Spider-Man: Battle for New York gives players control of both Spider-Man and the Green Goblin (who is much beefier than his silver screen likeness) in a series of alternating levels and a few face-offs along the way. As in the previous Spider-Man games on DS, gameplay takes place in 2D, but with 3D level maps that rotate around you as you pass corners.

Both characters have special attacks that can be selected on the touch screen and executed with the X button. Use of special attacks is limited by a meter that fills up incrementally as you bash enemies with standard hits. In place of Spidey's web-slinging, Green Goblin shoots a variety of fire balls that can be selected with the L button and fired with the R button. Goblin can cling to walls as well, but rather than climbing you have to jump upward from point to point.

You start the game as Green Goblin, and after a brief tutorial stage, your first task is to smash up Peter Parker's school. You have to set classroom chemicals on fire and smash columns that support the second floor to complete the level.

Next, you'll take control of Spider-Man who arrives on the scene as the fires begin to spread throughout the school. You'll have to rescue the people trapped in the school. (Nevermind that the school was empty when you trashed it.) To buy time for some rescues, you need to push the columns back into place by swiping your finger across the touch screen when prompted. Once the school is clear, Spider-Man traces Goblin to a bridge where you have the first of several hard battles.

Spider-Man seems to be stuck in the same DS game year after year. Battle for New York plays very much like 2004's Spider-Man 2 and last year's Ultimate Spider-Man. If you played either of the previous games, you'll know what to expect this time around.