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This is a game based entirely on a comic strip that appears in the popular American magazine Mad. In the cartoon, two spies are forever feuding using bombs, dynamite, guns and other deadly utensils to defeat one another, and walk off with the secrets.

Beyond are marketing this game, which faithfully reproduces much of the exciting action between the White Spy and the Black Spy.

Sounds interesting? Here's how it's done: Firstly, a special routine has been developed to allow both players (the two spies) to see exactly what the other is doing.

There are two major options: two human players, with two joysticks, or one player against the computer, which has a variety of intelligence levels.

The basic idea of the game is to control your spy, finding the four secrets and the briefcase in which to carry them.

They are scattered around an embassy of between six and 32 rooms, and are hidden in a variety of places, behind TVs, pictures, filing cabinets or numerous other objects in each room. When all are collected, the spy must find the special exit-door and from there he is taken to the airport, where a plane is waiting. Off he zooms! Thus, the winner of this duel is determined.

But greatly complicating this 3D arcade-style exploration game (what a mouthful!) is the presence of each spy's 'trupulator'. This allows each spy to set any one of six traps by two quick presses of the fire button. What is more, the spies can also have sabre-fights with each other - ouch! When one of the spies is killed, either by trap or sabre, he becomes an angel and floats gently upwards!

In fact, the only real limiting factor as far as spies are concerned is the time-limit: dying merely subtracts from the time left.

The split-screen graphics are very good - watch the spies laughing - and in the background a tune plays menacingly. The game is great fun when played with two people, and becomes a battle of wits! The trapulator is *very* handy, I find.

However, I have a slight reservation in that the game might seem too difficult if only ever played with one joystick.

It is really hard going playing against the computer and you'll be lucky if you win any bouts of combat. But it's worth the investment for a second!

A very entertaining program, which - surprisingly - really did have some of the flavour of the cartoon. I can't say I found it too easy to play even on the lowest level. I'm obviously far too honest to be a spy.

The sequences where the spies with the overgrown schnozzles bash each other over the head are very funny, but I never quite got the hang of laying those booby traps.

At last there is an arcade style game where skill is more important than good reactions. Don't be put off by the lengthy instructions; this is a great game once you get the hang of it. My seven year old brother soon picked it up and loved it.

The graphics are excellent. The noses of the spies make Barry Manilow's look microscopic!

Two players being able to play the game simultaneously is a superb idea. I could sit and watch it play itself in demonstration mode all day!

An instantly appealing game. Lots and lots of new and imaginative ideas, the best of which was two people playing simultaneously in different locations. I howled with laughter every time the computer walked into one of my traps, superb idea.

It's fiendishly difficult at first but excellent graphical animation, prettily drawn cartoon-style spies, and easy on the ear original music made every moment really good fun. This is the best game I've seen on the C64 in ages.