Spy Hunter
Spy Hunter is a 1983 vehicular combat game developed by Bally Midway, casting players as a secret agent driving a weaponised sports car down a top-down scrolling road. The car comes equipped with machine guns and can collect additional weapons like oil slicks, smoke screens, and missiles by driving into a mobile weapons van that rolls alongside the road. Enemy vehicles such as the Switchblade car, Enforcer, and Bulletproof Bully try to run the player off the road.
The game challenged players to destroy enemy vehicles while avoiding harming innocent civilian cars, which cost points if struck, and it could transform into a speedboat during water sections. Its memorable use of the "Peter Gunn" theme and its cinematic spy fantasy helped make it a standout arcade hit, and some deluxe cabinets came in a sit-down form with a gearshift.
Spy Hunter was widely ported and later spawned 3D reboots. The original endures through retro compilations and emulation, still delivering fast, tense driving-and-shooting action.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Spy Hunter, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
Agent Intercept Indie
€ 9,50A spy-car chase game with oil slicks, boats and gadget switching, openly modelled on Spy Hunter.
Agent Intercept runs on PC, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox. It is Steam Deck Verified.
Trailmakers Indie
€ 29,99An indie vehicle-building sandbox with combat and transformation possibilities reminiscent of the spy car fantasy.
Trailmakers runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. It is Steam Deck Playable.
GRIP: Combat Racing
€ 29,99Weaponised high-speed racing on walls and ceilings, for Spy Hunter's guns-and-throttle combination.
GRIP: Combat Racing runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. It is Steam Deck Playable.
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