Spy vs Spy
Spy vs Spy — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Spy vs Spy on?
- Spy vs Spy was released on BBC Microcomputer System, Game Boy Color, Atari 8-bit, PC-8800 Series, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Sharp X1, Atari ST/STE, Acorn Electron, Commodore 16, Amiga, Apple II, Amstrad CPC, Commodore Plus/4, Sega Master System/Mark III, Nintendo Entertainment System, PC-88.
- When did Spy vs Spy release?
- Spy vs Spy was first released on December 31, 1984.
About Spy vs Spy
The black spy and the white spy are out to outsmart each other before the time bell rings. Find the needed objects (money, passport, secret plans and airport door key) by searching rooms in the embassy, which include desks, file cabinets and other furniture. Foil your opponent by setting creative booby traps in the various rooms (a bomb in a dresser drawer, for instance). Traps can be disarmed with objects found in rooms (a water bucket from a firebox on the wall will disarm the bomb in the prior example). When all the items are together in the secret briefcase, head for the airport door.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- BBC Microcomputer System, Game Boy Color, Atari 8-bit, PC-8800 Series, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Sharp X1, Atari ST/STE, Acorn Electron, Commodore 16, Amiga, Apple II, Amstrad CPC, Commodore Plus/4, Sega Master System/Mark III, Nintendo Entertainment System, PC-88
- Developer
- First Star Software
- Publisher
- HOT-B
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer, Split screen
- Themes
- Action, Comedy
- Series
- Spy vs. Spy
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Master System | 1988 | $20 | $44 | — | 10 reviews | Low (look-alike) |
Also released on: BBC Microcomputer System · Game Boy Color · Atari 8-bit · PC-8800 Series · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · Sharp X1 · Atari ST/STE · Acorn Electron · Commodore 16 · Amiga · Apple II · Amstrad CPC · Commodore Plus/4 · Sega Master System/Mark III · Nintendo Entertainment System · PC-88. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Card version | $24 | $35 | — |
| European (PAL) release | $13 | $43 | — |
| Japanese release (Spy vs Spy) | $6 | $42 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $5.00 in Jul 2009, $25 five years ago, and $20 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $18.99 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $6.02 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $6.99 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $10.95 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $10.00 | $12.99 |
| Jan 2015 | $11.83 | $18.95 |
| Jan 2016 | $11.50 | $24 |
| Jan 2017 | $14.99 | $22 |
| Jan 2018 | $18.47 | $21 |
| Jan 2019 | $14.64 | $26 |
| Jan 2020 | $13.07 | $22 |
| Jan 2021 | $26 | $30 |
| Jan 2022 | $25 | $35 |
| Jan 2023 | $25 | $32 |
| Jan 2024 | $23 | $30 |
| Jan 2025 | $24 | $36 |
| Jan 2026 | $19.87 | $34 |
| Oct 2026 | $20 | $44 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number |
|---|---|---|
| North America | October 1988 | — |
| Europe / PAL | August 1987 | — |
| Japan | 20 September 1986 | C-514 |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1988
- Authenticity
- Low
A two-player Mad magazine spy duel that suits the Master System well and also came on a Sega Card.
Spy vs. Spy began as a 1984 Commodore 64 game by Mike Riedel, based on Mad magazine's cartoon strip about two spies trying to kill each other with elaborate traps. The Master System version was made by Sega and came out in Japan on September 20, 1986, in Europe in August 1987 and in North America in October 1988. Computer and Video Games rated the Master System version highly in 1989 and again in 1990.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | OVERALL 88% |
| Sega Pro Issue 19 | May 1993 | 90% |
| Sega Pro Issue 21 | July 1993 | 90% |
| Sega Pro Issue 22 | August 1993 | 90% |
| Sega Pro Issue 23 | September 1993 | 90% |
| Sega Pro Issue 24 | October 1993 | 90% |
| Sega Pro Issue 25 | November 1993 | 90% |
| Sega Pro Issue 26 | December 1993 | 90% |
| Sega Pro Issue 34 | July 1994 | 90% |
| Sega Pro Issue 43 | April 1995 | 83% |
“Spy vs Spy ranks as a classic two-player game which won't set the world alight with either its visuals or sonics, but scores extremely highly in the playability department! Our advice is to check out this topnotch offering - pronto.”
“The stars of MAD magazíne retain their appeal and the game has one player sniggering when the other walks into his traps. Great.”
“The stars of MAD magazíne retain their appeal and the game has one player sniggering when the other walks into his traps. Great.”
“The stars of MAD magazíne retain their appeal and the game has one player sniggering when the other walks into his traps. Great.”
Also on other platforms
Atari 8-bit · Commodore 64 · Apple II · Amstrad CPC · ZX Spectrum · NES · PC-88 · Sharp X1 · Acorn Electron · BBC Micro · Commodore 16 · Amiga · Atari ST · Game Boy Color
- ZX Spectrum. The ZX Spectrum version was ranked number 20 in the Your Sinclair Official Top 100 Games of All Time and won a Crash Smash in August 1985.
- NES. The NES version sold 300,000 units in North America.
- Atari 8-bit. Antic called the Atari 8-bit version one of the most original and clever games for the Atari computers and praised its simultaneous two-player display.
Before you buy
There is a US, a European and a Japanese release, and a Sega Card version, which needs the card slot that the Master System II lacks. The European cart is cheaper loose but about the same complete. The Japanese cart is much cheaper loose and about the same complete, and it is a different, smaller shape that needs an adapter on a Western console. Loose, it sits above the middle of the US-released carts and the look-alike risk is low.
Spy vs Spy screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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