Spy vs. Spy
1984 · Action / Strategy · Commodore 64 / Multiple
Overview
Spy vs. Spy (1984) is First Star's split-screen game based on the Mad comic: the black and white spies set booby traps while racing to escape.
Deep Dive
Two spies search an embassy for a set of secret items and a briefcase to carry them out before the timer runs out, each on their own half of the screen. Along the way they rig furniture and doors with bombs, springs and buckets of water for the other to trigger — and can fight hand to hand when they meet. Based on Antonio Prohías's strip in Mad, it was designed by Mike Riedel and remains a model of slapstick competitive play.
Developer Story
Spy vs. Spy was developed by Mike Riedel at First Star Software in 1984, based on the Mad magazine cartoon strip. Two spies set traps for each other in a split-screen environment. The game was one of the first to use a divided screen to show both players simultaneously in a competitive game, and the booby trap mechanic — setting spring-loaded surprises for the opponent — was genuinely creative.
Did You Know?
- Spy vs. Spy was one of the earliest split-screen competitive games — both players saw the full environment but from their own perspective.
- Traps were set in objects around the map — briefcases, filing cabinets, doors — and triggered when the opponent interacted with them.
- The game's tone perfectly matched the Mad magazine comic strip it was based on: slapstick violence with no lasting consequences.
- It was one of the first games to be based on a magazine property, years before the era of licensed games from films and TV.
Sources & further reading
- Spy vs. Spy (1984 video game) — Wikipedia
