The Game

Spy Vs. Spy is a two player arcade game, where the idea is to set traps for the other to walk in to. Game utilizes SIMULVISION (revolutionary split-screen display depicting both players activities simultaneously!) and SIMULPLAY (no more need to wait your turn).

Instructions

The two spies from the pages of MAD Magazine, the White Spy and the Black Spy, are trapped in a building near an airfield. The objective of the game is quite simple - controlling one of the spies, with a friend or the computer controlling the other, you must get out of the building and reach the plane on the runway. However, you can't leave the building until you find the correct door, and the guards won't let you go through the door unless you are carrying four objects. Since you can only carry one object at a time, you need to find a (hidden) briefcase. And your opponent will stop at nothing to prevent you from doing this...

You must search each room for useful objects, which simply involves looking behind each of the fixtures and fittings; if an object is behind something then it will be added to your inventory if when you look there. However, your enemy also wants the same objects and will try to get there before you! The hunt is further complicated by the fact that the spies can set traps for each other.

If the two spies are in the same room then you are unable to search or use traps, in which case you can either enter hand-to-hand combat or leave. The advantage of hand-to-hand combat is that if you win, you will be able to recover your opponent's inventory, but of course you might lose... This is where you must think strategically; if for example you had failed to find any objects, you could wait while the other spy does all the hard work and then ambush him.

You can set traps for your opponent by using the Trapulator device, displayed on the side of the screen, which shows six icons, the first five of which are booby traps. The icons represent a bomb, a large spring, a bucket of water, a gun and string, a time-bomb with a 15 second fuse [the alarm clock icon] and a map, which shows object locations. The traps must be set according to their type. The gun and string, for example, can only be tied to a door, while the spring or bomb can be left under any piece of furniture. All of the traps, except the time bomb, can however be defused. A fire bucket will douse the fuse of a bomb while a pair of scissors will get you past the gun and string. These defusing items are located around the building but they can also be moved around by picking them up and dropping them in a different location. One important point to remember when setting traps is remember where you put them!

If you are playing against the computer, you can set its intelligence at the start of each game, with one being the lowest and five the highest. You can also change the size of the building from anything between 6 and 36 rooms. Points are scored for killing the other spy but they are also deducted for being killed, as well as for using the map. Note also that you have a time limit: the plane will not wait forever!

You travel throughout a selectable, yet randomly generated maze of interconnection rooms. While setting and defusing booby-traps, engaging in hand-to-hand combat, searching for the Top Secret briefcase (guess its not secret anymore) and looking for the only way out, you must collect your passport, secret plans, money, and a key in order to escape from the foreign embassy before your plane take off without you.

Game Options

When Spy Vs. Spy has finished loading into your computer, you will be presented with the OPTION screen. You will be able to select and modify the following options:

1. Number of players
2. Difficulty level
3. 'Intelligence Quotient' of the computer (one player mode only)
4. Airport exit revealed or until the end.

Movement

The rooms that you are in, are three dimensional. Pressing 'up' will move you towards the rear of the room. Pressing 'right' or 'left' will move you right or left. If you move from room to room, you will notice that a Movement Status Indicator bar (located below your room) is scrolling from right to left and being updated with each new room you have entered. These symbols can show you how to go back to where you've come from. Just like "Bread Crumbs". For examples, if you move one room to the right and two rooms towards the rear, you will see, reading from right to left, two "down" arrows and one "left" arrow. To find your way back, follow the arrows reading from right to left, each arrow will be "erased", one by one as you enters in the rooms.

Object Manipulation

First, move within range of any object (you will hear a short tone and see a flash). Then press fire button. Any object within a room can be opened or lifted and may reveal one of the hidden items you are looking for. If you're not so lucky, it will activate a BOOBY TRAP, blowing you to smithereens....

Opening Doors

Again, move within range if any closed door. Press the fire button and the door will open.

Game Elements

Hand-To-Hand Combat

The combat mode exists only when both spies are in the same room. SIMULVISION ends, and the spy that entered the common room appears on the same screen as the Spy that was already there. Both spies have the options of attacking, leaving, or avoiding the other Spy. In the combat mode, spies cannont search objects, or use the Trapulator (no map or traps). Doors, however, still work, and so do any traps that might be connected with them. If spies are not within range of any object when pushing fire button, they use their clubs with which they can hit the other Spy on the head or jab him in the stomach.

To smash him on the head (swing the club downward), keep pressing up-down while fire is held down. To jab, keep pressing left-right.

When the fire is first pushed down, the Spy will automatically face his opponent, regardless of which way he was facing or moving. To move your Spy during combat, release the button ad move as normal. Hitting the other spy weakens him, and about 7 solid blows are needed to "Kill" him. However, Spies will recover strength over a period of time.

If a Spy is carrying anything when he enters a common room, the object is lost or hidden in the common room, depending on the type of object. Traps and remedies are lost, while inventory items and the briefcase are hidden somewhere in the room. The winner of the combat sequence can search the object ut, and either regain or gain possesion. YUMMY!!

Note: At the beginning of each new game, both Spies will start out in the same room only a few steps from each other. Soooo, don't become the victim... keep your guard up!

Time

Both players start out with equal time to travel the maze, however, there are several time penalties. You lose time when you set a booby-trap. When setting a trap, you will hear several beeps. This will tell you that the trap was properly set and it reminds you to watch your trapulator, which will be deducting appropriate time. However, if you are the victim of a booby-trap or the loser in a hand-to-hand combat the clock will continue to count down even though you are 'unconscious'. These losses of time can never be regained. When time is about to run out the red button on top of the TRAPULATOR will flash and sound it's warning. Both players can never run out of time at the same time. Therefore, one player will outlive the other. The surviving player will continue his search for the briefcase required objects and the exit. If you are playing against the computer and the computer has time remaining, you can abort the mission. Even after your spy's demise, the traps he has set remain. The game is by no means over just because one player's time has run out.

Booby Traps

As players move through the maze of rooms, they may select any of the five booby-traps. The booby-trap arsenal contains: Bombs, Springs, Buckets of Water, Guns with Strings tied to the Trigger and Time Bombs. The Time Bomb needn't be hidden. In fact, it is activated immediately and is the only booby-trap that cannot be carried or neutralized! The Gun with a string and the bucket of water can only be attached to a closed door. All other traps may be placed behind or in anything found in any room.

Spies can carry traps in and out of rooms, placing them where they wish when they are ready. Booby-traps are depicted in black while the remedies are shown in color.

To Place And Set A Trap

1. Press the fire button... TWICE! You have just accessed the TRAPULATOR. Bomb icon starts flashing.
2. To make the booby-trap of your choice flashing (i.e. to become active), use keys.
3. Press fire. The booby-trap is now held by your spy.
4. Position the Spy in front of the hiding place you have selected. Watch for a brief flash in your Spy's room. This flash indicates the Spy is properly positioned.
5. Press fire. The booby-trap will disappear* and you will hear the short 'beeps'. These indicate that the trap has been set AND that time is being deducted from the time remaining before your flight leaves.

Note: In the case of the Gun with a String trap, only the gun will no longer be visible. As you move your Spy about the room, the string will stretch and follow the Spy. Position him in front of a closed door, watch for the flash, press fire and the trap is set.

Once a trap has been set, either Spy has can set it off! A Time Bomb will go off in 15 seconds once selected. Any Spy(s) in the room at the time of detonation will be zapped. Unlike other traps, the Time Bomb is not set off by he searching of the Spies. Listen carefully for them. They come in handy if you are being chased.

The unfortunate Spy will lose 7 seconds of actual time. Also, 20 seconds will be deducted from his game time, for a total penalty of 27 gaming seconds. The other player will be awarded bonus points for each trap set off by the opposition. If the boobytrappee has been in possesion of the briefcase, the other Spy can use this time to attempt to locate the victim and grab the briefcase!!

To add insult to injury, when a player sets off a trap, he gets zapped while the other Spy laughs hysterically.

Remedies

Except for the Timb Bomb, each of the traps has a disarming remedy hidden throughout the maze. Each type of remedy is always hidden in the same type of location. For example, the scissors are used to disarm the Gun with string. Scissors are only found in the First Aid kits hanging on the back walls. As with traps, remedies can be picked up and carried from room to room. Spies can not carry more than one thing at a time except inside the briefcase.

Booby-Traps And Remedies

* How to place it? Hook up gun for some object (painting, desk, ..) i.e. press fire in its proximity, then walk to desired door, if the door was open, 1st fire will close it and 2nd will set trap. If the door was already closed, one press on fire is enough.

Trapulator

Located to the right of each of the rooms is a calculator-like, state of the art, Trapulator. You can use it to SELECT BOOBY TRAPS and to pin-point your LOCATION.

The first five icons are selectable booby-traps. However, the sixth button in the lower righthand corner calls up a map of the embassy you have broken into. The map will apprear in the room that your spy is occupying. The room your Spy is in, will be the one blinking on and off. Rooms filled in cyan indicate that your Spy has been in that room at least once. Any required inventory items are represented by a dot. The map does *not* tell you what item or how many are in a particular room, just that something you are looking for is there. The map does NOT show the location of the other Spy, or doesit reaveal anything about the other floor of the embassy (if there is one).

Info Bar

At the top of the rooms (screens) is info bar. On the left is a digital clock which indicates the time left until your plane takes off (with or without you)!

On the right is your INVENTORY. It displays items you have successfully collected. Its also indicates if an item is been taken from you (the item will now appear on the opposition's info bar). Left to right, should be your passport, money, key and the secret plans.

Inventory

Your mission being to escape the embassy, before time runs out you must manage to find, fill, and keep the briefcase, locate the only exit and board your plane with ALL of the following: PASSPORT, traveling MONEY, the KEY, and the secret PLANS.

It is helpful to know that these items are never found in any of the remedy locations. Use the briefcase to hold all these items. Carry them with you or hide them. There is only on of each in any game. Protect the briefcase at all costs. If an item is found and you do not posses the briefcase your spy will be carrying a white satchel and the item contained will be flashing on the Trapulator.

Exit

There is only one way out of each embassy building. The exit door is marked. You can NOT leave without all of the required inventory. The airport guard will see to that!

Split Level Embassies

Some of the embassy buildings are two stories high. Your Spy can climb from floor to floor by using the ladders. Holes in the floors are often hidden by carpets. Use fire key to cover/uncover such an opening. Then use keys to move up or down.

Ladders And Rugs

If you enter a room with a lader, you can activate it by moving within range and pressing the fire button. Pressing once will lower the ladder to ground level, enabling you to move your Spy up the ladder to the upper floor. If you do not push your spy up the ladder, but push the fire button a second time, the ladder will raise back up.

If you enter a room with a rug, standing within range of the rug, pressing the fire button will lift the rug and reveal a hole. Move your player over the hole and he will climb down the ladder to a lower floor. Also you can cover a hole by standing near it and pressing the fire button.

"Bread Crumbs"

You can re-trace your steps by using the small character indicators just below the front edge of your room. These guides (not available in the higher levels) actually point the way back to where you have just come from!

Scoring

Points are awarded or deducted for the following:

Ranking

At the conclusion of each game, players will be awarded the title or rank they have earned. Bonus points and time penalties are calculated by the computer.

Game Controls

Keyboard - Redefinable, to move through start menu use 6 & 7 for select and 8 to change option, default keys are:

Player One: X - Left, C - Right, Q - Up, S - Down, 1 - Fire/Act
Player Two: N - Left, M - Right, O - Up, K - Down, 0 - Fire/Act

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