Ultimate Spider-Man

Ultimate Spider-Man is a 2005 action-adventure game based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man and the comic book of the same name. The game was published by Activision for the Windows, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance. The PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox versions were developed by Treyarch and are drastically different from the handheld versions, which were developed by Vicarious Visions. The Windows version is a port of the home console versions, developed by Beenox. A version for mobile phones was also developed and published by Mforma. A Limited Edition of the game was released for the PlayStation 2, and includes additional content such as a "making of" documentary and an interview with Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee.[4]

Like Treyarch's previous Spider-Man title, Spider-Man 2, the game incorporates an open world design, allowing players to freely explore fictitious representations of Manhattan and Queens when not completing main missions to advance the narrative. One notable feature exclusive to this game is the ability to play as both Spider-Man and Venom, who control differently and have exclusive storylines, which cross over with each other. The game's storyline is set within the Ultimate Marvel universe, three months after the Venom story arc from the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, and centers on Spider-Man's investigation of the company Trask Industries and their connection to both the creation of the Venom symbiote and the deaths of his parents. Meanwhile, Venom must avoid constant capture attempts by Bolivar Trask, who wants to recreate the symbiote's capabilities.

Ultimate Spider-Man received generally positive reviews from critics across all platforms, and is retrospectively regarded as one of the best Spider-Man games ever made. A prequel, Spider-Man: Battle for New York, developed by Torus Games, was released in November 2006 for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. Treyarch's next Spider-Man game, Spider-Man 3, was released in May 2007.