Spider-Man Unlimited (video game)

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Spider-Man Unlimited
Composer(s)
Pascal Dion
Platform(s)Android, iOS, Windows Phone
Release
  • WW: September 10, 2014
Genre(s)Endless runner
Mode(s)Single-player

Spider-Man Unlimited was an

endless runner game developed and published by Gameloft. It was based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. The player controls the title character and his alternate versions during his fight against the members of the Sinister Six and their multiverse
counterparts. The game's main mode features definitive goals in contrast to the traditional aim of running as far as possible. The game was also known for having regular, special, time-limited, community events.

Announced in June 2014, Spider-Man Unlimited was released for

playability
.

Plot

After Spider-Man defeats a figure known as the

alternative versions. After he defeats the alternative Goblins, Spider-Man fights various versions of Vulture, Electro, Sandman, Doctor Octopus, and Mysterio
, as well as the Sinister Soldiers—armored soldiers working for the multiverse Sinister Six.

Gameplay

health
, the remaining time to defeat the boss, the player's score and score multiplier, another person's score, and the number of vials the player has.

Spider-Man Unlimited is an endless runner game in which Spider-Man runs across New York rooftops, including that of the

combos by overthrowing enemies;[4] almost hitting an obstacle or going through a ring also increases the player's combo count.[3][4][6] Sections in which Spider-Man swings through streets, climbs the sides of buildings and free-falls from buildings are interspersed with the running portions of the game.[3]

The game has a story mode that, in contrast to traditional endless runners, features definitive goals

level and in-game currency: regular vials or rarer ISO-8.[1] Players can improve their power-ups and buy alternate versions of Spider-Man by spending vials.[3][4]

To get a new version of Spider-Man as a "card",[12] players can use their vials or ISO-8 to open portals to an alternate dimension from which a randomly selected Spider-Man arrives.[1][3] Each card can be leveled up and has a star rating[13] called the level cap. To level up a card, players can earn experience points during a run.[1] A card can also be sacrificed to level up another,[1][7] and by fusing two equal cards, players can increase a card's level cap.[1][13] By using vials, which usually gives players a 3- or 4-star character, players have a small chance of acquiring a rare version of Spider-Man,[13] while ISO-8 ensures they get a rare one.[1] Each card has a score multiplier that is raised once a Spider is leveled up[1][13] and a special ability. For example, Spider-Armor increases by 30% the score earned by running.[10] Each card occupies a character slot, of which six are available.[14] Players can unlock slots by completing an issue,[4] or can buy it using vials and, as the price increases, ISO-8s.[14]

In addition to the story mode, the game features an unlimited, de facto endless runner-style mode[2][13] and time-limited events,[12] both of which are score-based games.[13] The leaderboard of the unlimited mode awards prizes based on daily rank.[13] In events, players can compete against other players and win rewards;[1] players earn the Spider-Man featured in that event by ranking at certain positions on the leaderboard or reaching certain objectives.[2] The seventh update added an alliance mode for online players;[15] it is a territorial competition to gain the possession of New York streets, in which a player can join an alliance or create one's own to confront other's alliances.[16] Additionally, players can complete extra missions called "Spidey Ops", in which one or more characters, up to a maximum of six, become unavailable for a set period of time; when they return they gain experience and vials.[1][10]

The game's energy system gives players 5 energy points at the start.[7] Beginning a run in any mode costs one point, and it takes 10 minutes for a point to recharge.[7] Players can pay to refill energy by spending ISO-8s.[3][13] Players can make friends at the leaderboard; once per day they can send and request 5 energy points, which are stored in their inboxes.[4][13]

Development and release

Spider-Man Unlimited was developed and published by Paris-based company

Android OS, and Windows Phone on September 10.[8][23]

The idea for the game was first conceived as the production team thought that endless runner games were popular but were always too similar. To create an endless runner that would

level design team, which was responsible for deciding which obstacles or types of boss attacks fit best, based on how distinct they would be from other levels.[24] As new updates were released, new environments like the New York Highline,[25] 2099 New York and snowy New York were added.[26]

The animation techniques for the characters were based on previous

overpowering them and reducing other characters' value, however, they made Titans difficult to acquire.[27]

Gameloft frequently released updates to the game. The main reason for adding new updates was to group characters thematically and to synchronize with Marvel Comics.

Renew Your Vows character Annie Parker and costumes from the All-New, All-Different storyline.[33] The game even anticipated the comics when a new Spider-Woman's costume debuted in the second update, released in December 2014, before its March 2015 comics debut.[34][35]

The updates also contributed to the main story mode; the first added

RAM,[45] and the sixth also made it compatible with the MFi Program.[37]

Coinciding with the release of Avengers: Infinity War on April 27, 2018, the game released a tie-in event involving Thanos in his quest to collect the Infinity Stones. The 32nd update of the game also featured the release of the Iron Spider based on the movie incarnation as well as the introduction of other characters, particularly those from the Venomverse story.[46] On December 20, Gameloft announced that the game would receive no more updates and would be shut down by March 31, 2019.[47]

Reception

Spider-Man Unlimited has been well received by customers; as of December 2014, it has been downloaded more than 30 million times.

Download.com appreciated its combination of "great graphics, super-spidey skills, and the old-school feel of a classic runner game".[50] For 148Apps.com, Jennifer Allen wrote, "Despite [some problems], Spider-Man Unlimited is a surprisingly well-made endless runner".[5] Peter Willington of Pocket Gamer wrote that those waiting for a Spider-Man game would "be disappointed" but that it is "a high quality auto-runner".[12]

Squires, Willington, and McElroy praised the responsiveness of the game's controls,[3][7][12] and the Download.com staff enjoyed its intuitiveness.[50] Regarding the audio, Musgrave and Willington praised the voice acting, Musgrave commended the soundtrack, and Willington praised the sound effects.[1][12] Musgrave, Willington, and McElroy also commended the animation; Musgrave and Willington mainly appreciated the comic book-like style,[1][12] and Musgrave and McElroy the varied environments.[1][3] Squires said it has "a perfect mix of speed, humor, missions, and collectibles",[7] while McElroy and the Download.com staff highlighted the possibility of having collectible Spider-Men.[3][50] Squires and Musgrave praised the variability between running, swinging, climbing and free-falling; the former stated, "the result is a game that continues to feel fresh long after the hundredth play".[7]

Musgrave commented, "the art style does sometimes hinder the gameplay",

software bugs,[50] while Musgrave and Allen stated the controls sometimes had problems recognizing swipes.[1][5] Squires commented that a problem of the game is its level cap limit when the player is using only one character.[7] However, according to Musgrave, the game's energy system was "the biggest point of controversy";[1] he, Willington, Allen, and Mike Fahey of Kotaku criticized it.[5][8][12] In opposition, McElroy said the energy system is a "microtransaction hook" that is easily surmountable without spending any real money,[3] and Squires affirmed that because of the duration of a run it "ends up feeling a lot fairer in practice than it sounds on paper".[7] While David Chapman of Common Sense Media generally praised the game, saying it "does a great job of capturing the feel of the comic books", he was critical of its frequent adverstising and pop-ups that contributed to what he described as an "ever-present push to buy something".[51]

When Gameloft announced Spider-Man Unlimited would be discontinued, Ryan Winslett of

ComicBook.com noted that fans would be disappointed as the game's plot was not concluded, resulting on a cliffhanger.[48][49] However, Fischer noted some fans were already expecting it,[49] while Winslett stated it is not rare for a mobile game to be shut down without any previous announcement, which made the three-month warning sound good.[48] Winslett also found the discontinuance to be surprising as Spider-Man–related properties at the time such as Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Marvel's Spider-Man were commercially successful at the time.[48]

References

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External links