Todd McFarlane's Spawn: The Video Game

Todd McFarlane's Spawn: The Video Game, simply referred to as Spawn, is a side-scrolling fighting game developed by Ukiyotei. It is based on the comics by Todd McFarlane. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System exclusively in 1995.
== Plot ==
Closely following the original comics, but taking place after the main protagonist, Albert Francis "Al" Simmons, strikes his deal with the devil, Maleboglia, into serving under his army as a Hellspawn. Spawn begins by taking down street gangs and organized crime, including their enforcer, Overtkill. Once he locates the thirteenth abducted child, which the game states as missing in the opening cinematic, Spawn meets Redeemer, formerly known as Anti-Spawn and is Heaven's answer to Spawn.
After a battle which throws them both out of the warehouse, Spawn encounters Angela, an associate of Redeemer. She asks for assistance from Spawn as a rouge Angel called the "Mad One" is attempting to destroy Maleboglia with the power of the thirteen abducted children. His insanity had lead him to be able to open a gateway to the Darklands, but Spawn cannot enter himself as his heart is not evil enough. Knowing of one man who has one evil enough, Spawn heads to a prison to find Billy Kincaid.
Inside Billy Kincaid's cell, Spawn discovers the Clown, Hell's guide for multiple Hellspawns, who then changes into his demon form, known as the Violator. After a battle with the Violator, Spawn gets back to the matter at hand and uses Kincaid as a gateway to the Darklands.
== Gameplay ==
Spawn borrows heavily from many fighting games as well as the Ninja Gaiden series, in which the characters can jump off the walls to reach new heights and cross platforms. Spawn can use a hand-to-hand fighting style as well as the chains that are wrapped around his chest.
Spawn does have one very unique feature, which hasn't been used in many games. This new feature, which takes the role as the lives system and called "Necroplasm" in the comics, which uses the same meter, allows Spawn to return from defeat as long as he has remaining necroplasm. Beginning the game off with 9,999 points of necroplasm, different ways of dying reduces the necroplasm by different amounts. For example, while falling into an abyss lowers the necroplasm level slightly, but allows Spawn to place himself back on the ledge of his choosing, losing all life lowers his life greatly and places him back at the beginning of a new section. There are small symbols that have Spawn's insignia on it that replenishes his life meter as well as some of the necroplasm.
== Reception ==
The game received mediocore reception by critics. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it a 6.12/10 and Nintendo Power producing a slightly better 3.33/5. Public reception and current opinion has been a bit more favorable with an average rating of 7.1/10.