"Spy Hunter," for its simplistic graphics and gameplay, was still a fun game in the 1980s.
As with all the Commodore 64 videogames, the graphics were limited. In "Spy Hunter," the game was played from an overhead perspective; the vehicle remained anchored in the center of the screen, and the roads and waterways appeared to move beneath the vehicle.
The game was rather simple, maneuver the car or speed boat around the other vehicles on the road or in the water, and engage enemy vehicles. The car and boat were similarly equipped, with twin machine guns mounted in the front grill, and the ability to dispense oil slicks, smokescreens, or tiny spikes from the rear. The ammunition for the machine guns was unlimited, but only a finite amount of the rear-facing weaponry was provided. This wasn't a problem since an 18-wheeler truck would come along periodically to replenish the Spy Hunter's supplies in scenes reminiscent of Michael Knight driving KITT into the Knight Industries tractor trailer.
"Spy Hunter," for its simplistic graphics and gameplay, was still a fun game in the 1980s. Later renditions did benefit from improved technology, which translated into better graphics at least, but the charm of the original has never been recreated.