Spider-Man : Friend or Foe

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe for PSP is a 2007 action-adventure brawler published by Activision and developed for the handheld by Artificial Mind & Movement. It takes the visual inspiration of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films but tells its own comic-book-style story, rather than adapting a film plot. Spider-Man is sent into a globe-spanning crisis that brings allies and longtime enemies onto the same side, making the PlayStation Portable release a level-based superhero adventure built around combat, collecting, and a changing team roster.

The opening finds Spider-Man facing Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Sandman, and Venom before strange P.H.A.N.T.O.M. creatures interrupt the fight and spirit the villains away. Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. bring Spider-Man aboard the Helicarrier and send him after meteor fragments connected to the threat. Each destination advances that pursuit with enemy encounters, combat arenas, breakable scenery, secrets, and boss battles. Defeating a brainwashed villain does more than clear an obstacle: it adds that character to Spider-Man's available sidekicks for later missions.

Play centers on close-range fighting with quick and strong attacks, combos, jumps, throws, and Spider-Man's web swinging. The story can be played alone with an AI-controlled partner, and the active character can be switched with the PSP's shoulder buttons. The PSP version also supports a wireless Co-op Story Mode between two systems, letting a second player control the accompanying sidekick. That structure gives each mission a paired-hero feel while preserving Spider-Man as the central character and the one with the broadest range of movement and combat options.

Tokens collected from defeated foes and objects serve as the game's currency. They can be spent in the Web Shop on upgrades and power-ups, while health and energy pickups restore the resources used in battle. Spider-Man begins with basic attacks plus defensive and offensive powers and can improve his abilities; partners likewise bring their own basic attacks and superpowers. The game encourages a careful sweep through stages because hidden items, special objects, and permanent health or energy improvements can be found away from the direct route. Villain encounters ask players to recognize openings and use a mixture of attacks, movement, and their available powers.

Although the PSP game follows the same broad Friend or Foe premise as the home-console editions, it is not simply the same release in a smaller format. Its Mediterranean chapter uses underground ruins and catacombs in place of the Transylvania area found elsewhere. Blade and Venom remain part of that section, but the handheld version adds Electro to the campaign and playable roster. It also includes Carnage as a playable character, while Silver Sable, Scorpion, and the Lizard do not appear in this edition. These changes make the PSP roster and route through the story distinct from the better-known console versions.

Friend or Foe arrived during a period when Spider-Man games regularly drew on both Marvel comics and the then-recent film trilogy. Its tone treats familiar rivalries with a lighter, team-up premise: heroes and villains who would ordinarily fight Spider-Man can become partners against the larger danger. Alongside the campaign, the PSP package offers a Versus mode and unlockable material, and its portable co-op gives the adventure a social option beyond solo play. For PSP players, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe combines a recognizable Marvel cast with straightforward brawling, upgrade hunting, and a version-specific lineup of allies and foes.