Game Review: Super Spy Raccoon

By Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

I've reviewed several retro-themed arcade games recently from awesome publishers like Flynn's Arcade and Rawrlab Games, and I have yet another one today. Coming to us by way of developer Slain Mascot, and the aforementioned Flynn's Arcade, is Super Spy Raccoon. Super Spy Raccoon is an arcade-style game that focuses on stealth rather than action. It saw its first release on Steam last year, but it's set to drop onto the Nintendo Switch in a few days. Seeing as I've had a lot of fun with other releases from Flynn's Arcade (Check out my Cash Cow DX review HERE for another great one!), I went into this one with high expectations. Were those expectations justified? Let's dive in and find out!

Super Spy Raccoon has a very simple premise: You're a raccoon spy named Romeo Raccoon, and you have to collect several secret files across five levels without being seen. There isn't much else to the story beyond that, but this is an arcade game after all. Beating the five levels does bring you to a boss, and beating that boss loops the game. Looping several times will eventually get you a kill screen, which is a nice homage to arcade games that I wasn't expecting to find here. Even though I don't have much else to say in this part of the review, I will admit that there was enough charm in this game to make me want to know more about Romeo Raccoon and his mission. We may never get more details as to why he needs those secret files, or what's on them, but he's quite the cool character nonetheless. Anyway, with all that out of the way, let's move on to gameplay.

Even though Super Spy Raccoon has a very simple premise, it's sure to throw most players for a loop when playing it for the first time. This is not an action game by any stretch, and the focus is purely on stealth. Basically think of a fast-paced Metal Gear Solid arcade game, and maybe you'll get an idea. That's actually a bit much of course, but not too far off the mark at times. Romeo Raccoon has no attacks whatsoever, nor can he harm enemies. The only moves he has at his disposal are running and jumping. Dying is extremely easy, as it only takes an enemy looking at you to lose a life. You can also die the old fashioned way by touching enemies or stage hazards, but you're most likely going to get a game over by way of simply being seen too many times. Those files are what's important though, and your goal is to collect them all. Each level ends as soon as you collect the final file, and you move on to the next. The only power-up in the game is an invisibility potion that turns Romeo Raccoon invisible for a short time. He's not invincible in this form, but he can do pretty much anything without fear of being seen. You start each run with three lives, and you gain more through points. There are unlimited continues as well, though you lose points for having to do so. That might not matter to some players though, and the unlimited continues means that just about anyone can beat the game if they have enough patience. Files don't reappear even if you die and have to continue, so it's just a matter of attrition getting to the end. You might even get to see that kill screen if you keep at it.

Upon first starting up Super Spy Raccoon, my mind immediately went to Donkey Kong. The levels have the same vertical layout, and there are plenty of other similarities to that game via the gameplay and graphics. Both games have very different goals, but both also feature large apes as enemies. That's right, one of the main enemies found here are apes that run from one side of the level to the other, and the only way to get past them is to run behind them, and then make a timely jump as they turn around. Apes aside, you'll face off against owls, searchlights, motion-detecting cameras, and even fireballs. All of these other hazards can also be jumped over, but you of course have think about line of sight before making any move. The easiest way to stay out of view of an enemy is to be simply be behind them, but you can also hide in bushes or behind other obstacles found throughout each stage. There are also plenty of platforms that can sometimes raise you above an enemies range, though navigating between them usually requires a bit of timing. There are plenty of ways to get through most of the levels, but you also have a timer that keeps you from taking too long. You'll more than likely never be able to run this timer out though, and it mainly exists just to add more points at the end of a stage. There's also a boss fight of sorts at the very end of the game, but it's really just a retread of the final fifth stage, but with a much harder stage hazard. That's fine though, as beating the game isn't really the point here. This is an arcade game, and that means high scores. Getting a high score is a matter of completing levels fast, doing so without losing a life, and also forgoing any of the invisibility potions since picking one up also costs you points. All that is easier said than done, but there's always the bragging rights if you manage to get a particularly high score. At the time of this writing the high scores are local only, but one can hope that an online leaderboard comes with the full launch of the game.

Presentation-wise, I have nothing but positives to say about Super Spy Raccoon. The graphics emulate the 80s arcade aesthetic perfectly, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that this could very well be passed off as a long lost arcade title, and no one would be any the wiser. Though the game itself is rather limited due to its short length, the graphics and stages are all manage to come off as interesting and unique. Each stage introduces something new in the form of hazards or mechanics, and it doesn't take one long to gain an appreciation for how tight the level design is. There are even Pac-Man style cutscenes between the levels that explain some of the new mechanics, and they're a nice way to break up the core gameplay. Graphics aside, the music also does an excellent job bringing you into the arcade experience. Each track is lively, and just about every aspect of the sound design in general is perfect. There are even graphics options at your disposal that can change the visuals to your liking. Don't like the cartoon-y bezel? You can turn that off. Hate scanlines? Those can be removed too. I'll admit that it's not a whole lot to write home about, but it's the little things that really make or break a game.

I played through several games of Super Spy Raccoon in preparation of writing this review, and the only problem I found is its longevity. I opened this review by mentioning that I've played many other modern arcade games recently, and most of them have worked their way into my regular rotation. They're not total mainstays, but I'll jump in and out of them randomly, or pull up some of them that have multiplayer modes when I'm having a game night. With that in mind, this is the first game I've received from Flynn's Arcade that I'm not sure I'll have that same experience with. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad game, I just don't see myself coming back to it any time soon. There's really not much beyond beating the game, and getting a high score. There are some costumes you can unlock, but I had trouble finding reasons to keep playing beyond the first hour. Maybe if there were additional difficulty settings, more stages, or even a multiplayer mode, I would've been more inclined to keep playing. I ultimately put it down once I had enough material for this review, and that very well be the last time I touch it. Having said all that, I should also point out that the game currently only costs $4.99 on the Switch eShop. One could easily make the argument that Super Spy Raccoon offers more than enough content for its price point, and I'm sure that there are some arcade fans out there who will love this ones gameplay loop more than I did.

Even though the issues I have with Super Spy Raccoon are rather big, I still think that this is a game worth picking up for those who are fans of retro arcade games. It has a premise like no other, and I had a lot of fun with it. Its initial magic and charm did wear off rather quickly, but I can't bring myself to say that this is a bad game by any stretch. If you go into this one with the right expectations, I'm sure you'll be fine. Besides, Romeo Raccoon is so cool. I hope he gets more games in the future. Anyway, see you in the next one!

Check Out Super Spy Raccoon on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/super-spy-raccoon-switch/

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Story: N/A
Gameplay: B+
Graphics: A
Music/Sound: A
Value: A

Overall: A

Pros:
+ A fun, challenging arcade game that is also very fair for those who might not be familiar with tough-as-nails arcade difficulty.
+ I've never personally heard of any other stealth-based arcade games, so this one wins points for its originality.
+ The graphics and sound are both amazing, and the game even has some old-school Donkey Kong vibes.
+ Considering the low price of $4.99, you can grab this one without too much worry even if you're only slightly interested.
+ Romeo Raccoon is just a cool character all around!

Cons:
- The game is rather short, and there isn't a lot of reason to keep playing beyond getting an even higher score.
- Beating the game over and over again can have diminishing returns. More unlockable content, some sort of harder challenge, or even multiplayer would've been great additions.
- Not actually being able to kill the final boss can be a bit frustrating, though I guess it makes sense within context of the game's mechanics.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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