Highlights
- Marvel Snap has been praised for its approach compared to other collectible card games, winning the 2022 Best Mobile Game from The Game Awards. Its replayability and complexity, with over 200 characters and multiple decks, make it a strong game.
- The similar success experienced by Marvel's Spider-Man should make it an ideal collaboration partner. Unfortunately, the inclusion of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 content never materialized in Marvel Snap's October Season Pass.
- While the omission of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 content is understandable, Second Dinner could have capitalized on the hype by including variants of Insomniac's Spider-Man characters in the Season Pass. However, a collab with the Marvel's Spider-Man titles is still possible in the future.
Since their creation in 1993, collectible card games have had an iconic place in com-culture, so when Marvel collaborated with Second Dinner to make Marvel Snap, it was a no-brainer it'd be a hit with fans. Considering the success of Insomniac's Marvel Spider-Man and Marvel Spider-Man: Miles Morales, gamers can't seem to get enough of the franchise, and the addition of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 content to Snap would have pleased many Marvel fans. Unfortunately the collaboration never materialized, and the October Season Pass went with Bloodstone instead.
Since its release, Marvel Snap has received plaudits for its approach compared to other collectible card games. It has had a generally good execution and reception, and winning the 2022 Best Mobile Game from The Game Awards is a testament to its dominance. The game's replayability and complexity due to the sheer amount of locations and cards is one of its strong points. Marvel Snap features over 200 characters today, allowing players to explore multiple decks and card combos while using their favorite Marvel superheroes. Unfortuately, players will not find any Marvel's Spider-Man-inspired cards within the popular game.
Marvel Snap Dropped the Ball By Omitting Spider-Man 2 Content
Even though fans aren't getting any Marvel's Spider-Man 2 content in Marvel Snap, the October Season Pass comes with Elsa Bloodstone as the main card. At the cost of 2 Energy, she can provide up to 11 power for other cards played to fill a location. Players have already noted her potential to be a great addition to "swarm" decks, and pairing her with Kitty Pryde and Venom would make a super combo. Other cards that will come with the Season are Man-Thing, Black Knight, Nico Minoru, and Werewolf By Night. The season pass also comes with variants for Blade and Ghost Rider, among other cards.
While some players limit their in-game transactions in Marvel Snap to the Season Passes and tokens for Spotlight Cards, many can't resist getting their favorite cards for a reasonable price. Consequently, with each new Season, Second Dinner gives fans access to some of their favorite characters while still encouraging microtransactions, even if they aren't needed for the game to be enjoyable. One Season Pass where gamers undoubtedly got the value for their money was Black Panther in the Warriors of Wakanda Season, released around the same time as the franchise's second movie. The card on reveal doubles its power, and when it was released, playing it in a combo with Araim-Zola and Wong was an almost sure fire way to win many games.
With Insomniac's new Spider-Man game coming out, Second Dinner had an opportunity to capitalize on the hype with a Season Pass as good as Warriors of Wakanda. Both of the Marvel Spider-Man games released have been hits, with several critics even citing Marvel's Spider-Man as one of the best games based on a comic book, putting it alongside titles like Batman: Arkham Asylum. This not only proves Insomniac's prowess at game development, but also the sheer marketability of the friendly neighborhood hero. Hence, the tangible disappointment with the omission of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 content from October's Season Pass is understandable, as fans had felt like the title's inclusion was a given.
Second Dinner could have delivered a Season Pass that added variants of Insomniac's Spider-Man characters in the game, and with the rate at which new cards are added into Marvel Snap slowing down, card variants from Spider-Man 2 would have been ideal. It would also have been an opportunity to add some cards that have yet to be featured, like the Prowler and Tombstone. The Prowler could have been introduced as a card capitalizing on the opponent's movement, while Tombstone could gain a power buff in certain situations. Second Dinner is good at making almost any card work, and introducing characters with features from Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was a golden opportunity. Although Second Dinner won't get the chance to try out those cards and variants this Season, a collab with Marvel's Spider-Man titles is still possible as the game grows.
Marvel Snap is available for PC and mobile devices.