This is Replay.  Replay is a weekly segment where I take a look at a game from years past that got overlooked at it’s time of release and didn’t get the credit it deserved.  Well, here at Replay, we give those games the credit they deserve.  Today, we’re taking a look at the Marvel beat-em-up based on the comic story arc of the same name: Maximum Carnage!  Now, let’s paint this whole damn site red!

Overview

Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage is a game released in 1994 for the Genesis and SNES.  Maximum Carnage is based on the mini-series of the same name, from the year previous.  (You can read about the comic here).

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what could be so special about this game.  After all, it’s just a licensed game, with comic characters.  There’s a long history of games like that sucking.  However, allow me to remind you, it is a BEAT-EM-UP on SUPER NINTENDO and GENESIS starring SPIDER_MAN and VENOM!  Just that combination alone pretty much guarantees this game is either kick-ass, or is beyond shitty.  (However, if it’s on this list, take a wild guess which it is).  So, how does it hold up?  Let’s find out!

The Story

The story in Maximum Carnage is minimal, at best.  One of the highlights of Maximum Carnage is the fact that the game’s story is practically a panel-by-panel retelling of the comic.  Unfortunately, the comic had a very bland, minimal story, with a much bigger focus on the visuals (after all, Carnage and Venom are in this).

However, what little story there is, is told with comic panels in-between stages.  These panels are all directly adapted from the comic, and look gothic and beautiful.

Characters

Maximum Carnage has a wide cast of characters, including heroes and villains who pop in to assist and clear the screen.  Then there’s Carnage & Co. on the opposite side, showing just how ironic it is that Marvel Comics have the best villains, and the MCU have one-dimensional cookie cutters.  Anyways, here are the characters:

Playable Heroes:

• Venom, otherwise known as Eddie Brock.  Once a villain, he has reformed and is now a hero.  A lethal hero.  Perhaps, you could even call him a…LETHAL PROTECTOR?? (Some of you will get this, and some other people need to politely leave.)  He still hates Spidey.

“You must be two examples of that sociopathic youth that I’ve been reading about… led down the garden path to lives of criminal overindulgence by violent TV shows, comic books, and video games –! We don’t believe for a second that TV, comics and games twisted your little sick-puppy brains– I mean, WE watched and read all that same stuff — and look how NICE we turned out!”

• Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood non-Avenger.  While he doesn’t like Venom, and trusts him about as much as he trusts JJJ.

“Check the rulebook, buddy! You’re not allowed to bring automatic weapons into a super-people fight! Unless you’re the Punisher ’cause, you know, who’s gonna tell him it’s against the rules?”

Aides/Helpers/Spidey Friends

• Black Cat, Felicia Hardy.

“I’m not a hero. I’m a thief. Born a thief. Raised a thief. Will die a thief.”

• Captain America, Steve Rogers.

• Cloak, Tyrone Johnson.  He, along with Dagger, regularly pop in to conveniently save Spider-Man and Venom.

“It isn’t Wolverine’s past that haunts him, Dagger…it’s his future. That’s what waits for him in the darkness. And he’s terrified of it.”

• Dagger, Tandy Bowen.  Works in tandem with Cloak, and saves Venom and Spider-Man  regularly throughout the game.

“You know what’s wrong with this ocean? Too darned much water! Gee, wish I could stop talking — you know any knock-knock jokes?”

• Deathlok the Destroyer

” Cynicism isn’t maturity. Callousness isn’t strength. Pretending you don’t care so you don’t have to try isn’t “winning”. What you do with your life matters. I suspect, deep down, you already know that. But if you don’t, try paying attention to the “twelve year old” over there.”

• Firestar, Angelica Jones

” Everyone’s got a role for me… Team leader. Cancer survivor. Cover story. Mutant. And I am all those things and then some. But what about how I define myself? What I want my life to be about? And allowing myself the chance to succeed or fail at it.”

• Iron Fist, Danny Rand.

“Great, Orson, so you learned your kung fu from Lei Kung and Smith & Wesson?”

• Morbius, the Living Vampire.

“We are not “heroes.”  We…are…MONSTERS!”

Carnage and Friends

• CARNAGE!!!  Cletus Kasady, the serial killer.

“We are all born into this world through blood and pain. It takes a special person to rise above it. Every hero has an origin. Your parents getting murdered is the best way to start. My old man wasted my mom right in front of me. Or was it my stepdad and my foster mom? I don’t know. I remember things wrong sometimes, but it all works if it feels right. Orphanages are good, too. But really any terrible place to incubate will work. You just need one beacon in the dark. One person to show your true face to.

Where your heart can be broken and your innocence lost. Then you kill that one good thing to perfect the pointlessness of the universe. No. I don’t like that. That’s wrong. There is meaning It’s not pointless. Not anymore. Her death makes the hero embrace his fate. I’ve done so much wrong and it hurts so bad. Guilt! nearly more than I can stand. I will save the world now. Because I couldn’t save her. But how can I possibly be redeemed? How can I ever be loved? I must find a way… ”

• Shriek, has a “family” where Carnage is her husband, Carrion and Demogoblin are the children, and Doppelganger is the pet.

• Doppelganger, the Spider-Doppelganger.

“GRRR”

• Demogoblin, one of two “sons” to Carnage and Shriek.

• Carrion, Malcolm McBride, the second of the Carnage and Shriek “sons”.

Gameplay

Maximum Carnage is a standard beat-em-up.  As such, it can get repetitive.  However, that does not mean in any way, shape or form it is bad.  In fact, it is far from it.  Maximum Carnage is one of the best beat-em-up games on 16 bit consoles.  In fact, if it weren’t for Streets of Rage I would call it the best beat-em-up on the Genesis.  The fact this game isn’t more popular is criminal.  You get to climb, web-sling, web-shoot, and, of course, kick ass all throughout the games.

Conclusion

Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage is a hidden gem through and through.  It has tight gameplay and controls, awesome visuals, and a cast of awesome characters!  It is also worth mentioning Green Jelly (you know them from their Three Little Pigs song, which you can hear here) did the entire soundtrack (check out the song they did based on Carnage that later was used as the theme to the game here.  To clarify, that was a song they released years prior that Akklaim liked so much they licensed it for the game and brought on Green Jelly to do the whole soundtrack), including a rendition of Black Sabbath’s The Mob Rules.  Maximum Carnage has easily become one of my favorite Genesis games, and will be one I will return to, guaranteed, and I encourage you to go pick it up while both the Super Nintendo and Genesis versions are still cheap.