entire game paid off in spades. This is a prime example of why patience and pleasing fans plays in the gaming industry's favor. The moment they forget that is the moment they miss out on a great deal of customer satisfaction. Spider-man can work in a video game, just like any other super hero. Well, except Superman. His games Virtua BLOW! 

Virtua Neptune's Top 10 N64 Games

The hero of the 3D age for many, and still one of the most beloved systems of the bygone era where 64 Bits was a lot. It opened up the doors for so many memorable titles and even improved upon many of them with sequels that were far superior to the original. It wasn't a perfect system, it had it's horrible titles, but we need not talk about those now. Nintendo brought out its greatest franchises for this system and gave them legendary titles that are still very fondly remembered when you lost friendships over red shells or silly things like getting shot down for the seventh time and that Bond music playing for the seventh time! You will pay, Justin! 

Despite all of that, though, here are just a few titles that are so nostalgic, they will never leave the internet, or have a fanbase that will let them go to the wayside. Here is the top 10 Nintendo 64 games!

Forsaken 64

When you want a good shooter with a free wheeling style, Forsaken is one you can count on. This title is just fun to pick up and play. It can get a little harder in later levels, but you can't beat the satisfaction of navigating the vast mazes of hallways in your ship. This is one of the unsung heroes of the multiplayer games on the N64, as you can do a four player split screen. Decide which ships to pit against one another and have a ball destroying each other!

Gauntlet Legends

No matter what port came out for this, it always seems to come out on top. Gauntlet is a long celebrated arcade game that originated back in the old arcade days, got several ports from the NES onward, and then ended up absolutely smashing the co-op gameplay with its release of Gauntlet Legends for the N64, Arcade and the Sega Dreamcast. The graphics are nothing to brag about now, but they haven't aged poorly either. The levels are fun to play with friends or even play alone. It requires a lot of movement and accuracy, as well as quick reflexes when the groups get larger. This is a fantastic title to play with friends.

Doom 64

While it is not as recognized as its contemporaries, Doom 64 stands on its own. It looks very different from the original Doom, but it bears the same soul. There is more of a focus on puzzle solving and going through confusing levels, but much of the Doom arsenal is still there. It also has its own original monsters, and even a couple of new weapons. Just like Doom, you can play through this version whenever you feel like destroying demons and munching on some explosions. 

Turok

A first person shooter that did not have the staying power, but it still remains a favorite. Turok was a fun venture into the world of dinosaurs and Rambo-type environments. His arsenal has a beautiful chaingun, and the heavy explosives on display do not disappoint when it comes to packing a punch. While the levels can get a little long and wear out their welcome after a while, it is truly satisfying to play this when it comes to its cheats. The cheats are so much fun, so many memories of this game come from just playing on the big-head version.

Starfox 64

A giant leap in the series from the SNES, which was already a graphical marvel of its time. Starfox 64 has been on the forefront of 3D space shooters, putting it just a bit above Star Wars Shadows of the Empire. While the tank section isn't quite as fun as the space flight, it doesn't stay in the game for very long. The boss battles are the highlight for this title and that is saying a lot. The graphics on display here are beautiful and still hold up today. It was also a bit strange to hear Slippy and Falco have actual voices with which to speak. It made Slippy's horrible death cries all that much more funny.

Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time

It's hard to put a price tag on experiencing a game such as this for the first time. Take in the fact that these are the type of graphics we could only see in the movies or the arcades and then take in the fact that the last time we visited Hyrule, it was in 2D and 16 bits. The leap to 64 bits was a marvel of its time, and the Zelda series made that leap and perfectly stuck the landing. From taming the horses at the ranch to taking on the Water Temple, playing this was a great time. There are people who can practically beat this game blindfolded because they've played it so many times and defeating Ganon is as natural as breathing.

Super Smash Brothers

A game we never knew we needed, but once the cat was out of the bag, there was no putting it back. The Smash Brothers series has had a mile of success thanks to its fantastic fighting mechanics on top of beloved characters. They're not just cheap immitations or simple cameos, they came with their own attacks and strategy of attack. Pitting Mario against Pikachu and Link against Donkey Kong, how could you possibly go wrong? While the roster may seem bare bones by today's standards, you need to start somewhere. It was always a joy to unlock the characters it did have, though, and playing this against friends and tournaments was a pasttime old school gamers will not soon forget.

007 GoldenEye

A landmark in the local multiplayer circuit. Parties of old used to be centered around GoldenEye and all of the iconic levels. This was a game that was supposed to be just another movie tie-in and its graphics did not age well at all. The gameplay was free-wielding and the first person shooter elements were executed remarkably and people took notice. There's a huge story mode and people played that as well, but it pales in comparison when people get into the four player split screen mode. Rocket levels and Golden Gun games were a staple of the genre from that point on.

Super Mario 64

The revolution of 3D platformers and the pinnacle of gaming for a good period of time. This is the standard that 3D platformers are still judged on to this day. Mario Galaxy ended up doing the same job but many still stuck to this title out of earned loyalty. Jumping through portraits and using HUB worlds was nothing new at the time, but this game made it iconic. Going through these levels is just plain fun. Collecting the stars in every level and exploring the secrets of the Mushroom Castle is a mindless way to settle your brain into a good space. I still say this has the best Bowser boss battle.

Mariokart 64

This is a great example of the second iteration perfecting a formula. Mariokart 64 blew the original SNES title out of the water in every way. Rainbow Road is a beautiful experience and the highway course has ruined people's day in the traffic. This is such a great way to spend time with friends and while it doesn't have quite as many characters and courses as later sequels, this is still the standard that we've come to expect from kart racing games. 

To be fair, Mariokart 64 is my favorite of the Mariokart games. It is so simplistic, you don't need to spend 10 hours trying to decide who to choose as a character if you're new and it's just very tight knit. Nintendo 64 is an exemplary console when it comes to simple and what makes a game great when it has a bit more freedom than it once did. The idea of 3D was not new, but the 32 and 64 bit era really opened up the possiblities of what made a game great. This didn't take away from the 2D titles that revolutionized the industry, it simply added to their ranks. It may seem crude by today's standards, but there is a reason why collections like Mario 3D All-Star and titles like GoldenEye is still brought up when someone is talking about party games. Just be prepared to take a right cross if you keep using the red shells. 

Marvel vs Capcom Collection - Punisher - Eat Justice Lead! (Pt 2)

The Punisher is a very divisive hero in many respects. Some people absolutely hate the extreme violence and gunplay that's on a medium more intended for children. Some people love the guns and the blood! Frank Castle has had many good iterations on multiple different platforms. From movies, TV Shows and cameos to video games upon video games, he's had it pretty good. While his first foray into movies wasn't the most successful, I will stand by the Thomas Jane movie. His guest appearance in the Spider-man Animated Series was a fun ride and so was his Netflix series, for the most part. 

When it comes to video games, his success is a bit more hit and miss. He's found the most success in arcade cabinets in both the awesome railshooter and today's subject. The Punisher is a beat'em up/shoot'em up in the most raw manner. Personally, I've never seen this one in any of the arcades, I've been to. Most of the time, it was the machinegun game with the big bad toy gun on the arcade. This game looks a lot more like Capcom just threw up their hands and decided Frank Castle belongs in Final Fight. 

The Punisher wants to go after Kingpin. If you have a player 2, you can have both Punisher and Nick Fury. If they could have made a Thomas Jane and Samuel L Jackson movie, which will never happen, that is the reality I want to live in. The idea that we could have seen them go through, punching and shooting through miles upon miles of baddies. Often, you'll run into mini-bosses who have a long hitbar and know karate. These go down especially fast if you are able to carry a weapon into the fight as well. 

The pistols come in at random times. They'll give the badguys firearms, and all the sudden, you're shooting instead of punching. Honestly, there is a big difference and it's a fun experience to just pick up a gun and start shooting away at the criminals trying to kill you. Obviously, the final boss is the Kingpin and he's pretty decently difficult. He has always been a combative villain and his strength is actually quite formidable. Of course, the whole time, you have infinite "quarters" to put into the arcade game, so winning isn't really much of a stretch. 

Throughout the entire game, there is a strange sound that all of the characters make as they either die, do a special move or Punisher just gets resurrected back to life. It's kind of a "AAAEEEEOOOOHHH!!" It happens throughout the entire game and at first, it's rather comical. Then you suddenly realize that it is happening CONSTANTLY throughout the entire game. It starts to grate on the nerves just a little bit. The repetitive nature of the beat'em up franchise doesn't really hold well to this sound or any subtle annoyances like flashing lights or any other sort of similar gimmick. They just start to drive people insane after a while, and it hurts the replay value a bit. 

As beat'em ups go, Punisher is average for an arcade shooter from Capcom. If you're a fan of their work anywhere else, The Punisher is going to give you a bit of blood and a lot of punching, so if you have a friend who wants to play Nick Fury, it's a good time to arm up and make some criminals Eat Justice Lead! Virtua Pow! 

Super Mario Brothers The Movie (1993)

The first thing that should be made clear is that the making of this movie was said to be on par with Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. The fighting between the two directors was so bad that Bob Hoskins and John Liguizamo were constantly drunk while shooting it to deal with the toxic environment. The movie was written so unlike a Mario movie and it's clear that this never should have been a live action movie because they did not have the technology, nor the know-how to create a world like the Mushroom Kingdom. 

So, what do they do? Make it BladeRunner, of course! A good old dystopian science fiction setting with depressingly terrible poverty, horrible mohawks and poor ridden in the streets. This was a terrible idea to put into something that already had a perfectly good artistic look to it. Super Mario Brothers Super Show caught the essence of Mario Brothers better than this movie, and they were on a fraction of the budget. 

Now, does this make it a terrible movie? Not especially. The acting is not great most of the time, but it's also nice and campy, while also being downright hilarious when it comes to Toad. Sometimes, it's just so easy to get involved with the movie because the story is engaging enough to keep your attention, while also making sure you're not taking it too seriously. 

This is not a movie for everyone, but it is a movie I can watch all the way through and get a good nostalgic feeling for times past. You'd never see another movie made like this for a kid's property. There are some serious adult themes while not being outright graphic with it. Also, Dennis Hopper's transformation at the end is quite nightmarish. Oh, did I forget to mention Dennis Hopper was here? Well, he's probably the best part of the movie. He's not what I would call Bowser or "King Koopa" as he is called in this flick, but he is most definitely putting up the best performance because he's doing it his way and the way he likes to do it. Hopper is fun in everything, watch Blue Velvet. 

The special effects are decent for the time. As the special effects suggest, it was made by the same guys who made that weird 80's computer animated guy Max Headroom. It's obvious the original directors had a lot of influence over the movie, despite being fired during its production. Bob Hoskins swore off ever working with them again and judging by a lot of how the movie is edited, it's said that this was a horrifically choatic shoot. 

For some reason, though, it has a raw charm to it. It's a movie that kind of never should have existed, but it's alright that it does. It's not a good Mario property, but you can find a lot of humor and a lot of very interesting and entertaining scenes because the movie is just so stark raving mad! It's not something you can show to just anyone. They need to have a certain taste for bad or camp movies. If it looks even slightly interesting to you, it's worth a shot. It wasn't popular with audiences and critics would never touch it again, but you should be the critic on this one. Perhaps the 80's nostalgia will find its way into your heart. Virtua Hope.