Spy vs. Spy (1984 video game)

Spy vs. Spy
European Commodore 64 cover art, released by Beyond Software
Developer(s)	First Star Software
Publisher(s)	Beyond Software (UK) Tynesoft (BBC, Electron) Wicked Software (Amiga, Atari ST) Kemco (NES, GBC) Robots and Pencils (iOS)
Composer(s)	Nick Scarim, Hiroyuki Masuno
Platform(s)	Acorn Electron, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, BBC Micro, Commodore 16, Commodore 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, MSX, NES, Sega Master System, Sharp X1, ZX Spectrum, iOS
Release	1984 Atari 8-bit INT: 1984 Commodore 64 INT: 1984 Amstrad CPC INT: 1985 Apple II INT: 1985 ZX Spectrum INT: 1985 NES JP: April 26, 1986 NA: September01 - October 31, 1988 PAL: July 27, 1990 Sega Master System JP: September 20, 1986 NA: 1986 PAL: 1986 Amiga INT: 1989 Atari ST INT: 1989 Game Boy INT: January 16, 1991 - July 9, 1993 Game Boy Color INT: August 1, 1999 - May 13, 2000 Xbox INT: April 29, 2005 iOS INT: July 26, 2012-2014
Mode(s)	Single player, multi-player

Spy vs. Spy was a game first published by First Star Software in 1984 for the Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64 and Apple II computers. It was a two-player, split-screen game, based on MAD Magazine's long running cartoon strip, Spy vs. Spy, about the slapstick antics of two spies trying to kill each other with improbably complex and elaborate traps and weapons.

It was later ported to a much wider range of platforms including the ZX Spectrum, Acorn Electron, Atari ST, BBC Micro, Commodore 16, MSX, Amstrad CPC, Amiga, Master System, Game Boy, Xbox, Game Boy Color and Nintendo Entertainment System, which was emulated on the Game Boy Advance. A remake with a retro version was also released on iOS in 2012.

The object of the game is to collect various secret items in a briefcase and exit the building through a door to the airport before the opposing player, or before the timer runs out. While searching for the items, traps can be laid to take out the opponent (or the player themselves, if careless). Each spy has a personal countdown timer which depletes by 30 seconds upon each death.

The arena is an embassy, constructed from a series of interconnected rooms laid out on a grid pattern. Higher levels have more rooms, and therefore a larger play area. As well as hand-to-hand combat (achieved by wiggling the joystick or directional pad left and right or up and down when the spies are in proximity to each other) the spies can place traps on the furniture and doors which occupy the playing area. These traps are triggered when a spy searches a piece of furniture for an item or opens a booby trapped door, resulting in a cartoon style animation showing the subject being shot, blown up, etc, and floating up to heaven as an angel. The game is an example of the broad "trap-em-up" genre, which also includes games like Heiankyo Alien (1979), Space Panic (1980), and Lode Runner (1983).