Spy vs Spy (Xbox)

When it comes to remaking classic game titles, nostalgia can be a fickle beast; on occasion those warm fuzzy memories of gaming years gone past are enough to have the player over look smaller less significant faults giving an average title enough shine to warrant purchase. On the other side of this however, these same faults may do exactly the opposite as players expect to experience all those fond memories rekindled in a new polygonal glory; only to be let down in what can be seen as a wasted license or tarnish on an otherwise loved franchise. Unfortunately, Spy Vs Spy has more in common with the latter than the former. What was an original 8bit classic has translated into little more than a lack luster platformer seemingly aimed at the 12 years and under crowd.

Game modes in Spy Vs Spy have been broken up into three Single Player modes: Classic, Modern and Story. Essentially Classic is simply the original 8bit classic 5 room Spy Vs Spy round that involves choosing either the White or the Black Spy and attempting to uncover a series of documents from hidden safe’s all while avoiding the opposing spies traps as they attempt to do the same. Essentially it’s the 2 player experience of Spy Vs Spy utilising the new 3D game engine. Modern is very much an identical affair using the games Story maps and multiple spies while Story Mode is simply an average platformer that attempts to carry over many of the originals trademark traps and gadgets.

Unfortunately none of these games modes are particularly appealing by today’s standards. The Classic mode simply entails running round places traps in every nock and cranny visible while at the same time hoping opposing spy hasn’t already beaten you to it. Modern feels like more of the same minus the actual traps as players simply run around the new larger maps beating each other to death with weapons and hoping to come across the required items before the opponents find them or slap you to death in the process.

Story mode is where the game attempts to bring a more updated vision of the original to today’s gaming. The maps are larger and certain areas are un-accessible until certain criteria have been met. Mission objectives are updated through out the course of your venture though the game remains largely a linear platformer that never manages to differentiate itself from any other number of platformers already available. The original’s play mechanics really never lend themselves well to a platform title and they are never really incorporated all that well anyway, especially given the titles ‘hold your hand’ nature. At any point that requires you to set a trap for the opposing spy or requires you to craftily avoid or reverse a trap a cut scene is played and details of what you are required to do are virtually given to you in a chronological order leaving players with very few puzzles to really tax the cranium.

Graphically and sonically the game is average. The jazzy melodies played through out the missions are particularly fitting which is a good thing considering you will hear the same tune repeatedly and there is little in the ways of sound effects. The levels themselves while large suffer from some very washed out textures and simply geometry. Essentially neither is particularly strong, they certainly aren’t horrendous but they aren’t quite up to what you would expect from any of the current generation consoles and could arguably have been produced on the Nintendo 64.

For the little kiddies out there this may be a reasonable purchase especially given its low recommended retail price, others looking for the nostalgia of the title a new title in general should really give this one a miss.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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