We’ve come a long way when it comes to Spider-Man games. It seemed like only yesterday that we were playing his debut effort on the Atari 2600, swinging on webs while trying to take out the Green Goblin. And now the nostalgia machine has struck again, thanks to a little help from Boogie2988.
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The Internet sensation recently posted a screenshot comparing the skyline from the 2004 release Spider-Man 2 to 2018’s forthcoming Spider-Man game for PlayStation 4. And while the differences are like night and day, comparing the two leaves a rather startling effect.
Boogie got the image from Reddit, noting, “The difference 14 years makes.” Then you see the Spider-Man 2 image on top, with the more current one on the bottom.
(From reddit)
The difference 14 years makes. pic.twitter.com/CmIUATTjb0
— Boogie2988 (@Boogie2988) August 15, 2018
Of course, back then, Treyarch, the developers behind the Call of Duty: Black Ops games, did phenomenal work creating an open-world Spider-Man game, where you took on all sorts of challenges. This included fighting thugs, helping with pursuits and, least importantly, retrieving lost balloons for children. (Seriously, we’re fighting crime over here!) The city is somewhat limited in design, but the developer still did beautiful stuff back then.
Compare it to 2018’s work by Insomniac Games. As you can see, the city is far more complete, with higher detail on buildings and beautiful lighting effects that wash over the city, like with the sunrise (or sunset) pictured above. It’s really remarkable stuff — and shows just how far we’ve come with Spider-Man games.
While you’re at it, if you’re after great Spider-Man games, we’ve got a few recommendations. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions lets you control four different characters in a great adventure; Spider-Man: Friend Or Foe is an entertaining beat-em-up for all ages; and Ultimate Spider-Man lets you choose between Spidey and Venom for an all-out battle for the city. And it’s highly enjoyable, to say the least.
Still, if you’re feeling nostalgic, you should be able to hunt down a used copy of Spider-Man 2 for Xbox, PlayStation 2 or GameCube. It’s sure to pass the time before Spider-Man makes its debut for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro on September 7.
