Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six (NES) Playthrough
6Playthrough of Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six, LJN's 1992 side-scrolling platformer for the NES.
Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six for the NES is a side-scrolling action platformer developed by Bits Studios and released by LJN in 1992. The game is based on the comic book storyline of the same name, in which Spider-Man must face off against a coalition of six of his most notorious foes: Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman, Mysterio, Vulture, and Hobgoblin. The premise is simple and rooted in classic superhero fare—Spider-Man must stop the Sinister Six from carrying out their latest plan for destruction and chaos.
The gameplay involves navigating through six stages, each culminating in a boss fight with one of the members of the Sinister Six. Spider-Man can punch, kick, and jump-kick enemies, and he also has limited use of his webbing, which can be used to stun foes or swing across gaps. Each stage is designed with light platforming challenges and waves of generic thugs, robots, and other hazards. Controls are functional but often feel stiff and unresponsive, especially when trying to perform more complex movements or use the web-swinging mechanic effectively.
Visually, the game is modest in presentation, with environments that look somewhat bland and repetitive. Enemy sprites lack detail, and Spider-Man’s animations are minimal. The sound design is basic, with a looping soundtrack and simple sound effects that don’t add much to the atmosphere. While the game features all six villains, their boss fights are generally straightforward and lack any unique patterns or strategic depth, making them feel anticlimactic despite their iconic status.
Overall, Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six is a fairly average title that struggles to live up to the potential of its source material. It attempts to deliver an exciting superhero adventure but falls short due to its clunky mechanics, underwhelming visuals, and shallow gameplay. While it might hold some nostalgic value for fans of Spider-Man or early 90s NES games, it is generally considered one of the weaker entries in the superhero genre on the system.