Dynamite Cop!

"Great game that could be better."

Dynamite Cop is a beat 'em up game for the Sega Dreamcast game console. It is the sequel to Die Hard Arcade which was released on Sega Saturn as well as in the arcades. Many people criticize this game due to its length. You have to remember this is an arcade game. It wasn't meant to be a deeply engrossing experience. It was meant to be a game to be played to pass the time. Keep that in mind while playing.

Gameplay (8/10)
This game is fairly typical beat 'em up. It is kind of like Final Fight but in 3D. Every know and then a Quick Timer Event pops up to even out the gameplay. A quick Timer Event is where you must press a certain button when prompted to pass a section. There are 3 characters to choose from. Each with different abilities. The game is not too long. But there are other things to do then just beat the game. You can search for Illustrations. You find these by punching a wall or picking them out of the ground. Your VMU beeps when you are close to one. There is also a versus mode and a survival mode. In the versus mode you fight against a second player. It is pretty boring. In the survival mode you must defeat as many enemies as possible as fast as possible. There is an old arcade game called Tranquilizer that you can play as well. After you beat the three standard missions you unlock a Showdown mode. This adds different things to the missions. Like ''Weapons cause more damage.'' You can interact with a lot of your surroundings. There are many weapons scattered about like guns, axes, chairs, aerosol cans and lighters, and even fish.

Control (8/10)
The game controls pretty good. If not for the times when you attack thin air it would be perfect.

Sound FX/Music (6/10)
The sound FX are standard grunts and punches. The music can get very annoying after hearing it for a long time. It is very repetitive.

Graphics (9/10)
The game has great graphics. It moves very smoothly. You can tell what everything is. No problems here.

Replay Value (6/10)
There isn't too much replay value with this game. If all you like to do is play through a game once then there is no replay value. But with the extras mentioned in the gameplay section it should hold your interest for a while. Just remember this was once an arcade game.

Rent or Buy?
It depends. I would buy it but for most people a rental would do just fine. So I say either rent it or play the demo that came with the second issue of the official Dreamcast magazine (the first one to include playable demos).

Overall (7/10)
Overall this is a very fun game while it lasts. A few console exclusive levels would have helped a lot.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/30/00, Updated 01/30/00