Data East Arcade Classics - Sly Spy

On 03/22/2014 at 04:46 PM by KnightDriver

I pulled out the Wii the other day to play some Data East Arcade Classics, having temporarily burned out on 100 plus hours of Borderlands 2 (my buddy is still playing it though). This is a no frills collection of 15 games, some of which are given their Japanese names like: Sly Spy is Secret Agent, Two Crude Dudes is Crude Buster, and Bump ‘N Jump is Burnin’ Rubber. The UI is very basic and also unintuitive as I had to fiddle around to find the menu describing the controls for each game. Majesco did a pretty uninspired and bare bones job on this collection. There is cabinet art and music in the extras, but no interviews or history. You have to unlock these by playing the games, but I played every one and only a few unlocked. What unlocks them? Who knows. Thanks Majesco (dripping with sarcasm).

I used my classic controller. I find it so weird that you have to hook it to the Wiimote which is sending the signal to the Wii. It’s such a bizarre and unwieldy setup. A couple of times I yanked the Wiimote off the table because the tether between Wiimote and Classic Controller was so short.

I played every game in this collection starting with my Backloggery Fortune Cookie pick Sly Spy (or Secret Agent). Sly Spy, a 1989 arcade game, is a 2D scrolling shooter/brawler. You give your secret agent a number at the beginning and, of course, I named him 007. It’s interesting how they manage to let you imagine it’s a James Bond game without actually having the license. It’s kinda like Fire Pro Wrestling that lets you create any real life wrestler but since it doesn’t present you with any real wrestler, it doesn’t have to pay anyone licensing fees. Anyway, you are an American agent trying to stop terrorists from launching a nuclear missile. The first thing you do is free-fall from an airplane and shoot terrorists on your way down. Then you do a bunch of side scrolling shooting and brawling and sometimes ride a motorcycle. After a while I got tired of being surrounded by enemies unable to stop them from doing damage and having to keep hitting continue. I don’t like the way you turn from left to right. It’s too slow

Next blog will be about the games I did like in this collection.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

03/22/2014 at 04:59 PM

I remember Bump N Jump. Classic game.

KnightDriver

03/23/2014 at 04:59 AM

I kept hearing about it. Then I tried it. Now I know. It's good!

jgusw

03/22/2014 at 05:39 PM

Hooking up with the wiimote is always weird. I don't know what Nintendo was thinking when they came up with that.

I hadn't played Data East Arcade Classics in a long time. I may have to break that out.

03/23/2014 at 05:01 AM

Why they didn't just put a IR device in the classic controller so it could connect on it's own is beyond me.

Super Step Contributing Writer

03/22/2014 at 08:21 PM

Those jumpers he's shooting at the start of that video are hilariously inept, and their movements look so stupid lmao.

03/23/2014 at 05:09 AM

That guy knew exactly where they were coming into the screen to shoot them from a distance. When I played it they all bunched around me and I couldn't touch them unless I backed away. Oh, but they could touch me, yes sir. There were so many moments like that where you're right on top of an enemy but can't affect them at all unless you get some distance. Stupid!

Travis Hawks Senior Editor

03/22/2014 at 10:05 PM

This is a pretty bare bones collection, but I forgive all of it because of Street Hoopz!

Get on the blacktop, pick yo team!

03/23/2014 at 05:12 AM

Brought back memories of NBA Jam when I played that. "Boomshakalaka!"

Cary Woodham

03/23/2014 at 02:17 AM

I have this collection as well. I wrote a blog about it on 1up a few years back. Sly Spy reminded me of a goofy Rolling Thunder.

03/23/2014 at 05:25 AM

Yea, that's the series the wiki page referenced. In looking through the whole game in that video above, there are a great variety of locations and situations: you fight underwater, fight in front of the Lincoln Memorial, motorcycle segments, on board a ship, fight tigers?, and use a jetpack. I kinda wish I'd played more of it now.

C.S.3590SquadLeader

03/23/2014 at 03:08 PM

The enemy placement's a little too crazy for my taste, I'd die way too many times.

03/23/2014 at 03:36 PM

Yea, that's why I didn't finish it even with infinite continues. Too frustrating.

goaztecs

03/24/2014 at 11:29 AM

I'm not familar with the Wii but why would Nintendo make you connect the classic controller to the Wii Mote? Couldn't they just throw in the part that sends a signal to the Wii from the CC?

I liked Fire Pro because of the customazation. I'd like to see more games do something like that

03/25/2014 at 01:56 AM

It's like the classic controller was an afterthought for them.

I've been wanted to try Fire Pro for a while now. I just added several of them to my wishlist.

NSonic79

05/12/2014 at 12:25 PM

Is this game only for the Wii? I only ask because I'm debating about getting some more complication disc games for my Xbox 360 since I saw that midway arcade classics over teh weekend.

05/13/2014 at 03:01 AM

Only on the Wii.

PixlBit