One of the most classic action-arcade games of all time was Midway's Spy Hunter, a fast-paced, top-down hybrid racer/shooter that's seen countless ports and reappeared on handfuls of consoles over the years. The game's simple fast play and unlimited appeal as a coin-op back in the day has yet to be re-created on any console to date, although a few companies have tried (i.e. EA's 007 Racing), without much success. Today, IGNPS2 brings you the first details of Spy Hunter: The Return, the turbo-charged remake that's scheduled to appear on PlayStation 2 in October/November 2001. IGN's correspondent (who asked not to be named) recently saw and played the game.

Spy Hunter: The Return (temporary name) is being totally revamped for the 3D power of the PS2 in both graphics and gameplay. The game synopsis is currently quite simple: you are a spy in control of a prototype car the 'Interceptor G-1665;' your vehicle has the ability to automatically transform from car to boat and back, somewhat like in the original arcade version. The game takes on a behind-the-car perspective, which is still being discussed, and currently plays very fast and already boasts a high framerate.

According to our correspondent, it appears Midway is designing the game to feature all of the great ideas from the original -- i.e., great gadgets such as smoke screens, oil slicks, mobsters in cars gunning after you, etc. -- but is adding more functionality, deeper weapon capabilities, and many new enemies and scenarios.

At least two identifiable cars appeared in this early version, a Jaguar from the XJ series, and an Audi. The camera angle is much like SF Rush's default view, and the game boasts a training level, too. Unlike the first title, Spy Hunter will follow a mission-based format, with structured levels and perhaps even time limits, which is still undecided at this point. In some levels, your Jaguar-esque vehicle can transform into a speedboat, while in others it remains solely a high-powered combat streetcar. When the life level of the player dips under a certain level, the vehicle transforms into a motorcycle or a jet ski for a fast getaway.

When the car transforms into a boat, it appears more like a car with sophisticated changes to perform in water like a speedboat, and it's impressive looking. We saw the motorcycle and jet ski in very early stages of development. Midway is considering placing riders on both.

Your spy travels to real locations all over the world to defeat the enemy. Currently, Midway has yet to decide whether the spy will have a real identity, whether his agency will be revealed, or whether the enemy's identity is known. For those who didn't play the original, the game lacked a storyline or character, both of which weren't essential to the title's core gameplay. but Midway is definitely pondering deepening these elements with storylines, fictional enemies and a identifiable lead character.

The display system is excellent. It's unobtrusive and very informative. The meters are circular and blue; one indicates speed, another power, and another weaponry. In the top right is the weapons meter, with a picture of the weapon in the circle, and tiny units around that, which disappear when the weapon fires. In the bottom right is another blue circle that has a number (1-100), which displays the Interceptor's damage level. In the top left of the screen is a timer, which is an item that may not appear in the final game.

In one level, player appears in Venice, in another they drive through a forest. In Venice, the car turns into the boat and speeds through its canals. Also in Venice, the buildings along side the canals are impressive looking but repetitive, with an orange motif. Many other boats appear in the river, and the player can fire at them. The speed of the boats at this point is fast.

The second level is a forest. It has impressive reflection graphics, and very green water. In this level, the classic old enemy helicopter makes its appearance. Players can lock on to the helicopter with their missiles, and in this version of the game, they can shoot as many as 20 missiles at the craft, a far cry from the original game, in which players had about three missiles at a time. An interesting new addition to this early version is a redneck in a wooden bed Ford pickup; this fella takes to blasting away at you with a machine gun. At this point, this game is designed to be played in a linear fashion.

While still early, Midway appears to be leaning toward making Spy Hunter into a Goldeneye/race or a Race/RPG-style game, not too far from the original concept. Spy Hunter: The Return looks to bring back classic gaming with a modern style of play and high-level graphics. We'll have more on Spy Hunter closer to E³ in May.

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