Can he swing from a thread? Let's Play Questprobe Featuring Spider-Man

Originally Posted by Johnny Unusual

I... I wasn't going to go into that. Actually, I never got around to seeing Spider-Man 3. As much as I love Spider-Man, the bad reviews scared me away. But I really don't have a particularly strong feeling about making the Sandman as Uncle Ben's killer.

J. Jonah Jameson is so great. In the unlikely event that you don't know the character, he's Peter Parker's sometimes boss and one of Spider-Man's worst enemies. But he's not a villain. He's just a jerk. He's the owner and editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a newspaper that has a LOT of articles about Spider-Man. So Peter, in need of money, decides to work for the Bugle since he can get more Spidey pictures than anybody. But also the Bugle (or more specifically Jameson) is trying to smear Spidey in the press with its stories and editorials. So Peter is often selling pics of himself to get trashed.



So why does he hate Spidey so much? In his first appearance, he claimed that he didn't like the idea of kids imitating his fantastic feats and also when he saved his son, astronaut John Jameson, he claimed that Spidey rigged the thing up to steal the spotlight from his son. But in the 11th issue, a more substantial reason is given.



It's a really good scene and while Jameson is often there to give Peter frustration and act as comic relief, it gives a much more tragic side to the character. However, with other writers, other theories and takes come up: In one story, he had an abusive war hero dad, making him weary of hypocritical "heroes". In another, it goes back to the idea that he stole the spotlight from his son, another less flamboyant hero (meanwhile John actually likes Spider-Man quite a bit and gets fed up with his Dad's irrational hatred). And in the 90's cartoon, his wife was killed by a criminal in a mask (who looks to be the Rose, a minor Spider-Man villain and the son of the Kingpin, who never shows up in the cartoon again).

But the important thing is that he just can't stand our hero. The thing is, JJJ can be written in a number of different ways, but I think most of them work. Sometimes he's just sort of a shitty dude who will lick the boots of those who he might benefit from currying favor of and a conniving little weasel of a man. Other times, he's incredibly strong willed and has a shocking amount of integrity, a man who refuses to be bullied and won't kowtow to anyone. I love both sides of the character and despite being contradictory, it all seems to work for me.



But Spidey and JJJ playing off against each other is always fun. JJJ hates Spidey and tries to trash him. Spidey loves to make jokes and, seeing that JJJ has no sense of humour about himself (in any incarnation), he loves to taunt him. Spidey is also always having to save him (often from trouble he gets himself in, since he has a bad habit of funding would-be "heroes" who invariably turn out to be bad guys) and JJJ rarely gives him thanks. It's always a fun dynamic.



I have a feeling we aren't going to get him, the character this time around, but here we can thumb through his record collection in his... Apartment? Office? Whatever.



Ooo, there seems to be a lot to play with here. Where do I start? How about that clock...



Ruh-oh. Hope that doesn't mean there's a limited number of moves. Anyway, what else can I do. Like... can I sit on that couch?



Awesome. This is no Hulk Underground, but this is the image that fills me with delight. It's also very true to the character because in the Marvel Universe's A-list heroes, Spidey is one who you see the most often just sitting on a couch. I tried to check the cushions of change or a remote, but the game didn't know what I was talking about.



This is just theft.



I feel like the game has overcome its graphical limitations to true capture the essence of J. Jonah Jameson. Being a comic book, I bet there's a safe behind this painting.



Oh, no, but at least I found something.



Oh, it's half the recipe for web fluid! It's surprisingly unhelpful, if you are looking at this scientifically.

"OK, first it asks for exotic powders."
"Oh... like does it say any specific--
"Just get me that jar of five spice."

Also, shouldn't have Spidey memorized this? Well, now I need to look for more paper. I turn the thermostat way up, hoping that will change things but it doesn't seem to. While exploring, I try one more time to beat the Ringmaster with my eyes closed.




It worked. I think last time I tried pushing and turning knob as a single action. So, I guess that was the "up and leave" button because Ringmaster just up and left. What was he doing here? Why did turning the knob defeat him? Why did he tell me? I have so many questions that will never be answered. I just turned a knob and he was like "Well, I tried" and ran away and left a gem. I mean, I bet you could have taken the gem home with you? I mean, I don't even know how to leave the building. Was this all a con, trying to get me to turn a knob for unknown reasons?

Perhaps this was the Ringmaster's victory. But, hey, free gem.

I check every room again and forgot about the gem/death egg room and die...


The fact that you didn't give me a picture of Angel-Spider with a Harp and Robes is your mistake Scott Adams.

OK, turning up the heat did nothing. Maybe turning the heat way down will do something. I was hoping it would make the Lizard slower or inert, but no.

But I did find this...



I don't know what this means. But I did learn I can take the "Ice Block". I tried to see if I could melt it, but it just turns into aquarium. So now I'm out of ideas of what to do next. If you have one, I want to hear it.

I'll play again tomorrow, but I want some advice before I get help from someone's walkthrough.


Next issue: Maybe I finally figure out how to defeat the Lizard!

OK, well I got pretty far this time before giving up and looking at the walkthrough. I deserve a Crispy Crunch. Yum. Anyway, I was looking for the other half of the web formula but I didn't realize I could just make... half a web fluid.


I have tried doing stuff with it, but it says it basically desolves immediately.

Also, I can do this.





Interesting. Also, it turns out that in the elevator, each floor of the shaft has a gem, so I pick them up. The other thing I'm supposed to do is go back to the Mysterio room and go to the ceiling.




I should point out that 1) I decided to drop off the furniture in Madame Web's room, just so she has some stuff and 2) the wire mesh is now part of my inventory. Anyway, let's go in the vent.



Oh, it's a fan. Let's shoot some webs!


Such animation.

Also, apropos of nothing, here's a loop of a poorly written command.



OK, first I shoot a web and nothing happens. Then I realize I need to select a target. I doesn't seem to do anything, but then I decide to examine the fan.



OK, so I want to hit that button. I try to shoot my web at the button but it hits the fan. As I continue, I realize that directly targeting the fan reduces the spin by 100 RPM and trying to hit the button takes it down by 25. Eventually, I hit the button.



OK, so go ahead. The game won't let me. Move fan. The game won't let me. Push fan. The game won't let me. Eventually, I have to look this up and it is such bullshit.




"Go fan"? Boo. Such boo! Ugh. You couldn't even give me the fan as a possible exit. Ugh.
Anyway, I get my gem and head further into the vents.



I get pretty lost and can't seem to find my way around. After going down twice, I find...



Whoa, two classic villains. Looks like I might be heading into endgame. Looking forward to how this goes.



Next issue: Doctor Octopus and Electro!

Originally Posted by Johnny Unusual

Whoa, two classic villains. Looks like I might be heading into endgame. Looking forward to how this goes.

When last we left our hero, he stumbled into a room where he found himself confronted with two of his greatest villains, Doctor Octopus and Electro. So who are these two villains and why would they be working together.

Well, let's start off with Electro because he's the less interesting of the two.



Max Dillon was a lineman who was struck by lightning and gained amazing electrical powers. Having little in the way of a moral compass, her decided to become a criminal, taking on the name Electro.



As you might expect, Spider took the guy out with a fire hose and would go on knocking his dick into the dirt but while Electro isn't the smartest, toughest or most dangerous Spider foe, he remains on the A-list. Though there's a lot of ways to beat his electric powers, they are still formidable and Electro usually finds new, inventive ways to use them (as well as getting the original power upgrades, such as learning how to turn into electricity). And even in his first appearance Spider-Man made the mistake of grabbing him, only to get nearly dead from his electrified body.



Still, his schemes are usually pretty petty ante for the most part. His personality tends not to extend beyond being a jerk and occasionally insecurity where he can't seem to win despite his great power. He's a good utilitarian villain. He's like the Ron Howard of villains: he's not going to be anyone's favourite, but he can do quality villainy if needed.



Doctor Octopus is a much better villain though.



A brilliant scientist with some crazy ass mechanical arms to help him handle dangerous materials, Doctor Otto Octavius (great name) found himself caught in an accident that fused the arms to his spin, allowing him to control them like a part of his own body. It also warped his brain a bit, causing him to be much more villainous than the average nuclear physicist (the last bit was retconned in to help explain his next decision.

He decided to become a supervillain and though physically his body was rather weak, the speed and strength of his arms has made him a very dangerous baddie (as well as his crazy inventions and wacky plans.)



Doc Ock might be the best Spidey villain. Not to knock Green Goblin, but he never really did it for me, despite his importance to the Spider-mythos. Doc Ock is old school mad scientist. He's fairly malleable in the role too, sometimes surprisingly sympathetic and sometimes just a fun megalomaniac. He also has the best schemes. Sure, Goblin learns Peter's identity to threaten his loved ones, but he never did anything like this.



Aunt May is so happy, she doesn't even care that Spider-Man's shown up to attack the bible (wait, is that how you stop a wedding?) A lot of Spider-Man's foes are brute force (Rhino, Electro, Carnage) or just being a creepy stalker (Green Goblin, Venom) but Doc Ock plans tend to range in scope. Heck, recently one of his plans was successful and he replaced Spider-Man for thirty issues due to a brain switch. Even better, he made Peter wealthy and successful while being a superhero (he decided to go straight after the body switch) in a decidedly supervillainy fashion (including hiring henchmen). Also, he still talked a lot like a villain with his "meddling fools" manner of speech. Oh, and he also left a memory of him boning Aunt May to a dying Spider-Man. Green Goblin WISHES he could do something as evil as that.



Whew. So that's it. Let's FINALLY continue this thing.




So it seems we are in a room with a big printing press. This can only mean the villains plan can be this.






It's the only way this can end. But listen, let's just try talking to them.




Yeah, pretty much what was expected, really. OK then, lets take a look at these guys.



Electro gets a cool close up. I guess he's discharging energy or holding a bouquet of flowers. I'm not sure. But I take a look a little too long and he blasts me to death. Wow, actual consequences for being in proximity to a supervillain. To be fair, the turn before I did this, my Spider Sense was going on but the last time that happened, the consequence was I left Sandman hanging. YOU'LL NEVER GET A HIGH FIVE FROM ME, SANDY!

Anyway, when I get back down, I decide to ignore them and head in another direction, where I find...



Oh, a scale.



I begin to realize I need to weigh this thing down. Damn, I left all that furniture in Madame Web's room for kicks. Better go back and get it. Maybe I'll ask her some questions in the meantime.




That was disappointing. I'll have to find a way to win on my own. I decide to punch Electro. That ends with me dead. So I try to attack Doc Ock. I end up grabbing him (maybe I can throw him at Electro) and I'm actually successful.



The good news, I end hanging on for a long time and eventually Electro tries to zap me and instead he hits Ock, taking him out.



I soon realize I can pick up Doc Ock and put him on the scale with the furniture. Sadly, still not heavy enough and I can for the life of me figure out how to beat Electro. I tried dumping the aquarium on him and webbing him. I know I can dodge his attacks but even if I wait to punch him immediately before or after he discharges, he insta-kills me either way. Time for some good old fashioned cheating again. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand from the looks of it, I need to start the whole game over... Figures.



Next issue: Starting over WITHOUT a new #1!

So basically, I got to start over. I made a few moves that made truly finishing the game impossible. In particular, beating The Lizard and Electro. First, as you may of suspected, you aren't supposed to dry out Hydro-Man. You are supposed to lower the temperature in order to freeze him.



Then I just collect him and carry him around. A more frustrating reveal is that there's a computer in the Ringmaster's room and no one bothered to mention it whenever I "Look". It just mentioned the room that's "Not totally without equipment". How am I supposed to assume I can use a computer in here. And if I say "look equipment", it says "you see nothing special". Ugh. You also have to be CRAZY specific with commands or it proclaims "SYNTAX ERROR" (it also does that with any successful command you've already done). Anyway, let's take a look.



OK, so now I need to pick up all the things I can, including villains, and pile them up on the scale. I know very little about how printing presses works but I don't THINK it is based on weight. But maybe it is. For safety purposes. Anyone know the ins and outs of this. Anyway, the next step is to finally defeat the Lizard, another classic A-List Spidey-villain.



The Lizard is Doctor Curt Connors, a war veteran who lost an arm, became a super-scientist and was looking at a way to grow back lost limbs. It worked but it also turned him into a delusional lizard man (THE LIZARD!) who thinks he needs to turn all humans into lizard men. With legends of a lizard man in the Florida swamp gaining popularity, Peter Parker went down south to get a picture and ended up learning who he was as Spider-Man. He eventually returned him to normal and returned him to his loving family. Connors, like a big dumb idiot, tried to fix the formula, only to turn into the Lizard again and well... Connors tends to get returned to his family a lot.



Connors is generally presented as a good guy with the Lizard being an evil second personality. And even as the Lizard he seems to have too: mad scientist villain and full-up growling, inarticulate bloodthirsty monster. And though Connors is supposed to be a stand up guy cursed with a supervillain inside of him, there are some stories that have taken him to task for making some decisions that endanger his family. There was also a story that stated that there really was never a second personality and that it was all Connors, but that's since been ignored, largely because Paul Jenkins is a much better Spider-Man writer when he writes small human stories than writing supervillains (from what I've read). The Lizard is not my favourite Spidey-villain but he is fun (especially in mad scientist mode) and there is a tragic element, where that tragedy is treated as a cruel twist of fate or Connors bringing misfortune on himself.



So basically, I beat him by drying him out with the drying agent. I know very little about lizards, but is that an actual lizard's weakness? I mean, they are usually pretty dry anyway. Or is it just that it is poisonous. Which it is. In which case, I wonder if it would have worked on any other villain who isn't some sort of sand or water man.




That poor guy. Anyway, I pick him up like luggage so I can throw him on a pile of villains and furniture. I really hope this ends with all of those things being pressed into a single newspaper.

The next problem: the kind of annoying solution to the Doc Ock/Electro problem. The Solution is to hit Electro immediately after he hits Ock. It doesn't make sense too me that there are no other opportunities to hurt Electro but whatever, it's done.



I can even look at their unconscious bodies, as is my right as the victor.



Then, I let all of bodies hit to floor (which is where the scale is) and then go upstairs to print a newspaper (OK, but why, Spider-Man?).



Then I make the long trek downstairs to actually read the paper I printed.




I open the paper and find another gem (man, usually I just got shampoo samplers in mine) and go to the computer room to try to figure out the puzzle.




Oh. I'm not sure I get the "reverse" part yet. Or how I got a gem. Did it come out of the floppy slot or something? Anyway, I gather most of the gems before finally getting the last big one. At which point I realize I could have gotten it much earlier in the game.

See this room?


Don't go in this room. You use your half finished webbing to catch it from the next room over.


And... that's it. Except.



Dang. I was able to find another gem but I think I messed something up so I couldn't get Hydro-Man's gem. I ain't playing again. Besides, I check, the Chief Examiner doesn't even show up. He's quoted by Madame Web.



Who is Micah? And what is the password for? No one knows. Seriously, I looked it up and all the walkthrough dudes are confused. So you're reward is a password to nothing. I like to think this game is actually a secret spy message to a young boy who is the only hope to rest the Atlas Formula from the hands of Russian agents because no adults will believe him, but for the rest of us, it's a bit of a disappointment.

So with the examiner unseen but grateful, Spider-Man has completed his heroic mission to collect gems and make a pile of human bodies and random things in order to print a newspaper so he can find more gems. Also, basically just letting Sandman and Mysterio be. I mean, I guess they aren't harming anybody


Next issue: Why, for all it's faults, this was still more coherent than the Hulk game.

Originally Posted by Johnny Unusual

I open the paper and find another gem (man, usually I just got shampoo samplers in mine) and go to the computer room to try to figure out the puzzle.




Oh. I'm not sure I get the "reverse" part yet.

Originally Posted by MetManMas

* Speaking of, has Doc Conners ever considered getting a blood transfusion from another character in the Marvel universe who can regenerate? Off the top of my head, Wolverine, Sabertooth, Deadpool, and The Incredible Hulk all have healing factors to some extent or another. And if it blows up in his face again like it always does? Well, I doubt anyone would complain about a Lizard Hulk or Lizpool arc.

Originally Posted by Octopus Prime

And that whole arc is amazing, so I really wish it had a punchier name than “The Time Spider-Man Lifted A Heavy Thing”.

Scott Adams may have made a Scott Adams game but despite the fact that there were a few really poorly handled moments where you are expected to intuit JUST the right commands or assume very particular things, this is still more impressive than the Hulk game. It felt like a less like a completely awkward "let's jam a pre-made game skeleton into some ill-fitting Hulk skin and call it a Hulkventure" and more like a genuine (if flawed) attempt to make a Spider-Man game. Now obviously, some of the games problems can be attributed to the limitations of the technology of the time but largely the issue is that the creators made certain assumptions about how the game should be played and what players want in a Spider-Man game that didn't quite pan out. So let's look at what I liked about this fun but very flawed game.


Gameplay
It's better than the last one. The game still has a bit of fuzzy space in the form of a needless annoying series of vents but while the Hulk game was built around "fuzzy space", the vents are a small part of the game. The puzzle design is still a bit frustrating, but compared to the last game, I felt like a lot of the puzzles made a certain amount of sense, even if, in some cases, it was only after the fact. I don't like that there are essentially dead ends to playing. If anything, I'd prefer, at least, that the gems were a measurement of how you did without being the end goal. The end goal should be stopping villains. At best, you still let two of them go.

The game is smart enough to make actual use of the wall crawling. It doesn't do anything fancy with it but just having it in there makes it slightly less of the video game equaivalent of a Halloween costume that's a mask and a smock with the guy's face on it.



Wait, is your costume Mr. Kotter or are you dressed as the TV show Welcome Back, Kotter?

Unfortunately, the webbing ability is crap and you are basically told "yeah, you get shitty webs. No, you never get good webs." And it is nice that the commands are slightly more advanced (I can, in theory, do TWO THINGS A TURN).

I think the game play itself isn't much more different but with some tweaks and a better designed game over all, it is a lot more tolerable. The puzzles, while flawed, all seem to try to take into account the powers that the villains have, as opposed to the Hulk game, which was Ultron being carried off by mut-ants. And we get to see some "action sequences" like you pulling on Doc's metal arm or Electro shooting electricity. Seems like it might have felt nice to include quick pictures of villains getting taken down for the sake of catharsis, but Scott Adams felt he could take baby steps with his twelve game series.

Story

Once again, there's no real attempt at a story. At least the setting, which seems to be a largely abandoned Daily Bugle with a science lab, seems true to the character, as opposed to Hulk finding a field of domes, but there isn't a lot of context. Bad guys have gems. Spider-Man also wants them and catching bad guys is apparently the road to do it. Madame Web is also there for some reason. Are these villains teaming up? Are they just there at the same time? Why do they want the gems? Why do you? Why are they not actively trying to stop you, save for Electro, who has the good sense to try to murder you? No one knows.

Again, as with the Hulk game, I don't need a lot but I'd like SOMETHING that tells me what everyone is trying to accomplish. You talk to the villains and they all say they want to keep their gems. Maybe there's a story located in the manual, but I don't have one this time, sadly.

Characters

Well chosen. I always like having a nice mix of A and B listers. Sure, Hydro-Man is a forgettable villain but he has a power set that leads to potentially interesting puzzles. It's a shame J. Jonah Jameson himself doesn't actually appear but it's nice his presence is felt. And unlike the Hulk there are a lot of characters. And not ones you have to have your character "remember". And I think all of the villain choices are great for puzzles, though the Lizard's puzzle solution (no pun intended) is a little disappointing to me.

How to make it better?

A lot of this revolves around the powers. It's not bad but it could be better.

The setting is good. I understand that it taking place outside, swinging around might be too advanced and needlessly large. However, the game never actually lets you crawl outside of the building. I think it should and make that part of navigating past obsticles and villains inside of the villains.

Spider-Sense comes up twice but only once are you in danger. These villains should be a little more lethal, giving you only a few turns to either escape, dodge or come up with a solution. There should be more dangers for your spider-sense to warn you from to make use of that (and maybe leading to clues as to where traps may lay).

Webbing is my biggest problem. You should start off with webbing. I'm OK if you run out (this happens to Spider-Man all the time) and you have to mix up more but in Questprobe, you are only given half-finished webbing. I want the thrill of tying dudes up. And maybe part of the game is making variant webbing formulas, which he also did in the comics. Insulated webbing to fight Electro. Coagulant webbing to fight Hydro-Man. Things like that.

I'd also like the villain fights to come in stages. They were halfway there in this game where you have to grab Octopus to make Eletro shock him. I think most of the villains should be a multi-stage puzzle. Like maybe you think you are just going to throw water on Electro, but he has a defense, but that creates a new potential opening you might use and exploit. Taunt should also be a legitimate action. Total Spider-Man move.

Anyway, I think that would improve the game.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope everyone who did enjoyed themselves. I'll take a break before tackling the last game in the series and then finish it up with the last finished Questprobe game.

]

Originally Posted by Johnny Unusual

I don't think so. I'm not sure if it's been properly established if Wolverine and Sabretooth's blood and give healing abilities. I doubt it, otherwise there would probably be vats full of the stuff and Wolverine would be the team healer.

Originally Posted by MetManMas

I knew about She-Hulk, but I didn't know about this other guy.

Originally Posted by Sensenic

Anyway, I'm not here for that, I'm here to ask the hard questions that no one will:
Is it ever explained why are so many of Spiderman's foes green?

Originally Posted by MetManMas

Don't think there's an official explanation, but if I were to hazard a guess it's likely because the color green is a contrasting color to red, the primary color in most of Spider-Man's outfits.

Scorpion and Ringmaster also wear green. Speaking of Ringmaster, he and a fair number of his fellow greenies (Mysterio, Lizard, Green Goblin) also wear purple in their outfits.

Originally Posted by Johnny Unusual