Lethal Enforcers

"Take aim...BANG!"

I'll admit, when I first saw the advertisement for Lethal Enforcers on Super NES, back in early 1994, I thought it was a miracle. To think a game that was rated MA-17 on the Sega Genesis and on Sega CD would actually make an appearance on a squeaky clean system was something even I had never anticipated. Even with a warning on the front stating it was for mature audiences only, it still had to be toned down some to get a license from Nintendo. Still, with great graphics and sounds, it was a pretty good port of a great shooter.

Changes:

The changes that had to be made in order to get onto the Super NES were:

-When you got hit, originally your screen would flash red, and a red bullet hole or knife wound (depending on what hit you) would appear. In this one, the wounds are white, and the screen flashes green (in two player, the screen flashes on the side corresponding to the player who got hit.) Sort of looks like glass being shot out.

-When you shot an enemy, they would fall backwards (or do something similar) and then flicker for a moment before disappearing. In this one, they wouldn't fall backwards, but they would still flicker and then vanish, only they would do so in the position that you shot them in.

-Shooting an innocent bystander or one of your own police comrades would result in a penalty of one life, and after every stage, if you earned any kind of promotion, you would get a demotion for however many innocent victims you shot. In this one, it's more like you're shooting AT them (or even wounding them if you will.) You will receive a penalty, but they don't die. It's more like being given a warning for shooting at an innocent.

-One of the missions dealt with a group of criminals who were attempting to smuggle illegal contraband into the country (OK, drugs, if you will!) Since drugs were a no-no by Nintendo, Konami apparently worked out a deal so that the smugglers were now illegal arms dealers.

Graphics: 10/10
Even though it's not a CD-ROM system, the Super NES still puts its processing power to the max. Even though they are sometimes a bit grainy, the character sprites are well drawn, and they still maintain the realism that they had in the original arcade version. From far away, they look real enough, and up close, they'll make you think you're actually going against them!

Sounds: 10/10
The music sets the mood perfectly, from a soft theme when you first encounter bank robbers, to a dramatic orchestra theme when there's an explosion in the chemical factory, to the classic fast rock theme while you're pursuing the getaway car. The voices are also performed with full clarity, from the sounds of the criminals taunting you or provoking you, to the sounds of innocent bystanders calling for help, it's almost as though they had MP3 for SNES!

Controls: 10/10 (with Justifier) 6/10 (with regular joypad)
The game came packed with a blue six-shooter known as the 'Justifier.' It wasn't as bulky as the Super Scope 6, and with a telephone cord, the second gun (sold through mail order from Konami, though I doubt there's anybody who owns one) could be connected for some real two-player fun. If you didn't find the Justifier, or you only had one gun and wanted to do a double attack, you could use your joypad, where one button fires and the other reloads. Sadly, it still feels very akward in situations where you need to get a quick shot off.

Replay: 10/10
There is a training level where you take on shooting gallery challenges, in which you have a quota to achieve (in percent form) by hitting as many targets as you can without missing. It starts off easy, but as you get farther, eventually you reach the point where if you miss once, you've failed. Of course, there are five different missions, each of which can be played in any order you wish. Even though it's a mere five, don't expect to blaze through in one day, unless you're a professional gunner. These guys mean business!

Overall: 10/10
Despite being censored in several areas, Lethal Enforcers still proves that shooters can do well on any system. Whether you're a newcomer, or a Virtua Cop professional, try this game out to see how, indeed, shooters have come a long way since the days of Hogan's Alley!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/08/01, Updated 07/16/01