Police 911

"A light gun gamer's review...Konami breaks the old light gun mold yet again"

First it was the incredibly cool arcade shooter ''Silent Scope,'' a game that utilized a huge replica PSG-1 complete with its own simulated LCD screen in the scope. Now Konami has broken the barriers between player and game yet again in ''Police 911.'' Using the same motion capture technology as ''Mocap Boxing,'' Konami has not only created a worthy rival to Namco's excellent ''Time Crisis'' series; indeed, in many ways, it may have actually surpassed it.

The gameplay seems similar enough. As one of Japan/America's finest (depending on which cabinet you play on), you are equipped with a light gun, and move from spot to spot, taking on all manner of deadly yakuza and other criminals and gangsters in the process. Enemy fire is everywhere, but only some of it is lethal - enemy shots that will hit you are relatively rare, a la ''Time Crisis.'' The main, huge difference, however, is the motion capture system rigged around the cabinet that tracks your body movements. Lean to the left or right, and your character's POV shifts to the left or right. Duck, and your character ducks as well.

While the ''Time Crisis'' action pedal essentially does the same thing, the necessity of moving your whole body also forces you to adjust your aim, making the hiding and shooting more like a real police firefight instead of the ''step, shoot, step, shoot'' gameplay often see in ''Time Crisis.'' This clever movement mechanic, when combined with the game's many locales and dozens of enemies, creates a wonderful immersion that will satisfy casual gamers and diehard light gun gamers alike. There is even a ranking system that shows you what your personality as a cop is.

Graphically the game is definitely on par with ''Time Crisis 2,'' and in many ways looks even better. There is a lot of blur (which may or may not be to your taste), but the enemies have decent polygon counts, and the environments often look quite good. The constant sound of gunfire is unusually satisfying in this game, which is all the more essential because the gun (at least in the cabinet I play on) does not feature force feedback recoil.

I wish the game had a two-player mode. A force-feedback gun with the precision of Namco would have been nice, too. But all in all, ''Police 911'' is a top-tier light gun game.

PROS
+ Motion capture works pretty well
+ Solid light gun action
+ Good scoring system

CONS
- Just like ''Time Crisis 2''
- No two-player
- No force-feedback (might be, but not on my cabinet)

BOTTOM LINE
A neat game, especially fun with people watching. Good exercise for those quads, too!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/31/03, Updated 07/31/03