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What it was
Arcade has snatched Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine and Gambit, and Spider-Man swings in to find them. The first stage is an abandoned building where you switch off Security Eyes in the order your Spider-Sense tells you. Past that is Murderworld, Arcade's simulated death trap, where each hero has two events to clear before Spider-Man gets a final showdown with the man himself.
You can pick any hero's first event, but their second only opens once the first is done. The catch is the lives. They're shared, so if one hero loses a life, they all do. That makes every character's stage your problem.
It's not a straight run-and-jump. Each event is its own stage inside Arcade's rigged playground, which is why the Security Eyes opener sets the tone: look, think, then move.
Where it sits in history
LJN released it on the Super NES in 1992, with Software Creations developing. Versions also appeared on the Genesis and Game Gear (under the Flying Edge brand) and the Game Boy. The X-Men animated series was airing at the time, and the game's development was influenced by its popularity and by LJN wanting to build on its earlier Spider-Man and X-Men games.
Reviews split by system. Super Gamer gave the SNES version 75% and called it attractive for any comics fan, with varied and tough gameplay. The portable versions fared worse. GamePro called the Game Boy controls frustratingly imprecise, and Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Game Gear version 6 out of 10.
How it plays today
The idea is the best bit. Swapping between five heroes with different moves keeps it fresh, and the shared life pool means you can't just coast on your favourite. It's a tough one, and the Security Eyes opening asks you to pay attention before the fun starts.
Comics fans will have the best time. If you wanted a clean, forgiving platformer this isn't it, and the portable versions are worth skipping. On the SNES it's a decent licence game that tried something a bit different.
What I'd tell a mate: go in knowing it's hard, pick a hero whose stage you enjoy to start, and don't be precious about losing a life. It isn't just your life you're losing.
Compared with
- Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage: Another Spider-Man brawl on the SNES, with a very different shape.
- Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six: Spider-Man on his own, without the shared-lives gimmick.
- X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse: Marvel heroes on the SNES again, from the X-Men side.
Why it matters
Self-determination research says games hook us when they meet our need for competence, autonomy and relatedness. Arcade's Revenge builds a version of relatedness into the rules. Five heroes share one pool of lives, so every stage you play is for the whole team, not just for the one you like.
It's a small thing, but it stings in the right way. You can't ignore Gambit's stage because you'd rather be Wolverine. Somebody's counting on you.
- Ryan, R. M., Rigby, C. S., & Przybylski, A. (2006). The motivational pull of video games: A self-determination theory approach. Motivation and Emotion, 30(4), 344-360. doi:10.1007/s11031-006-9051-8
What you're levelling up
You have been training these without noticing. Here is how to do it on purpose, and where it pays off away from the couch. All the skills games teach →
In the game. Lives are shared across all the heroes, and each hero's second event unlocks only after their first, so the order you play matters.
Do it on purpose. Plan which hero's event you'll clear first before you start a run.
Off the couch. Sorting out the week's jobs so the hard one doesn't land on the same day as the deadline.
In the game. The first stage has you switching off Security Eyes in the order the Spider-Sense gives you.
Do it on purpose. Say the sequence out loud, then do it without looking.
Off the couch. Remembering names at a party, and her name in particular.
In the game. If one hero loses a life, they all do, so each stage is the whole team's problem.
Do it on purpose. Take the stage you like least first and give it your best.
Off the couch. Picking up the job nobody wants so the group wins.
Verdict · 6/10
A tough, varied licence game with a clever shared-lives idea. Best on the SNES, best for comics fans.
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