Spy Hunter

[Goblin]

This afternoon I was playing some NES with a cousin and we started playing Spy Hunter, which he had never heard of. (Damn youngin) Anyway after I explained the premise he asked me if you can win, and it struck me that I honestly didn't know. It was never my favorite game but I did play it growing up in the arcades and then later on the atari xe and later NES. So I guess I need to ask, can you ever win? Are there more than one level? My gut tells me no and that it was just a high score game versus a level complete game, but I didn't know for sure.

[Xexyz]

I'd guess it is just a high score marathon game. I also despise the game. It wasn't very fun, and way too easy to die quickly.

[Graham Mitchell]

I don't think there's an ending...but you can find a boat! The map just repeats over and over from what I understand. Not that I've ever gotten far enough to figure that out for myself, mind you. :/

[Ulticron]

The boat was alot easier to find on the Commodore 64 version of the game. All in all I think game was easier on the C64 in general cause I would drive, get the boat, and then drive again for quite some time until it got so hard I just lost.

[MrRoboto19XX]

Yep, just loops to infinity, getting harder and harder with each pass. My personal favorite arcade game of the 80's.

Random Fact: The game was originally supposed to use the James Bond 007 liscence, but Midway couldnt get it. Instead they used the Peter Gunn theme we all know and remember.

At least im 99% sure thats right. :D

[Jorpho]

Indeed, I'm not too fond of the way you can die an unlimited number of times for, what, a minute? And then you're suddenly on your one and only life until you score a ridiculous number of points. Bluddy difficult.

[Neil Koch]

There is actually an "end", but then it just repeats.

I've only gotten to the snow part myself, even after adding extra lives while playing on MAT.

[Dr. Morbis]

I love this game due to the Peter Gunn theme that runs in the background. Sadly, the NES version doesn't do it justice. The Coleco version of Spy Hunter is my favourite by a mile. Great play control, great graphics, and a killer rendition of the Peter Gunn theme. But ya, it's too bad it's endless.

[Jorpho]

Meanwhile, I guess the "new" Spy Hunter has died a complete and quiet death, despite its ability to inspire movies?

[whoisKeel]

I'm pretty sure there is no end to the game.

It was my 3rd (or so) NES game, and I played the hell out of it. It really isn't hard at all once you get the hang of it. I used to be able to play for *hours*. It just keeps looping. I think if you're quick enough you can get an extra life before the timer runs out, then you get more every certain amount to points, but it maxes out eventually.

The trick really is not to go to fast, a nice medium pace and you'll never lose...that and be able to take out the tire slashers...just hit them at the right angle.

Anything that is dark blue is an enemy, otherwise avoid it (don't wreck it) for points.

There was a quick way to the boats, but I don't remember it. For some reason I remember going left more than right, so try left, left, left or left, right, left, or something similar.

[grimbal]

Random Fact: The game was originally supposed to use the James Bond 007 liscence, but Midway couldnt get it. Instead they used the Peter Gunn theme we all know and remember.

At least im 99% sure thats right. :D

You are correct. I saw an interview with one of the designers of the game, and they actually had programed one of the prototype arcade cabs to play the James Bond theme. But alas they couldn't secure the rights.

Personally, I can't get use to any of the controls on any of the console versions. Even the MAME version doesn't have a good feel to it with an analog controller. So for my favorite version to play it is the original arcade cab. Luckily it's only a few feet away:

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/6010/dcp01783ne.th.jpg (http://img371.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dcp01783ne.jpg)

[Goblin]

There is actually an "end", but then it just repeats.

I've only gotten to the snow part myself, even after adding extra lives while playing on MAT.

I had completely forgotten about the snow part. God it must have been 15 years since I got that far.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

[NoahsMyBro]

I got to where I could effectively play this game until the arcade operator threw me out.

If memory serves, I would try to always go left, left, left, right, and repeat. This allowed me to never get whichever weapon it was that I found useless - maybe smoke?

And I found the boat much harder, so I would usually try to avoid it.

-- Steve