To be honest Operation Tango came in the perfect moment for me. I wanted to write about this game for so long. But at the same time, for so long I didn’t have the perfect topic to go with this game. Hey. That’s all in the past now, because… I do. Have the perfect topic I mean. I mean it’s not like I’ve been avoiding the spy games and movies on purpose. Granted I haven’t had a specific article devoted to them, but they’ve popped up in plenty of other articles.
Most recently in my Movember article, in which I talked about plenty of great video games characters. Check it out here. And which there were some amazing spies. Solid Snake first comes to mind, but yeah. There are plenty of others as well.
But let’s start from the top. Operation Tango really inspired this article. But let me walk you through the game itself first.
Operation Tango: What’s It All About?
Developed and published by Clever Plays, Operation: Tango is an espionage-themed cooperative adventure. And it’s challenging you and a friend to complete dangerous missions across the globe in a high-tech near-future world. As an exclusive team of two, you and your partner will become AGENT and HACKER. Working in tandem to bring a high-tech global menace to its knees.
Operation Tango is available for purchase here at IndieGala. Just click here and get it while it’s hot.
But What’s The Word On Operation Tango?
Well here’s what some of the media outlets are saying about it.
- “Operation: Tango is a fantastic title that truly embraces communication unlike any other game I’d played prior.”- The Escapist
- “Operation: Tango is snappy, clever, well-designed, and incredibly engaging.”- Screen Rant
And here are some of the Steam user comments:
- Sandy says: This game is a blast. Its puzzles are clever and make you and your partner feel like total badasses when you get it right.
- While rno0ode_s adds: Fun game to play with a friend!
But Operation Tango brought us to one very peculiar topic. A topic we’ve not tackled before here at IndieGala. The Euro Spy genre. What is it? Well scroll down to find out.
Euro Spy: A Forgotten Gem From The Past
It truly is. But it’s mere essence Eurospy is a genre of spy films produced in Europe. Especially in Italy, France, and Spain, that either sincerely imitated or else parodied the British James Bond feature films.
Furthermore, The first wave of Eurospy films were released in 1964. Mere two years after the first James Bond film, Dr. No. And in the same year as the premiere of what many consider to be the apotheosis of the Bond series. The Goldfinger movie. For the most part, the Eurospy craze lasted until around 1967 or 1968, but the movies continued (with fading success) into the 70’s. I guess the trend replaced sword and sandal genre. Especially in Italy, where they were known as Spaghetti Eurospy movies. Get it? Spaghetti? Like Spaghetti westerns? Yeah. You get it.
Operation Tango: Forget About 007!
Yup Bond is a huge influence in this genre. But!!! Here’s the kicker. So many French and Italian films used “007” that United Artists told the Italian film industry. So much so that they threatened legal action. Only James Bond could be 007, and nobody else was their response. However, they found a way to work around it. How? To work around the 007. Therefore, many films were given similar, but legally acceptable, three-digit numbers in their titles. Such as the Italian-Spanish A 001, operazione Giamaica a.k.a. Our Man in Jamaica (1965). Or Agent 077 From the Orient with Fury from that very same year.
What’s their appeal you might ask? Well, like most of the quickie Italian B-Movies of the era, the English dubbing in most of them is substandard at best. Which some consider a true idiosyncrasy in the essence of the genre. And which resulted in some truly awkward dialogue for sure. But there is enough exotic European scenery and two-fisted action in the flicks to keep you entertained. Not to mention the beautiful women. Lots of gorgeous women.
The Brits and The Americans Got Into The Trend Too!
Don’t think that the Brits and the Yankies didn’t jump to the trend. Just because they were much more powerful (financially and in terms of recourses) didn’t mean that they’ll pass on the opportunity to make money. Oh no! Daliah Lavi, best known for her two American 007 spoofs The Silencers (1966) and Casino Royale, was in Shots in Threequarter Time. A.k.a. Spy Hunt in Vienna and Operation Solo too. Arabesque, Our Man Flint, The Silencers, Murderers’ Row are some of the best known Eurospy movies from America. But don’t forget The Ambushers, In Like Flint and The Wrecking Crew. Can’t forget about them.
And yes. 1967’s OK Connery (also known as Operation Kid Brother and Operation Double 007) probably one of the most notorious Eurospy movie out there. Why? Well because it stars Neil Connery, Sean Connery’s own brother. He plays a successful surgeon/hypnotist who also happens to be the lookalike younger. And who’s never mentioned by name, of course.
Don’t Forget The TV!
Indeed. American and British TV networks also brought the Bond formula to the small screen with espionage/action series. Like The Avengers, Mission: Impossible, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and I Spy. But the thing is… There’s something to be said about the Eurospy genre even today. They’re not just a niche and weird remnant from the past. Yes, they were popular like 50+ years ago, but their legacy can be felt in plenty of modern movies and TV shows. In the 21st century, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, William Davies wrote the Johnny English franchise. A series of spy-action-comedy films starring Rowan Atkinson parodying the James Bond secret agent genre. The Austin Powers series is another good example. And so is the Kingsman film series too. 3 Days to Kill, Agent Cody Banks and even Spy Hard. Yes. They all have influences from the Eurospy genre. The list goes on and on!
But This Begs The Question About Operation Tango…
Is Operation Tango on your 2022 list? Let us know in the comment section. And if course, if you’ve tried it yet, we’d love to know your impressions of the game. Hit that comment section and tell us everything.
