Spy Hunter (GameCube) Compare Prices

Game Review & Description: Spy Hunter is a game almost unique in our time: not only a genuinely top-quality PS2 game, but also a superb update of a retro classic--an unlikely achievement, of the same sort as a row of Oscars above Keanu Reeves' mantelpiece. The original Spy Hunter was a vertically scrolling shoot-'em-up from the early 80s that was inspired by the Lotus Esprit sequence from The Spy Who Loved Me. This sequel manages to update all the elements of the original in superb 3-D graphics-o-vision yet still maintains the same manic arcade spirit. The basic gameplay involves you driving your gadget-stuffed spy car (which can also transform into a boat) through one of 14 different courses attempting to complete a variety of different goals, such as blowing up prototype helicopters and defusing bombs. You only have to complete one goal to exit the course, but completing additional goals is the only way to access subsequent levels. Spy Hunter is unquestionably the best marriage of a driving game and shoot-'em-up ever--and considering how many games have attempted this in the past that's no small compliment. Shallow it might be, but this is great fun. --David Jenkins