THE SUPER SPY

by Billkwando

Before "Doom" there was, uh, The SuperSpy. Super Spy is a "first person" shooting/fighting game in which you have to ascend the many floors of an office building (obviously by a predetermined and invariable route) punching, kicking, and shooting your way through masked terrorists and goofy bosses.

    This game is early SNK arcade fare, with a simple control system that's easy to get used to, smooth graphics (though a bit drab), good music (love that slap bass!), and some pretty cool sound effects (like the Uzi shots panning left to right in stereo) and though this game ISN'T rocket science, and is fairly repetitive, in the words of my fellow Neo owner Steve, "MAN! I could TOTALLY lunch out on this game!" There you have it.

    This game has what you bring to it. If you don't expect alot,you won't be disappointed. The way it goes is, you are Roy Heart, (our hero, who consists of a floating right hand, and a leg sometimes)you're a C.I.A agent, and you need to get to the top of an office building full of ill-mannered terrorists and pimp-daddies (kind of like Die Hard, huh?). You begin armed with a pistol, a knife, fists and feet. The method to navigating the levels in this is game is pretty ingenious, and helps in giving it the "3D" feel and look they were going for while you're playing the game. Basically it's like you're standing in the middle of a long hallway, with your back to the wall, and you can sidestep left or right the length of the hall, and also go forward through doorways (and back out to the hall where you came), elevators (to get to the next level or back-track), or short corridors that lead you forward long enough to get to the NEXT hallway (they all run parallel, left to right) and so on, until you reach an elevator. Then the next level begins...

    This game is basically as hard as you make it. I have a friend who can beat everybody with just a rusty knife, but if you USE the different attacks in your arsenal, it makes for some pretty creative gameplay.

    In Super Spy, you begin with a pistol (with limited ammo), and a knife. The knife decreases in power (rusts) the more you use it. Be careful though, once it turns brown, you might as well be punching. Occasionally, you get a machine gun, but once you're out of ammo, it's back to the pistol. When the bullets run out, THAT'S when Super Spy starts to show it's charm.

    The basic (unarmed) attack system in this game has alot of good points, and even though the features in this game don't do enough really to help you progress, they show alot of effort and are alot of fun. I have to tell you, fist fighting in Super Spy is one of the rare joys in life when I'm really bored. The fighting systen in this game is FUN, and for me, it's the only reason to play this game after a week.

    "A" punches, "B" kicks, you can throw a right hook (push stick diagonal-up either way and punch), you can kick (or knee), and you can hold down the button for a stonger attack (supposedly), you can even pistol-whip people(press B while armed)! You also have an unreliable combo punch (tap "A" repeatedly), and get this... you can block! Holding A & B BEFORE they attack causes you to block high attacks. You can also hold Down to duck under their high attacks, and if you punch or kick while you're ducking you do an uppercut or a knee (respectively). What this adds up to is that you can bob and weave, duck, and block. You can sidestep enimies' attacks and deliver some pretty grumpy blows. Sounds like "Mike Tyson's Punch Out" doesn't it? It is.

    Super Spy, in fine SNK tradition, has awful (but sometimes hilariously bad) dialog, like the super-charming, "Bring it with, we could use a new knife." And though the story's pretty weak, it fits the game just fine.

    Though not as good as SNK's other "simulated 3D" effort, Crossed Swords, this game is fun and though the replay value is pretty limited, it's worth having if you can find it for less than $45. Not a GREAT game, but definitely one of the most unique games on the Neo Geo.

by Bobak!

by Kazuya_UK - Courtesy of Kazuya's

Forums  |  Neo Collection  |  Master List  |  AES Price Guide  |  MVS Price Guide
CD Price Guide  |  Neo Store  |  Screenshots  |  Reviews  |  Home  |  Email