Retro|Spective 202: Arcade Lightgun Shooters

[Neon Ignition]

This is very much a game I clearly remember seeing in arcades but I don't think I was ever tempted to play it. Chances are that by the time I clocked it there were much more tempting machines to put my small handful of 50p coins into

[QualityChimp]

Agreed. The licence wasn't enough to sell it when you're just blasting bulletsponge enemies with an Uzi 9mm.

Also, I think the concept of playing as two Terminators shooting loads of other Terminators in the modern setting made no sense canon-wise.

It's no Mechanized Attack!

[fuse]

At a point in time it felt particularly ubiquitous and you'd see it in practically every arcade. I'm sure it performed well enough based on the license, but I don't think anyone that played it ever had anything positive to say about it.

[Neon Ignition]

Game 37 - Lethal Enforcers 3
The third and final entry in the series launched in the mid-2000's and this time deployed 3D visuals. Set in Tokyo, players take on six roles and have a deployable shield to defend against incoming enemy fire. Much of the games sound and visual design veered in the direction of Police 911 for inspiration.








Did you ever get to play LE3?

[QualityChimp]

Two things I took away from that video:
1. I didn't realise this series was by Konami
2. Holy smokes, that's a lot of cables

[Neon Ignition]

Game 38 - Time Crisis 5
The latest and final entry in the franchise to date, released in 2015 this switched to using Unreal Engine and introduced a second pedal so that players could choose where they wanted to take cover. A revised version of the game was released the following year which added three additional stages to provide the games full storyline.










A potential fitting finale or a franchise losing its way?

[QualityChimp]

I saw this at the Birmingham Star City bowling alley a few years back (has some decent machines!) and I can't even remember if I played it. I think you feel like Michael Flatley as you prance between pedals.

Just felt like yet another overcomplication of the classic formula.

[Neon Ignition]

Game 39 - Jurassic Park III Arcade
Konami took the opportunity to chomp their way through a third arcade shooter based on a Jurassic Park movie. This unit reused the camera system from Police 911 to have players dodge out of the way of attacks. The story has Alan Grant sent a team in to rescue survivors on Isla Sorna but broadly covers the key film locations across its three levels.







Was this a weak follow up or as good as a Raptor saying 'Alan?'

[QualityChimp]

Game 39 - Jurassic Park III Arcade
Konami took the opportunity to chomp their way through a third arcade shooter based on a Jurassic Park movie. This unit reused the camera system from Police 911 to have players dodge out of the way of attacks. The story has Alan Grant sent a team in to rescue survivors on Isla Sorna but broadly covers the key film locations across its three levels.

[wakka]

Game 38 - Time Crisis 5
The latest and final entry in the franchise to date, released in 2015 this switched to using Unreal Engine and introduced a second pedal so that players could choose where they wanted to take cover. A revised version of the game was released the following year which added three additional stages to provide the games full storyline.










A potential fitting finale or a franchise losing its way?

I played this quite a few times at Namco Funscape. I never finished it - it's a pretty long and fairly difficult game, at a pound per credit, it was just more than I wanted to spend.

But I played through quite a few of the stages more than once and for me this felt like the strongest entry since 2. The two pedals system increased complexity and difficulty but actually worked well and for me was preferable to the weapon-choice system introduced in 3. It allowed you to flank enemies and there were also sections which required you to use the pedals for evasion/stealth purposes to avoid being seen, which was a cool idea.

The graphics were great and the level design and overall feel was strong.

Partway through its tenure at Funscape it was updated to what I think was called Mastermind Edition. This introduced a bunch more stages and fully put the kibosh on me and my mate ever finishing it, as we were just never going to get good enough without spending a fortune.

I'd love to spend more time with it. Sadly Namco Funscape closed during COVID. I need a trip to Arcade Club, I'm sure they have it.

[fuse]

But I played through quite a few of the stages more than once and for me this felt like the strongest entry since 2. The two pedals system increased complexity and difficulty but actually worked well and for me was preferable to the weapon-choice system introduced in 3.

See I think I've played it maybe twice and don't have much to say about it one way or another, but I remember you talking about it before catching my ear, and building on that, this is particularly the kind of laser-targeted praise that gets me interested.

[Neon Ignition]

We're here, the end of the road with the last game we'll be adding for this run:


Game 40 - The House of the Dead: Scarlett Dawn
Sega returned with the fifth mainline entry to bring the lightgun shooter to life again in arcades. This entry takes place three years after the fourth game and sets the action back inside an overrun mansion again. It features five chapters.









Was this the brightest House of the Dead before the Dawn?

[Neon Ignition]

I have this set up on Teknoparrot but haven't tried it yet, it hasn't appeared in the local arcade either which is a shame. I read the maker of it wants to make THOTD6, THOTD7 and THOTD8 but unless they get cranking them out it's hard to imagine light gun machines have too much of a road left ahead of them.

[QualityChimp]

Love that screenshot where you're swarmed by zombies, but when I saw it in person, I was surprised just how many of them had a porkpie hat or waistcoat on.

Stumbled across this VR game inspired by Operation Wolf:

[teddymeow]

This month's Retro Gamer has a "Top 25 Lightgun Games" countdown.

Proper good read!!