Sly Spy: Secret Agent


by Dean Belfield, Geoff Follin, John P. Tatlock, Simon Justin Street, Bob Wakelin
Ocean Software Ltd
1990
Crash Issue 78, Jul 1990   page(s) 42,43

Ocean
£9.99/£14.99

Old wimpo James Bond has nothing on you! As a secret agent you've been in more death defying scrapes than he's had hot dinners. This latest mission is one of your toughest yet: stop the Council For World Domination terrorists running riot.

Action starts with you plummeting down from the heavens, luckily wearing a parachute, but then so are the attacking terrorists. Blast 'em away with your trusty 9mm pistol; ammo is limited but supplies drop from the skies.

At the end of this section your parachute opens (if it doesn't it's panic time), you leap astride a powerful motorbike and roar off in pursuit of one of the CWD's leaders (probably the one with the white cat in the diamond collar). Motorbike riding and jetpacking terrorists threaten life and limb, but again your firepower should win the day. The villain's car is caught and his three heavies gunned down. On the subject of guns, three types are on offer: you start with a pistol, but by picking up a machine gun and the five parts to a golden gun more firepower can be yours.

There are eight levels to baffle through, and each one is tougher than the last. Especially the underwater scenes where, with harpoon gun in hand, you brave terrorists and a band of Jaws rejects.

Though playable, Secret Agent just misses out on greatness, lacking that special something to make it a real hit. Graphically it's very good indeed, with highly detailed sprites and backgrounds; a pleasant tune warbles at the start of the 128k game, though in-game sounds are limited to a few good effects. The levels are pretty short and master blasters may find it a bit easy to complete.

MARK [85%]


We haven't had a good old secret agent game for ages. The last playable ones similar to this were the Saboteur games. Sly Spy - Secret Agent is brilliant. I was hooked from the word go! The game has been well programmed and designed right down to the last byte. All graphics are detailed and well animated, making good use of simply white on blue; however. Ther's a bit more colour on the screens between levels and the status area. A groovy tune plays in the background as you battle your way through a sky diving shoot out, motor cycle massacre and some dare devil diving. The levels are full of hazards and bonuses that will keep you playing for some time. Sly Spy - Secret Agent is set to be one of the best games of 1990. Get your copy today - you won't regret it.
NICK [91%]

Presentation: 85%
Graphics: 87%
Sound: 83%
Playability: 83%
Addictivity: 84%
Overall: 88%

Summary: A thriller for all budding 90's heroes, packed with enjoyable gameplay.

Transcript by Chris Bourne

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