On top of the story mode (which has you going through levels as diverse as Tokyo, Nepal, and Transylvania), players will have a chance to go one-on-one in a player vs. player match. While this mode is only open to two players, there's no denying that it's trying to be the superhero version of Power Stone or Super Smash Bros. The concept is good and earning the various multiplayer levels seems to be a good incentive to play through the game again and again, but part of me wishes they would have gone the whole way and made this mode a full four-player battle royale.
Outside of the obvious graphical differences, the Wii and Xbox 360 versions are practically identical. All of the levels, characters and sound effects are the same between the two different platforms, and the only real difference is that the Wii version supports motion controls (to switch characters, etc.) and the Xbox 360 version has achievements. Friend or Foe does not get too crazy with the Wii's motion control; most of the controls are mapped to the various face buttons. In fact, you could conceivably play the entire game without using even one motion move. But if you do start to incorporate the various waggle moves into your gameplay you'll not only have a much better time, but you'll also see an improvement in your Spider-Man skills.
While the Wii and Xbox 360 versions are pretty much the same game, the PSP and DS versions could not be any more different. The Nintendo DS game is a completely different game, one that features extremely tall levels where you fight on both screens. The PSP game, on the other hand, is being handled by a completely different studio (Artificial Mind) and has their own unique take on Friend of Foe. Not only will there be new levels and characters, but they've also changed the difficulty around. For example, the PSP version of the game will actually punish you for dying, something I would have liked to have seen in the Xbox 360/Wii version.
There is another version of Friend or Foe on its way, and that's the PlayStation 2 version. This version is basically the same as the two next generation games, only in this port you won't have a chance to play as Silver Sable. Unfortunately no pricing has been announced for any of the six versions (there is also a PC port on the way).
All in all I had a good time playing Friend or Foe, I really appreciated that this was a completely different take on the Spider-Man franchise and hope that future entries in the series will be just as daring as this. If you're one of those people who can't get enough of kicking the snot out of comic book bad guys but hate the direction the other Spider-Man games are going in, Friend or Foe may be just what the doctor ordered. We'll have more on this game in the coming weeks, followed by our full review of Spider-Man: Friend or Foe.
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