Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Spider-Man / Venom: Maximum Carnage delivers a classic side-scrolling beat-’em-up experience that feels both nostalgic and surprisingly deep for its era. Players begin as Spider-Man, weaving through the streets of New York City with fluid punching combos, jump-kicks, and his trademark web-shields. As the action ramps up, occasional branching points let you switch to Venom, who trades speed for brute strength and a different moveset. This dual-hero system adds replay value by encouraging you to explore alternate paths and experiment with each character’s unique abilities.

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Combat centers around chaining light and heavy attacks, with web-based special moves filling out your arsenal. Spider-Man’s web-swing and web-ball special move let you control space and handle crowds, while Venom’s tentacle whip and symbiote ground pound deliver heavy damage but come with longer recovery times. Enemies vary from basic thugs to symbiote-mutated fiends, and each stage culminates in a boss fight that demands pattern recognition and quick reflexes. Health pickups and limited special bars force you to conserve your best attacks for tight situations.

Stage design for Maximum Carnage is more ambitious than many contemporaries. You’ll battle in alleyways, hospitals, carnivals, and even aboard a speeding train. Occasional platforming segments break up the brawling, and the game rewards exploration with 1-ups and symbiote powerups hidden in destructible walls. Despite its linear progression, the branching hero routes and secret rooms give it a semi-nonlinear feel that encourages multiple playthroughs.

Graphics

On 16-bit hardware, Maximum Carnage stands out with bold, comic-style visuals that capture the manic energy of the source material. Character sprites are well-animated, twitching and snarling in true Carnage fashion, and large boss sprites give each showdown a looming, cinematic vibe. Backgrounds are richly detailed—graffiti-tagged back alleys, dilapidated asylums, and neon-lit carnivals all feel alive, even with the hardware’s palette limits.

Special effects get special attention: Spider-Man’s web lines ripple on screen, and Venom’s symbiote slams send shockwaves through debris. When Carnage or Shriek appears, the screen flashes red, and the color contrast intensifies, driving home the sense of danger. While some stages suffer from flicker in two-player mode, the overall presentation remains polished, with tight collision detection and responsive controls that rarely disappoint.

Animated cutscenes and digitized voice samples—particularly Carnage’s maniacal laugh—add a surprising layer of personality. Though short and infrequent, these interludes break up the action and keep the narrative momentum moving forward. In all, the graphics may not compete with modern titles, but they epitomize the best of 16-bit comic book adaptations.

Story

Loosely adapted from the acclaimed Maximum Carnage comic arc, the game’s story kicks off with Cletus Kasady’s symbiote escape from the Ravencroft Institute. From the first frame, Carnage unleashes chaos on New York City, and Spider-Man arrives on the scene, determined to put an end to the bloodthirsty spree. Text-box dialogue between stages captures the dramatic flair of Spider-Man’s quips and Venom’s gruffer commentary, setting the tone for a battle against a rogue’s gallery of symbiote-infected villains.

As you progress, Carnage recruits a pack of lethal allies—Shriek, Doppelganger, Demogoblin, and Carrion—each posing distinct challenges. The decision points where you choose Spider-Man or Venom also lead to different story branches, giving fans a taste of “what-if” scenarios. While the plot remains straightforward, it stays true to the source material’s themes of friendship, sacrifice, and the fine line between heroism and vengeance.

The game’s brevity and lack of fully voiced cutscenes mean the narrative can feel a bit thin by modern standards. However, the tight integration between gameplay and story—smashing through laboratory cages to free hostages or storming a carnival stronghold to confront Carnage’s minions—keeps players invested. For comic-book fans, the familiar beats and iconic set-pieces gloriously echo the panels of the original series.

Overall Experience

Spider-Man / Venom: Maximum Carnage remains a standout title for fans of beat-’em-ups and Spider-Man lore alike. Its combination of fluid combat, branching routes, and faithful comic-styled presentation offers both nostalgia and genuine replayability. Whether you’re reliving childhood memories on original hardware or trying it for the first time via a retro collection, the game’s tight pacing and memorable boss encounters hold up remarkably well.

One minor drawback is the lack of a true co-op story mode—while two players can team up in the same battle arenas, the narrative doesn’t adapt dynamically. Additionally, the game’s difficulty spikes in later stages may frustrate newcomers to the genre. Yet, these challenges can also foster a rewarding sense of mastery, especially when you land the perfect combo or web special to clear a crowded screen.

Ultimately, Maximum Carnage shines as a love letter to 16-bit era brawlers and Spider-Man comics. Its balance of heroic agility and symbiote-powered force creates a satisfying dichotomy that encourages multiple playthroughs. For anyone looking to experience an action-packed, story-driven beat-’em-up with iconic Marvel characters, this title is a highly recommended journey into the darker side of the Spider-Verse.

Retro Replay Score

6.7/10