Game of the Day 4/7/2016: Super Spy Hunter

[celerystalker]

Super Spy Hunter is a follow-up to the arcade/NES/more classic that really updates the formula while preserving the concept of the original game. You once again drive your tricked-out spy car toward the top of the screen in vertically scrolling scenery, bumping and attacking cars, boats, and helicopters while getting powerups from eighteen wheelers. Sound familiar? Good, because it's time to blow it up.

The first major difference is that the offensive capabilities of your car have been upgraded dramatically. For starters, you can shoot from a turret right out of the gate, and with the press of a button you can cause its three-way fire to fan out or pull back for a tight pattern. You now blow up the semis that have your powerups, and a letter icon rotates on top of them, and the one showing upon explosion will fall toward you to grab. There are red and blue trucks now; the red ones give you semi-permanent upgrades like adding a chase function to your fire, rapid, power up, and life bar extension. The blue trucks offer one-off bonuses such as bombs, 1ups, oil slicks, tire spikes, etc. They appear quite often in each level and your expanded arsenal gives the game almost more of a shooter feel.

Stages you say? Yes, this time the game is broken down into levels instead of being more of a score attack experience. Each stage has its own unique theme and hazards, such as water and boats in stage one or a desert with quicksand in stage two, and a boss fight at the end. The bosses are huge, and typically have multiple stages or forms before defeat, giving the game a big arcade-y flavor.

The graphics are nice in Super Spy Hunter, with colorful, varied stages, giant bosses, and cool turning effects on long curves. The music is typical quality stuff from SunSoft, with driving beats and a sound that suits the action. The package is very cohesive here, brought together by a nice difficulty level that isn't simple, but lets you feel your improvement as you play.

If you like Spy Hunter or a good shooter, Super Spy Hunter is a no brainer, though it's not super cheap. Looks like carts go for about $30, but it is a super high quality game. Color me a fan.

Played it?

[Emperor Megas]

I used to be the manager of a mall arcade that had Spy Hunter II. Not only did I work there, but I played games there for almost a decade before that and I NEVER ONCE played or even looked at the game for more than 30 seconds in passing.

From what I remember though, this version looks NOTHING like the arcade version.

[fahlim003]

Easily one the best games on the NES. Superb music, great graphics and tough game-play. This game rules whereas the Famicom version, Battle Formula, sucks given it costs a ridiculous sum over the NES release. Good bosses and lots of variety with a minor gripe that some stages run on a little long but thankfully not on the level of something like Zanac.

It's not dirt cheap presently but it used to be which while thinking of the line "is a crying a shame" isn't as who cares as emulation/flash cartridge ho, yo. Also RIP DP.

[celerystalker]

I used to be the manager of a mall arcade that had Spy Hunter II. Not only did I work there, but I played games there for almost a decade before that and I NEVER ONCE played or even looked at the game for more than 30 seconds in passing.

From what I remember though, this version looks NOTHING like the arcade version.

Yeah, SunSoft had the rights to the Spy Hunter name on NES, so they ported Battle Formula and renamed it, as it has a similar feel to Spy Hunter. Cool game.

Also, the Famicom version is also on PS1 on SunSoft Memorial Collection vol. 6 with Gimmick.

[FoxNtd]

Battle Formula is fucking epic. I don't need to say anything else.

[bb_hood]

One of the best games on the NES.
This is a shooter game that thinks its a driving game.

[Emperor Megas]

Man, I don't have this one, and it sounds awesome. I'll definitely keep an eye out for a copy. A cheap one, of course.

[goldenband]

I used to be the manager of a mall arcade that had Spy Hunter II. Not only did I work there, but I played games there for almost a decade before that and I NEVER ONCE played or even looked at the game for more than 30 seconds in passing.

Yeah, Spy Hunter II is infamously terrible. Really a disaster of a game, though it's been anthologized on modern collections for some reason.

[Nesmaster]

Love this one. Made better by the fact that you can play Pong on it by pressing A eight times and then start at the Game Over screen.