Spy vs. Spy

"Great 2-player fun for the old NES!"

I really don't understand why there are so many negative reviews for Spy vs. Spy here at GameFAQs. I guess it becomes trendy to bash certain games. That has to be the explanation, since there are many statements in these reviews that simply aren't true (bad graphics? have you played more than 5 NES games in your life?), or indicate that the reviewer actually didn't know how to play the game (yeah, I guess that can contribute to not liking it, but this isn't exactly rocket science, it's 8-bit gaming. If you can't figure it out, I don't think the problem is with the game...). As someone who was not a fan of Spy vs. Spy when I first played the game, I hope to offer a more unbiased review. Admittedly, I am a fan now, which is what inspired me to track down this old game. But I digress.

This game follows the simple formula of the MAD Spy vs. Spy comic books. Your goal is to beat the other spy, escape the country, perform acts of espionage, and other such Cold War fun. The setup of the game is as follows: you and the opposing spy are in a building (which increases in size and maze-like construction as the levels increase). Your object is to find and collect 4 key items in a briefcase and escape through the building's exit before the other spy does the same. You and the other spy will be fighting over these objects in several ways. First, you can set booby traps that will temporarily incapacitate your opponent by planting them in the rooms that you and your opponent will be searching to find the key items. If your opponent activates any of the booby traps, they will be knocked out for 30 seconds. This allows you more time to search for items, or, if the other spy had any items you needed, to steal it from them. You can also fight with the other spy one-on-one if the two of you ever end up in the same room together. Again, you can knock out your opponent long enough to slow them down or take their items.

The setup of the game is unique, especially for a NES game. The whole game takes place with a split screen so that you can see what the other spy is doing and where they are. The games challenges many of your abilities at once, first and foremost being your memorization abilities. It helps greatly to be observant and remember where your opponent placed booby traps so that you don't activate them. There is also quite a bit of strategy involved, in that you can trap your opponent in a room where they can't leave without activating a trap, for example. Also, you may have to hide some items yourself and come back for them later, as you can only hold one item at a time until you get the briefcase. Finally, you can practice that good old knuckle-busting hand-to-hand combat if you happen to encounter the other spy face to face.

I think from my description you can see that this is quite a unique game. perhaps that is what turns some people away from it. But the real treasure of this game is the two-player mode. When you are up against a friend and not just a computer opponent, this game goes from being pretty fun to being an absolute blast. Since I received this game in the mail, my friends and I (who are always on the lookout for new party games) have played it for hours. There are very few games on the NES that rival this game's entertainment for two-player competition.

For anyone considering buying this game, I hope I have convinced you to give it a try and make up your own mind. It really is a lot of fun if you are looking for something unique and a great two-player game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/22/04