The Development of Treyarch's Spider-Man 2 (2004) | Retrospective Series

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

*MAY 2024 UPDATE:* My intention was for this video to be the first of a four-part series, but I've struggled to find time and motivation to get back to the ridiculously sprawling project for quite a while. I have nearly three hours of VO recorded and spaced out in an editing timeline, and about an hour of that edited with music and video in rough form, but I can't promise whether I'll be able to complete this retrospective in the future, or whether I'll branch out to some non-Spider-Man topics, as I'd originally hoped to do. I started this whole retrospective thing before either of the other two Spider-Man videos, so I'm really kicking myself for being overly ambitious and confidently announcing something MUCH bigger than this one part I actually finished! Professionally, I edit full-time for clients, often more than five days a week, and I struggle to make room for fun KZbin editing on the side (which feels exactly like more work). And personally, I also had an unusually rough year in 2023 that's unfortunately still affecting me. So there isn't an outright impossible barrier keeping me from working on it, but it's quite a lot of work to do when I felt burnt-out even back in 2022 after some two years of work on the retrospective. So I apologize for anyone who's been hanging on for all this time... I've been in a position where I check in on a KZbinr, or on an artist's social media accounts, every month or so only to be disappointed at finding no updates, so I'm sorry for anyone I've left with a similar experience in the last year and a half. If you're curious, the original plan was for Part 2 to be "Narrative" (the main story and side content), Part 3 to be "Gameplay" (combat and web-swinging), and Part 4 to be "Legacy" (covering people's thoughts on the game over the years, the speed-running community, and the game's cut content, plus a little personal tribute to my favorite game of all time). And if you're REALLY curious, feel free to email me at [e-mail], and I could share the script and unfinished edit with you. And if you're absolutely ABSURDLY interested, then here's a fun example of one of the videos I've been editing professionally, which is really the main thing keeping me from focusing on Spider-Man videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYq6aYZ5n9GKq68 *FEATURED MUSIC:* 0:00 "End Credits" by Danny Elfman (Spider-Man [Film], 2002) 0:24 "Pompeii" by E.S. Posthumus (Unearthed, 2001) 1:02 "Frontend" by Michael McCuistion & Lolita Ritmanis (Spider-Man [Game], 2002) 1:46 "End Credits 1" by Michael McCuistion & Lolita Ritmanis (Spider-Man [Game], 2002) 1:51 / 4:00 / 19:55 "Swing 1" by Michael McCuistion (Spider-Man 2 [Game], 2004) 3:13 / 4:37 "Origin" by Michael McCuistion & Lolita Ritmanis (Spider-Man [Game], 2002) 3:36 "Web Launch" by John Paesano (Marvel's Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps EP [Album], 2018) 6:06 "Main Title" by Danny Elfman (Spider-Man [Film], 2002) 6:29 "Costume Montage / Web Practice" by Danny Elfman (Spider-Man [Film], 2002) 8:35 "Act 1 City 1" by Jamie Christopherson (Spider-Man: Web of Shadows [Game], 2008) 11:08 "Hide and Seek / Act 1 City 2" by Jamie Christopherson (Spider-Man: Web of Shadows [Game], 2008) 12:52 "Spidey Training" by Kevin Manthei (Ultimate Spider-Man [Game], 2005) 14:47 / 20:51 "BC Chase Ending 1 / Chase 1B" by Michael McCuistion (Spider-Man 2 [Game], 2004) 14:56 / 18:55 Stock Music: Concept Art (Spider-Man [Game], 2002) 17:10 "Courthouse" by Tobias Enhus (Spider-Man 3 [Game], 2007) 20:42 / 21:45 "Swing 2" by Michael McCuistion (Spider-Man 2 [Game], 2004) 21:08 "Mysterio" by Michael McCuistion (Spider-Man 2 [Game], 2004) 21:32 "Ock Fight" by Michael McCuistion (Spider-Man 2 [Game], 2004) 22:03 "Karacho" by KMFDM (Spider-Man 2 [Game], 2004) 22:10 "Hung Like a Spider" by KMFDM (Spider-Man 2 [Game], 2004) 22:15 "Spidereggs" by KMFDM (Spider-Man 2 [Game], 2004) 22:34 "Theme from Spider-Man" by The Distillers / Bob Harris and Paul Webster (Spider-Man 2 [Game], 2004) 22:42 "Act 1 City 3" by Jamie Christopherson (Spider-Man: Web of Shadows [Game], 2008) 24:34 "The City 1" by Tobias Enhus (Spider-Man 3 [Game], 2007) 24:46 "The City 3" by Tobias Enhus (Spider-Man 3 [Game], 2007)

[@cherishporter5314]

When is part two going to come out? ,because this first video is Great 👍

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

@@cherishporter5314 I'm really sorry to say this, but not for a few months! I've barely got ten minutes of it roughly edited so far, and I need to do some major script revisions before I can record voiceover for the rest. This first video will probably end up being the shortest of all of these... we're looking at some three hours total!

[@jman97]

This is an insanely detailed and high quality mini doco, so good! I was wondering with the inclusion of the featured music playlist, could you still monetise this video or has it been claimed since? I'd think some video game tracks may go unnoticed but I was wondering especially since you had a Columbia/Sony Pictures OST it might've been snagged? Was just curious for my own video creation in the future, cheers!

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

@@jman97 No issues with any of the movie material. I was trying to keep that somewhat to a minimum! Maybe the more recent movies' scores would set off copyright flags more, but at least the 2002 one seems safe. :)

[@jman97]

@@TheWhoniversalMan Oh that's very interesting! really insightful, just subbed thank you!

[@bubblerap415]

This was definitely one of my favorite games when i was kid

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

I have definitely played this game more than any other through the years. And it's still in semi-regular rotation, which I can't say about many games from that console generation!

[@hellomate2672]

Jesus Christ loves y’all! God bless y’all

[@desertgrowndank7256]

I remember going down to block buster to grab the first and second game lol good times

[@tbirddddd]

I went nuts for this as a teen. As a young kid I would've flipped the fuck out.

[@CoOlKyUbI96]

I would love it if somehow this game got a remake or a remaster. Although I would assume that might not be possible due to licensing issues?

[@AsianBoah]

My 10 year old self never knew this game was that revolutionary. I just knew that something clicked when I first get a feel of the game's mechanics. Great video as always man!

[@yipperdeyip]

Man this game has way better swinging, wallrunning, physics, momentum and gameplay in general than the PS4/5 games. Which is an absolute crime

[@Sfzgxd]

I love these kind of stories. It shows that the developers really cared about the project and wanted to make it as good as it could be. Almost makes you want to cry.

[@BEER-OTFG]

well that was because game dev’s visions back then weren‘t really about creating an art form due to limitations but instead become creative and make the fun factor so much bigger nowadays alot of triple A dev‘s just focus on making the art without acknowledging what makes great art in the first place : having a vision of creative and fun gameplay that can hook you for hours comes first while the other stuff comes second and plays into gameplay alot

[@Wooshey_Wooj]

Yeah Bruce Campbell is one of the HUGE highlights of the games. I recently I’ve been collecting the Raimi games. Right now I’m on Spider-Man 3 on Wii after the PS3 version. And he has different tutorial dialogue which is crazy. He put more work into a different port of a game than the actual port. He’s way funnier on the Wii version. He seems like tired on the PS3 version.

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

I almost included the "Ask your doctor about web splat" line, too! There's a lot of good stuff in the Wii/PS2 version, and it is odd and disappointing that the definitive Treyarch-made version of Spider-Man 3 has the most boring Bruce Campbell commentary of them all. No idea why it's like that!

[@JargonMadjin]

According to some file names in the first movie game, some of his lines were adlibbed, which just makes things even better

[@hellomate2672]

Jesus Christ loves y’all! God bless y’all

[@theoutsiderjess1869]

He was hilarious on the wii if I didn't suck at the game on the wii I would have loved it more than the movie

[@roddydykes7053]

Funny thing about Bruce Campbell is from being a fan of his stuff like Evil Dead and these games/movies as a kid, I mistook Norm Macdonald’s voice as Death in Family Guy, as Bruce’s. They’re not super similar, but weirdly distinctive, so therefore I thought they were the same person, whenever one or the other would do voice lines in shows or movies. Took until Mike Tyson Mysteries to finally realize they were two separate hilarious people.

[@bottombarrelbudgetfilms1854]

Even as a 10 year old when this game came out I had a feeling this game was really something special ahead of its time

[@JJ-zo7jv]

Your narration voice is so iconic to me that I use it in everyday activities “The toothbrush may have given the world some innovation in regards to dental cleaning procedures, but does it hold a candle to its vastly streamlined cousin, the hairbrush? To find out, we have to go all the way back to 1854.” *In Caleb J voice* Love these video essays man! As I’ve said before they are the best ones I’ve ever found on KZbin and you have the perfect skillset to deliver them. Your style is second to none.

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

This is one of the wackiest (and most weirdly flattering) comments I've received! Glad my exaggerated narration works for people. ;)

[@prezidenttrump5171]

That's why you'll never get laid.

[@elugg18]

It’s so crazy to me that the company most known for call of duty nowadays started out making a Spider-Man game 😂

[@superawesomedx]

This is one of the best video essays I've ever seen; the quality of the research is incredible, and the way you make associations [like Doctor Octopus pointing at his inhibitor chip while reading the quote about the gameplay cycle] is very smart. Also the way you drop in music from the games and movies. Thanks for making this!

[@superawesomedx]

Btw, the high-res zones map at 10:08, that looks like the one next to Robbie Robertson's desk? The attention to detail here is insane!

[@KillerTacos54]

It’s truly great to see people still making videos about this awesome game

[@Reedg333]

I lost so many hours to this game lol 28 years old now but still remember this game like it was yesterday

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

27. Me, too. ;)

[@sukhoifockewulf]

Yo, Reed! Been a fan of your chan since 2009, your mudcrab video fricking rocks brah!

[@grayb8747]

27 brotha!! top 3 games for me for sure as far as impact on me

[@Reedg333]

@@sukhoifockewulf I'm just seeing this comment but that's insane to run into someone familiar with my channel! Haha thank you bro!!

[@davidsolimene5367]

is 5:16 a prototype for the first movie game? the spider icon for the health meter looks like the same back emblem from the first movie

[@LightsJusticeZ]

Besides the amazing web swinging, I'll always remember that aerial kick combo where you're repeatedly kicking a bad guy in the air. Also loved webbing up bad guys and having them dangle from a light post.

[@nickwilson2274]

I loved when the bad guys were on rooftops. I would always throw them off lol

[@GhostOfSparta305]

The coverage you’ve been giving this old gem is amazing, and your videos are so well edited. Thanks for teaching the youngins where great Spider Man games started!

[@Dacijo]

The swinging in spiderman 2 is more satisfying than even the newer games. it always feels like you can get better at it, in the newer games it feels too easy.

[@DelcoAirsoft]

Let me tell you, playing this game during the PS2 era was really, truly, something else. I would boot this game up almost every day just to swing around the city. It was such a great and memorable game that even when Spider-Man 3 launched on PS3 with significantly better graphics, it wasn’t as good as this. Some in-game highlights include but are not limited too, - Grappling and enemy, climbing to the top landing of a fire escape with him still in your hand, charging the jump meter, leaping as high as possible and then using the corkscrew maneuver to slam the enemy’s head through the grate of the fire escape. If done correctly the enemy’s body will start glitching out and twitching. This provides endless hours of entertainment and laughter. - Saving the lost ballon for the child, handing it back to him and hearing his grandpa ask, “What do we say?” and having the child respond with, “My Balloon!” instead of “Thank You.” which is the correct programmed response. - Playing the game so much that you can still recite lines from NPC’s such as “It’s always somthin in this town.” and fun responses from Spider-Man such as “Get a job!” - “If you only knew.” as well as “Spidey, da the man!” - “You da woman?” - Riding the helicopter to the Statue of Liberty. - Not understanding how to fight Doc Ock and getting your head bashed in multiple times. Bottom line, this game is a PS2 masterpiece.

[@AndyAndyAndy11111]

Randomly found this video through the algorithm and wtf how does this have only 15k views? Incredibly well put together and I can't wait for the next part!

[@dblockbass]

very underrated. As teen always wondered how this went largely overlooked. the contrast between the first game and namely from every spiderman game before that. it really started introducing the beginning of a swinging physics-based engine. opened up so much more Spidey could do. I put hours upon consecutive hours into this game.

[@Slop_Dogg]

This game was a revelation to me as a child. I had played open world games like GTA Vice City, but this really knocked my socks off. I had to plug my PS2 into the big TV in our living room so everyone could see how amazing it looked.

[@BillyEilish]

This is my favorite spider-man game of all time. I appreciate you taking the time to go over these topics. Some of the lines from the game still resonate in my head "Geez louise, there's always something in this town". Also, "GET A JOB!" I love it. Thank you!! :)

[@thebrockoppside]

The amount of nostalgia I have for this game is insane. Still one of my favorites of all time. Excellent video!

[@AggieNC]

I'm 38 and I played all the the Spider-Man games as they came out from the PS1 to Web of Shadows / Ultimate Spider-Man. The Stan Lee narration of the Activision games was perfect for the comic bookey feel they were going for. I still remember being confused about Spider-Man and Venom talking about SubMariner. And the villains playing poker! This was an utterly mind blowing experience. I treasure it and compare it to the experience of Arkham Asylum in the sense that it took comic-based games to a new level.

[@WalkingSpider3825]

I’m so happy you’re back. I loved your spider-man vid from last year!

[@abdulazizm.alshehri3420]

Not gonna lie, i thought this video was done by a high budget channel initially. Top notch video my friend. I really enjoyed watching it.

[@Limes_not_Lemons]

Just came into my recommended after taking a break from the recent Insomniac remaster on PC, fantastic video. Earned a sub and will definitely check out the rest of the series :)

[@bewaretheconficker]

What a brilliant vid, you're doing it justice for sure with this level of analysis and production quality! Can't wait for the next part. This has gotta be my favorite game ever, the one I put the most time into for sure, I even posted the pizza theme on KZbin 11 years ago lol. I remember seeing the first screens of this game in 2003 with Spidey jumping down to street level and it was like the most anticipated thing ever for me as an 8 year old just hearing you'd be able to go anywhere and webs would be attaching to buildings, the hype was real and you captured that well. Some of the later Activision released Spidey games may have done other things better but even at the time I would always still go back to this one cuz the focus on the traversal and mechanics was just so fluid, tactile, and satisfying to pull off and that is the core as said by Jamie. Love the Insomniac games of course but something about these physics here is just so chaotic in a fun way. I really wish someday somehow some earlier builds of this game could find their way to us so see maybe how that E3 03 build worked (seemingly still trying to hold onto the first game's graphical fidelity) or how much of the Lizard/Kraven/Calypso sewer section was finished (a ton of voice lines for all the characters and Spidey dialogue for it all is in the files!). All these years later this game is still just as fun to come back to and swing around, truly a good vibe!

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

Oh my gosh, those 2003 screenshots! I was 7 when I was getting picked up from school and got surprised with the completely unexpected issue #122 of GameInformer featuring Spider-Man 2! (Unfortunately, I got the Tony Hawk's Underground cover, but that game is also one of my favorites, so I guess it works out.) Yeah, absolutely mind-blowing. I'm going to talk about some of my personal feelings about the game at the end of this series, but one fun anecdote is that I started playing Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro on PS1 more than I'd play the first movie game, specifically because I'd play the "Burglary Interrupted" level, where you get to go from street to rooftop across a small city section... and I played that level over and over, because it's as close as I could get to the REAL experience that was still a whole year away. So I guess you and I have been obsessed with an eighteen-year-old game for NINETEEN years. ;) I'd love to get my hands on that 2003 version, too-those visuals looked pretty distinctive and cool (pop-in aside)-and Spider-Man 3's Lizard and underground elements are no substitute for more of Spider-Man 2! I'm going to put together everything I can possibly find and infer about cut content at the end of this series, including lots of those unused voice lines. Ultimately, yeah... there's just something about this game that's easy to jump back into, and I feel like I'm still able to see new stuff every time I play thanks to the openness of the physics system. By comparison, I get a thrill whenever I play the Insomniac games too, but I usually feel like I've hit a wall and run out of things to do traversal-wise within 5 minutes! The only thing I really regret is that in all my time of playing, I still haven't 100%ed the game. Partly that's because I've had tons of separate saves across multiple consoles (and lost my original one by mistake when copying between PS2 memory cards), but most naggingly, it's that there's still nearly a dozen challenge races that I'm unable to finish under the Mega Time. I don't think I'll ever be Slyfincleton-good. :P

[@bewaretheconficker]

@@TheWhoniversalMan Love hearing other's experiences with these things, that's great! Not sure how you plan on tackling the cut-content stuff but if you need any additional visuals for those bits I would be happy to lend a hand doing artistic interpretations of some missing scenes. I'm finishing work on my comic book series and will be looking for things to do soon, so just throwing it out there. Getting to imagine how some of those Lizard/Kraven/Calypso bits may have looked would be like getting to address something that has haunted the corners of my brain for 19 years! I've seen those few Ian Hosfeld storyboards that are out there and they're wonderfully cool- I want more!

[@kennykenny1616]

This is kinda random but I love that the music used at around 6:35 in the video appears in the movie when Peter is coming up with the concept/designing his look, while in the video it’s set to the developers coming up with the concept/establishing the foundation of web swinging just a fun parallel I noticed

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

Using that music was a late change, but I'm glad it worked! That's always been one of my favorite movie scores... just something really charming and cool and inventive about that piece. :)

[@SHARPSPEED]

Before Insomniac, before even Rocksteady, there was this. The king of superhero games. The yardstick in which all were measured.

[@nathanfranklin3660]

Great documentary! A blatant labour of love and it shows. I used to play this game all the time as a kid - and loved the web-slinging. I also like how you highlighted one of the game's more underrated aspects - the Black Cat storyline. I look forward to seeing the next part

[@VGGamess]

Absolutely criminal that you aren’t at 1m yet; top tier quality fr 🤯🔥🔥

[@coryweldon1603]

Brilliant work like always! Excited to see part 2! Don't leave us hanging too long.

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

I'm excited about part 2 also, but I can't promise not to leave people hanging for a bit! ;)

[@davidoverton1496]

I absolutely loved this game. One of my favorite mechanics was when you were web swinging, if you were close to the ground. He would run, keeping the momentum and swing back up. Great video!!!

[@danielmontero8200]

It's too bad that wasn't implemented in the Insomniac games. But hey, hopefully it will be added in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PS5. Just imagine that cool feature, but with amazing graphics & a really great looking Raimi trilogy suit model.

[@vigneshsubramanian2511]

This, Ultimate Spider-man, and the Neversoft games are some of my favorite games ever. I'm glad the internet is giving it the appreciation I always thought was never there growing up.

[@realderek]

I wish companies would open-source these old games so that passionate developers could go in and fix bugs / add features.

[@369Sigma]

They can, they can even technically release their “fixes”, they just can’t sell them or make profit of any kind. Which does kind of suck, there’s little incentive in fixing old games outside of passion

[@GavinAeilts]

This video is actually awesome. I really hope it continues to take off because it deserves way more views than this.

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

Thank you... here's hoping! :) Those previous two Spider-Man videos really took off a lot more than I expected, so hopefully this one will do some business too, even though it's not as up-to-date topic-wise. I'm kinda hoping I'll get a boost in the algorithm once they debut some new material from Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which might be pretty soon... ;)

[@intuitive_conscious_being_3452]

@@TheWhoniversalMan I´m guessing that same witch SM2. This is the wave you are riding on.

[@spider-jonah-man7148]

I grew up on the 360 generation of Spider-Man games so when I saw videos of this game I was put off by the dated graphics because i was a shallow child at the time, but during quarantine I gave it a try and it’s easily one of my favorites now. Also I really like how they do mysterio in this game.

[@antonydandrea]

My favourite bit is when you first meet Mysterio robbing a store and the game trolls you by making his health meter fill up 3 times making you think its going to be some tough boss battle......then you just hit him once and he's out.

[@spider-jonah-man7148]

@@antonydandrea same it’s very accurate to how he is depicted in the comics.

[@Truekingr6]

the fact that you can send out TWO web lines and use 2 hands is a huge game changer

[@jaycobrichardson7041]

Oh my god, you’re back! I’d check in every now and then to see if there would be a new video like this. Thanks!

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

Sorry for the huge delay. And sorry for future delays in advance! It's just tough for me to find time to work on these, especially as I already spend most of my time editing videos as my day job.

[@jaycobrichardson7041]

@@TheWhoniversalMan don’t worry about it! As long as the quality of video hasn’t decreased (it hasn’t), then you’re fine! Take as much time as you need to.

[@volcomintality8638]

Amazing how the swinging and story still holds up to this day. While Spider-Man 2018 tries to encapsulate some of 2004's swinging feel, it doesn't feel as free and I miss that. Such a great game.

[@rafdor5131]

I’m glad you gave Spider-man 2 credit for the dodge mechanism which was done way before Arkham.

[@DatPRGuy2017]

I'd argue that dodging was done way before Spider-Man 2 Prince of Persia games prior and Mark of Kri had dodges and counterinh

[@deadpoolcoolkidg1222]

Not really since there is no dodge in Arkham only counter also this game is nothing like Arkham plus ARKHAM is the greatest superhero game in the world and will remain so

[@rafdor5131]

@@deadpoolcoolkidg1222 lol

[@deadpoolcoolkidg1222]

@@rafdor5131 what can I say I just don't like when people speak About the Arkham games as if they set the standard straight😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂🤷

[@deadpoolcoolkidg1222]

@@rafdor5131 For superhero games to come in the near future😜

[@danielmontero8200]

This is one heck of a video you made. Greatly edited and thought out. I can tell this took time, but boy was it worth it. I never had the chance to play this game as a child, so I feel like I missed out. I know this won't ever happen, but I would absolutely love a HD remake of this game. I would love for it to be released on PS4, Xbox One, next gen (or current gen depending on how you look at it) & PC. This imaginary remake would fix the core issues the game has & in theory, add the cut content that was never released. It would also remake the models. Again, thanks for the great video.

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

This is just a fifth of what what I've been working on for this game's coverage... I hope the other parts succeed just as much! ;) And, yeah, I'd love a remake, too. It's a shame that the only version with okay-ish visuals is stuck on Xbox where emulation isn't nearly as viable as on GameCube. (I emulated the GameCube version for those HD free-cam photo mode-like shots, but most of the video is stuck in an aspect ratio even squarer than 4:3 because I wanted to showcase those definitive Xbox visuals.) I'm going to cover the cut content as thoroughly as I can at the end of this series, but apparently all that underground/sewer stuff was cut in the last few months of development, so it was probably pretty far along and would surely have been finished later as DLC had the game released in modern times. I hope most of that stuff still exists somewhere, and would love to see it come to light! :)

[@danielmontero8200]

@@TheWhoniversalMan I looked for Spider-Man 2 game cut content on KZbin, but nothing came up. Perhaps going on Twitter or Reddit can get you something interesting. I haven't tried it yet, who knows. Just a suggestion. By the way, I hope you don't mind me asking but do you think there can be a video about Spider-Man Web of shadows in the future? I know it's not a perfect game & has it flaws, but when I played it I remember having the most amount of fun. I would like to hear your thoughts, if not that's okay.

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

@@danielmontero8200 I'll be going off interviews, concept art, and numerous unused audio clips. I've got access to every audio file in the game and will go through those thoroughly... I've already discovered a boss fight with a giant flame-spewing robot in the theater (hence the fire), dialogue for tons of side missions where shop owners get raided and you have to track down stolen items, cats you have to save from trees (with the Balloon Kid crying for their kitty!), and a bunch of Lizard-related lines. There are some videos that compile unused lines, but I don't think anyone's gone through all of it and presented a complete picture of what it all reveals. So look forward to that at some point (by next summer)! ;) And, yeah, I think I need to address Web of Shadows more at some point. I think its combat system is fairly innovative and genius-it doesn't get me in the tactical problem-solving mindset of Spidey, but it turns up the acrobatic/stylishness to 11. Story isn't my cup of tea and isn't what I want of Spider-Man, and same goes for the visuals. But the swinging is the most contentious point, with a passionate group that rank it far and away as #1 out of all the Spider-Man games. I'd rank it over MOST Spidey games, but while it's impressively fast and smooth and has lots of fun hidden mechanics, it's missing something crucial to me, which is a real sense of speed and weight and momentum. And I also don't think the physics are quite as interesting and complex as in Spider-Man 2. So I guess that's the short version of my thoughts on Web of Shadows. I want to do KZbin videos about other topics (I seem to have fallen pretty quickly into a Spidey niche!), and since I'll be working on further videos in this retrospective series for a while, I don't think I'll be giving more coverage to WoS any time soon. I appreciate the interest, though. :)

[@danielmontero8200]

@@TheWhoniversalMan Thanks for the good news. Looking forward to the next part.

[@tylerwhiteeee]

Amazing. You didn't forget a thing. Did as much research as possible. I really enjoyed this. Great work

[@CalebHimself]

Legendary freaking game, and the Bruce Campbell narration is iconic. Thank you Treyarch for making my childhood.

[@kamekakarot]

This is the type of content I love to see on KZbin. Thank you for all your effort on this video, excellent work!

[@zackwaffen9210]

i can tell how much work you put into this. Nice job dude this was awesome

[@kennybrownjr3991]

Love the content man! Keep Striving 💙💙💙

[@WaddleDee105]

Incredible retrospective so far! I agree wholeheartedly with you that there really is something special about the web-swinging and massive NYC Treyarch created. A really impressive feat not only for a 2004 game, but a licensed movie game at that! Looking forward to part 2!

[@VanillaTried]

This has ONLY 1K VIEWS??? you deserve so much more, this video is extremely entertaining

[@justinbarton8808]

one of my favourite games to this day. i can't believe they got away with blackcat's outfit for a kids game.

[@hassankhalid4969]

12 year old me was mindblown by the fact that you could control the height of your jump

[@Paint_The_Future]

One of the hint markers in the city has Bruce Campbell saying, "If you click on every hint marker in the city, then they'll all change to say something different." When you do and click on any hint marker from that point forward, it's just Bruce Campbell saying, "...Something different."

[@nik2j]

Great work, awesome video. One of my favorite games ever! Very minor thing but I love that you used the yellow font from the game throughout the video :D

[@ayochill9716]

Myself and my brothers loved this game, played it for countless hours, great video; and if any developers end up seeing this many of us are very grateful for your work. You did something special here!

[@ssssssssssssssssss50]

22:34 that was also the end credits song of the PC verion. Man i loved that game as a kid

[@momenmody5060]

This was amazing bruh I never saw all of this details you earned a sub good job

[@crazy2720]

Love taking a look back at older games. Great video man.

[@GamingintheAM0801]

Man, I miss being able to do stuff like swing in a circle just by building enough momentum. The Insomniac game is great, but the swinging is so automated it comes off as a bit shallow. Also, you left out one of the best Bruce Campbell moments! He tells the player that if they find all the hint markers in the city, they'll all change to say something different. If you actually do this, the hint markers will do just that: they'll all change to have Bruce Campbell literally say "Something different."

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

Maybe there's a place to mention "something different" later in this series. I originally had a 45-minute script (back in 2020!) going over the whole game, and ended it with a reference to that.

[@aidenessex4577]

I'll forever be so grateful that these guys went so above and beyond to make this game have such creative and satisfying movement. I remember being very young, I must have been like 4-5. I knew Spidey could run, and I knew he could stick to walls. So naturally I wondered to myself if I could make him run on the wall. The game's controls weren't simple per se but definitely highly intuitive because, even with my rudimentary brain and half-baked little hands, just by extrapolating from the movement I DID know I was able, after much trial and error, to execute my first wall-run and it absolutely blew my mind. The game's feel just made sense. In this game, if you find yourself wondering if a certain maneuver is possible, it probably is. Yet it never felt aggravating to learn to incorporate this exhaustive selection of movement options. You still CAN screw up, and the game still leaves that problem-solving up to the player instead of hand-holding. But this only makes it feel so much more rewarding. There's just so much flow. Even today, maybe even especially today, there just aren't many games that manage to capture that essence.

[@intuitive_conscious_being_3452]

Very nice topic! And very clever to continue the focus on spider-man. If you want, you can also maybe focus on other games, but this is a good start. And again, I love your editing-fitting-with-your-talking-and-rhythm-of-mointing-out. It has a very pleasant flow to it which gives the video-watcher a hand to step in the topic. And what is also really enhancing is your openness for the aspect of feelings and the way you integrate these experiences in your presentation by combining -your editing style, -your way of using words in the right time -and your way of intuitively using your tone of voice so that the watcher knows what you mean and can follow you in your flow of feeling. This gives the experience of watching your video a whole other and in some cases and aspects new depth. When watching your video, I have very easy access to the informations you are giving (because of the way you present them). This makes the connection between you and your watchers way more accessible so that they can connect it with their own information and get a better way to comment more openly. Thank you for your work🙏

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

Wow, thanks for the thoughtful comment! :D The editing definitely takes a lot of time, and there's changes I'd love to make, but I also have about two-and-a-half hours yet to produce for this series, so I have to leave things be now and then! I was really upset with myself for making things way too intense and fast-paced with the Miles Morales video, and hopefully I've done a little better this time making the commentary and visuals absorbable and less overwhelming. Still a work in progress, but I love using as many relevant shots as possible, and I'm especially getting a kick out of using so much music from various Spider-Man media. :) I definitely want to tackle some other subjects at some point (Onimusha and Life Is Strange are high on my list... maybe Doctor Who, Batman: Arkham, or Steven Spielberg's A.I. at some point!), but I set out to do a Spider-Man 2 retrospective before the previous couple Spidey videos and want to see that through, especially when I've received so much viewership so far! I seriously wish I could get this stuff done and uploaded faster, but responses like yours make me really happy whenever I see them. :)

[@intuitive_conscious_being_3452]

O wow! First of all, thank you for responding. That makes the connection more grounded. Secondly, personally, I really enjoyed the flow of the miles morales video. It’s still one of my favorite KZbin videos because of the flow it has with the fast-paced emotional and thus still trackable flow of information. I noticed that you said in your answer that you were upset with yourself for making this intense and fast pacing. From my side, the thing you were upset about was the actual thing that made your video so creative and watchable. Also because you gave the pacing many moments to breathe by having low longer showing times for the headline of the next chapter of the video. It really felt like I was swinging with Spidey through the city. And in the moments of intensity and flow where you were explaining something and showed at the same time what you meant with your editing This felt like the moment when Spidey swings down to the street and feels the rush of getting almost too close to the street level and then again swinging up and jumping off the web. The moment when he is jumping off the web and making some pose or something was the moment of breathing where you slowed down the pacing of the video. And this was a very nice feeling and enjoyable rhythm. In the new Spider-Man 2 video, you still have this flow but as you already said you scared yourself away from this fast-paced and kind of intensity pushing the emotional moment of swinging down to the street. I’m using this picture as a metaphor to tell you that the actual thing that you said you were angry about was the thing that got so many people attracted to your video. Or at least I felt like this is actually the style that makes your video making so unique and creative. Because in this emotional and feeling and intuitive flow you have the genius to point out some aspects of the creativity of moving and having ideas that are really inspiring for many others. After watching the miles morales video I scrolled through the comments and read so many people engaging with on the one hand yoour way of generating this flow in the pacing and on the other hand your ideas and the way you told and presented these ideas. And this directness has only this much of an impact when the one who gives the impulse is himself open to his own feelings and also open to delivering this flow of feeling. And I feel like you have the talent to give a visual form to this flow of feeling: -with your style of editing -but also by connecting the editing with your way of talking and talking rhythm like you did it in the miles morales video. The interesting thing with feeling is that you can grasp way more abstract topics and perspectives. But when you use pictures and connect these pictures to your way of talking then you can also generate a channel through which the viewer can step into this way of grasping the topic with the feeling. I feel like his is also the reason why so many people were engaging with you... because you got them on the moving energy and feeling level (the emotional). So this channel you were creating and using is the actual reason why you got attention. And this is a talent. I hope my talking about it so directly helps you to see what you can do.

[@intuitive_conscious_being_3452]

@@TheWhoniversalMan I hope my comment is readable. :D

[@intuitive_conscious_being_3452]

@@TheWhoniversalMan It´s a very nice idea to talk about "life is strange" it has so much depth of emotion and meaning so that you can do exactly what you are good at. Onimusha is completely new to me. But let´s see what comes around in the flow of creation.

[@intuitive_conscious_being_3452]

@@TheWhoniversalMan And for your hope to get things done faster. I trust in the rhythm of creativty. When it is finished then it will be good. Who this reminds me of is the KZbinr "The Imaginary Axis" who is one of those who are uploading only when they can give good quality. I feel like it´s allways about finding that spot of harmony between quantity and quality which is the sweetspot for you to work. And when you have found/create that sweet spot your community will grow the most. Because of authentic resonance.

[@Gamen4Bros]

The first game I ever played and the start of me being a big time spidey fan!

[@mercuritztuvecinoyamigo2214]

You are literally my inspiration for making videos, im gonna enjoy this!!

[@YoungHeuva]

Sometimes it’s hard to determine if we’re looking at games like this with rose colored glasses. Parts of this game are burnt into my memory. Having revisited within the past year (along with Insomniac’s iteration) there is just something undeniable about Treyarch’s version that Insomniac has yet to capture. Love the video as always and I’m glad that you’re keeping at it!

[@AP90x]

Yea this swinging was different man, insomniac said they went with 100% physics but they didnt, there are some problems that take the fun out of the web swinging in that game, the invisible wall on the ground not allowing sm to do the street run while swinging, the absence of fall damage takes the thrill out, and the automatic release of the web when you dont want that. They also need to map the run button on to another button off of the web slinging button because when u are sprinting and you try to jump sm will perform a unwanted web swing. They also need to add some more moves, attaching a web from each hand while standing still, backing up and letting the elastic momentum catapult you forward is needed, the running on the ground while a web is attached to a building, fall damage so when i let that web go at the last second I feel like I narrowly escaped death, and that thing in the spiderman two movie where he was web swinging with his back super close to the ground while he was weaving through traffic, and shit throw in being able to attach webs to cars, trains and helicopters and put islands in the city.

[@tompy3738]

I didn't go to any social functions once this game came out and I got it. It was undoubtedly one of the best gaming moments in my entire life playing this game

[@GeZz.]

wow this was a nice review my man , i love ur voice. going to check more of your vids! =)

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

Thank you! :) I wish I had more to offer, as this is only the third video essay I've done so far!

[@apictureoffunction]

I remember having the DVD of Spider-Man 2 and constantly re-watching the special feature about the game. It was really focused on the web swinging and I wanted to play it so badly, I finally got to when my friend/neighbor got it and I loved swinging around for hours.

[@dymoure]

This is my favorite video game of all time. Needless to say I very much appreciate your research and commentary. Like the developers, I regularly blow off steam when swinging around.

[@M64bros]

Let me tell you, This Spider-Man game was the very first Spider-Man game I've played ever since I was little. Then a few months after that I saw Spider-Man 3 the movie on DVD and that was the day that got me to love Spider-Man for life. The Game itself is really legendary and iconic

[@P1SM]

I've been covering Spider-Man games for about a decade now. What an amazing well put together video. Was a total blast watching this. (I totally thought you were going to use the SM2 Bruce Campbell quip about there only being one attack button when you mentioned that)

[@Truthfulnerd]

This was an amazing video, no pun intended, and glad you made it. I remember buying this day one on ps2 and took the day off. Knew nothing about the free roam world when I picked it up, but was a massive Spider-Man fan and knew I needed to buy it. I was surprised and spent years continuing to play it.

[@whattheheckification]

This was the first open world game I ever played, and it blew my mind when my friend first brought it over to show me. I knew I had to buy it.

[@ooiiooiiooii]

How dare you show me the remastered version of Peter's face from Marvel's Spider-Man. I screamed.

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

I was hoping it'd help some people get used to it. I'd like it to be less painful when the sequel comes around.

[@nerdology1019]

I remember being 6 and my 16 y/o cousin bringing over his GameCube while he babysat and being completely blown away at being able to “be” Spider-Man

[@KissyG]

This deserves more views!!!!!!! Great analysis man im itching for the next vid!! Keep it up man :)!

[@ChrisFalconBuilds]

Great video - loved every second! Don't forget the iconic pizza music!

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

I'm going to cover the pizza missions in the next video! ;)

[@ShabatMP5]

your freakin amazing! your editing, your choices are top notch! you do great research and i like your point of view. please make more of these! i know they take u a while but it's worth it, hope ur proud of these vids cuz u should

[@dayanvaldes1349]

Bro what a beautiful work, nice hot warming, nostalgic and deep video about the one spidey game that change how to experience our friendly neightbour make a lot of us very happy when we were kids ❤️ really apreciate this, again beautiful work

[@chubbz4211]

I never thought I'd hear Bruce say "Oh too much mustard" ever again and yet here I am watching my entire childhood flash before my eyes from that quote.

[@Youngkingcalisthenics]

The swing mechanics in Spider-Man 2 was surreal as a kid

[@Dohsoda]

The original Spider-Man trilogy of games may not have been perfect, but as a child / teen getting into Spider-Man, I loved them. Great memories playing Spider-Man 1 Game Cube and even hearing the music from the game in this video is beautifully nostalgic.

[@SBMatic]

I love seeing that the combat still looks practically the same in the new game with the web and air attacks

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

Spidey has a long history of floating in midair while punching people, and it started here! :P

[@antonydandrea]

The next Spider-man game needs to bring back the slingshot move and the spinning around poles.

[@Mr.Anthis]

I love your content! Glad your back!

[@robertsonkev]

Excellent excellent video! Loved the deep insight into the games development. This is truly a blessing. Looking forward to future content! This game has always been a deep part of my childhood. They really did something special with the web slinging here.

[@THEODSTKING117]

incredibly well done video. this game was such a big part of my childhood growing up.

[@OFWGKTADGD]

Loved this game. Tripped me out when I later noticed it was treyarch that made it before the big CoD wave hit.

[@bibleboiben]

I remember this game! My dad will always be playing this and I just remember that's how he got me into superheroes!

[@Rdasboss]

They were right, the swinging is so good its all we remember. The combat was serviceable that it too is remembered pretty fondly. Its a shame the bean counters couldn’t spare a few more months.

[@AveryPennewell]

YESSSSS THANK YOU FOR THIS CALEB

[@TrippleNineSIXBandOfficial]

Happy Belated birthday!! This retrospective is wonderful 😁 The fact that you clearly understand music and instruments as well, you must be a musician too! Haha This game IS my childhood

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

Thank you! :) Unfortunately, I actually consulted a friend (who provided VO for the developer quotes) who has more musical experience to add some of those details to the music section. But technical knowledge aside, all the musical appreciation expressed is my own! ;)

[@TrippleNineSIXBandOfficial]

@@TheWhoniversalMan regardless a great video bud! Subscription earned 🤘🏻😎

[@billybollockhead5628]

I was a massive fan of the swinging in this game .. we need more of that

[@Slyfincleton]

Great vid, I remember your other video on this game's swinging also being good so you're on a roll, looking forward to another! (Also wanted to point out real quick that the random "green" interiors in the city actually do have a purpose - they get robbed sometimes! I definitely don't blame you for not knowing that though since its only ever happened to me a handful of times in over a thousand hours and there's no award for stopping x number of crimes for it like a lot of crimes)

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

Oh, nice to see you here-talk about validation! :D I'll be getting into depth with the swinging mechanics later in this series and wrapping it up with a look at the game's legacy, including the speedrunning community, so you'll most definitely merit a shoutout at some point. I'd love to feature some of your thoughts (maybe by way of a video chat interview), but absolutely zero pressure. :) And regarding the interiors, I guess it didn't click for me that crimes could happen in ANY of those... over the years, I've encountered perhaps four bank robberies and one bookstore robbery (which I actually managed to capture and will feature in the next video). That bookstore one should have alerted me that there's use for more of the interiors!

[@Slyfincleton]

@@TheWhoniversalMan Yeah I'd be down for an interview whenever! feel free to DM me on twitter or discord or whatever else works for you!

[@adamkucaba3769]

Finally someone decides to make this.

[@iloveketchup20]

I love the fact Spider-Man 2 has the best movie and the game

[@TheWhoniversalMan]

Can't say it any better than that! ;)

[@wolfcat8632]

Yet another excellent video, well done

[@romeocrumb1]

I didn't know at the time, but when I bought this game I was maybe 10 years old, and I played this game almost everyday until I was 15. And I still fondly remember everything about it. To the little sound effects when you finish an objective. Sooo good.

[@jmnugget]

I remember I fell asleep in class and was sent out of the room by our teacher because of not being able sleep the night before the release date of this game. I was so excited and happy playing Spider 2 and 3. Now I'm 30, I missed how I felt playing these kinds of games.

[@aaronsaldanacisneros]

This was a really well put together video. Thank you for gathering all this information and making it fun to watch. My favorite childhood game that I had no idea had a huge time crunch. Always fun to learn everyone is still human after all. Can't wait for part 2!!

[@thekidtrey1949]

As a kid this game looked like what spidy ps4 looks like now haha. So nostalgic. Sure the graphics are dated but this game is almost 2 decades old. It was ahead of its time

[@ShadowMan64572]

25 square kilometer map? I always wondered whether or not the map was bigger than 3 or VC, but bigger than 4? Never would have guessed.

[@BluesFanUK_]

Played this relentlessly as a teenager, still remember reading the Playstation magazine of all the improvements they'd made. I was playing this still when the Superman game was announced and how revolutionary that was going to be...