Spider: The Video Game (1997). Play online

Summary

Playing Spider: The Video Game feels like a twisted playground for arachnophiles. The cyber‑spider you control comes fitted with a default slasher leg and webs, but the real fun lies in swapping out a handful of ten possible cybernetic attachments—missiles, flamethrowers, boomerangs and electro‑beams—as you hunt down microchips and secret exits in the lab’s sprawling, side‑scrolling maps. Climbing walls, hanging from silk threads, and dodging rival spiders, toxic frogs and cyber‑rats keeps every level feeling fresh, while the occasional loss of upgrades on death adds a sting of tension. Reviewers praised the authentic spider mechanics and non‑linear level design, though some grumbled about the 2‑D camera in a 3‑D world. Sadly, BMG Interactive’s distribution hiccups meant the game reached only about 40 % of the stores it could have, leaving its 200,000‑copy sell‑through far below its potential.

Storyline

Spider: The Video Game drops you into a cyber‑enhanced spider after a lab heist goes wrong. Dr. Michael Kelly’s mind‑transfer device is hijacked, and the Micro Tech boss’s consciousness is forced into the spider, headset fused to its chassis.

The villain’s unconscious body is taken by raiders who aim to strip the device. Now the spider must traverse labs, factories, city streets, a museum, and sewers to retrieve the tech.

Platforming meets puzzle as you hack terminals, swing on webs, and dodge security drones. Collecting data fragments reveals Micro Tech’s plans and pushes you toward a final confrontation.

The climax forces a choice: restore the mind to its human host or accept the spider’s new identity, ending the cyber‑thriller on a retro sci‑fi note.