Video game:Atari Spider-Man video game cartridge

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. Gamers must use Spider-Man's web shooters to climb a building and defuse a bomb planted by the Green Goblin. After Spider-Man destroys the bomb, players progress onto the next level, which becomes progressively harder.

In his review of "Spider-Man," Joe Santulli of Digital Press wrote, "It's hard not to like this game...even if it really didn't turn many heads when it was originally released." Indeed, the game did not initially receive much notice. 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.

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.