Spy Hunter
A sports car with machine guns, an endless road, and that secret-agent theme cranked all the way up.
Coming soon to UsuArcade
Votes to bring it to the arcade: 0
In the meantime, head into the arcade and play the cabinets that are already there
- Year
- 1983
- Manufacturer
- Bally Midway
- Players
- 1 player
- Genres
- Racing, Vintage classics
- Decade
- '80s arcade games
Spy Hunter was every kid's spy-movie fantasy: a sports car loaded with gadgets, enemy cars trying to run you off the road, and a semi that scoops you up on the fly to load you with new weapons. All set to a secret-agent theme that stayed stuck in your head for the rest of the week.
It isn't in the UsuArcade arcade yet, but it's on our wishlist. If you can hum the theme from memory, give it your vote.
History
Bally Midway released it in 1983. The cabinet had a steering wheel shaped like an airplane yoke, with weapon buttons and a two-speed gear shifter, and in a lot of arcades it was one of the flashiest machines on the floor.
The music, a version of the Peter Gunn theme, is almost as famous as the game itself. It was ported to tons of home consoles and computers, and the series has been revived several times since.
How to play
You drive up a vertically scrolling road, hitting the gas and shifting gears, with machine guns firing straight ahead. Take out or ram enemy vehicles off the road, but leave the innocent civilians alone, because hitting them costs you.
Every so often the weapons van shows up: pull in behind it and drive aboard to get extras like oil slicks, a smoke screen or missiles for the helicopters. In some stretches the road turns into a river and your car becomes a speedboat. At the start of each game there's a timer during which losing your car doesn't cost a life, so use it to learn the ropes.
Fun facts
- Its music is a version of the Peter Gunn theme.
- Your car turns into a speedboat on the water sections.
- Wrecking civilian cars gets you penalized: a real spy doesn't leave innocent victims.
In the arcade
Spy Hunter is coming soon to UsuArcade. It's on the arcade wishlist and you can vote for it with the “I want to play it” button; the most-wanted games get added first.
Until then, the arcade has other high-speed cabinets: Out Run, Sega's convertible classic; Hang-On, on two wheels; and Rally-X, where dodging cars and driving smart also pay off. Free in your browser, with chat, spectators and arcade high scores.
FAQ
Can I play Spy Hunter on UsuArcade?
Not yet. It's on the wishlist and you can vote for it with “I want to play it.”
What year did Spy Hunter come out?
1983, from Bally Midway.
What's the music in Spy Hunter?
A version of the Peter Gunn theme, one of the most recognizable tunes in arcade history.
How do you play Spy Hunter?
Drive an armed car down the road, take out enemy vehicles without hurting civilians, and pick up special weapons by driving into the supply van.
What similar games are in the arcade?
Out Run, Hang-On and Rally-X are already free to play on UsuArcade.
