video game: Sega Genesis Spider-Man & Venom: Separation Anxiety

Peter Parker and his infamous alias Spider-Man first appeared in 1962 in the Marvel comic book "Amazing Fantasy #15." Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he has since become one of the world's most popular characters and is one of the most recognizable superheroes of all time. Through the years, he has appeared in many media versions, including several animated series, a daily and Sunday comic strip, and two very successful motion pictures series Parker Brothers released the first video game featuring Spider-Man in 1982 for the Atari 2600 game console. Entitled simply "Spider-Man," this action game contained both a single and a two-player mode. The game did not receive much notice when it first came out. However, over time it became one of the Atari system����_��s classic games, as players remain drawn to the opportunity to control Spider-Man����_��s web-slinging abilities, and many more games featuring the hero appeared on the gaming market.

LJN released "Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage" in 1994. Gamers play as Spider-Man or his enemy Venom in this single-player, side-scrolling brawler, and must defeat the super villain Carnage. The plot derives from the Spider-Man comic book story arc of the same name. This made "Maximum Carnage" one of the first video games based directly on a comic book story, rather than just its characters.

"Maximum Carnage" received mixed reviews from critics. Nintendojo found its gameplay challenging and frustrating, but enjoyed its recreation of the Marvel universe and the inclusion of characters such as Black Cat, Captain America, and Firestar. The game succeeded commercially, however, and Acclaim Entertainment released a sequel entitled "Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety" in 1995.

Like its predecessor, "Separation Anxiety" is a single-player, side-scrolling brawler. The plot of the game comes from the comic book story "Venom: Lethal Protector." Again, Spider-Man and Venom team up to defeat Carthage.

Reviewers criticized "Separation Anxiety" for its poor replay value, as well as the lack of improvements from "Maximum Carnage." Sega-16 wrote, "It is ultimately a boring experience with unpleasant graphics and highly repetitive gameplay." Nevertheless, Acclaim released a game based on the Spider-Man animated series later in 1995.

Spider-Man remains a very popular character. He expanded the dramatic potential of the fantasy and superhero subgenres by having a strong focus on a younger, more troubled character and his personal struggles. Since his creation, his popularity has led to many of the superheroes who predated him being reworked with more complex personas. In 2012, Marvel rebooted the film series with "The Amazing Spider-Man" starring Andrew Garfield, and Marvel continues to develop video games featuring the web-slinging hero.