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Video Game / Spider-Man (Zen Studios)

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Spider-Man is a Digital Pinball Table released in 2010 by Zen Studios for their Pinball FX and Zen Pinball frameworks. As Spider-Man, the player must face off against four of his enemies: Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin, Mysterio, and J. Jonah Jameson. Challenge each villain by activating their mission, then defeat all four of them to activate Clone Chaos multiball.

Unlike most other Zen Studio pinball tables, Spider-Man is not available for some of the Zen Pinball frameworks due to licensing issues between Marvel Comics and Sony. Instead, on those platforms, the table is only available from a dedicated "Marvel Pinball" app, while the Nintendo 3DS Marvel Pinball set replaces it with the one themed on Fantastic Four. Then again, many players consider the table to be one of the easiest ones in Zen's stable, as it is fairly easy to light kickbacks and get extra balls just by repeatedly hitting a few loops.


The Spider-Man pinball game demonstrates the following tropes:

  • Adaptational Villainy: J. Jonah Jameson is usually just a nuisance for Spider-Man, but gets elevated to full (albeit minor) villainy here.
  • Advancing Boss of Doom: Dr. Octopus, who advances down the playfield and can only be repelled by shooting the webslings.
  • Anti-Frustration Feature:
    • You are given a 30-second ball saver at the start of each ball.
    • If you fail the Green Goblin battle by draining the ball (and not the pumpkin bomb), it does not count as a ballout and the ball is automatically shot back into play.
    • The Ball Saver stays on permanently during a battle against Mysterio, meaning that the time limit is the only thing you have to worry about during that mode.
  • Cardboard Prison: Spider-Man complains about how Doc Ock easily breaks out of prison when you start a battle against him.
  • Fun with Acronyms: The SPIDEY Spelling Bonus, which spells "Spectacular Score", "Perfect Ball Saver", "Incredible Jumps", "Deluxe Web Shooters", "Enhanced Strength", and "Yeah! Extra Ball!"
  • Gainax Ending: Any pinball wizard expecting a Wizard Mode about a final, climatic battle against a villain, will be bewildered and disappointed with what Spider-Man offers for its final mission: Instead of a final battle against the bad guys to save New York once and for all, this wizard mode is all about unleashing the mayhem of Spider-Man clones throughout the city through a final mission where you race to lock balls for a big multiball mode representing the clones. Is the city of New York safe anymore by that time?
  • Get Out!: Doc Ock's quote is shown if you shoot the ball into his Mission Start hole during the mode.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: You defeat the Green Goblin by hitting him with his own Pumpkin Pinball.
  • Interface Screw: The Mysterio mission starts with him releasing hallucinogenic gas, which causes your flipper buttons to activate the opposite flippers.
  • Pinball Scoring: Depends on the Wizard Mode. Each shot can be worth millions of points when modes are completed multiple times. By then, scores can ultimately reach the billions.
  • Screwed by the Lawyers: Can be invoked for players who already own Zen Pinball and have to get Marvel Pinball just for this table.
  • Spelling Bonus: SPIDEY advances towards an extra ball, while THWIP lights the kickbacks and ball saver.
  • Take That Player: Spidey quips if you drain a ball too early.
    Spider-Man: "Well, that wasn't very spectacular... or amazing."
  • Villain Teleportation: Mysterio teleports around the table during his mission.
  • Wizard Mode: "Clone Chaos", which is available after beating each villain at least once. After locking 3 balls into the Hideout, a four-ball multiball frenzy will activate where all targets are lit for maximum points.
  • Zero-Effort Boss: J. Jonah Jameson, who is defeated by shooting the right orbit within 10 seconds.

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