BBC Microcomputer System

Spycat: An Interactive Exposé of M.I.41/2

Spycat: An Interactive Exposé of M.I.41/2 is an arcade adventure video game for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, written by Peter Scott (under the pseudonym Dylan) and published by Superior Software in 1988. The game is a parody of the scandal surrounding the Spycatcher book. Spycat is loosely based on the then current scandal surrounding the release of Spycatcher, the memoirs of former MI5 officer and Assistant Director Peter Wright. The player takes the role of the Spycat, Peter Correct, who has worked for M.I.41/2 for fifty years but finds out he is to be forced to retire with a low pension. The player must collect classified research documents (among other items), then flee to Greenland to write his memoirs. Other characters found in the game include Sir Clive Amstrad (an amalgamation of Clive Sinclair and Alan Sugar) as technical expert "Q" and the Prime Minister Margo Thatch (Margaret Thatcher). The game takes the form of an arcade adventure with the player moving through a series of locations and rooms, collecting and using items to progress. The player must avoid CCTV cameras and "Q"'s electronic devices that will drain Spycat's energy. The actions in the game (e.g. picking up and using items, opening doors) are controlled using an icon panel at the top of the screen.