Dynamite Cop!

"A fun game that will give you years of fun, as long as you don't burn yourself out."

Dynamite Cop was released the same day as the Sega Dreamcast, 9/9/99. DC is the sequel to the arcade and Sega Saturn game Die Hard Arcade (known as Dynamite Deka in Japan.) DC was Dynamite Deka 2 in Japan. Both games in the series are 3D beat-em-ups in the vein of Final Fight. DC’s story goes like this; modern-day pirates have hijacked an ocean liner and they’re holding all 2,000 passengers hostage, one of these passengers just happens to be the president’s daughter, your job it to rescue her. This story is about as far-fetched as they come in gaming, but it’s borderline genius level for this genre It’s a lot more original than the usual,”Psycho who terrorizes a city” story that has permeated most games in this genre for the better part of a decade. This is the only genre that use a storyline that is this non-sensical and have it be considered a step forward for the genre. Now then, without further ado, let’s get on with the review.

The gameplay is spread out among three separate missions, each mission puts you on its own path through the game. No matter which mission you choose, you’ll go room-to-room destroying enemies. After you clear certain rooms, you’ll be given single command, Dragon’s Lair-esque sections that determine how you’ll progress through the game. Succeed, and you’ll avoid a battle, fail, and you’ll get into a huge battle. These sections to a fine job of keeping the game fresh, they provide a nice change of pace.
The gameplay is fast and furious, and the game itself is short and sweet. The rampant action that populates the game never slows up or misses a beat. You have a wide array of techniques, and weapons, to use at your disposal. You’ve got more weapons at your disposal than a munitions factory. You can use rocket launchers, tank missiles, hand guns, machine guns, steel poles, mops, mannequins, slabs of beef, beach chairs, tables, and even frozen fish to defeat your rivals. If this weapon selection doesn’t scream “variety”, I don’t know what does. You also have the option of choosing any one of three characters to use through the game. Their attributes almost match those of the Streets of Rage characters to a tee, then again, both games are Sega games. There’s the white male character, who is good at everything, but excels at nothing, there’s the female character, who is quick, but whose attacks do very little damage, and then there’s the black character, who does more damage than any other character, but he moves slower. It’s nice to see Sega take a glimpse at its past for this game, it might not be much, but it’s something.

The control in Dynamite Cop is about as solid as I’ve seen for a game in this genre. The control scheme is intuitive and never gets in the way. This, along with the responsiveness of the controls, helps to make doing everything from the simplest punch, the most complicated combo a breeze.

The graphics in Dynamite Cop won’t tax the DC’s hardware, but they aren’t the focal point of the game. The characters have a somewhat blocky look to them, but the character design is top-notch. The character design, at least for the enemies, is pretty outrageous. The game is populated with pirates, mutant turtles, insane cooks, psychotic skeletons, and a very fat man in a bikini. The game’s many environments are all exquisitely detailed. One example of this would be the working fountain on the deck of the ship Another would be the bloody pendulum that swings in the skeleton-populated dungeon. The game has some really off-the-wall graphics that must be seen to be believed.

The sound in Dynamite Cop is, for the most part, pretty good. The sound effects throughout the game are great. Each weapon attack gives off it’s own sound, given the vast array of weapons in the game, that’s no small feat. The sounds of guns firing and furniture smashing are the most realistic. Other sound effects have an enhanced sound to them that helps to emphasize the damage done. The game also features a nice amount of vocal work for the characters. The voice work is pretty solid, the characters sound convincing, and they fit their characters. Given that most of the speaking is done by pirates, who somehow manage to sound realistic, that’s no small feat. However, not all of the sound in the game is as well-done. The music that blares throughout the game is generic rock that does nothing to get your pulse pounding.

Dynamite Cop isn’t a game that will tax your gaming skills. It’s not all that difficult because the enemies just stand around, attack you, and wait to be attacked again. DC grants the player unlimited continues, making this game even easier to complete. This lack of difficulty isn’t a bad thing, it’s a good thing. Because it helps to make the game easy to get into for anyone, it’s a brainless game that is perfect for when you just want to have fun and not worry about dying.

Dynamite Cop’s replay value is pretty high, despite the game’s lack of difficulty. This is a great pick-up-and-play game. You’ll need to pace yourself when playing the game and space out your play sessions, or else you’ll get sick of it. As long as you do these things, the game will give you years of fun. On top of the core game, there’s a nice selection of bonus items in the game. You can view portraits of the characters in the game, or you can play a fun mini-game. These might not sound like much, but they’re surprisingly robust and are sure to keep you occupied for quite some time.

All in all, Dynamite Cop makes a fine addition to any game library. It’s a fun game with great graphics, fun gameplay, and some amazing control. DC is always fun to play, and it will remain so as long as you don’t burn yourself out on it. Fans of the Final Fight or Double Dragon series will probably love this game. It’s a throwback to the days of old when gamers beat the game when they finished playing it, not when an ending popped up.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/05/01, Updated 11/05/01