Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a video game featuring
Marvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
superhero
Spider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions blends together four
universesWithin Marvel Comics, most tales take place within the fictional Marvel Universe, which in turn is part of a larger multiverse. Starting with issues of Captain Britain, the main continuity in which most Marvel storylines take place was designated Earth-616, and the multiverse was established as...
from the
Marvel Comics multiverseWithin Marvel Comics, most tales take place within the fictional Marvel Universe, which in turn is part of a larger multiverse. Starting with issues of Captain Britain, the main continuity in which most Marvel storylines take place was designated Earth-616, and the multiverse was established as...
, allowing the player to play as four different Spider-Men. Known Spider-Man voice actors
Neil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
,
Christopher Daniel BarnesChristopher Daniel Barnes , also known professionally as C.D. Barnes and C.B. Barnes, is an American actor. He is best known for providing the voice of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the 1990s Fox television series Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and for his portrayal of Greg Brady in the films The...
,
Dan GilvezanDan Gilvezan is an actor who provided the voice for Peter Parker/Spider-Man on the 1980s animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and the voice of the Autobots Bumblebee, Outback and Hot Spot and the Decepticon Snapdragon in the original 1984-1987 Transformers cartoon...
, and
Josh KeatonJoshua "Josh" Keaton is an American actor, voice actor, singer and music producer.-Early life:Keaton was born Joshua Luis Wiener in Hacienda Heights, California. He has three sisters: Danielle, Alitzah , and Sabrina...
voice a Spider-Man from each of their respective alternate universes.
The game revolves around an artifact known as the Tablet of Order and Chaos. When it is shattered into pieces during a skirmish between Spider-Man and
MysterioMysterio is the name of three fictional characters, all of which are supervillains and enemies of Spider-Man in the . The original Mysterio was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #13, although it was later retconned that the aliens seen in Amazing...
it causes problems with multiple
Marvel UniverseThe Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
realities.
Madame WebMadame Web is a fictional supporting character in the Spider-Man comic book series.-Fictional character biography:Cassandra Webb was born in Salem, Oregon. She is a paralyzed, blind, telepathic, clairvoyant, and precognitive mutant, allowing her to work as a professional medium...
calls on four versions of Spider-Man from four realities to assist her in bringing the realities back into balance: the
Amazing Spider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
; Spider-Man Noir, a 1930s version of Spider-Man;
Spider-Man 2099Spider-Man 2099 is a fictional comic book superhero, created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992 for Marvel Comics' Marvel 2099 line. His secret alter ego is Miguel O'Hara, a brilliant geneticist living in New York in the year 2099 A.D...
, the Spider-Man of a possible future; and
Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
, the younger Spider-Man of an alternate present who is currently bonded with a
symbioteIn the Marvel Comics universe, The Symbiote is a specific parasitic species of extraterrestrial organism...
.
Shattered Dimensions received fairly positive reviews from critics, with reported aggregate scores averaging 74% or higher at GameRankings, and
MetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reporting scores of 76 out of 100. Reviewers generally praised the idea of bringing four Marvel universes together, and lauded the voice acting. The game's story was received to mixed thoughts, with some reviewers enjoying the link between the four universes, and others stating there was not enough depth to carry the game.
GlitchA glitch is a short-lived fault in a system. It is often used to describe a transient fault that corrects itself, and is therefore difficult to troubleshoot...
es and bugs present in the game also drew criticism.
Gameplay
The player can control four versions of Spider-Man, spanning the
AmazingIn the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
,
NoirMarvel Noir is a 2009-2010 Marvel Comics alternative continuity combining elements of film noir and pulp fiction with the Marvel Universe. The central premise of the mini-series replaces super powers with driven, noir-flavored characterization....
,
2099Marvel 2099 is a Marvel Comics imprint, started in 1992, that explores one possible future of the Marvel Universe. It was originally announced by Stan Lee in his "Stan's Soapbox" column as a single series entitled The Marvel World of Tomorrow, which was being developed by Lee and John Byrne...
, and
UltimateUltimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
universes. During key moments of gameplay
Shattered Dimensions switches to a
first-personIn video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
perspective. During these sequences the player uses the analog sticks to control the given Spider-Man's arms, punching their opponent. Developers described these sequences as a reward for the player.
Each universe's Spider-Man has a unique fighting technique that distinguishes him from the others. Amazing Spider-Man uses a combination of melee and web-attacks, such as web hammers designed to combine webbing with the environment, mixing up-close and long range combat. Spider-Man Noir uses stealth and timing to silently defeat his enemies in combat. When the player is in the shadows the screen turns black and white, signifying concealment. When the player is exposed in light the screen becomes colored meaning the character can be seen.
Spider-Man 2099 uses acrobatics and his suit's advanced abilities in combat. He has talons which give him a close combat advantage. He has accelerated vision similar to a spider-reflex which allows him to dodge attacks quickly, much like the
Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3 is an action game loosely based on the Spider-Man 3 film and released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were developed by Treyarch, the PC version by Beenox while...
video game. Ultimate Spider-Man uses the powers of the
symbiote suitIn the Marvel Comics universe, The Symbiote is a specific parasitic species of extraterrestrial organism...
to devastate enemies, generating symbiotic spikes and tendrils which act like extensions of his own body. There is also a rage meter for the Ultimate universe, much like the
Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3 is an action game loosely based on the Spider-Man 3 film and released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were developed by Treyarch, the PC version by Beenox while...
video game. Ultimate Spider-Man does not appear in the Nintendo DS version.
Setting
An artifact known as the "Tablet of Order and Chaos" is shattered into pieces during a brief battle between Spider-Man and
MysterioMysterio is the name of three fictional characters, all of which are supervillains and enemies of Spider-Man in the . The original Mysterio was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #13, although it was later retconned that the aliens seen in Amazing...
, causing problems with multiple
Marvel UniverseThe Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
realities.
Madame WebMadame Web is a fictional supporting character in the Spider-Man comic book series.-Fictional character biography:Cassandra Webb was born in Salem, Oregon. She is a paralyzed, blind, telepathic, clairvoyant, and precognitive mutant, allowing her to work as a professional medium...
calls on four versions of Spider-Man from four realities to assist her in bringing the realities back into balance: the
Amazing Spider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, Spider-Man Noir, a 1930s version of Spider-Man,
Spider-Man 2099Spider-Man 2099 is a fictional comic book superhero, created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992 for Marvel Comics' Marvel 2099 line. His secret alter ego is Miguel O'Hara, a brilliant geneticist living in New York in the year 2099 A.D...
, the Spider-Man of a possible future, and a
symbiote-bondedIn the Marvel Comics universe, The Symbiote is a specific parasitic species of extraterrestrial organism...
Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
, the younger Spider-Man of an alternate present. The Spider-Men are informed that villains in their respective universes have received enhanced powers due to the fragments of the tablet in their possession. Each villain possessing a fragment is granted power to accomplish what they desire most: defeating the Spider-Man of their respective universe. Each Spider-Man easily gains their first tablet fragment and turns it over to Madame Web. Meanwhile, Mysterio discovers the tablet fragment that he stole has given him the power of real tricks.
Plot
The game begins in the Amazing universe, with Amazing Spider-Man pursuing
Kraven the HunterKraven the Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kraven's name is Sergei Kravinoff. He also appears as Xraven, with white-grey skin and red eyes, possessing the powers of X-Men. He is the half-brother of Dmitri...
for his tablet fragment. When Spider-Man confronts Kraven, he uses the fragment's powers to gain super speed. Spider-Man manages to defeat Kraven and claim the fragment. The game then shifts to the Noir universe where Spider-Man Noir moves through the shadows to claim a fragment from
HammerheadHammerhead is a fictional character, a supervillain that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. He is primarily an enemy of Spider-Man and a member of organized crime who exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
, who plans to give it to his boss
Norman OsbornThe Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
. When confronted, Hammerhead uses it to fuse his guns to his arms, and decides to use it to overthrow Osborn. Spider-Man manages to defeat Hammerhead and claim his fragment. In the 2099 universe Spider-Man 2099 chases
HobgoblinThe Hobgoblin is the alias of several fictional characters that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known Hobgoblin is Roderick Kingsley. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #238, and was created by Roger Stern and John Romita, Sr...
through the city, who then uses the tablet fragment to create clones of himself. Spider-Man eventually defeats Hobgoblin and his clones and claims the fragment. Meanwhile in the Ultimate universe Ultimate Spider-Man battles Electro at a nearby dam where Electro uses the fragment to grow larger and create minions to fight Spider-Man. Spider-Man tricks Electro into attacking a dam which releases water, shorting out Electro's powers. Spider-Man then claims his tablet fragment. Meanwhile, Mysterio discovers that there are more pieces of the tablet.
Back in the Amazing universe Spider-Man then finds a fragment in the clutches of
SandmanSandman is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A shapeshifter endowed through an accident with the ability to turn himself into sand, he eventually reformed, and became an ally of Spider-Man...
at an abandoned quarry owned by Roxxon Industries. Sandman uses the fragment's power to take over the quarry and create minions, which he uses to attack Spider-Man. Spider-Man defeats Sandman with the use of water, claiming his fragment. Spider-Man Noir then pursues
VultureThe Vulture is the name of six comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The best known Vulture in the Marvel Universe is Adrian Toomes, an elderly enemy of Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 .-Golden Age Vulture:In Young Men #26, a scientist...
through the streets. When he finally faces Vulture, Spider-Man defeats him by exposing him to light, then claims the fragment. Spider-Man 2099 comes across a building where
Scorpion-Publication history:The monster version of Scorpion first appeared in Journey into Mystery #82 The Sam Scorpio version first appeared in Kid Colt, Outlaw #115 and was a Wild West villain who fought Kid Colt....
has laid eggs which hatch into miniature versions of himself. When Spider-Man confronts Scorpion, he mentions that a "smart lady with metal arms" hired him to steal the fragment. During the ensuing battle Spider-Man traps Scorpion under debris and claims the tablet fragment. Ultimate Spider-Man is then challenged to appear on Deadpool's reality show. He maneuvers through the set while fighting Deadpool's fans, destroying cameras, and evading tidal waves. When he confronts Deadpool, he is given a fake tablet fragment. Deadpool then uses the real fragment to clone himself, attacking Spider-Man. He manages to defeat Deadpool and claim the tablet fragment.
In the Amazing universe, Madame Web receives a fragment from Amazing Spider-Man. During the exchange Mysterio attacks them, threatening to kill Madame Web if Spider-Man doesn't bring him the other fragments. Spider-Man finds the next fragment in a construction yard, encountering
JuggernautThe Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
, who unknowingly grabs the fragment while on the run from
Silver SableSilver Sable is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, a female mercenary, hunter of war criminals, the leader of the Wild Pack, and CEO of Silver Sable International...
and the
Wild PackThe Wild Pack is a fictional mercenary team in Marvel Comics led by Silver Sable.-History:The Wild Pack was first formed by Silver Sable's father, Ernst Sublinovia, for the apprehension of international criminals, and the recovery of stolen property for a wide spectrum of clients, from major...
. Juggernaut uses the fragment's power to become stronger, but the tablet's power is at odds with his Crimson Gem, leaving him vulnerable. Spider-Man defeats Juggernaut and claims the tablet fragment. In the Noir universe Spider-Man confronts Norman Osborn, who has gained a monstrous appearance through use of his fragment, at a carnival. After a battle under a circus tent, Osborn is defeated and Spider-Man claims his fragment. In the 2099 universe Spider-Man encounters
Doctor OctopusDoctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
who is the head of Alchemax's Shadow Division, responsible for creating Hobgoblin and hiring Scorpion. She uses the tablet fragment to power a reactor used to wreak havoc on the world. Spider-Man shuts down the reactor and defeats her, claiming the fragment. Meanwhile in the Ultimate universe
S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
has acquired a tablet fragment and
CarnageCarnage is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 , and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley. The character is frequently depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man...
in the Triskelion, but Carnage suddenly attacks the agents and takes the tablet fragment, using it to turn S.H.I.E.L.D. agents into minions. When Spider-Man arrives, the Triskelion is already under Carnage's control. Spider-Man stops Carnage before he can infect others. After Carnage is defeated, Spider-Man claims his fragment.
When all of the tablet fragments are reassembled, Mysterio uses the tablet to increase his power, effectively becoming a god and shattering all the borders separating the other realities, planning to build a new one under his sole rule. Amazing Spider-Man and the other Spider-Men, who were teleported to their location by Madame Web, defeat Mysterio and separate him from the tablet. As Mysterio tries to reclaim the Tablet of Order and Chaos, the Spider-Men knock him out. Madame Web then thanks them for saving all of reality. After the others return to their own dimensions and the walls between them repaired, Amazing Spider-Man takes Mysterio to jail.
During the credits, Madame Web is then visited by
Spider-HamSpider-Ham is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic funny animal parody of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man, created by Tom DeFalco and Mark Armstrong....
, who had hoped to help save reality but answered Madame Web's call a bit too late despite none of the fragments landed in his reality.
Characters
| Amazing Universe |
Noir Universe |
2099 Universe |
|
- Amazing Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
|
Spider-Man NoirMarvel Noir is a 2009-2010 Marvel Comics alternative continuity combining elements of film noir and pulp fiction with the Marvel Universe. The central premise of the mini-series replaces super powers with driven, noir-flavored characterization....
|
Spider-Man 2099Spider-Man 2099 is a fictional comic book superhero, created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992 for Marvel Comics' Marvel 2099 line. His secret alter ego is Miguel O'Hara, a brilliant geneticist living in New York in the year 2099 A.D...
|
Ultimate Symbiote Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
|
| Villains |
Electro
JuggernautThe Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
Kraven the HunterKraven the Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kraven's name is Sergei Kravinoff. He also appears as Xraven, with white-grey skin and red eyes, possessing the powers of X-Men. He is the half-brother of Dmitri...
MysterioMysterio is the name of three fictional characters, all of which are supervillains and enemies of Spider-Man in the . The original Mysterio was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #13, although it was later retconned that the aliens seen in Amazing...
SandmanSandman is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A shapeshifter endowed through an accident with the ability to turn himself into sand, he eventually reformed, and became an ally of Spider-Man...
TinkererThe Tinkerer is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics Universe...
|
BoomerangBoomerang is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe and first appeared in Tales to Astonish #81....
CalypsoCalypso is a fictional villain in the Marvel Comics universe, who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #209. She was created by Denny O'Neil and Alan Weiss.-Fictional character biography:...
GoblinThe Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
HammerheadHammerhead is a fictional character, a supervillain that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. He is primarily an enemy of Spider-Man and a member of organized crime who exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
VultureThe Vulture is the name of six comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The best known Vulture in the Marvel Universe is Adrian Toomes, an elderly enemy of Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 .-Golden Age Vulture:In Young Men #26, a scientist...
|
HobgoblinThe Hobgoblin is the alias of several fictional characters that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known Hobgoblin is Roderick Kingsley. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #238, and was created by Roger Stern and John Romita, Sr...
Doctor OctopusDoctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
Scorpion-Publication history:The monster version of Scorpion first appeared in Journey into Mystery #82 The Sam Scorpio version first appeared in Kid Colt, Outlaw #115 and was a Wild West villain who fought Kid Colt....
SilvermaneSilvermane is a fictional Marvel Comics character. He is a supervillain and a prominent figure in the Maggia, a fictional organized crime syndicate that is analogous to the Mafia. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 1 #73...
VultureThe Vulture is the name of six comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The best known Vulture in the Marvel Universe is Adrian Toomes, an elderly enemy of Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 .-Golden Age Vulture:In Young Men #26, a scientist...
|
CarnageCarnage is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 , and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley. The character is frequently depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man...
Deadpool
Electro |
| Other characters |
|
Madame Web Madame Web is a fictional supporting character in the Spider-Man comic book series.-Fictional character biography:Cassandra Webb was born in Salem, Oregon. She is a paralyzed, blind, telepathic, clairvoyant, and precognitive mutant, allowing her to work as a professional medium...
Silver SableSilver Sable is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, a female mercenary, hunter of war criminals, the leader of the Wild Pack, and CEO of Silver Sable International...
|
EnforcersThe Enforcers are a fictional team of villains in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Steve Ditko, the team's first appearance was in The Amazing Spider-Man #10 .-Publication history:...
|
Alchemax
Public Eye |
S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
Spider-SlayerThe Spider-Slayers are a series of fictional robots in the Marvel Comics universe that were specifically designed to hunt down, capture, and/or kill Spider-Man.-Fictional character biography:...
|
Does not appear in the Nintendo DS version.
Unique to the Nintendo DS version.
Development and marketing
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions was unveiled on March 30, 2010, where two of the universes, Amazing and Noir, were revealed. The third universe, 2099, was revealed on June 8, 2010. The final universe, Ultimate was first shown to players at San Diego Comic-Con 2010.
BeenoxBeenox is a video game developer, established in Québec City, Québec. Founded in 2000 by Dominique Brown. Beenox has been awarded with the Quebec's Best Employer 2008 title and is among the Top 50 of the World’s best video game developers published in March 2008 by the Game Developers Research...
made each universe feel unique by creating an individual art style for each universe and giving each Spider-Man different gameplay mechanics. For example, the Amazing and Ultimate universes are rendered with bright colors and tones of
cel shadingCel-shaded animation is a type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make computer graphics appear to be hand-drawn. Cel-shading is often used to mimic the style of a comic book or cartoon. It is a somewhat recent addition to computer graphics, most commonly turning up in video games...
, the difference being that the Amazing Spider-Man has many web-based attacks and the Ultimate Spider-Man uses symbiote attacks from its suit. In contrast, the Noir and 2099 universes are rendered with realistic next-gen. The 2099 universe was given a futuristic feel while the Noir universe was given a "very dark, very gritty" feel. Noir Spider-Man uses stealth-based tactics on his enemies, similar to the
Tom Clancy's Splinter CellTom Clancy's Splinter Cell is an action-adventure stealth game, developed by Ubisoft Montreal and built on the Unreal Engine 2. It is the first Splinter Cell game in the series endorsed by author Tom Clancy, and follows the activities of American NSA Black Operation, "Black Ops", agent Sam Fisher....
series, and 2099 Spider-Man uses free fall sequences. The developers also worked closely with
Marvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
to create new versions of characters not seen before in a particular universe, such as
HobgoblinThe Hobgoblin is the alias of several fictional characters that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known Hobgoblin is Roderick Kingsley. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #238, and was created by Roger Stern and John Romita, Sr...
2099,
Doctor OctopusDoctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
2099, and
HammerheadHammerhead is a fictional character, a supervillain that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. He is primarily an enemy of Spider-Man and a member of organized crime who exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
Noir. The story for the game was written by
Amazing Spider-Man writer
Dan SlottDan Slott is an American comic book writer best known for The Amazing Spider-Man, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell and She-Hulk. He is the current writer of the twice monthly The Amazing Spider-Man.-Early writing:...
.
A number of costumes from different universes could be either unlocked early or downloaded by pre-ordering the game from various vendors.
GameStopGameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
offered for a limited time a Cosmic Spider-Man bonus for the
PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and
Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
consoles, which brings a Cosmic Spider-Man outfit to each of the given dimensions. It was later included as a free bonus on the PC version. Players could unlock Iron Spider-Man early for the 2099 universe by pre-ordering at
Amazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
. Additionally, players received a book containing concept art for the game. A
Scarlet SpiderScarlet Spider is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics series Spider-Man. His costume was designed by Tom Lyle. The identity of the Scarlet Spider has been used by several characters: Ben Reilly, Peter Parker , Joe Wade , a group of three Michael Van Patrick clones working with...
early unlock was offered at
KmartKmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
and applied only to the Amazing universe. Finally, pre-ordering at
Best BuyBest Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
rewarded players with the
Negative ZoneThe Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
costume in the Noir universe as an early unlock.
Wal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
.com offered a 20 page comic book with a pre-order of the game. On October 9, 2010, an announcement was made stating that the previously GameStop-exclusive Cosmic Spider-Man costumes would be made available as downloadable content in the latter half of October 2010. The costume was released for the Xbox 360 on October 28, 2010, and was released for the PlayStation 3 on November 2, 2010.
Audio
Several of the game's actors have voiced characters in previous
Spider-Man series or games. Each Spider-Man is voiced by a different actor who has voiced Spider-Man in the past.
Neil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
, who voiced Spider-Man in 2003's
Spider-Man: The New Animated SeriesSpider-Man: The New Animated Series is an animated series featuring the Marvel comic book superhero Spider-Man, which ran for one season, 13 episodes, starting on July 11, 2003...
, voices the Amazing Spider-Man of the mainstream Marvel universe.
Christopher Daniel BarnesChristopher Daniel Barnes , also known professionally as C.D. Barnes and C.B. Barnes, is an American actor. He is best known for providing the voice of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the 1990s Fox television series Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and for his portrayal of Greg Brady in the films The...
, who voiced Spider-Man in the 1990s
Spider-Man: The Animated SeriesSpider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
, voices Spider-Man Noir. Spider-Man 2099 is portrayed by
Dan GilvezanDan Gilvezan is an actor who provided the voice for Peter Parker/Spider-Man on the 1980s animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and the voice of the Autobots Bumblebee, Outback and Hot Spot and the Decepticon Snapdragon in the original 1984-1987 Transformers cartoon...
, who was the voice of Spider-Man in the 1980s
Spider-Man and His Amazing FriendsSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends is an animated series produced by Marvel Productions starring established Marvel Comics characters Spider-Man and Iceman and an original character, Firestar...
. Finally, Ultimate Spider-Man is voiced by
Josh KeatonJoshua "Josh" Keaton is an American actor, voice actor, singer and music producer.-Early life:Keaton was born Joshua Luis Wiener in Hacienda Heights, California. He has three sisters: Danielle, Alitzah , and Sabrina...
, who lent his voice in the 2008 series,
The Spectacular Spider-Man.
Stan LeeStan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
narrates the story, which Lee has not done in a video game since 2001's
Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro-Plot:After a brief lesson from Beast, Spider-Man interrupts a robbery at BioTech, planting a tracer on the leader's bike. The tracer leads him to a warehouse, where he interrogates a thug who tells him where to go next. After a battle with Shocker, he heads for the airfield, but is interrupted by...
.
Several actors return to reprise roles from elsewhere in
Spider-Man and Marvel Comics media.
John DiMaggioJohn William DiMaggio is an American voice actor. A native of North Plainfield, New Jersey, he is known for his gruff, deep voice and New Jersey accent, which he uses to voice mainly villains and anti-heroes.-Filmography:...
voices Hammerhead, having previously voiced the character in
The Spectacular Spider-Man.
Steven BlumSteven Jay Blum is an American voice actor known primarily for his work in anime dubs and video games, using his distinctive deep voice. Among his credits include the voice of Spike Spiegel of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and Mugen of the anime series Samurai Champloo...
voices Silvermane 2099, Hobgoblin 2099, Noir Vulture, and Vulture 2099.
Jim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
voices Kraven the Hunter, Tinkerer, Noir Goblin, and Noir Boomerang. Both Steven Blum and Jim Cummings have previously voiced villains in
The Spectacular Spider-Man and
Spider-Man: The Animated Series, respectively.
Thomas F. WilsonThomas F. Wilson is an American actor, writer, musician, painter, voice-over artist and stand-up comedian. He is best known for playing Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future trilogy and Coach Ben Fredricks on NBC's Freaks and Geeks.-Early life:Thomas Francis Wilson, Jr. was...
, who played
Sergeant Stan CarterSin-Eater is a name given to several fictional characters appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those featuring Spider-Man and Ghost Rider.- Stanley Carter :...
on
The Spectacular Spider-Man, voices both Electro and Ultimate Electro.
Nolan NorthNolan Ramsey North is an American actor and voice actor born in New Haven, Connecticut. He has been described as "the nearest thing the games industry has to a bona fide leading man."-Biography:...
reprises his role as Deadpool from
Hulk VsHulk Vs is a 2009 direct-to-video animated film from Marvel Animation and Lionsgate, featuring the Incredible Hulk in two short film battles, one against Wolverine, the other against Thor. Both short films have been rated PG-13 by the MPAA. The animation was by Madhouse, and Kaare Andrews provided...
.
Fred TatascioreFrederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
reprises his role as Carnage from
Spider-Man: Friend or FoeSpider-Man: Friend or Foe is a Spider-Man computer and video game based on the comic book series and Spider-Man movies. The game was released on October 2, 2007....
and
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2.
Jennifer HaleJennifer Hale is a Canadian-born American actress and singer best known for her voice over work in video games like Grandia II, the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of Symphonia, the Metroid Prime trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid games, Brütal Legend, and Disney's...
reprises her role as Silver Sable from
Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man is a video game based on the comic book of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. The game was released for most sixth generation consoles, including PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and Microsoft Windows, as well as a mobile phone...
and
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe while taking on the role of Noir Calypso.
John KassirJohn Kassir is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian who is best known as the voice of the Crypt Keeper in HBO's, Tales from the Crypt franchise...
, who previously voiced Deadpool in
X-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an action role-playing game released in 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, N-Gage, PlayStation Portable, and GameCube video game consoles as well as the PC...
,
Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
and
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, voices Scorpion 2099 as well as a couple of Deadpool's fanboys. Other cast members include
David KayeDavid V. Hope , known professionally as David Kaye, is a Canadian American actor who is better recognized for his work as a voice actor...
as Mysterio,
Matt WilligMatthew Joseph "Matt" Willig is an American actor and former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. He stands 6 feet, 8 inches .-Acting:...
as Juggernaut, Dimitri Diatchenko as Sandman, and
Tara StrongTara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
as Doctor Octopus 2099. Jamie Thomason, the voice director from
The Spectacular Spider-Man series, directed the actors.
Jim DooleyJames Michael Dooley is a film score composer. Dooley studied music at New York University, majoring in music composition. After finishing the university he moved to Los Angeles, where he studied music with prolific film score composers Christopher Young, Elmer Bernstein and Leonard Rosenman...
composed the game's orchestral score.
Reception
The game received fairly positive reviews from critics. The PlayStation 3 version averaged 78.60% and 75/100 at GameRankings and
MetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, respectively. The Xbox 360 version averaged similar scores, with GameRankings reporting 79.37% and Metacritic reporting 76/100. The Nintendo DS has an aggregate score of 74.50% at GameRankings, and the Nintendo Wii version reports 75.30% at GameRankings and 75/100 at Metacritic.
IGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
awarded it 8.0 out of ten and said "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions has a lot of great things going for it."
Game InformerGame Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
awarded it 8.5 out of 10 and said it "it delivers a non-stop action ride with something new around every corner."
GamesRadarGamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
awarded it 7 out of 10 and said "Shattered Dimensions is a good game, but it fell short of an Ultimate Marvel Team-Up."
GameProGamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
awarded it four and a half out of five stars and said "Thankfully, [Spider-Man's] latest adventure, Shattered Dimensions, is one of his best yet, offering four unique worlds, classic Spidey action, and an engaging story that puts it near the top of the franchise both in terms of quality and impact."
The
Nintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version of the game drew mixed reviews. IGN and Digital Chumps praised the visuals. IGN felt the visuals stayed true to the comics, while Digital Chumps the smooth and detailed animations. Reviewers felt that overall the
2.5D2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
Metroidis an action-adventure video game, and the first entry in the Metroid series. It was co-developed by Nintendo's Research and Development 1 division and Intelligent Systems, and was released in Japan in August 1986, in North America in August 1987, and in Europe in January 1988...
-style gameplay was enjoyable, and fit the DS well. Sounds and voice acting were also praised. Some reviewers felt the game was too short, and that not enough emphasis was put on exploring the open world.
Trivia
This game marked the first time that the four Spider-men were made aware of each others' existence. In addition, it is also the only point of time in which Ultimate Peter Parker has actually encountered his Earth-616 counter-part despite Marvel once saying that they would never cross the Ultimate universe with the mainstream-continuity.
External links