Spider-Man - Shattered Dimensions

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions on Nintendo DS turns a multiverse Spider-Man premise into a compact, side-scrolling action adventure. Developed by Griptonite Games and published by Activision, this handheld edition follows the aftermath of the Tablet of Order and Chaos being broken apart. Madame Web directs the effort to recover its scattered pieces before the damage to reality grows worse. Its story moves across three parallel worlds, making this version a separate game from the larger four-Spider-Man releases on other platforms.

The DS roster consists of the Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir, and Spider-Man 2099. Each begins with a different practical specialty that shapes how players move through the stages. The Amazing Spider-Man arrives in his classic suit with web-swinging and wall-crawling, Noir pairs web-swinging with enhanced Spider-Sense, and the futuristic Spider-Man 2099 combines wall-crawling with a glide that carries him across spaces where swinging is not possible. Ultimate Spider-Man is not playable in this edition.

Most of the game is controlled with the D-pad and face buttons as Spider-Man runs, jumps, fights, climbs walls, and travels by web. Aerial jumps lead into web-swinging, while web-lines, dodges, and character-specific abilities broaden the basic movement set. The upper screen presents the action and status information, while the touch screen handles input and messages. Touch-screen sequences are also used when moving from one dimension to another, giving the DS hardware a role beyond menus.

Rather than treating the three heroes as completely isolated campaigns, the game connects their progress through Power Conduits. Finding one transfers a new ability from another Spider-Man across the dimensional boundaries, so a useful movement or combat tool can open up new possibilities elsewhere. Exploration matters because stages conceal offensive and defensive upgrades, damage boosts, and increases to maximum health. The map and map key help track the environments, while save points record progress inside the adventure.

Combat is built around direct punches, kicks, throws, and web attacks against enemies ranging from thugs to armed robots. The Momentum Meter rewards successful attacks, evasions, and varied moves; maintaining momentum improves attack speed, damage, and combo options, while taking hits or changing dimensions reduces it. Additional techniques do not all arrive at the start, so the move set develops as the story advances. This gives the DS version a steady loop of searching, unlocking abilities, and putting new moves to use in its side-scrolling spaces.

The villain lineup is tailored to the handheld game. The Amazing Spider-Man encounters Electro and the Tinkerer, Spider-Man Noir faces Boomerang and Calypso, and Spider-Man 2099 contends with Vulture and Silvermane. Calypso Noir and Silvermane 2099 are among the character variations associated specifically with this three-world version. These confrontations anchor the quest for tablet fragments and provide the major obstacles between new abilities and further exploration.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a single-player Nintendo DS game with optional Challenge Maps unlocked during play, as well as status screens for abilities and collected awards. It was released in North America on September 7, 2010 and carries an ESRB Everyone 10+ rating for Cartoon Violence. For players looking for a portable Spider-Man adventure built around web travel, combos, hidden upgrades, and three alternate versions of the hero, Griptonite's DS interpretation offers its own focused take on the Shattered Dimensions concept.