Atari 8-bit Playthrough - Spy vs. Spy

This is a playthrough of Mike Riedel's Spy vs. Spy. Originally written for the Commodore 64, it was ported to the 8-bit Atari by Jim Nangano and published by First Star Software in 1984.

The game is based on the popular comic strip of the same name from Mad Magazine. Each Spy vs. Spy comic generally follows the two spies (who's physical features are identical but wear opposite colored clothing) as they try to eliminate each other -- typically with elaborate schemes or sophisticated booby traps. Sometimes a spy's own plans backfire on them and sometimes they are successful.

The game adheres to the basic premise of Spy vs. Spy pretty closely. It takes place in an embassy where each spy is in a race to collect all of the necessary items (the passport, money, key, and secret plans) and board the plane waiting outside before time runs out. You battle with your opponent (either the computer or a second player) using physical combat or through the use of booby traps. The available booby traps are a bomb, a spring, a water bucket, a gun, and a time bomb. With the exception of the time bomb, each of these can be disarmed using other items found throughout the embassy. When a player is defeated in combat or sets off a booby trap, they have to sit out momentarily and their clock counts faster. The fact that a player can set off a booby trap that they themself rigged up adds an extra element of difficulty, as they now must not only attempt to keep track of where their opponent is placing traps, but they must also remember where all of their traps are as well. The game ends when a player either runs out of time or makes it into the airplane outside.

To keep things short and sweet, I played the most simple game possible: a difficulty of 1 with a computer IQ of 1. This results in a small embassy with a computer player who isn't very intelligent. I did my best to capture most elements of the game, including setting off booby traps, physical combat, and the successful collection of all necessary items. I'm the white spy on top.

Spy vs. Spy proved to be very successful and spawned two sequels: The Island Caper and Arctic Antics. This game was notable at the time for its ability to allow two players to play simultaneously on a split screen, along with its unique action/strategy gameplay.

First Star Software still exists today and you can read a little more about Spy vs. Spy at their website: http://www.firststarsoftware.com/spyvsspy.htm

Played on an Atari 130XE. Recorded onto VHS and then run through a TV Capture Card.
(I taped it first because of the lag on my TV Capture Card.)

Thanks for watching!

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• spy
• vs
• mike
• riedel
• atari
• 8-bit
• 400
• 800
• 130
• xe
• xl
• game
• first
• star
• software
• mad
• magazine
• jim
• nangano

[sctriplefox]

Every Atari version of Spy vs. Spy I've heard on an emulator has bad music timing. I remember playing an original copy on a real 800 and hearing the correct rhythm....I wonder, is it the emulator, or a bad image? :(

[rfswitchbox]

To be honest, I'm not sure (I've never played this on an emulator). Did the music in this video sound ok? Because this was recorded straight from an Atari 130XE.

[sctriplefox]

This music was wrong - I just assumed it was emulated. Listen to a recording of the C64 or NES version, particularly the higher bell-like melody. In your recording that part desynchs from the rhythm line in a certain phrase - it goes twice as fast. This is the error I'm referring to.

[rfswitchbox]

I see what you're talking about now. I only ever had this game for the Atari, so I never noticed it was different on other platforms.

I think this might just be how the music on the Atari port is, though. It's how I always remembered it and it's also how my original copy plays. Unless maybe First Star released more than one version of the Atari port?

[krbosak]

This is not water bucket. This is ACID bucket.

But I like the spring most.

[rfswitchbox]

Believe it or not, it actually is a water bucket. Straight from the manual. Worth noting because it acts as the remedy for the bomb.

I think the Spy vs. Spy game that was released for the XBOX a few years ago had an acid bucket as a weapon, but I'm not totally sure as I've never played it.

Also, I really like the spring as well. I probably should have used it in the video. lol.

[CaptainCheq]

such a great game, and a great memory from my childhood on the c64

[warpmotivator]

@ACnitus I hate when people speak without having ANY clue. First, this game was originally written for the C64, not ported from Atari.

Second, you can't compare "capturing from atari ports", because that has NOTHING to do with the system's capabilities, but it's 100% on the programmers.

Second, the C64 had vastly SUPERIOR audio. The SID was much more advanced than POKEY, a simple noise generator.

[jrspl]

@Mirkoyanque Not an electrical issue, but close: in Europe we use PAL 50 Hz framerate while in US - they have uing NTSC with 60Hz.

[0w3nSm1th]

thats so cool!

[garfles1]

@rfswitchbox It is. I played this game all the time on my Atari 800xl and all the music and sound is exactly the same as in this video

[ACnitus]

@gjc82071 Also I had an 800 xl from early childhood, a 130 xe later on. I must have played this game a million times. This is what it sounded like.

Don't forget, this was the original game. It's the ports, like the c64 port, that has incorrect music. The c64 had vastly inferior audio and never captured it right in ports from atari. The NES port came out so much later that it doesn't even count as a port so much as a complete remake.

[gjc82071]

@ACnitus That's not always a sure sign. For authenticity/nostalgia, several emulators actually have the disk access sound built into them. Amiga, BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC, etc, all have that.

[Mirkoyanque]

@sctriplefox I think the difference in the rythm is due to the different electrical frequency in Germany (60 Hz) which is where Atari 8 bits were produced, and USA (50 Hz), that causes the sound to go faster/slower, depending on the country you are in... this video is recorded in a 60 Hz country, or with an emulator in the 60 Hz option.