The DS is not known for pumping out life-like renderings of spandex-clad superheroes. The small screen and resolution is perfect, however, for simple elegance. Spider-Man for DS sports a clean, cartoony style that, quite frankly, I prefer over the muddy and complicated Wii version. There is even a bit of hand-drawn 2D cut scenes that work surprisingly well. What developer Griptonite understands is that cartoon superheroes should look like cartoon superheroes by any means necessary. Instead of a hyper-realistic interpretation, they applied a very stylized and friendly perspective to the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler and it pays off.
While the major console counterparts benefited from major voice talent and hours of recorded dialogue, the DS version of Shattered Dimensions is much smarter about its approach to audio talent. The voice actors are used effectively and, most importantly, they are used sparingly. The dialogue strikes a great balance between providing valuable information while not overcrowding Spidey's one-liners or the action on-screen. With around a dozen different voiced characters, the production talent is put to good use while Shattered Dimensions explores some of the lesser known villains in Spidey's universe, like my personal favorite, The Tinkerer.
