Story

The game’s plot seems like something out of a somewhat-lackluster storyline that would've appeared for a few issues in the mid-90s (especially seeing as how Carnage and Venom became regular guest stars at the time). Essentially, it involves Spidey being forced to join forces with mixed group of characters from the comics and movies (Black Cat, Doc Ock, Blade, Green Goblin, Sandman, etc.) at the behest of Nick Fury. There’s a somewhat incomprehensible narrative about an army of nanotechnology and aliens, and it’s never explained why Fury needs Peter Parker and a collection of B-list characters to deal with the threat when he has the amassed collection of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s forces at his disposal. Oh, and the final boss's revelation is one of the biggest letdowns ever if you're at all familiar with Spider-Man lore because of that character's generally lame nature.

Gameplay

There have been plenty of games with crummy plots, and while this one isn’t amazing, it’s certainly not the worst you’ll see. It’s just too bad that the gameplay doesn’t do anything to make us overlook the weak storyline: Friend or Foe’s two-button Beat ‘Em Up style gets old pretty quick, even though it uses both DS screens to encourage exploration of the level (so Spidey can uncover health and cash for upgrades) in an effort to extend the game’s length. There are also a small assortment of minigames thrown into the mix in order to break up the monotony… as minigames go, they’re actually kind of fun, but there are only a few different types and no matter how many times you’ve completed said activity, players will always have to undergo the tutorial explanation before they’re allowed to start solving the puzzle. To say this gets old quickly is an understatement of colossal proportions. The other major problem with gameplay is that boss battles are incredibly dull affairs and a blindfolded baby could beat them without breaking a sweat.

Graphics

Graphically, the game is pleasant enough, particularly in the outdoor environments where backgrounds actually look fairly comic book-like. While the colors are a bit muted, they’re nothing to cry over, either. Personally, I liked the comic portraits (featuring subtle character redesigns that look pretty dang cool) which are used to progress the story, and the dialogue was actually pretty funny to read, too. However, it’s a little sad that the character portraits are the best art in the entire game, too.

Audio

The same comments and criticisms could be made about the title’s music, which is decent but forgettable all at once. However, seeing as how there’s absolutely no character development or any real storytelling going on, a generic techno soundtrack is all that’s really needed to complement the generic action sequences throughout. Voice acting, when it occurs, is decent and the actors are all well-cast, but there really isn't enough speech in the game (aside from the general combat cries and catchprhases) for anyone to really enjoy.

Final Thoughts

All in all, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is one of those DS games which feels like it was really rushed do to its incredibly simple gameplay, short length, and general blah-ness. Unless you’re an absolute web-head who feels obligated to own everything Spidey-related, feel free to swing right past this title.