When comparing Master Spy vs Spelunky, the Slant community recommends Spelunky for most people. In the question“What are the best 2D games on Steam?” Spelunky is ranked 31st while Master Spy is ranked 61st. The most important reason people chose Spelunky is:
Spelunky features 4 player local co-op where players share the same screen, which can get a bit hectic.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Invisibility cloak
Players get an invisibility cloak in the game as a main mechanic where it is used to sneak around. Of course movement is limited when in use which makes for some great puzzle aspects to the game when trying to figure out how to best sneak around.
Pro Over 30 minutes of pixel video cutscens
Reminiscent of 2d pixel games from the past Master Spy implements a variety of video cutscenes to further flesh out the story, completely done in 2D pixel art.
Pro Up to 4 player local co-op
Spelunky features 4 player local co-op where players share the same screen, which can get a bit hectic.
Pro Provides an interesting challenge by heavily relying on increasing your skill
Spelunky gives the player everything needed to succeed from the start so it is only when the players skills get better will they advance.
Pro Quick sessions so you can play in short bursts
Being that Spelunky is at its heart a roguelike the gameplay sessions can tend to be quick as the player will die quite often. This makes for something that can be played in quick bursts throughout the day. The convenient saving also lends to this as a game that is still ongoing can be quickly saved in order to be picked up at a later time.
Pro Expanded gameplay through mods to improve replayability
Ranging from Mega Man to Metroid, there are a tone of great mods for Spelunky all of which make for a new experience in the game which vastly expands the replayability.
Cons
Con Calling it a stealth game is a stretch
Even though the setting of the game draws inspiration from stealth "lore" it is at its core a twitch platformer in disguise (get it?).
Con Difficult
This is a game made to be extremely difficult, in the vein of Super Meat Boy or N+ the player will die and die a lot. This can be frustrating a time goes on and the further one gets as the game really increases difficulty.
Con Co-op is boring and confusing
In co-op this game is very confusing with little instruction on how to play. With little to spice up the game play, it gets boring quickly.
Con Difficult to the point of frustration
Spelunky is pretty difficult and some could say abusive, but with practice and a desire for masochism the game can be mastered.