Play Spider-Man 2 Online

Summary

When the Nintendo DS hit the shelves in North America on November 17, 2004, Spider‑Man 2 arrived as a surprise day‑one launch title. It hit Australian and European stores a few months later, riding the wave of the film’s hype while giving handheld fans a chance to swing through the city on a dual‑screen device.

Developed by Vicarious Visions under Activision’s banner, the DS version was built as a distinct iteration rather than a straight port, which explains its unique feel compared to the console releases. Critics were split: Metacritic settled on a modest 61/100, IGN was generous with a 7.5/10, while GameSpot and Game Informer hovered around the mid‑range, reflecting the game’s uneven polish.

Despite the mixed reception, the title managed to carve out a respectable niche in the handheld market, ranking as the 47th best‑selling game across the GBA, NDS, and PSP platforms in the United States between 2000 and 2006. For a launch‑day surprise, it certainly left its web‑like imprint on the DS library.

Storyline

Spider-Man 2 for the Nintendo DS follows the film’s storyline while adding new scenes and characters. The game is set two years after the events of the first Spider‑Man movie, showing Peter Parker juggling his personal life with his responsibilities as a superhero. When his mentor, scientist Otto Octavius, suffers a lab accident, he transforms into the villain Doctor Octopus and threatens to restart a dangerous fusion‑power experiment. Players must guide Spider‑Man, voiced by Tobey Maguire, to stop Octavius, with Alfred Molina and Kirsten Dunst reprising their film roles as Doctor Octopus and Mary Jane Watson. The narration is provided by Bruce Campbell, who appears in the movie as an usher at Mary Jane’s show.