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| By Brad Cook That’s how Gavriel State, CEO at Transgaming Technologies spread the news that the company would help Aspyr Media bring the game to the Mac. “All I had to do was start humming those first few bars of ‘Peter Gunn,’” he recalls. |
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 What a Blast. Disrupt NOSRTA’s evil plans. |
You’re All Wet. Like any spy car worth its spark plugs, the Interceptor can turn into a high-powered boat.
21st Century Upgrade
The original storyline also finds its way into this new SpyHunter: use the guns and missiles in your G-6155 Interceptor to blast the bad guys off the road (or sink them in the water; the car turns into a boat for water missions) and defeat the insidious organization Nostra International, whose leader wants to — what else? — rule the world. In addition to machine guns and missiles, you can unleash smokescreens, oil slicks and flamethrowers to confound your pursuers.
When the car takes too much damage and/or the weapons supply runs low, a weapons van (or boat) will show up; simply steer into its open doors and receive a quick fix, as in the arcade game. If the G-6155 takes too much damage, it turns into a motorcycle (or one-man watercraft) that has less weapons at its disposal but is harder for enemies to hit, which buys you some time until the weapons van shows up. Take enough blasts, though, and the G-6155 explodes and you have to start the mission over.
By Land or By Air. Watch the skies — as well as the road in front of you — for NOSTRA agents.
“The offensive weapons are now much more effective than in the original game,” says State. “Where in the original version you might be inclined to drop a pursuer with an oil slick, in the new version it’s easier to brake, drop behind, and use your missiles.”
Rewards
The game features 14 missions, each more difficult than the last, although you have the opportunity to upgrade your car’s offensive and defensive weapons along the way. At one point you even get to switch to a newer version of the G-6155 Interceptor, designated Mark II. Each mission features a variety of objectives; you don’t have to complete all of them to be successful, but if you accomplish all 65 in the entire game, you get access to a “super spy” car that sports invincibility and unlimited ammo (you can use it to replay the missions and laugh at the vehicles that shoot at you). Finish the entire game and you’re rewarded with a hovercraft.
If you’re interested in other cheats, you can unlock them, as well as videos that detail the making of the game, by finishing each mission within a certain amount of time.
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“Cheats?” asks State. “You mean that I spent 57 hours playing through the whole game to defeat the evil of Nostra when I could have just cheated and won really easily by using a tiny, hovering spy car? You can read into my comments whatever hints you like.”
Completing each mission also allows you to play it again in one of three two-player modes: head-to-head (reach the finish line first); globetrotter (collect the most SATCOMs); and chicken hunter (kill the most chickens). You and a pal can sit down in front of your Mac and play these modes in a split-screen view that shows your car at the top of the display and his at the bottom.
Two Wheels Are Better Than None. When the Interceptor takes too much damage, it converts into a motorcycle.
Around the World in 14 Missions
The game’s storyline takes you around the world, from Venice to South America, as you hunt for Nostra’s agents. Many missions feature enemies attacking you from above as well as from around you; keep your eyes on the entire landscape. State advises those who want to be successful spy hunters to “find the hidden roads. The route less traveled is often faster, easier and safer.”
Roadblock. Take out NOSTRA’s heavy vehicles with a well-placed missile or two.
As for his favorite mission in the game, he points to one called Venetian Blind. “All those weapons, enemies around every corner, fighting in a crowded city, civilians everywhere. That is what being a secret agent is all about.”
If you liked this game, check out:
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