You’d expect the Atari 2600 version of Spy Hunter to be the runt of the litter, and… it’s actually not too bad.

It’s certainly more playable than the DOS version, and more colourful too. Unfortunately the graphics are very basic. The car sprites are pretty good, and recognisable, but the backdrops are plain and empty with hardly a tree in sight. There are some weird glitches onscreen too, characteristic of certain Atari 2600 games.

Gameplay-wise, there is some fun to be had here. Bumping other cars off the road is satisfying, and quite easy to do. The speedboat section is in there, but – like the flawed Apple II conversion – it’s compulsory. Also: I’m not sure if there are any helicopters. I certainly didn’t see any.

Unsurprisingly, this is a pretty pathetic excuse for Spy Hunter, only really to be played out of curiosity or blind fanaticism.

More: Spy Hunter on Wikipedia