[My Biography] [Masters Tournament Article]
[Coin-Op World Records]
[Official Score Keeper, Twin Galaxies]
From Twin Galaxies Score Board
Detail of score 9,512,590
on Spy Hunter ( default settings on Arcade )
by Paul Dean
RULES
Difficulty = 3, First extra base awarded at 30K, Extra base every 30K (maximum 3),
Starting timer - 1.5 minutes of play (90 seconds). Technically, based on speed of
completing the initial time allotment, it is possible to get an extra car at 14K
and another at 18K if you reach these thresholds before the starting timer expires.
RANK
Ranked 1 out of 13 scores
SCORE PERCENTILE
100.000%
VERIFICATION METHOD
R - Referee
SCORE LOCATION
Name: Paul Dean
City: Upland
State: California
Country: United States
DATE SUBMITTED
May 18, 2004
PLAYER INFORMATION
Name: Paul Dean
City: Upland
State: California
Country: United States
----------------------------------------
Search by Game: Spy Hunter
Search by Player: Paul Dean
Spy Hunter, Arcade, default settings
Rank 1
Score 9,512,590
Player Paul Dean
Huish Family Fun Center
1500 West 7th
Upland, CA 91786
(909)-985-1313
Upland, CA
United States
Date Achieved June 28, 1985
Date Verified Thursday, May 27, 2004
Verification Method: Referee
Score Status: Active
Rules: default settings
Difficulty = 3,
First extra base awarded at 30K, Extra base every 30K (maximum 3),
Starting timer - 1.5 minutes of play (90 seconds).
Technically, based on speed of completing the initial time allotment,
it is possible to get an extra car at 14K and another at 18K if you
reach these thresholds before the starting timer expires.
--------------------------------------
Twin Galaxies Score Board
Spy Hunter
Variation: default settings
Platform: Arcade
Rules: Difficulty = 3, First extra base awarded at 30K, Extra base every 30K (maximum 3),
Starting timer - 1.5 minutes of play (90 seconds). Technically, based on speed of
completing the initial time allotment,it is possible to get an extra car at 14K and
another at 18K if you reach these thresholds before the starting timer expires.
Rank % Score Player Date Verified Scoring Method
1 100.00 % 9,512,590 Paul Dean 05/27/2004 Referee
2 8.75 % 832,620 Mark E Little 05/05/2003 Video
3 8.35 % 794,495 Brent McDowell 06/30/1984 Referee
3 8.35 % 794,495 Brian McDowell 06/11/2004 Referee
4 4.35 % 413,510 Sal Luiso 06/11/2004 Referee
5 3.98 % 378,335 Ryan Coulter 06/05/2004 Video
6 3.65 % 346,980 Phil Britt 06/11/2004 Referee
7 3.03 % 288,535 Pat Laffaye 05/09/2001 Referee
8 2.37 % 224,980 David Nelson 06/27/2002 Referee
9 1.65 % 156,770 Jason Wilson 05/09/2001 Referee
10 1.62 % 153,820 Robert T Mruczek 06/27/2002 Referee
11 0.78 % 74,155 Neil Chapman 07/02/2002 Referee
12 0.48 % 45,685 Brian C Laskiewicz 05/11/2001 Referee
13 0.35 % 33,765 Chris Cannon 07/02/2002 Referee
14 0.18 % 16,800 Adam R Wood 07/15/2002 Referee
The Below is from the Blue Book of the 1986 Video Game Masters Tournament
for the Bally's Aladdin's Castle Guinness Book of World Records Tournament.
125 Games were in the tournament and trophies were to be provided to the
players who won new World Record by beating the Threshold World Record
scores accumulated from previous World Record Masters Tournaments.
Official Games Manual (1986)
Spy Hunter Game Format according to the 1986 Video Game Masters Tournament
Guidelines for settings and unallowed tricks: Link
Spy Hunter Game number: 096
(Bally) Threshold score: 9,512,590
Settings:
Starting cars…3
Bonus cars ….one additional car if score after timed play is 10,000 points,
2 if the score after timed play is 18,000 points. After that, additional cars
are awarded at 30,000 , 60,000 , 90,000 and 120,000 points
Difficulty…..#3
(Note: Settings are altered while machine is in self test mode)
Tricks:
Many flaws hamper Spy Hunter. Most of them will 'lock-up'
the game and just give the player points. Another method involves
keeping the player's boat, during the river sequence, just behind
the tugboat which appears to bring out new boats. Nothing
will appear from behind and the tugboat blocks out everything in
front. In either case, void the game immediately.
2006 Settings and Rules: Link
Spy Hunter
Variation: Points
Platform: Arcade
Rules: Switch No.1 @ B3 Located On Sound I/O P.C. Board
1-9 = OFF/UNUSED
10 = OFF
Switch No.3 @ D14 Located On Sound I/O P.C. Board
1-4 = OFF
The following settings must be changed within the Service Mode via the Machine Setup Option;
Difficulty Level: 3
1st Extra Base Awarded @ 30,000 Points
Extra Base Awarded Every 30,000 Points Up To A Maximum Of 3
Note: The above Dip Switches, are not only the FACTORY DEFAULT settings,
but are also the correct Twin Galaxies Tournament Settings for this title.
Paul Dean
Guinness Book
High Score
Spy Hunter High Score
June 28, 1985
9,512,590
1. How long did I practice before I got my world record on
June 28, 1985?
Three hours a day four to five days a week since 1983 when
the game was first in my local Arcades, Flipper Flapper,
Gold Mine and Castle Park in my home town, CA.
2. How do I contact Paul Dean?
Go to [contact me] page
3. Where did I get my high score?
Guinness Book 3rd Annual Video Game Contest
Masters Tournament
June 28 - 30, 1985
Upland Family Fun Center
1500 West 7th
Upland, CA 91786
(909)-985-1313
4. How long did I play Spy Hunter on June 28, 1985?
11.5 hours
5. When was I first published in the Guinness Book of World Records?
1986
6. Have I gone to any other Tournament Competitions?
I went to the State Championships for the
1981 Asteroids State Competition, after winning a
local contest after a 14 hour high score for Asteroids.
I did not win the State Competition because it was a three
minute speed score contest and not a longevity contest. My
goal for playing has always been to get the high score so
that I could put my initials, PMD, up for my friends to see.
7. Did I practice much for my spy hunter high score?
Three hours a day after school each day for about two years.
8. Will your high score ever be beat?
Anything is possible.
9. Could I teach my strategies to others who could improve on
my score?
You can't find a Spy Hunter any more to show my skills.
10. Is my high score impossible to get because no one has come
close to this score and therefore a bogus made up score or some
sort of fake score?
I played in a legal competition, Third Annual Masters Tournament,
with official referree present.
11. What is the main reason I did so well on Spy Hunter?
Practice. That is what it is all about.
12. What was my second best high score?
I had gotten over two million on several occasions.
13. Why did you do so much better in the Masters Tournament
than your average score?
I was in the zone do to the magnitude of the competition.
14. Could you ever repeat your performance?
I do not play at the level I used to play at and it would take a long
time to play at that level again.
15. Have you continued to play video games?
I don't have time but would love to get back into game playing.
16. What is special about you that makes you 10 times better
than any other player out there?
I tried harder and practiced more than other players
17. What makes a good games player?
Curiousity. You have to want to push the envelope.
18. Could I do well on another game if I was interested in
mastering it?
I haven't made the time to master another game but would like to play again.
19. Am I in touch with any other great players?
They all got married and got busy with their jobs
and families and are not available. It would be great to get them all together again.
20. Would I start playing video games again?
It takes up more time than I have but would love learning about
video games again.
21. Could you master a different video game?
If I had more time I might do well at another game.
22. What games did you do well in?
Asteroids, Time Pilot, Front Line, Frenzy, Tutankham, Spy Hunter
Frenzy
23. Why did I play video games?
To hang out with people with similar interests of mastering video games.
24. Why did you create this web site.
So others could relive the 1980's video era, and look up high
scores.
25. Are there Spy Hunter tricks that can enable a player to get a high score?
Yes, but not legal for the Guinness Book Records. A few tips:
1. Curvy Roads Trick: Shooting cars around the bend to get
more points while staying on the side of the road and
not moving when dropped off by weapons van.
2. Helicopter Trick: Allow helicopter to drop bombs in front
of you while you are slowly moving forward. The
bad guys will crash into these helicopter bomb holes.
3. Bridge out Trick: Go over bridge by getting in van before
bridge out which will allow you to go over the bridge.
Stop at bridge and Limo cannot cross this bridge out.
Watch bad guys go over into the water sometimes getting
points at end of bridge out.
history Spy Hunter (c) 12/1983 Bally Midway.
- TRIVIA -
This game runs on the Bally Midway MCR 3 hardware.
The car was based on one of the designer's own Nissan 280z. The game was
to have a helicopter stage but the designers ran out of resources. They
also wanted the James Bond theme to play, but settled for the Peter Gunn
theme instead.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Here's A Great Cheat That Does Several Things At Once : Bridge Out Trick
1) You need to have a supply truck available, and a be at a bridge-out level.
When the detour appears, don't take it - instead, call up your truck.
2) Wait until the road has straightened out into the bridge and drive into
the truck. When the truck pulls over and lets you out, stay on the side of
the road, and SLOWLY drive up until you reach the gap in the bridge.
3) Drive on until you car is about half-way over the edge, and wait until
the Enforcer comes along. He will try and get you, but he'll be unable to
drive far enough to do so. At this point, I would get a friend to mind the
game, while I went for a break. When I returned, I just drove across the
bridge, flying mysteriously across the bridge out, until I reached the
other side.
4) You will notice several differences to the game after this happens. The
Enforcer no longer appears, the game gets no harder, and Dr. Torpedo no
longer appears on water sections!
Another Cool Thing to Try:
If while you're the boat, you run into the side of the boathouse, the
road will be water and after you keep going, the cars will turn into
boats. Link
- SERIES -
Spy Hunter (1983)
Spy Hunter II (1987)
- STAFF -
and programmed by : Bill Adams, George Gomez, Tom Leon
by : Henry Mancini
Authors:
George Gomez (design), Tom Leon (program)
------------------------
Klov Game Tricks:
Description
Cheats, Tricks and Bugs
If the road is drawn to the extreme right side of the screen when the car is
dropped off by the weapons van, one can drive across the grass and Water to
pass any difficult areas that might be ahead.
BUG: “Pause” trick – Steer RIGHT after leaving van into the off of road margin side of screen.
The Accelerator can be dislodged to increase the default speed of the car if
there is no access to the test switch (i.e., if one finds the game at a bowling
alley and want to drive faster than it allows).
After being let out of the semi, due to crash or weapons upgrade, one can use
the truck itself as a buffer to smash other cars off the road!
-------------------------------
Spy Hunter Game bugs/tips
If you follow the truck from the start, being careful not to run it off
the road or shoot it, then no enemy agents' cars will appear on the screen.
(Andrew Billimore in Sinclair User issue 43) 4093
When the helicopter comes along, go up behind and completely stop your vechicle
level with helicopter. The helicopter fires bombs which blow up just before
they reach you. While that is happening your score slowly ticks on. The helicopter
should hover just in front of you dropping bombs, these miss you every
time and you get 150 for every one dropped. So far I've achieved 200,000 using
this method but I had to go out then.
(Andrew Graham in Sinclair
User issue 42) 4081
After you have received a weapon from the weapons van quickly drive back into the van
and keep pushing up. The truck should now start to move jerkily with you inside.
Be quick and drive back in before the ramp is raised. That way you'll have a rest
from the traffic - no vehicles appear!
Using this method you will never crash.
(Matthew Rogers in Crash issue 19) 7832
-------------------------------
Miscellaneous
Play the game on-line (requires Shockwave) at http://www.shockwave.com/sw/content/spyhunter
Trivia
Contrary to legend shared on the East Coast, this game actually has no end
whatsoever. The "graveyard level" does not exist nor at any time does the
driver of the vehicle get out of the car.
The sequel to this is Spy Hunter II, perhaps the worst sequel in the history
of gaming.
The prototype for Spy Hunter originally played with the James Bond theme,
which was the theme originally sought after for use in the game. The Peter
Gunn theme was used when Midway could not obtain the rights to use the James
Bond theme in the game.
The name of the car, the G-6155, is a clever tribute to designer George
Gomez - the numbers stand for his birthdate. Additionally, the car in the
game was modeled after a 1983 Z28, which is featured in the brochure for the game.
A helicopter sequence was originally planned, but was deleted due to lack
of time and memory.
------------------------
4. Follow Weapons Van Trick: Allows you to stay alive
because weapon van stays between you and the bad
guys ahead of you.
5. Stay off Road Trick: When you are in a bad area,
summon the weapons van and make sure it drops you
off at the far right side of the screen. Stay far
right until you are in an area that is easier to
navigate, and then go back on to the road. There
by missing curvy roads and icy roads. This also gives
you the ability to gather weapons without taking
any risk of dying on the road. You will not get
points, but you won't die either.
6. There are some areas you can stall out to far right
side of screen and not die. This is useful for
avoiding bad guys and racking up points if you stall
out right before a big helicopter bomb crater. This will
only work after a successful bridge out crossing.
7. Keeping the weapons van between you and the limozine
will keep you from being shot by the limozine. The weapons
van becomes a shield for you.
8. In order to control your machine gun, only use short
bursts when shooting at all vehicles.
9. Don't shoot at vehicles that aren't bad guys because
their wreckage debree can be a hazard to your driving.
10. Avoid the Enemy Limo: Summon the weapons van when you see the limo
coming out because you are safe in the weapons van. Once you come
out of the weapons van stay on the side of the road and speed to
the next season on the side of the road. This confusses the limo
and gives you a chance to get into another weapons van for safety
and for new weapons from the weapons van.
11. Only use smoke and oil slick in small amounts so you
wont run out when you really need it.
12. Don't speed it won't give you enough reaction time for bad guys coming
from the top of the screen.
13. Getting refill of Weapons: Go full speed on the side of the road as far
as possible in order to get through the screens. This is the quickest
way to get to the next season and to the next weapons van with new weapons.
14. Longevity: The goal is not to kill the bad guys as much as it is to
live as long as possible so I play the game in a moderate mode without
taking any excessive risks. Let the bad guys come to you and take your
time in taking them out.
15. Avoid Accelerator: The reason most people do so poorly on this game
is because they cannot handle the gas peddle and go to fast.
Take your time and set up your shots and then take them when there
isn't to many obstacles on the road. I consider this to be an
endurance game because if you play it right it is just a matter of
setting up your enemy and taking him out when you feel it is safe to
do so. I don't rush my shots and I take my time when each new enemy
appears.
16. Avoid the Enemy Limo: Summon the weapons van when you see the limo
coming out because you are safe in the weapons van. Once you come
out of the weapons van stay on the side of the road and speed to
the next season on the side of the road. This confusses the limo
and gives you a chance to get into another weapons van for safety
and for new weapons from the weapons van.
17. My favorite weapons are smoke and oil slick and so I try to keep
these until I really need to use them. The best time to use either
of these is when the limo is right behind you. The limo is the
hardest vehicle to take out and is usually the vehicle that can
take me out the fastest by shooting at me.
18. When I am certain that I am going to die any second I use all the
oil slick and smoke screen all at once giving me ample time to get
into a better position. This technique has saved me on many occasions
when I became desperate to survive and couldn't get into the safety of
the weapons van.
19. Spiked Vehicles: Sometimes you can push another vehicle into the spiked
enemy vehicle which knocks out their spikes. After they are despiked
they are easier to get rid of. Some times you can bump the weapons van
into them to despike these vehicles. Other times you can knock their
own non spiked car into their spiked car which will take care of them.
20. Helicopter: Let the helicopter make its first pass over you before
attempting to blow it up. It will usually pass you quite quickly and
them come around slowly the next time, making it an easy target for
your missles. If you don't have missles, summon the weapons van and
try to get to the next season as quickly as possible in order to gather
a new type of weapons from the weapons van. Stay on the side of the
road as long as possible.
21. High Score: These tips aren't so much about how to get a high score
as they are of how to survive the game. The points will come if you
avoid being killed. The error most players make is in thinking that
if the points don't come fast that they aren't doing well. But what
is more important is surviving for the long hall. If you can stay on
the game for a couple of hours without dying then you will have a good
score even though the points come slow with the strategies that I have
suggested above.
22. Wide Blue Enemy Car: This car doesn't have spikes
and is easy to kill but I like to just follow behind it and leave it
alone so that I can just gain points without having to worry about
any car taking me out. Most the time I am going the same exact speed
or a little bit slower than the enemy cars. I go slower when I feel
I need more space for safety.
23. Water Trick: I like to go into the water and change
into a boat only after I complete bridge out.
26. What were the game settings in the Spy Hunter 1985 3rd Annual
Masters Tournament?
Mark Longridge - Twin Galaxies Referee
Answers to Mark Longridge's questions Twin Galaxies Official Referee/ Coin-Op High Scores
Game Settings and Contest Questions:
Game Settings for 3rd Annual Masters Tournament June 28, 1985 Spy Hunter
High Score - 9,512,590
Huish Family Fun Center
Upland, CA
I played for a little over 11.5 hours on a sit-down Spy Hunter game in
Upland Family Fun Center
Upland, CA.
Difficulty = 3, First extra base awarded at 30K, Extra base every 30K
(maximum 3), Starting timer - 1.5 minutes of play (90 seconds). Technically,
based on speed of completing the initial time allotment, it is possible to
get an extra car at 14K and another at 18K if you reach these thresholds
before the starting timer expires.
Six cars in total for entire play of game.
The score does not turn over to zero so the total score is shown at the top of the
game.
Spy Hunter is from those "good ol' days" when games typically didn't have an end.
I live in Riverside, Ca and have always been here at the same house and you
can look at my biography second page to see what I have been doing lately.
Players who helped me develop my skills:
Guiness World Record holders - Golden Age
Phil Britt - Riverside, CA Paperboy
Mike Sullivan - Riverside, CA Kung Fu
Mike Querlls - Riverside, CA Crystal Castle
Dave Dean - Riverside, CA Mappy
Jeff Peters - Etiwanda, CA Pole Position
We all played and honed are skills in the same arcades in Riverside, CA
and went to Los Angeles on field trips to show others how to play.
I have never given an interview until this year 2004 after my high score
was pulled and I decided to fight and get it back on the score boards.
Mark Longridge, Game Cube, Thank you for recording my high score and
the high scores of my friends.
I have had a back surgery and am having a Piriformis Surgery
and have not been doing anything for three years but recovering.
I would like to meet the other Guinness Players at a contest,
but I have not played in years and am unable to play because
of a fall I took at work three years ago.
Three years after I won the Guinness Contest I put video games
in every Little Caesars Pizza chain in Five Counties in Southern
California. 123 locations in all after it was all done.
Mark Longridge, Game Cube Thank you for the link, and I will
link back to your site as well.
Mark Longridge Article http://cubeman.org/dru
Mark Longridge - Cube Home Page
http://cubeman
I have spoken with Mark Alpiger about getting my high score back on the
scoreboard, Mark Alpiger:www.classicarcadegaming.com He can let you know
the trials I went through in order to get my score back up.
Just think, anybody at any time can loose their place on the high
score board just because a referee thinks that score is to high.
I appreciate you hard work,
Thank you kindly,
Paul Dean, Spy Hunter Champion Masters Competition June 28, 1985
3rd Annual Masters Tournament 1985 (PMD)
Published:
American Edition Guinness Book of World Records 1986
Twin Galaxies Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records 1997
PS I hope the answers help you and I am glad that people still remember
the golden age.
Thanks!
Leave A Email Message For Me, 1986 Guinness World Record Holder
[ Paul Dean]
pauldean007@charter.net
Spy Hunter Champion (June 28, 1985)
I have developed this site so other players can find their scores on The Guinness Book
of World Records and find the history of Guinness Book and the history
of Twin Galaxies Official Scoreboard.®
Twin Galaxies [Video Game Golden Age.]
January 18, 1982 - January 5, 1986.
No (White Book) later called, [Blue Book] unallowed tricks were used in my high score.
The official cheat rules and setting rule book was originally
with a white cover in 1985 and then in 1986 the book cover was
blue, given the name, "blue book".
Some examples of unacceptable tricks: Scabbing, Getting points without playing
the game through the use of tricks.
Not playing the game the way it was intened to be played.
Sitting in hiding places instead of playing the game.
Getting a high score without really trying, by the use of
tricks.
[Masters Tournament Article] [Q & A]
[My Biography][Guinness Contest]
[Official Blue Books]
[Coin-Op World Records]
arcade
TWIN GALAXIES FOUNDER
Walter Day, Chief Scorekeeper
Twin Galaxies
600 North Third Street
Fairfield, IA 52556 USA
(641)472-1949
Back to: Walter Day Conversations
[Coin-Op World Records]
Click At Desired Graphic Text For Each Introduction
Biography Commentary Questions
Click On Below Graphic Text For Spy Hunter Introduction
Tournament and Guinness Book Results From 1983-2004
Click On Below Graphic Text For All Video High Scores thru 2004
The Golden Era
Click On Below Graphic Text For Material On The Golden Years Of Video Games 1980's
Click the Below Graphic Text to read my Conversations With Walter Day
June 9, 2004 Walter Day states, "No Replay Necessary" for Paul Dean
Find A Video Game Auction Near You
Home Page
