Activision have a good reputation for delivering quality games based on franchises and the Spider-Man series has been no different. With a story taken directly from the movie, this game delivers players a fast paced adventure game over action packed levels. In fact the game takes you beyond the movie with the addition of some of the other villians in the Marvel stable in Mysterio and Black Cat.

When you first fire up the game you are immediately struck by the quality of the video sequences. They run as smoth as silk, to such an extent the a casual observer would think you were playing a DVD on a mini player (we are not kidding - a couple of people asked just that on seeing the sequences in action). This and the full-on sound hints at a whole lot of arachnoid goodness that is install for you when you play the game.

Before you get to the game proper you are treated to some scene-setting story screens. Well, some isn't right, there is a lot. This can be a bit frustrating when all you want to do is get in and play. You have to go through this sequence every time you play and repeated showings seems to us to be a button-mashing waste of time.

Once in the game itself you immediately embark on a mission to rescue some peeps from a burning building while battling the bad guys along the way. This formula level gives a good hint of things to come and serves to teach you the basic moves. You can run, jump, crawl and crounch. The last of course can be done while ignoring the forces of gravity as you stick to the sides and ceilings of structures.

Combat moves include the basic kicks and puches with the addition of power versions such as the uppercut punch and kick. Thats not all, though, as you also have a raft of special moves. Some of these are available from the outset while others you unlock as you progress. These can be accessed by the touch screen while the main action happens in the upper screen, and moves include Super Jump, Split Kick, Web Net and Web Shot to name a few. Coupled with these are the occasional upgrades to health and power.

The game is basically a side scroller, though in the Spider-Man world this also means scrolling up and down as well. The graphics are great with a great effect when reaching a street corner as the whole scene rotates to create quite a realistic 3D feel to the game. The movments and scrolling are very fluid and the fast pace of the action means this is a game that is hard to put down.

The city area is huge and gives the player an opportunity a go-anywhere, do-anything feel. You are not restricted to the main missions in the game as you can also undertake side missions to fight normal everyday crime in the city. It is just sheer fun to move about the city, as you swing and jump impossible distances and explore the rooftops and the insides of some of the buildings and landmarks of Manhattan.

Siper-Man 2's button layout is good, with everything within easy thumb reach. The lower screen changes for special moves - which can at first be a bit awkward, but the large icons make identification reasonably easy - so after a few minutes of gameplay you can quickly change without taking too much time away from the top screen. The only thing we would have like to have seen is the more common kicking and jumping buttons relegated to the left and right triggers rather than making the thumb take on most of the button mashing duties.