Because of the huge reach of Mad they were popular before but they felt more like mediocre filler content within Mad. Yes the style was distinct but the plot was always the same and predictable. With the games they found their real determination: the visual style, the always recurring topic of the spies tricking each one into a trap--the games were the perfect media for Spy vs Spy, way better than the strips.
And it was more than a handful of games. Spy vs Spy was a strong merchandise running over many years with an unique and innovative gameplay then for many platforms.
> they felt more like mediocre filler content ... the style was distinct but the plot was always the same and predictable.
That describes almost any comic that has been going for over 20 years. That doesn't make it bad, just played out. That it lasted decades at all indicates something good about it.
Id never heard of the game until your earlier post - Id skip most of mad to read Spy Vs Spy. Predictability isn't necessarily a bad thing - in fact kids seem to particularly love repetition.
There were three games published in 1984-1986 and sporadically ported after that; they were successful at the time, but obscure enough now that they share one slim Wikipedia page. A fourth game was published for PS2/Xbox in 2005 and sank without a ripple.
I did read MAD before having the Spy vs. Spy game (which was cool), but I think that many people actually did learn of Spy vs. Spy through the game - though I agree that very likely far from majority.
