Difference between revisions of "Spy Hunter"
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− | [[Image:Spy Hunter - | + | [[Image:Spy Hunter - ARC - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|North American arcade cabinet.]] |
− | '''''Spy Hunter''''' is an action driving game | + | '''''Spy Hunter''''' is an action driving game developed and published by [[Bally Midway]] for the arcade in 1983 and later ported to about a dozen platforms. The game was designed on the theme of a spy trying to escape in a sports car from the goons of a villain. You use common spy weapons like under the hood machine guns, oil slicks, and smoke screens, while the goons try to drive you off the road, slash your tires, shoot you, and even drop bombs on you! |
− | I first saw Spy Hunter in an arcade and watched the attract demo. Occasionally, I would see someone play the game, but I never saw anyone who was any good at the game. My first memory of the NES port was | + | ==Personal== |
+ | I first saw ''Spy Hunter'' in an arcade and watched the attract demo. Occasionally, I would see someone play the game, but I never saw anyone who was any good at the game. My first memory of the NES port was my step-brother showing how you could purposely crash on the far right of the screen and continue driving off road for quite awhile. I played the game enough to get good at it, but never really loved it. | ||
==Status== | ==Status== | ||
− | I own the game on the NES. At my peak, I was good enough to play essentially indefinitely. I remember once playing for a very long time, I was well passed the point where all four enemy cars can be on the screen at once (happens around 150,000 points) and I still had three lives in reserve before eventually | + | I own the game on the NES. At my peak, I was good enough to play essentially indefinitely. I remember once playing for a very long time, I was well passed the point where all four enemy cars can be on the screen at once (happens around 150,000 points) and I still had three lives in reserve before I eventually got bored and quit. I would consider this game "beat" by exceeding the max score, but I don't have the patience. |
==Review== | ==Review== | ||
− | + | {{Video Game Review|4|3|4|4|4|Arcade}} | |
− | + | ||
+ | {{Spoilers}} | ||
===Good=== | ===Good=== | ||
Line 16: | Line 18: | ||
* Using the Peter Gunn Theme was a good way to add to the spy atmosphere. Too bad they didn't get the rights to the James Bond theme. | * Using the Peter Gunn Theme was a good way to add to the spy atmosphere. Too bad they didn't get the rights to the James Bond theme. | ||
* The arcade cabinet uses a cool steering wheel, gas pedal, and shifter to be more car-like. | * The arcade cabinet uses a cool steering wheel, gas pedal, and shifter to be more car-like. | ||
+ | * Beginning each game with a stretch of time where the player can't get a game over was a great way of ensuring even novices would get their money's worth. | ||
+ | * By game has a decent variety of environment changes. The backgrounds change palette, there is a river section, and even a snowy roads section. The NES port adds new graphics to each section and even a beach area. | ||
* The designers of the arcade game used an interesting trick of halving the background resolution to speed up animation. This wasn't used in home ports which were stuck using low resolution for the whole game. | * The designers of the arcade game used an interesting trick of halving the background resolution to speed up animation. This wasn't used in home ports which were stuck using low resolution for the whole game. | ||
− | + | * The game cleverly increases its difficulty by slowly adding more enemy vehicles onto the screen at once. | |
− | * The game cleverly increases its difficulty by | ||
===Bad=== | ===Bad=== | ||
− | * There isn't much to do in the game. | + | * There isn't much to do in the game. There are four weapons, and six enemies. That's it. |
− | * There is only a single tune which plays | + | * There is only a single tune which plays throughout the whole game. |
* There is no ending to the game, you just drive until you can't drive anymore in hopes of amassing a high score. | * There is no ending to the game, you just drive until you can't drive anymore in hopes of amassing a high score. | ||
− | * | + | * The arcade game's background graphics are pretty bad. The trees are mirrored and new sections are nothing but a palette swap, and it's very obvious when it happens. At least the NES port swaps the palettes when the player is over a bridge so it isn't noticeable. |
− | + | * Most of the ports lack an obvious pause feature. | |
− | * The smoke screen is a difficult weapon to use in the NES port because, when it hits civilian drivers, it prevents you from gaining points (unlike in the arcade version). | + | * The smoke screen is a difficult weapon to safely use in the NES port because, when it hits civilian drivers, and when they crash it prevents you from gaining points (unlike in the arcade version). |
===Ugly=== | ===Ugly=== | ||
− | * | + | * The NES port botched the river section making it much harder than the driving sections, and there is no incentive for entering it. Luckily, you're not forced to enter it like you are in the arcade original. |
− | ==Box Art== | + | ==Media== |
+ | ===Box Art=== | ||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - ARC - USA.jpg|The North American stand-up cabinet.]] | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - ARC - USA - Marquee.png|The marquee for the North American sit-down arcade cabinet. Great lettering on this one. | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - ARC - USA - Bezel - Recreation.svg|Arcade bezel (digital recreation). | ||
Spy Hunter - DOS - USA.jpg|Variations of this box art were used on the majority of the PC and console markets of the time. It's very action packed, though not very accurate to the game. The player doesn't use a sub-machine gun or have an attractive woman on his side. | Spy Hunter - DOS - USA.jpg|Variations of this box art were used on the majority of the PC and console markets of the time. It's very action packed, though not very accurate to the game. The player doesn't use a sub-machine gun or have an attractive woman on his side. | ||
Spy Hunter - NES - USA.jpg|The North American NES box also looks great, and has a wonderful layout, but has likewise taken great liberties. There isn't a plane in the game, the motorcycle is only an obstacle, and there is not buxom female spy. | Spy Hunter - NES - USA.jpg|The North American NES box also looks great, and has a wonderful layout, but has likewise taken great liberties. There isn't a plane in the game, the motorcycle is only an obstacle, and there is not buxom female spy. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
− | ==Documentation== | + | ===Documentation=== |
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
Spy Hunter - NES - Manual.pdf|Game manual. | Spy Hunter - NES - Manual.pdf|Game manual. | ||
− | Official Nintendo Player's Guide - 105.jpg|Official Nintendo Player's Guide, part 1. | + | Official Nintendo Player's Guide - 105.jpg|[[The Official Nintendo Player's Guide]], part 1. |
− | Official Nintendo Player's Guide - 106.jpg|Official Nintendo Player's Guide, part 2. | + | Official Nintendo Player's Guide - 106.jpg|The Official Nintendo Player's Guide, part 2. |
− | Official Nintendo Player's Guide - 148.jpg|Official Nintendo Player's Guide, blurb. | + | Official Nintendo Player's Guide - 148.jpg|The Official Nintendo Player's Guide, blurb. |
+ | Spy Hunter - ARC - Germany - Ad.jpg|A German advert for the stand-up arcade cabinet. | ||
+ | </gallery> | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Maps=== | ||
+ | <gallery> | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - NES - Map - Overview.png|NES, overview. | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - NES - Map - Area 0.png|NES, area 0. | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - NES - Map - Area 1.png|NES, area 1. | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - NES - Map - Area 2.png|NES, area 2. | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - NES - Map - Area 3.png|NES, area 3. | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - NES - Map - Area 4.png|NES, area 4. | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - NES - Map - Area 5.png|NES, area 5. | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - NES - Map - Area 6.png|NES, area 6. | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - NES - Map - Area 7.png|NES, area 7. | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - NES - Map - Area Water.png|NES, water area. | ||
+ | Spy Hunter - NES - Map - Area Snow.png|NES, snow area. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Videos=== | ||
+ | {{#ev:youtube|9n1CZDYcxuE|256|inline|Review - NES Works.|frame}} | ||
+ | {{#ev:youtube|PT_X-YELPjY|256|inline|Longplay - Arcade.|frame}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Cheats== | ||
+ | ===NES=== | ||
+ | At the title screen, hold right + A + B + select and press start to being the game with all three weapons. And, if you can make it through the timer without dying you'll get 9 free lives. You can easily do this by accelerating briefly and then breaking and waiting on the side of the road. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Due to the way the game handles road side collisions, you can safely drive off the road as long as you don't turn after exiting a weapons trailer. You won't get points, but it may help you avoid more difficult areas. | ||
==Links== | ==Links== | ||
− | + | {{Link|MobyGames|http://www.mobygames.com/game/spy-hunter}} | |
− | + | {{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spy_Hunter}} | |
− | + | {{Link|StrategyWiki|https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Spy_Hunter}} | |
− | + | {{Link|VGMPF|2=http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Spy_Hunter}} | |
+ | {{Link|NESHacker|http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Games/Hacking/Wiki/index.php?title=Spy_Hunter}} | ||
+ | {{Link|TVTropes|https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/SpyHunter}} | ||
+ | {{Link|TCRF|https://tcrf.net/Spy_Hunter_(Arcade)}} | ||
[[Category: Games]] | [[Category: Games]] | ||
[[Category: Video Games]] | [[Category: Video Games]] | ||
+ | [[Category: 1983 Video Games]] | ||
+ | [[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Action, Adventure, Strategy]] | ||
+ | [[Category: Video Game Genre - Driving]] | ||
+ | [[Category: Video Game Genre - Scrolling Shooter]] | ||
+ | [[Category: Video Game Genre - Shooter]] | ||
+ | [[Category: Amstrad CPC Games]] | ||
+ | [[Category: Apple II Games]] | ||
[[Category: Arcade Games]] | [[Category: Arcade Games]] | ||
+ | [[Category: Atari 2600 Games]] | ||
+ | [[Category: Atari 8-bit Games]] | ||
+ | [[Category: BBC Micro Games]] | ||
+ | [[Category: ColecoVision Games]] | ||
+ | [[Category: Commodore 64 Games]] | ||
[[Category: NES Games]] | [[Category: NES Games]] | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category: Palm OS Games]] |
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category: PC Booter Games]] |
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category: ZX Spectrum Games]] |
+ | [[Category: 4-bit Color Graphics]] |
Revision as of 10:40, 12 May 2020
Spy Hunter is an action driving game developed and published by Bally Midway for the arcade in 1983 and later ported to about a dozen platforms. The game was designed on the theme of a spy trying to escape in a sports car from the goons of a villain. You use common spy weapons like under the hood machine guns, oil slicks, and smoke screens, while the goons try to drive you off the road, slash your tires, shoot you, and even drop bombs on you!
Contents
Personal
I first saw Spy Hunter in an arcade and watched the attract demo. Occasionally, I would see someone play the game, but I never saw anyone who was any good at the game. My first memory of the NES port was my step-brother showing how you could purposely crash on the far right of the screen and continue driving off road for quite awhile. I played the game enough to get good at it, but never really loved it.
Status
I own the game on the NES. At my peak, I was good enough to play essentially indefinitely. I remember once playing for a very long time, I was well passed the point where all four enemy cars can be on the screen at once (happens around 150,000 points) and I still had three lives in reserve before I eventually got bored and quit. I would consider this game "beat" by exceeding the max score, but I don't have the patience.
Review
4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Best Version: Arcade
— This section contains spoilers! —
Good
- The game uses all the common spy tropes, oil slicks, smoke screens, tire slashers, etc.
- Using the Peter Gunn Theme was a good way to add to the spy atmosphere. Too bad they didn't get the rights to the James Bond theme.
- The arcade cabinet uses a cool steering wheel, gas pedal, and shifter to be more car-like.
- Beginning each game with a stretch of time where the player can't get a game over was a great way of ensuring even novices would get their money's worth.
- By game has a decent variety of environment changes. The backgrounds change palette, there is a river section, and even a snowy roads section. The NES port adds new graphics to each section and even a beach area.
- The designers of the arcade game used an interesting trick of halving the background resolution to speed up animation. This wasn't used in home ports which were stuck using low resolution for the whole game.
- The game cleverly increases its difficulty by slowly adding more enemy vehicles onto the screen at once.
Bad
- There isn't much to do in the game. There are four weapons, and six enemies. That's it.
- There is only a single tune which plays throughout the whole game.
- There is no ending to the game, you just drive until you can't drive anymore in hopes of amassing a high score.
- The arcade game's background graphics are pretty bad. The trees are mirrored and new sections are nothing but a palette swap, and it's very obvious when it happens. At least the NES port swaps the palettes when the player is over a bridge so it isn't noticeable.
- Most of the ports lack an obvious pause feature.
- The smoke screen is a difficult weapon to safely use in the NES port because, when it hits civilian drivers, and when they crash it prevents you from gaining points (unlike in the arcade version).
Ugly
- The NES port botched the river section making it much harder than the driving sections, and there is no incentive for entering it. Luckily, you're not forced to enter it like you are in the arcade original.
Media
Box Art
- Spy Hunter - ARC - USA - Marquee.png
The marquee for the North American sit-down arcade cabinet. Great lettering on this one.
Documentation
- Spy Hunter - NES - Manual.pdf
Game manual.
The Official Nintendo Player's Guide, part 1.
Maps
Videos
Cheats
NES
At the title screen, hold right + A + B + select and press start to being the game with all three weapons. And, if you can make it through the timer without dying you'll get 9 free lives. You can easily do this by accelerating briefly and then breaking and waiting on the side of the road.
Due to the way the game handles road side collisions, you can safely drive off the road as long as you don't turn after exiting a weapons trailer. You won't get points, but it may help you avoid more difficult areas.
Links
- Pages with broken file links
- Video Game Rating - 4
- Video Game Graphics Rating - 4
- Video Game Sound Rating - 4
- Games
- Video Games
- 1983 Video Games
- Video Game Prime Order - Action, Adventure, Strategy
- Video Game Genre - Driving
- Video Game Genre - Scrolling Shooter
- Video Game Genre - Shooter
- Amstrad CPC Games
- Apple II Games
- Arcade Games
- Atari 2600 Games
- Atari 8-bit Games
- BBC Micro Games
- ColecoVision Games
- Commodore 64 Games
- NES Games
- Palm OS Games
- PC Booter Games
- ZX Spectrum Games
- 4-bit Color Graphics