Wikipedia

Spy Hunter

For other uses, seeSpy Hunter (disambiguation).

Spy Hunteris avehicular combat gamedeveloped byBally Midwayand released forarcadesin 1983.[2][3][4][5]The game draws inspiration from theJames Bond filmsand was originally supposed to carry theJames Bondbrand. The object of the game is to drive down roads in the technologically advanced "Interceptor" car and destroy various enemy vehicles with a variety of onboard weapons.Spy Hunterwas produced in both sit-down and standard upright versions with the latter being more common.[8]The game's controls consist of asteering wheelin the form of a futuristic aircraft-style yoke with several special-purpose buttons, a two-positionstick shift(offering 'low' and 'high' gears), and a pedal used for acceleration.

Spy Hunter
Arcade cabinet side art
Developer(s)Bally Midway(arcade)
Sunsoft(NES)
Publisher(s)
Designer(s)George Gomez
Composer(s)Bob Libbe, Michael Bartlow, Neil Falconer (Arcade)
Naoki Kodaka(NES)
Platform(s)Arcade,Amstrad CPC,Atari 2600,Atari 8-bit,BBC Micro,ZX Spectrum,C64,Apple II,ColecoVision,IBM PC,NES
Release
NES
Genre(s)Vehicular combat
Mode(s)Single-player
Arcade systemBally Midway MCR-Scroll

Spy Hunterwas a commercial success in American arcades, where it was one of the top five highest-grossing arcade games of 1984 and 1985. It was ported to theAtari 2600,Atari 8-bit computers,Amstrad CPC,ZX Spectrum,Commodore 64,Apple II,ColecoVision,MS-DOS,Nintendo Entertainment System,andBBC Micro.Spy Hunterwas followed bySpy Hunter II,which added a 3D view and two-player split-screen play, a pinball tie-in, and a successor series of games bearing theSpy Huntername. In addition, the NES received a sequel titledSuper Spy Hunter.

Gameplay

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The player has shot an innocent civilian car and is penalized with no points for a short duration.

Spy Hunteris avertical scrollingdrivinggame with the player in the role of a spy driving an armed sportscar. The object of the game is to travel the freeway destroying as many enemy vehicles as possible while protecting civilian vehicles. The game uses atop-down perspective.Controls consist of a two-position gearshift lever, a floor-mounted accelerator pedal, and a steering yoke with five buttons, and the cabinet also includes a dashboard with status lights.

The game begins with the player driving the fictitious G-6155 Interceptor, using the yoke, pedal, and gearshift to steer and control speed. The car is equipped with a machine gun that has unlimited ammunition and can be fired by pressing and holding the corresponding button on the yoke.

Various enemy vehicles try to destroy the player's car or force it off the road, including a helicopter that drops bombs from overhead. A counter increments thescorewhile the car is moving and on the road. Additional points are earned by destroying enemy vehicles using weapons or forcing them off the road. After an initial lead-in time during which the player has an unlimited supply of cars, the player must earn extra cars by reaching score thresholds. Destroying non-enemy cars halts the score counter for a short while, and no points are scored whenever the player's car is off the road. The car can be destroyed by a hard collision with another vehicle, if it is hit by an enemy weapon (including the craters blasted into the road by the helicopter's bombs), or by running far enough off the roadway (or waterway).

Following periodic forks in the road, the player can enter new regions with different terrain or weather conditions. The player can also acquire special weapons by entering a weapons van, which appears in each new territory and can be periodically summoned by pressing its button on the yoke when its dashboard light is flashing. Available special weapons consist ofoil slicks,smoke screens,andsurface-to-air missiles;each is controlled by a different button, and the dashboard lights indicate which ones are available at any given time. Special weapons have a limited ammunition supply and are lost whenever the player's car is destroyed.

At certain points, the player will have the option to convert the car into aspeedboatfor a brief time by driving through a boathouse; at others, the player will be forced to make the transition. Enemy boats can attack from in front or behind, and the helicopter can drop bombs from above. While in speedboat mode, the oil slick becomes aflamethrower,while the smoke screen and missiles remain unchanged.

The game has no ending, and play continues until the player has lost all cars.[9]

Development

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Game designerGeorge Gomezdrew inspiration for the game from listening to anaudio cassette tapeof music fromJames Bond films.He designed the game with Tom Leon, with whom he had worked onTron.Gomez sketched out the in-game road map on a long scroll of drawing paper and also came up with the idea of the weapons van. Originally the game was to be based directly on James Bond and have the "James Bond Theme"as in-game music, but the license could not be acquired. Instead, an electronic arrangement ofHenry Mancini'stheme toPeter Gunnplays throughout.[9]

Reception

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In the United States, it topped theRePlayuprightarcade cabinetcharts for four months during 1984, in April,[11]September,[12]October[13]and November.[14]It also topped thePlay Meterdedicated cabinet charts for street locations in July 1984[15]and November 1984.[16]It was listed by AMOA as one of America's top five highest-grossing arcade games of 1984,[17]with AMOA later giving it the award for "most played" arcade video game of 1985 in the United States.[18]In 1995,Fluxmagazine ranked the arcade version 29th on their Top 100 Video Games. They praised the game music, controls and gameplay.[19]

Computer and Video Gamesscored the ColecoVision version 80% in 1989.[20]

Legacy

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ColecoVision port
ZX Spectrum version

A pinball table based onSpy Hunterwas released in 1984 byBally.

The arcade game was ported to the ColecoVision in January 1985.[21]

The originalSpy Hunterwas followed by an arcade sequel,Spy Hunter IIin 1987. It retained the "Peter Gunn" music and incorporated a cooperative two-player mode, but the top-down view was replaced with a perspective from behind and above the car.

After Japanese video game developerSunsoftportedSpy Hunterto theNintendo Entertainment System,the company createdBattle Formulawith similar gameplay. Sunsoft America signed a deal with Bally Midway to release it outside Japan asSuper Spy Hunter.

The series was reprised in 2001 withSpyHunterdeveloped byParadigm Entertainmentand published byMidway Gamesfor thePlayStation 2,Xbox,GameCube,Game Boy Advance,andMicrosoft Windows.A sequel developed byAngel Studioswas released in 2003.Another rebootof the series was developed byTT Fusionfor theNintendo 3DSandPlayStation Vitaand released byWarner Bros. Interactivein October 2012.[22]

Spy Hunterwas cloned asMajor Motion,released byMicrodealfor theAtari STin 1986.[23]Agent Intercept(2019) forApple Arcadeis an homage toSpy Hunter.[24][25]

In the 2015toys-to-lifevideo gameLego Dimensions,the Midway Arcade level pack includes a buildableLegoG-6155 Interceptor. A playable emulation of the arcade version is also included as part of the pack. The player character fromSpy Hunteralso appears as part of a sidequest where the player has to destroy 20 cars in the Super Sprint racetrack.[26]

The 2022 video gameGotham Knightsincludes a playable emulated version of the game as aneaster egg.[27]

Re-releases

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Spy Hunterwas included inMidway's Greatest Arcade Hits: Volume 1forNintendo 64;Midway Arcade Treasures,a 2003 compilation of arcade games available for theGameCube,PlayStation 2,Xbox,andMicrosoft Windows;Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended PlayforPlayStation Portable;andMidway Arcade Origins,a 2012 compilation available forPlayStation 3andXbox 360.[28]

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  • In theMurder, She Wroteepisode titled "Hit, Run and Homicide",Jessica realizes the solution to the episode's mystery while playingSpy Hunterin the Cabot Cove grocery store.
  • "Dev Hunter", a game made in the style ofSpy Hunteris included as anEaster eggin the first release ofMicrosoft Excel2000.[29]It requiresDirectXto work. Shortly after Excel 2000's release,Microsoftofficially banned Easter eggs from its non-game software.[30]
  • In theRobot Chickenepisode "Dragon Nuts", a spoof ofSpy Hunteris featured in the sketch "Omaha's Number 1 News Team". The news station's traffic copter films two police cruisers in pursuit of the sports car fromSpy Hunter,which failed to yield for a routine traffic stop. The sports car causes the cruisers to crash using its smoke screen generator, boards the weapon truck, equips itself with its surface-to-air missile launcher, uses it to destroy a helicopter, and the driver, tailed by several more police cruisers, escapes in a speedboat.
  • Spy Hunteris parodied in theTeen Titans Go!episode "Video Game References", as when it isCyborg's turn to use the virtual reality system, he goes inside an arcade game calledPie Hunter,whose name is a reference toSpy Hunter.

Film adaptation

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See also:SpyHunter: Nowhere to Run

In the summer of 2003,Universal Picturesacquired the rights to the arcade gameSpy HunterfromMidway Games.The following September, Universal signed actorDwayne "The Rock" Johnsonto star in the film adaptation based on the game. ScreenwritersMichael BrandtandDerek Haaswere hired to write the screenplay, though a director had not been decided at the time.Spy Hunterwas slated to begin its budgeted $90 million production in spring 2004 in time for a summer 2005 release.[31]In January 2004, screenwritersMark Swift and Damian Shannonreplaced the original writing duo to rewrite the script, with production slated for June.[32]By May, Universal Pictures acquired directorJohn Wooto helm the project.[33]In the same month, the previous screenwriters were replaced by screenwriterZak Pennto rewrite the script once more.[34]By August, production had been delayed, pushingSpy Hunterback to be released in summer 2006.[35]In April 2005, Penn was replaced by screenwriterStuart Beattieto rewrite the script.[36]By May, however, director John Woo left the project due to scheduling conflicts.[37]In August, Johnson said the film was still developing without a director. Pre-production work was underway with designs such as the morphing Interceptor vehicle driven by Alex Decker.[38]Production was eventually halted for the time being, and Dwayne Johnson was detached from the project.[39]

In May 2007,Paul W. S. Andersonwas hired to replace Woo as the director with an all-new script unrelated toNowhere to Run.[39]He left the project a year later due to his commitment toDeath Race 2as a producer. In February 2013, Warner Bros. – the current theatrical distribution rights holders – announced thatRuben Fleischerwas brought on board to direct from a screenplay by Carter Blanchard.[40]In November 2015, Blanchard was replaced with the duo Neal Greaves and Sam Chalsen whileDan LinandRoy Leewere set to produce the film. Whether Fleischer was still on board to direct remains to be seen.[41]

See also

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  • Bump 'n' Jump(1982), another game where the player can bump vehicles off the road.
  • Roadblasters(1987), a later driving/combat video game also popular in arcades.

References

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  1. ^Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006).アーケードTVゲームリスト quốc nội • hải ngoại biên (1971–2005)[Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971–2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. pp. 124–5.ISBN978-4990251215.
  2. ^abSpy Hunter, Parts and Operating Manual(PDF).
  3. ^ab"Spy Hunter Flyer".
  4. ^ab"Spy Hunter screenshot".
  5. ^ab"Spy Hunter release dates on different platforms".
  6. ^"SPY HUNTER".Media Arts Database.Agency for Cultural Affairs.Retrieved1 June2021.
  7. ^"NES Games"(PDF).Nintendo of America. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on June 11, 2014.RetrievedAugust 9,2015.
  8. ^"Spy Hunter".The International Arcade Museum.Retrieved4 October2013.
  9. ^abDave Ellis (October 2, 2012)."Chat with Spy Hunter Game Designer".Like Totally 80s.
  10. ^Game review, Crash magazine issue 16,Newsfield PublicationsMay 1985
  11. ^"RePlay: The Players' Choice".RePlay.April 1984.
  12. ^"RePlay: The Players' Choice".RePlay.September 1984.
  13. ^"RePlay: The Players' Choice".RePlay.October 1984. p. 4.
  14. ^"RePlay: The Players' Choice".RePlay.November 1984.
  15. ^"National Play Meter".Play Meter.August 15, 1984.
  16. ^"National Play Meter".Play Meter.Vol. 10, no. 21. 15 November 1984. pp. 28–9.
  17. ^"Nominees Announced For 1984 AMOA Awards"(PDF).Cash Box.September 8, 1984. p. 28.
  18. ^"AMOA Expo '85: Award Winners".RePlay.Vol. 11, no. 3. December 1985. p. 44.
  19. ^"Top 100 Video Games".Flux(4). Harris Publications: 28. April 1995.
  20. ^"Complete Games Guide"(PDF).Computer and Video Games(Complete Guide to Consoles): 46–77. 16 October 1989.
  21. ^"1985 Index"(PDF).Computer Entertainer.Vol. 4, no. 10. January 1986. p. 6.
  22. ^"Kotaku | Gaming Reviews, News, Tips and More".Kotaku.
  23. ^"Major Motion".Atari Mania.
  24. ^Chris Carter (2019-09-27)."Review: Agent Intercept".Destructoid.Retrieved2019-10-25.
  25. ^Christian Donlan (2019-10-03)."Apple Arcade: Agent Intercept is a driving game with drifting and rockets".Eurogamer.Retrieved2019-10-25.
  26. ^Crecente, Brian (March 24, 2016)."Lego Dimensions delivers a playable video game museum with Midway Arcade".Polygon.RetrievedJanuary 15,2020.
  27. ^"A Few Cool Things You'll Find as You Play Gotham Knights".
  28. ^"Midway Arcade Origins Review - IGN".14 November 2012 – via www.ign.com.
  29. ^Excel Easter Egg - Excel 2000 Real Easter Egg?from eeggs.com
  30. ^Looking back at Microsoft Excel Easter EggsfromTechRepublic
  31. ^Gabriel Snyder; Michael Fleming (2003-09-23)."Rock rolls for U's 'Spy Hunter'".Variety.Retrieved2006-12-18.
  32. ^Gabriel Snyder (2004-01-06)."U puts slasher scribes on 'Spy Hunter'".Variety.Retrieved2006-12-18.
  33. ^Claude Brodesser (2004-05-19)."U Woos helmer to 'Spy' for vidgame adaptation".Variety.Retrieved2006-12-18.
  34. ^Dana Harris (2004-05-24)."Penn to pen Rock vehicle".Variety.Retrieved2006-12-18.
  35. ^Ben Fritz (2004-08-15)."'Spy' warriors psyched for a 'Psi-Ops' pic ".Variety.Retrieved2006-12-18.
  36. ^Gabriel Snyder; Dave McNary (2005-04-14)."U takes a new 'Hunter' shot".Variety.Retrieved2006-12-18.
  37. ^Alison James (2005-05-10)."Woo view: Redo coup".Variety.Retrieved2006-12-18.
  38. ^Paul Davidson (2005-08-23)."Update from the Rock onSpy-Hunter".IGN.Retrieved2006-12-18.
  39. ^abMarc Graser; Diane Garrett (2007-06-01)."Universal restarts 'Spy Hunter'".Variety.Retrieved2007-06-02.
  40. ^Silas Lesnick (2013-02-13)."Ruben Fleischer Officially Set for 'Spy Hunter'".ComingSoon.net.Retrieved2015-06-08.
  41. ^Mike Cecchini (2015-11-08)."The Spy Hunter Movie is Alive and Has Writers".Den of Geek.Retrieved2016-02-16.
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