Dynamite Cop!

"Fastlove"

I've played this game since it came out basically, it's a common staple of many Dreamcast owners. Now in 2008 I will provide the definitive look at this game from today's perspective.

What you do:

This is like an 80's action film turned into a game. As close as we will get for now to a Commando licensed arcade game, complete with Schwarzenegger toting an RPG. You go round fighting, shooting and saving the day. It's 2 player. Now you know what the game is like.

The story is you have to fight some terrorists in order to free a girl who has been captured. I think she is the presidents daughter, it's not important though, all you need to know is you have to beat the bad guys and save the day.

The terrorists in this mission are on a boat, and are lead by a man with a metal claw. He also has an eye patch, leading one to assume he is some kind of pirate. He looks like a wrong un', no doubt about it. Now were all set, all we need to do is choose who to be and how to go about our objectives.

There are 3 characters, one is some generic alpha male type protagonist cliche (with a monkey assistant to be fair) and another is the token woman. Obviously no-one wants to be these people. This leaves the all the responsibly of the games sense of charisma on one man: Eddie Brown. He is, as you've probably already guessed, the not so subtle 'cool', and would be wisecracking if your characters talked, black dude. He looks a bit like Axel Foley, although my brothers swears it is more of a James Foxx resemblance. According to the story line found in the book, the place all good storylines are found, he is an ex NFL player who was thrown out of the league for drop kicking a referee. That's good enough for me, and indeed most people, so there is always a scramble for this guy when you play in two player. Which you will. Often.

The mission now starts.

The boat is fairly big, looks like one of those cruise ships you see old people on, so some thought needs to be taken before tackling such a seemingly audacious task. You can parachute onto the boat, scuba dive or go by an inflatable raft. Logically, any sane person would choose to parachute, as this will make you look much cooler to the enemy than washing up and a dingy that looks like it was won on a fun fair. As suspected, you make your descent onto the boat with laser like accuracy, landing feet first into an enemies chest. He's dead of course, you've just taken out your first pissant soldier without even having to do a thing. A brilliant way to start any game.

Before you know it you've ruffed up the first few enemies with the minimum of fuss. There is a button for punch, kick and jump. They are useful moves themselves and more advanced techniques are revealed with rudimentary combinations of these buttons. It's all kept very simple. You've learnt the controls in seconds and it's on to the next scene.

You turn into what looks like a disco or karaoke bar. Lots of things are here to be picked up. They flash red, go over to them and press X if you want them. In this room alone we see a microphone stand, a gun, and if you attack it, an arcade cabinet can be uprooted and hurled at a foe in a vision almost reminiscent of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. Amongst the items there are red flashing P symbols. 5 of these and fists and feet suddenly burn with fury and you unleash volleys of moves into anyone who crosses you. Well, actually they give you a slight increase in speed in power. You're going to need these in your quest to rescue the girl still. There is only so much punishment you can take from the bad guys without reprieve.

On that subject, when you do finally succumb to a cheap shot from a terrorist, you lose life from a traditional health bar meter that needs topping up with the health packs and drinks you see around. As the life is lost your characters clothes become more ragged, by the end you've been reduced to a bare chested hobo. Of course this only make you feel more manly as you take out the retribution on the scum that did this.

I won't take you through any more of the specific scenes of the game, but it continues in similar raucous form. You'll never feel ungrateful or bored when items such as a fatal stick of French bread, or hairspray that can be coupled with a lighter, routinely fall before your presence. The locations themselves vary greatly considering it's the inside of a boat your are gracing. Although, without trying to spoil anything, you do reach other areas later in the game.

To wrap it up, the action is broken from it's set patterns with a few quick time event occurrences, maybe a precursor to the infamous elements encountered in AM2's legendary Shenmue. It's all last ditch, action hero to the rescue, type stuff. A daring move shown from different camera angles and slowed down for dramatic effect. An entertaining addition, that won't make you lose a credit, but give you the opportunity to look hard and give yourself and slightly easier route at the same time.

Sound and Vision:

Importantly, the graphics in this game are a splendid treat to the eye. A tantalising display of colour constantly changing with the locales. Even though this game is set at night, it's still very vibrant. It's bold, it looks like a NAOMI game (it actually runs on Model 2 hardware, but uses the same engine as Zombie Revenge). The textures not maybe being that detailed, but still spring to life. Classic 90's Sega.

The animation is quite exaggerated, the outlandish drop kicks, the lunging thrusts of a killer French bread, your avatar throwing themselves to their knees in anguish at the moments sign of bad news. It's all generally good.

The screen is usually a swamp of explosions when the game gets going, rarely are you not in possession of a high powered piece of military hardware. If I've been able to convey any sense of what this game is like so far in this write up, you've already assumed correctly the aforementioned blasts are of mushroom cloud proportion. Just what you need to feel like a man ready to kill, neigh DIE, in order to save the day and make the evil terrorists vanish into their long overdue graves.

My one problem with the game is that there is very little blood to be seen, or any visceral damage to your enemies in fact , as you dole out the justice. It would have made the game a little bit more adrenaline pumping had the game been a smidgen more brazenly macabre, but it's still only a small sacrifice. You won't notice this too much when you're fighting for your life with only a piece of fish saving you from the shame of failure.

The sound and music is of decent standard. Well balanced in the scheme of the game. Music sounds like it's maybe aping a generic action film score. A kind of synthesized orchestra, with a bass line beating out just how important this mission is in your
subconscious. The drums come crashing in to crank up the heightened tension yet further. This is played throughout the game, just so you never get complacent about exactly what is at stake here.

The sound effects are spot on, even if a lot of them do sound the same. Almost spoof like whacking noises accompany combat moves, with bombastic cacophonies sounding out the artillery. It needs to sound brash when you're firing a cruise missile at someone's head.

Lifespan:

In entertainment terms, the game is almost limitless. I'm still playing it nearly 9 years after it's release. The main mode has three different missions, and much variety on the way. Each mission takes about half an hour to play, and they are no push over by the end. The difficulty is just right. Easy to understand the gamplay and a challenge when you improve.
With this in mind, surely it would be folly to ask for yet more? Yet, even in this unworthy situation we occupy, Sega bestows a gallery mode to aim for, a survival mode and even an old retro classic to unlock call Tranquilizer, onto us. You can't really ask for more.

The gallery is a series of pictures you find along your way in the main game. Not bad to gander at and provide humorous back stories in the case of some characters.
Survival mode is quite brilliant if you want to play on your own and don't want to get bogged down in a mission. You take on swarms of enemies in a small room, Bruce Lee style, and fend them off for as long as possible. Plenty of scope for high scores here.
Tranquilizers all right if you like shooting animals I suppose.


Overall this game is fun, stylish, great fun in 2 player and a memorable experience to anyone who like arcade action games. Just what you want to play when you need to "Let off some steam!?!".....

I'll get my coat.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/14/08

Game Release: Dynamite Cop! (EU, 1999)