Point Blank 2

"Yay, now I don't have to spend $10 a session on this game!"

Point Blank 2 is the sequel to Point Blank, a whimsical little shooting game released in Arcades, as well as the Playstation. It's one of the few games to use the GunCon light gun for the PSX, and to be honest, the GunCon must be used to enjoy the game to its fullest.

Graphics: 8/10- Big colorful graphics all around here. What's animated (And admittedly there isn't much) is animated well, and everything has a moody look to it, from the greens of the forest to the creepy haunted house.

Sound: 7/10- To be honest, you probably won't be paying much attention to the music, but it's pretty good. It ranges from rock, to more subdued genres, to a bhit a opera in the prelude to some games! The sound effects also vary widely, from gunshots to sheeps' ''Baaaa''s.

Control: 10/10 (With the GunCon...I'm afraid to try it without)- With the GunCon, the control is dead on. You shoot at the screen, the gun shoots at the same point (Assuming you calibrated it correctly). The buttons near the barrel of the GunCon are used for using power-ups in Theme Park Mode. Without the GunCon...I don't even want to try it. You have to move a cursor to where you're targeting and press another button. While this admittedly would make some games EASIER, I'd stick with the GunCon for the most part.

Story: 2/10- In addition to the classic Arcade mode, there's a Theme Park mode where you have to go through attractions rescuing a princess. Yaaay.

Challenge: Variable/10- Basically it depends how good you are with gun games. Veterans of the first Point Blank (And other gun games, but primarily that one) will pick it up right away and have a definite advantage over newbies. Nonetheless, the more you play, the easier it gets--and unlike in the Arcades you don't have to spend 50 cents a play honing your skills. Sweet!

Replay Value: 4/10- As mentioned before, there's a Theme Park mode in addition to the classic Arcade Mode. There's also an Endurance Mode where you go as far as you can on a supply of three lives. There are various two-player modes, but without two GunCons one person definitely has an advantage over the other. In spite of all these modes, it's basically a typical shooter. Once you master all the games you're done (Though there's 70 different games to test your skills!).

Overall: 10/10- I spent a TON of money on the original Point Blank in the Arcade, and when I got this game at home I was anxious to see if it would surpass that game. It does. If you're a shooting game fan who's tired of the serious ''Save the hostage'' shooters, pick this up. If you're not, pick it up anyway.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/09/00, Updated 02/09/00