#Spy Hunter

[neonlightsworld]

Spy Hunter - Retro Gaming (1983)

[thevideogameartarchive]

Chilling 'Spy Hunter' NES

[head-vampire]

SPY HUNTER

BALLY-MIDWAY | 1984

[arkus-rhapsode]

This is gonna be a bit different from my usual video game hot take of the day, but I feel like we don't talk about Midway enough. So Midway for those who don't remember were basically kings of the arcade scene and early home consoles with stuff like Mortal Kombat, Rampage, NBA Jam, Spy Hunter, etc. However as the generations went on Midway started to spend a whole bunch of money in trying to catch up with the big triple A releases and not quite making that money back. Ultimately leading to its bankruptcy.

Now it sounds weird to say that we don't talk about a company that isn't around anymore, but over the last few years its dawned on me how Midway may just have been the biggest third party developer/publisher collapse in the industry we've seen in the las three decades.

Midway wasn't unpopular, they weren't incapable of publishing their own projects like some double A studios. But the fact that a seemingly pretty high B tier company could just end in the somewhat more stable time of the late 2000s. Then have most their back catalogue purchased by another company, Warner Bros, and then just like lose most cultural relevance outside of "Oh the Mortal Kombat guys," yeah kinda wild.

Now look, I know in the 2020s we've lived through many game studios being closed down. Often ones with their own rich history. Typically though, we've seen these studios like Free Radical, Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Volition etc, being purchased by a larger entity and then shuttered with their IP now being hoarded by their purchaser. But like those are all just developers. Part of much bigger entities. Activision and EA has been pulling that shit for years. But like a publisher like Activision or EA going under in such a spectacular way and then their properties bought up by various parties. Like the only other company I can think that's done that in the last 30 years is probably THQ.

I feel pretty confident in saying that even though we hear a bunch of horror stories like from EA or Square Enix or Epic Im fairly confident they won't actually collapse. At worst they'll get more stingy or potentially be bought by a mega conglomerate. Maybe it'll happen to Ubisoft, but who knows. I just think its fascinating.

[highbrow-hepcat]

Original models for "Spy Hunter"

[frogshunnedshadows]

Retro Arcade Write-Up: Part III

"Bally/Midway: Fun is Our Business." I may disagree with that, after being badly beaten by Spy Hunter...

Ouch. Not that I expected to be great at it, but still.

Somewhat grungy Out Run wheel.

Oh, good. Nice to know I still suck at Joust, too. Gotta give it credit, though, I like the weird sci-fi medieval vibe it has. I will get slightly better at it some day.

Return of the Jedi, by Atari. For some reason, this goes from level 1 to 3, and skipped the second level. Very awkward diagonal gameplay.

Speaking of awkward diagonal gameplay, here's Q*bert! I was looking forward to playing this, because I heard about the 'knocker' that's supposed to thump the cabinet / make a sound when Q*bert falls off screen, but this one wasn't working! Arrgh. This was otherwise in pretty good condition. Still a decent game despite the unconventional controls. Nice, bright colors, too.

To be continued!

[retrocgads]

UK 1985

[bitmapbooks]

Is the music stuck in your head yet?

The iconic game Spy Hunter was released in arcades 40 years ago today 🕹🔍🚚🚗💨🛢️

Check it out in our book - ARTCADE - The Book of Classic Arcade Game Art (Extended Edition)

Buy now with tracked global shipping: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/all-books/products/artcade-the-book-of-classic-arcade-game-art-extended-edition

#bitmapbooks #book #retrogaming #retrogames #gaming #art #reading #spyhunter #arcade #petergunntheme #artcade

[tuuwa]

[tootern2345]

A game I played 40 some minutes ago... pretty fun!

[thecholma]

Defender and the sit-down version of Spy Hunter were 2 of my favorite arcade games. I dropped a lot of those quarters in those things.

Defender appreciation post. Still my all time favorite arcade game! Super hard to play for any length of time, and super exciting to watch someone who could survive it's brutal gameplay. Good players would usually attract a crowd at the arcade.

[thevideogameartarchive]

The Car 'Spy Hunter' NES

[tuliptheoshawott]

(Note, Mario Bros. And SUPER Mario Bros. Are NOT the same thing.)

[lagblowz]

Finally got a new YouTube video published, a brief review of Spy Hunter on NES

[owlsounds]

one of the best arcade games of my youth.

I headcanon that Elevator Action is a prequel to it.

Spy Hunter (1984)

[pitagain]

#365DaysOfVGM Day 73:

Code Danger [In-Game Aerial Mode Loop] (Agent Intercept [2019])

With no one else having done it, here’s an upload from yours truly! There’s a separate 2nd phase track that plays later in the album version that puts both phases together, but I prefer the 1st phase by far.

The Guitar is full of action and urgency, as you’re transforming the car into a fighter plane in an engaging battle. It also sells the feel of the arctic area around you via a contrasting calm Piano, while the Drum and Cymbals keep the pace up in all but 1 part. Shame it doesn’t fully play in-game unless you pause, cuz it starts in a brief scene before the gameplay segment itself has a 2 minute time limit.

As for whether the game itself is good or not, well, it’s a legally distinct “SpyHunter 2.5D” after the pitch for it to be the 3rd SpyHunter game fell through, so if SpyHunter or other games like it interest you, chances are you won’t regret it, as one of the more competent titles of the Apple Arcade library. I know I enjoyed it well enough, and like the SpyHunter games, it’s a short game, so keep that in mind

(Length before loop: 3+ minutes)