Spider-Man: Friend or Foe

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe
North American cover art
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Activision
Director(s)Jason Carr
Designer(s)Brandon Gill
Jeff King
Programmer(s)Steven Brekelmans
Dave Forshaw
Artist(s)Barret Chapman
Composer(s)James L. Venable
Platform(s)
ReleaseDS, PS2, Wii, Win, X360
  • NA: October 2, 2007[1]
  • AU: October 10, 2007
  • EU: October 12, 2007
PlayStation Portable
  • NA: October 2, 2007[1]
  • AU: October 31, 2007
  • EU: November 2, 2007
Genre(s)Action-adventure, beat 'em up, Platformer
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is a 2007 action-adventure beat 'em up platform game, based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The game borrows characters and designs from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, with a plot that is non-canon to the films and therefore taking place within a divergent timeline where the villains seen in the films managed to survive. It features two player co-op gameplay, where one player controls Spider-Man and another one of his allies. The storyline of the game revolves around P.H.A.N.T.O.M.s, dangerous creatures created by mixing symbiotes with holographic technology, which a mysterious villain plans to use to take over the world. This villain has also captured and brainwashed many of Spider-Man's foes to help him acquire meteor shards that will strengthen his army. After being recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D., Spider-Man journeys across the globe to retrieve these shards himself and recruit more allies to his cause.[2]

According to the company report, Friend or Foe is a unique take on the film trilogy. The game reinterprets the films' moments and battles with a humorous twist, while allowing players to team up with famous heroes from the Marvel Universe to defeat villains in epic boss battles, whom they then convert into sidekicks that accompany them for the rest of their journey.[3] The game was published by Activision for Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Wii, Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation Portable in October 2007. It received generally mixed reviews from critics, who felt that it did not live up to its premise and found it too repetitive and easy.

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, along with most other games published by Activision that had used the Marvel license, was de-listed and removed from all digital storefronts on January 1, 2014, following the expiration of the license.[4][5]

  1. ^ a b "IGN: Marvel Nemesis and Fantastic Four Return". Archived from the original on December 8, 2006. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
  2. ^ "Spider-Man: Friend or Foe Company Line – Xbox 360 News at GameSpot". Activision. May 15, 2007. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  3. ^ "Avatar, Digimon, Horse Life, Hot Wheels & Help GamerDad!". Kidzworld. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2009.
  4. ^ Chieng, Kevin. "Deadpool Currently Delisted From Steam [Update: PSN, XBL too; Includes Activision Marvel Titles]". GameTrailers. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  5. ^ Futter, Mike (January 1, 2014). "[Update] Deadpool And Other Marvel Games Disappear From Steam, Xbox Live, And PSN". Game Informer. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2014.