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__ ___/____________ __ ___ / / /___ __________ /_____________
_____ \___ __ \_ / / / __ /_/ /_ / / /_ __ \ __/ _ \_ ___/
____/ /__ /_/ / /_/ / _ __ / / /_/ /_ / / / /_ / __/ /
/____/ _ .___/_\__, / /_/ /_/ \__,_/ /_/ /_/\__/ \___//_/
/_/ /____/
FAQ/Strategy Guide
Arcade
by Smart_
v1.0
It's hunt or be hunted, and "did that really just happen?"
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! !
TABLE OF CONTENTS .
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[0000]
I. Version History [0010]
II. A Brief Word from the Author [0020]
III. General Tips [0030]
IV. Basic Gameplay [0040]
A. Controls [004A]
B. Objective [004B]
C. Scoring and Bonus Cars [004C]
D. Stages [004D]
V. The G-6155 Interceptor [0050]
A. Low and High Gear [005A]
B. Machine Guns [005B]
C. Oil Slick [005C]
D. Smokescreen [005D]
E. Heat-Seeking Missiles [005E]
VI. Allies and Enemies [0060]
[ALLIES]
A. Civilians [006A]
B. Weapons Vans [006B]
C. Tugboats [006C]
[LAND ENEMIES]
D. Switchblades [006D]
E. Road Lords [006E]
F. Enforcers [006F]
G. Mad Bombers [006G]
[WATER ENEMIES]
H. Barrel Dumpers [006H]
J. Dr. Torpedoes [006J]
VII. Glitches/Secrets [0070]
VIII. Where Can I Play Spy Hunter? [0080]
IX. FAQ & Contact Information [0090]
X. Credits [0100]
==============================================================================
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! !
I. VERSION HISTORY .
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[0010]
Version 1.0
-------------
March 25, 2012
The first, pretty much complete version of the guide, sans info on Doctor
Torpedoes.
April 4, 2017
Despite finishing this 5 years ago, I never actually submitted it. Changed the
formatting and submitted to GameFAQs.
April 12, 2017
Truly version 1.0, as I finally added info on Doctor Torpedoes.
April 22, 2017
For the first time in my life, I was able to not only see, but play on the
actual arcade cabinet. Added a section on controls.
April 11, 2018
Found another Spy Hunter cabinet in the wild, and this one had the car speed
calibrated differently than any other machine I've played, giving rise to a
new strategy. See Tips and Low Gear/High Gear sections.
May 25, 2018
Several minor corrections. Added another location and the Enforcer glitch.
July 16, 2019
Updated copyright info and added another location in San Francisco.
==============================================================================
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! !
II. A BRIEF WORD FROM THE AUTHOR .
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[0020]
Spy Hunter was released in 1983, the same year as Return of the Jedi, Michael
Jackson's "Beat It," leg warmers, pastel suits, and great cars. Thirty-four
years later it's still a hell of a game. I grew up playing it, and for the
dozen people that read this, thank you.
==============================================================================
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! !
III. GENERAL TIPS .
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[0030]
- Get used to high gear! You'll need it to enter weapons vans and outrun
enemies. It is one of your most valuable defenses besides your weapons.
- Use high gear in VERY short bursts!!!
- You can alternatively just drive in high gear the whole time, pressing the
accelerator halfway so your car stays in the middle of the screen, pushing
down to outrun enemies as needed. Just be very careful of when you have to
slow down. This is the best way to play the boat stages.
- Slowing down is also dangerous. If you get rear-ended while near the bottom
of the screen (that is, when nearly stopped), you'll explode. Plus, the
ol' slow-down-to-get-behind-them trick doesn't work that well.
- Oil slick is hands down the best special weapon. Use it in small taps rather
than holding the button down. Conservation is key!
- You can call one additional weapons van per zone, so be sure to call one at
the very end to replenish your ammo.
- You can also intentionally keep weapons vans in front of you (without
entering them) so you can restock and/or be taken out of danger at the exact
right moment.
- Weapons vans drop you off at the bottom of the screen. Drive alongside the
road for a moment (till you're in the middle of the screen) and pull out
when you see it's safe. Otherwise, you might get rear-ended and explode.
- You get one bonus car for making 10,000 points while the timer is running.
And you can get one more if you make 18,000!
- You can utilize the invincibility glitch (see Glitches section) to avoid
tricky areas like icy roads.
==============================================================================
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! !
IV. BASIC GAMEPLAY .
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[0040]
[004A]
A. CONTROLS
Spy Hunter has two versions-- a stand-up cabinet and a sit-down. On both,
there is an accelerator pedal on the floor, a gear shifter, and an airplane
yoke with buttons and triggers to steer your car/use its weapons.
The "dashboard" of your car below the monitor has lights to indicate when a
weapons van is available, as well as lights indicating what weapons are
available to use.
WEAPONS VAN (CENTER) - Starts the game. Calls a weapons van when in an
appropriate zone. Flashes when you first enter a
weapons van zone and stays on to indicate you can
call another one.
LEFT TRIGGER (REAR) - Fires missiles when available.
RIGHT TRIGGER (REAR) - Fires front-facing machine guns. Exits game
instructions.
LEFT BUTTON (TOP) - Releases oil slick when available.
RIGHT BUTTON (TOP) - Releases smokescreen when available.
ACCELERATOR PEDAL - Opens game instructions once a coin is inserted.
Also accelerates your car, whoa!
GEAR SHIFTER - Shifts between low and high gear.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[004B]
B. OBJECTIVE
In Spy Hunter, you take the role of an unnamed spy behind the wheel of the
G-6155 Interceptor, a state-of-the-art supercar outfitted with twin front
machine guns, and also equipped with oil slick nozzles, smokescreen vents, and
heat-seeking surface-to-air missile turrets. You are being relentlessly chased
by the mysterious "M" organization, who'll throw everything at you from
bulletproof trucks to bomb-dropping helicopters. They won't stop until you're
dead, and neither will you-- it's a slow battle of attrition to the very end.
Spy Hunter is a game of survival. There is no end; your enemies will hunt you
down to the ends of the earth. It's up to you to incovenience/outrun them for
as long as possible, to be an inspiration to all spies everywhere!
[LIVES]
When the game starts, there will be a timer at the top of the screen that
counts down from 999. During this time, you have infinite lives. Once the
timer runs out, you will have a finite number of lives. If you do not
reach 10,000 points by the time the timer runs out, then you will have no
extra lives besides your current car. If you reach 10,000 points before the
timer runs out, you will get one bonus life. If you reach 18,000 you'll have
two bonus lives. At 30,000, you'll get another bonus car. From there on
out, you will be awarded one bonus car at 30,000; 60,000; 90,000; and
120,000 points.
[GAME OVER]
The game ends when you've lost all your lives. You can die by:
- Being rammed off, or veering into, the side of the road/water.
- Colliding with a vehicle as it's exploding (only after the timer ends) while
travelling at full speed in either low or high gear.
- Colliding with a vehicle while in high gear.
- Getting your tires blown out by a Switchblade.
- Getting your tire shot out by an Enforcer.
- Running over a crater created by a Mad Bomber or being directly hit by them.
- Hitting a barrel dropped by a Barrel Dumper.
- Getting hit by a Dr. Torpedo.
- Getting rear-ended when near the bottom of the screen. This can happen when
you're significantly slowed down, stopped, or if you get dropped off by a
weapons van and immediately pull out to the main road.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[004C]
B. SCORING AND BONUS CARS
Your score is constantly counting up as long as your car is moving, so think
of it as an odometer of sorts. You also get additional points for each enemy
destroyed, or your score may temporarily stop accruing when destroying an
ally.
[SCORING]
ROADS: 15 points/screen
WATER: 25 points/screen
+ 150 points per Switchblade destroyed
+ 150 points per Road Lord destroyed
+ 500 points per Enforcer destroyed
+ 700 points per Mad Bomber destroyed
+ 150 points per Barrel Dumper destroyed
+ 500 points per Dr. Torpedo destroyed
*Note: A screen is the minimum distance your car can move at any given speed.
[PENALTIES]
1 second pause/civilian destroyed (approx. 150 points withheld)
2 second pause/weapons van destroyed (approx. 300 points withheld)
3 second pause/tugboat destroyed (approx. 450 points withheld)
In addition to this, you will not be able to call a second weapons van if in
a weapons van zone.
*Note: During this pause, you will not gain points for any enemies destroyed.
[BONUS CARS]
10,000 (if and only if reached before timer runs out)
18,000 (if and only if reached before timer runs out)
30,000
60,000
90,000
120,000
Caps at 6 bonus cars. You do not get any bonus lives from 120,000 and onward.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[004D]
C. STAGES
[NORMAL ROADS]
EFFECTS: None.
APPEARANCE: Temperate/desert roadscape
WARNING: None.
ENCOUNTER: All land-based enemies, civilians, weapons vans
[ICY ROADS]
EFFECTS: Significantly more sluggish handling
APPEARANCE: Blue-tinted road
WARNING: "Icy roads ahead" in middle of screen
ENCOUNTER: All land-based enemies, civilians, weapons vans
Once the timer runs out, you'll start potentially encountering icy roads. You
cannot avoid them; they randomly appear and you cannot take an alternate turn,
etc. to bypass them. You will hear a warning tone and the message "Icy roads
ahead" will appear in the middle of your screen.
Handling is a lot less responsive and of course, the road is a lot more
slippery. Ramming vehicles off the road is absolutely NOT recommended. Even
just swerving out of the way of burning cars can be dangerous. Ignore enemies
as much as you can and just focus on getting out alive. Icy roads last for an
entire weapons van zone and ends after the next fork.
Note: if you enter a water stage from icy roads, you will be back on icy roads
again once returning to land. As usual, they will end after the next fork.
[WATER]
EFFECTS: Your car turns into a boat. Islands in the middle are potential
hazards. Weapons vans (or rather, boats) do not appear.
APPEARANCE: Like water
WARNING: "Bridge out ahead, use detour on left" in middle of screen OR there
is a narrow road that diverges to left, usually after very curvy roads
ENCOUNTER: All water-based enemies (including Mad Bombers)
Once the timer runs out, you may also encounter water stages. They are at
first optional, where you can voluntarily take a narrow detour road on the
left:
\ \. .| |
\ \. .| / \ |
\ \. | | |
\ \.| | |
\ \| |
\ TO MAIN |
| ROAD |
| __ |
| /\ |
| \ |
| \ |
| |
| TO BOATHOUSE |
| |
Other times, water stages are unavoidable. You will hear a warning tone and
the message "Bridge out ahead, use detour on left" will appear in the middle
of your screen. If you continue straight, the bridge will indeed be out and
you will careen to your death. You will, however, respawn on the other side
of the bridge and bypass the water stage.
On water, you will have to deal with Barrel Dumpers, Doctor Torpedoes, and Mad
Bombers. These enemies can be dealt with with all conventional weapons, and
enemy boats can also be rammed into the embankment on the sides of the screen.
There will also be islands of sand in the middle of the water, which your
boat can jump over if you're going at speed (that is, top speed in low gear in
or in high gear in the middle/top of the screen). If any slower, your boat may
run aground and explode.
There is no such thing as weapons boats, only tugboats to respawn you when
you die. In order to exit a water stage, keep to the right. You will
eventually be able to take a narrow access road on the right:
| | . . / /
| / \ |. .. / /
| | | . / /
| | | . / /
| |___./ /
| CONTINUE /
| WATER STAGE |
| |
| |
| __ |
| /\ |
| / |
| |
| TO WEAPONS VAN |
There is no overtly obvious change of scenery to indicate an exit is coming
up, but the water and access road will be separated by a huge shoal. The
access road will take you to a van that gives you a special weapon and drops
you back off on the road.
==============================================================================
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V. THE G-6155 INTERCEPTOR .
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[0050]
Hailing from weaponized cars the likes of James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 and
Maxwell Smart's Sunbeam Tiger Mark I, the G-6155 Interceptor is fast, deadly,
and damned stylish. It is a fictional car, but was based on the real-world
Isdera Imperator 108i (itself based on a Mercedes Benz concept car from the
1980s), only 30 of which were ever produced.
[005A]
A. LOW AND HIGH GEAR
FUNCTION: Accelerates your car to dangerous speeds.
WEAPONS VAN SYMBOL: N/A
AMMO: N/A
GOOD FOR: All situations
Despite supposedly being a state-of-the-art superspy supercar, every enemy in
the game can catch up to and outrun you. And in fact, your car can't even
catch up to weapons vans without shifting into high gear.
High gear allows your car to go from the middle of the screen to the top 1/4
of the screen at max speed, allowing you to go fast enough to outrun enemies
and enter weapons vans. However, your car will explode should you collide with
any other vehicle (which doesn't happen during your normal "low" gear). This
dangerous speed is indicated by small flames shooting from the back of your
tires.
USE HIGH GEAR IN VERY SHORT BURSTS!!! Either that, or drive in high gear the
entire time, pressing your accelerator down only partway to stay in the middle
of the screen and letting off/downshifting as needed. Put the pedal to the
floor to accelerate enough to overtake civilians and/or outrun enemies. Just
be careful not to hit anyone or anything at high speed.
You will have to upshift to avoid Switchblades if you do not have oil slick
or smokescreen. You can also upshift to avoid Road Lords and Enforcers if
you'd prefer not to try fighting them. If they are off your screen for long
enough (more than a few seconds), they'll "disappear." If not, they will
eventually catch up to you from off-screen again, because they're just as good
at giving chase as you are at running away. Also upshift to help better avoid
Mad Bomber bombs.
If you want the two bonus cars instead of one by reaching 18,000 before the
timer, you will have to be speeding at every available moment. AGAIN, DO THIS
IN VERY SHORT BURSTS!
When on water, the exact same principles apply. Upshift to avoid Barrel
Dumpers, and upshift to keep your distance from Dr. Torpedoes.
***IMPORTANT***: If your car is going slow enough, or from a standstill, you
must shift back to low gear in order to move. It's like your car stalling
out-- you can't launch in 5th!
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[005B]
B. MACHINE GUNS
FUNCTION: Twin front-facing machine guns
AMMO: Infinite
WEAPONS VAN SYMBOL: N/A
GOOD FOR: All situations (except against Road Lords)
Technically your car's only front-facing weapon, machine guns can destroy any
vehicle on the road (or boat in the water) excepting Road Lords. There's no
more satisfying feeling than gunning down a Switchblade or Barrel Dumper.
However, the machine gun should be used a little more incidentally than you
would think. That is, machine gun an enemy if you happen to find one in front
of you, but don't try to create opportunities to use it like slowing down to
get behind enemies. Also fire in very small bursts-- two bullets is enough,
and immediately sweve out of the way of the wreckage.
Enemies are smart enough that if you try to slow down to get behind them,
they'll slow down too until you're both pretty much stopped. You can shoot
them here, but the problem is, if you get rear-ended while your car/boat is
moving at very slow speed or stopped (i.e. near the bottom of the screen),
you'll explode. It's not worth risking losing a life for a few extra points.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[005C]
C. OIL SLICK
FUNCTION: Lays oil slick behind you, causing cars to run off the road and
vaporizing boats.
AMMO: 3 seconds of continuous use (can also be used in small bursts)
WEAPONS VAN SYMBOL: Two black oil drums
GOOD FOR: All situations
Oil slick is a godsend, your #1 counter to Switchblades and any other car/boat
that can threaten you. Use it in small bursts in order to maximize the ammo
you're given. Use the smallest tap possible; you don't need to lay down a long
trail to get rid of enemies. This technique will give you a few dozen uses.
You may also need to shift into high gear/accelerate to get ahead of enemies
and lay down your oil.
Once a target car touches your oil slick, it will wobble side to side and
eventually run off the road and explode. They stop being a threat the moment
they get slicked. When on water, you leave a flaming trail of oil behind you
that instantly vaporizes boats. Badass.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[005D]
D. SMOKESCREEN
FUNCTION: Releases a thick cloud of smoke behind you, enveloping chasing cars
or boats.
AMMO: 3 uses
WEAPONS VAN SYMBOL: Grey popcorn (yes, I know it's a smoke cloud)
GOOD FOR: Icy roads, water, curvy roads
Smokescreen covers the road for three seconds, of which you get three uses.
Since it covers almost the entire road behind you, you don't need to position
your car directly in front of an enemy to use it effectively (unlike oil
slick). It's best for icy roads, curvy roads, or water, where excessive
maneuvering can be dangerous. Since you get so few uses compared to oil slick,
however, it is best saved for true emergencies.
Smokescreen does not have friendly fire-- if you use it on a Switchblade and
civilian at the same time, for example, they'll both disappear but you will
not get penalized.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[005E]
E. HEAT-SEEKING MISSILES
FUNCTION: Locks on to and destroys Mad Bombers.
AMMO: 3 uses
WEAPONS VAN SYMBOL: A pink-and-white missile
GOOD FOR: Mad Bombers only
Heat-seeking missiles are your only weapon against Mad Bombers, and work only
against Mad Bombers-- you cannot destroy anything on the ground with them.
They don't have to be aimed, either! Fire when they are close to you for
maximum chances of a hit. Basically, the closer Mad Bombers are to your car
when the missile is fired, the higher chance of a hit. The farther away, the
lower the chance. When they are near the top or bottom edge of the screen, it
is pretty much a guaranteed miss.
If a hit, missiles will appear to explode directly under the Mad Bomber's
rotors. If a miss, it will explode just outside of their rotors. There will
be a small delay following a hit, after which the Mad Bomber will spin and
explode (in the sky). Missiles are fairly accurate, and will hit 85% of the
time.
==============================================================================
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VI. ALLIES AND ENEMIES .
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[0060]
[ALLIES]
[006A]
A. CIVILIANS
APPEARANCE: Motorcycles, pink 1950s sedans, or baby blue VW Beetles
TAGLINE: N/A
SPECIAL ABILITIES: N/A
OCCURRENCE: Common; none on water.
POINT VALUE: 1 second penalty (approx. 150 points withheld); you will not be
able to call a second weapons van if in a weapons van zone
Don't crash into with motorcycles (they'll lose control and explode) and don't
crash into/machine gun pink cars and Beetles. For some reason, enemies will
try to avoid civilians.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[006B]
B. WEAPONS VANS
APPEARANCE: Pink trucks with a brown trailer (yes, they're trucks even though
they're called vans)
TAGLINE: N/A
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Grants special weapons, immune to enemies
OCCURRENCE: Certain zones, after forks in road
POINT VALUE: 2 second penalty (approx. 300 points withheld); you will not be
able to call a second weapons van if in a weapons van zone
At certain points in the road, usually after a fork, the weapons van light
will flash to indicate you've entered a weapons van zone. A van will catch up
from behind you and let its ramps down. Upshift to enter. The weapon they
give you is indicated by the symbol on their roof. They'll drop you off on the
side of the road, and now you have said weapon. You will be able to call one
more van by pressing the weapons van button, which is now lit instead of
flashing. You will not be able to call another one if you kill a civilian or
weapons van.
Weapons van zones appear directly after you reach a fork in the road and take
either left or right. The road will now fill the entire screen; this is the
beginning of the zone. The road will then narrow/curve and transition into a
new area, usually a bridge over water or the road straightening out again (but
no longer filling the screen); this part is the middle of the zone. You will
then reach another fork in the road-- this is the very end of the zone. A new
weapons van zone (usually with a different weapon) begins after this fork. The
roadscape will also change (e.g. from temperate to desert or some other
palette change) to indicate this.
If you destroy a weapons van or civilian, you can no longer call them in that
particular zone, so be careful! Maximize their usefulness by calling one at
the beginning of the zone and one at the very end to replenish ammo. You can
also deliberately keep one in front of you (without entering) so you can
replenish and be taken off the road at the exact right moment.
Curiously, weapons vans are immune to enemy weapons. If you ram a Switchblade
into a weapons van, their blades will disappear on the side that hit the van.
You can kind of use this to help you more safely ram Switchblades off the road.
Similarly, Enforcers can't destroy weapons vans. Mad Bomber bombs can't kill
vans either. Not that this is a particular concern-- enemies only care about
killing you and ignore all other friendly units.
Also, beware: weapons vans drop you off at the bottom of the screen. If you
immediately pull out to the side, you risk getting rear-ended and exploding.
Drive on the side until you can pull out in the middle of the screen/when it's
safe. If you get rear-ended in the middle of the screen, you won't explode.
Weapons vans are also how you respawn. When you die, a weapons van comes and
drops off a new car on the side of the road. You cannot re-enter this van and
it cannot give you weapons.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[006C]
C. TUGBOATS
APPEARANCE: Red boat with smokestack
TAGLINE: N/A
SPECIAL ABILITIES: None.
OCCURRENCE: Drops you off after dying on the water.
POINT VALUE: 3 second penalty (approx. 450 points withheld)
Tugboats drop off a new boat when you die on the water. You cannot enter these
and they serve no other function. There are no such thing as weapons boats.
==============================================================================
[ENEMIES]
==============================================================================
[006D]
D. SWITCHBLADES
APPEARANCE: Dark blue 1957 Chevy Bel-Air with an M on roof
TAGLINE: "Never to be trusted"
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Blades on both sides that can spin you off the road,
can destroy other enemies/civilians on accident
OCCURRENCE: Common
POINT VALUE: 150
The most common enemy is also the most deadly. One touch is all it takes to
spin you off the road. Switchblades are best dealt with oil slick,
smokescreen, or outran by shifting into high gear. Remember, use high gear in
short bursts! They can catch up to you after a bit, but keep upshifting and
you'll eventually lose them.
You can actually ram Switchblades off the road by carefully tapping them on
the corners of their fenders, right above their blade. This is usually more
effort than it's worth, but it's an option if you ever need to. You can also
do this to nudge them into other cars and destroy them, such as Road Lords or
Enforcers. This also de-blades them on one side. Weapons vans cannot be
destroyed by Switchblades. As far as I know, you do not get any points for
doing this.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[006E]
E. ROAD LORDS
APPEARANCE: Purple rectangular SUV/trucks
TAGLINE: "Bulletproof bullies"
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Cannot be destroyed by machine guns
OCCURRENCE: Common
POINT VALUE: 150
Road Lords' only weapon against you is the ability to ram you off the road.
They're even smart enough to fake you out, such as slowing down and forcing
you to miss when trying to ram them. They're most dangerous on narrow and
curvy roads, but depending on your playstyle you can choose to either outrun
them or duke it out. As always, they can also be dispatched with oil slick or
smokescreen.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[006F]
F. ENFORCERS
APPEARANCE: Dark blue limousines with an M on the roof
TAGLINE: "Double barrel action"
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Has a sniper-passenger that can shoot your tire out
OCCURRENCE: Rare
POINT VALUE: 500
Enforcers have to line up with one of your tires in order to successfully
shoot them out and send you spinning off the road. If they miss and hit you
anywhere else, you're okay. Do NOT let them stay alongside you for too long,
letting them line up the perfect shot, and absolutely do NOT slow down as that
will guarantee a hit. They are a little easier to ram off the road than Road
Lords owing to their length, and doing this prevents the guy from popping out
the window, but only for a split second. It's best to avoid them by upshifting
and oil slicking/smokescreening, ramming only when you don't have any other
special weapons.
Enforcers are usually parked on the side of the road, take their first shot
at you when you pass by, and then start chasing you. This first shot won't hit
you unless you are going slowly (i.e. below top speed in low gear). They may
also appear from behind like normal enemies.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[006G]
G. MAD BOMBERS
APPEARANCE: Light blue helicopters
TAGLINE: "Masters of the sky"
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Drops bombs that make craters, can also kill enemies/
civilians
OCCURRENCE: Uncommon
POINT VALUE: 700
You'll hear chopper blades as a warning that a Mad Bomber is about to appear.
Mad Bombers drop bombs all over the road, which whistle as they come down.
They can kill you with a direct hit. Any misses will make craters in the road/
disruptions in the water, which will kill anything that runs over them
(including enemies). There is a delay between when the bombs are dropped and
when they actually hit the ground, giving you some time to react. Stay to the
sides of the road/water to draw their bombs to the sides of the screen; that
way, the middle of the screen stays clear, and you have a lot more room to
maneuver around everything else.
Mad Bomber bombs affect everyone, so it's the only enemy that deals a
significant amount of friendly fire. As far as I know, enemies destroyed by
Mad Bombers do not add to your score.
Mad Bombers are the only enemy in the game that missiles are effective
against. Conveniently, in the beginning of the game, they spawn only in zones
where you're also given missiles. Sooner or later, they'll start spawning
regardless of what weapons you're given, so your only choice is to outrun
them.
Remember, the best time to fire missiles is when they are close to your car
(i.e. when they're in the middle of the screen).
Mad Bombers are also the only enemy that can attack you on both land and
water. Follow the same protocol for water.
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[WATER ENEMIES]
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[006H]
H. BARREL DUMPERS
APPEARANCE: Small black and teal speedboats
TAGLINE: N/A
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Drops explosive barrels behind them; attacks you from in
front
OCCURRENCE: Common
POINT VALUE: 150
Barrel Dumpers can appear from either the bottom of the screen or the top of
the screen. They attack by dumping explosive barrels behind them, which kill
you if you run into them. You'll really have to play with your accelerator
here, so you can slow down to avoid barrels but speed up incrementally so you
can machine gun them from as far as humanly possible. Also, avoid ever being
in the same column as them. Swerve in to machine gun, and swerve the hell out
of the way. They may also try to ram you into the embankment if they come from
behind, so beware of that as well.
Boats are slightly easier to ram off the water, due to the fact that ramming
them into the shoulder is sufficient to make them explode. Compare this to
ramming vehicles off the road, where you actually have to ram them all the way
off into the bushes.
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[006J]
J. DR. TORPEDOES
APPEARANCE: Wide blue two-man boats
TAGLINE: N/A
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Fires torpedoes forwards AND backwards
OCCURRENCE: Rare
POINT VALUE: 500
Once you're on the water for long enough, Doctor Torpedo starts making his
(or, well, their) appearance. They can fire their slow-moving torpedoes both
forwards and backwards. It's a similar principle to barrels, except torpedoes
will move down the entire column of water. NEVER, EVER, EVER be in the same
column as them. Finely play with your speed, try your best to machine gun them
in between torpedoes from as far as possible, and swerve the hell out of the
way when they appear to let them pass. Even better if you can just oil slick/
smokescreen them to oblivion.
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VII. GLITCHES/SECRETS .
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[0070]
[ENFORCER GLITCH]
Call a weapons van when the "Bridge out ahead, use detour on left" message
appears and enter the weapons van instead of going left to enter the
boathouse. When the weapons vans drops you off, drive slowly up to the edge of
the broken bridge until your car is hanging about halfway off. The game spawns
an Enforcer, but it will not shoot at you. Wait approximately two minutes, and
then drive forward. You will be able to go over the water and back onto the
road from the other side of the bridge, where gameplay resumes as normal...
except Enforcers and Dr. Torpedoes will no longer appear!
[INVINCIBILITY GLITCH]
When you respawn or enter a weapons van, it drops you off at the bottom of the
screen. Do NOT turn, just accelerate. Your car will stay on the extreme right
side of the screen and fly over bushes, trees, and even water without dying.
However, your score will NOT increase. The game will eventually spawn an
Enforcer to take you out, which you can dodge by upshifting or pulling onto
the road, leaving them behind. Steer left to get onto the main road at any
point you wish, during which everything resumes to normal and your score
starts accruing again.
[LOSING WEAPONS VANS]
If you repeatedly outrun a weapons van (such as when upshifting to avoid
enemies), it will disappear and even prevent weapons vans spawning when you
reach the next zone. To fix this, you'll have to continually slow down until
it can catch up to you. Even though off-screen, it still "exists" in the game
world.
[TWO BONUS CARS]
Reach 18,000 points before the timer runs out to get two bonus cars instead of
one. In order to reach it, you'll probably have to be upshifting at almost
every available moment. You can't afford to die, either, because the time (and
thus points) you lose from waiting to respawn will most likely make you fall
short.
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VIII. WHERE CAN I PLAY SPY HUNTER? .
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[0080]
[YOUR LOCAL RETRO ARCADE]
First off, check out your local retro arcade. Spy Hunter is a little uncommon,
so be sure to call or check out their website in advance. Either way, Spy
Hunter is just one of many great retro arcade games. Why not check out the
place anyways?
Known Locations:
-----------------
EightyTwo * / 707 E. 4th Pl. Los Angeles, CA 90013
Blipsy Bar / 369 N. Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90006
Neon Retro Arcade * / 28 S. Raymond Ave. Pasadena, CA 91105
Musee Mecanique / Pier 45, Fishermans Wharf, San Francisco, CA 94133
Galloping Ghost Arcade / 9415 Ogden Ave. Brookfield, IL 60513
Timeline Arcade / 22 Carlisle St. Hanover, PA 17331
Timeline Arcade / 54 W. Market St. York, PA 17401
Please write me at
[email protected] with the name and address if you
spot any more!
* On a rotating basis only; sometimes it will not be there.
[MAME]
Barring the actual cabinet, MAME offers the closest possible to the arcade
experience. It's an arcade emulator freely available online. Google it, check
out any forums and guides, and enjoy. MAME is also a great gateway to the
entire world of arcade gaming.
[RETRO CONSOLE/PC PORTS]
Bastardized (as in, the spawn of a brother and sister whose parents were
cousins) versions have also been ported to such consoles as the Atari 2600,
Commodore 64, NES, etc. You could also download an emulator for one of these
systems and play on there, but you may as well use MAME.
[MODERN PORTS]
Spy Hunter appears in the following arcade collections:
Midway's Greatest Hits: Volume 1 (2000, Dreamcast/Game Boy Advance/
Nintendo 64)
Midway Arcade Treasures (2003, GameCube/PS2/Xbox)
Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play (2005, PlayStation Portable)
Midway Arcade Origins (2012, PlayStation 3/Xbox 360)
Midway Arcade (iPhone/iPad)
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IX. FAQ & CONTACT INFORMATION .
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[0090]
[CONTACT INFORMATION]
Please send questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, corrections, hate
mail, and death threats to:
[email protected]
I absolutely welcome any and all messages. Please be sure to indicate the game
in the subject line!
Please also check out my other FAQs:
Organ Trail (PC/iOS/Android/PS4/VITA)
[FAQ]
Q: Is the G-6155 Interceptor a real car?
A: No. But it is based on a real car, the Isdera Imperator 108i, itself based
on a Mercedes-Benz concept car from the 80s. The 6155 designation is head
developer George Gomez's birthday, June 1, 1955.
Q: What's that catchy tune?
A: It's the Peter Gunn theme, a detective TV show from the 1960s. The
developers originally wanted to use the James Bond theme, but couldn't
secure the rights.
Q: Is it true that there's a helicopter stage/motorcycle stage/stage where
you exit your vehicle/graveyard stage?
A: No. The game is endless, and there are only two stages: car and boat.
Q: Where can I play this awesome, kickass game?
A: Please see Section VIII right above this one!
Q: Hey, your information is wrong/missing!
A: Good catch! Please email me at
[email protected] and I will gladly
make the correction. Include your name if you'd like to be credited.
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X. CREDITS .
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[0100]
CREDITS
All information is sourced from:
Gameplay experience
Wikipedia
Thanks also to George C. for his contribution to Section VIII!
==============================================================================
LEGAL INFORMATION
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other
web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a
violation of copyright.
The following websites have permission to post this guide:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/
Copyright 2019 Patrick Phan
