spy x anya

Spy x Family deserves a stealthy action adventure, but for now we’ve got minigames

You can ride the dog.

During Nintendo’s last Direct presentation, Bandai Namco announced Spy x Anya: Operation Memories. The game, based on the Spy x Family anime, is in the works for Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and PC, and it’s essentially a minigame collection starring Anya. Yes, the littlest faux family member is adorable enough to deserve her own game. Their adopted, prescient dog, Bond, would do well as a playable hero, too.

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As a whole, though, Operation Memories looks like an appetizer of empty calories before a more substantial main course.

What we’ve seen so far isn’t exactly bad, per se, but I’m anxious for the main course. A new trailer features spirited narration from the anime’s cast as “Agent Anya-kun” gets to work. The telepathic tot exercises and cooks with Yor, feeds Uncle Yuri, takes tests, and competes in school sports. Beyond the minigames there are fun outings — or “ootings,” as Anya would say — and a bunch of family dress-up fodder. It seems harmless, cute fun, and naturally, it’s timed for release alongside the upcoming movie. 

Honestly, it’s a lot of what you’d expect from an Anya-focused adventure, but I’m itching to see a Spy x Family game shape up into something more. I’ll take the minigames, but with every slice of life, the anime series delivers action and style.

Lost in Memories

Do we need a sprawling action game to do the series justice? Spy x Family is ostensibly a sitcom, after all. Maybe not this time around, but Spy x Family fans know it features high-stakes clandestine missions in a world on the brink of war. It also serves the perfect recipe for awkward situations and misunderstandings that keep its source material going strong on a biweekly basis. There’s room for both.

The anime adaptation is a fantastic production that has WIT Studio and CloverWorks putting in major work to hit all those comedy and action beats. Anya’s game looks a little simple and dull, but if it captures that spirit, then maybe that’s enough… for now, at least.

Spy x Family: Operation Memories hits Nintendo Switch in Japan first on December 21, one day before the Spy x Family Code: White movie opens. The timing is perfect for a dash of quick ‘n cute, but here’s hoping we’ll see something more interesting spring from the series in the future. A western release will follow on Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC sometime in 2024.


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Image of Joseph Luster
Joseph Luster
Joseph has been writing about games, anime, and movies for over 20 years and loves thinking about instruction manuals, discovering obscure platformers, and dreaming up a world where he actually has space (and time) for a retro game collection.