Ghost Squad

"For better or worse, a direct port of the arcade game"

Since the concept behind Wii's new direction for gameplay has been revealed, many have touted it as the prefect console for first-person and light gun shooters. While the initial outings met with mixed reviews, Metroid Prime 3's almost universally praised control scheme proved that the Wii is capable of providing a superior FPS experience.

But how does it fare with the more classic "light-gun" style shooter, where the focus is simply on aiming and taking down wave after wave of enemies? Sega's port of its arcade rail shooter Ghost Squad is the first game to really address this question. The result is an a dead-on port of the arcade game; no more, no less.

Graphics - 3/5
The graphics are somewhat dated looking, though of comparable quality to the arcade version. I personally have a small SDTV, so this doesn't bother me as much as it may someone with a 50" widescreen, but it's clear these graphics are on the level of a mid-to-high end Dreamcast game. Still, the game looks pretty good overall, and the environments are packed with detailed objects (which you can usually shoot to uncover power-ups.)

Sound - 2.5/5
Same B-list voice acting, generic rock/techno music and gunshot effects from the arcade game. Not terrible, but nothing to write home about. Sega does make use of the Wiimote speaker for gunshots and reloading sounds, which is always a benefit, especially if you don't have surround-sound.

Gameplay - 4/5
The action is where Ghost Squad really shines. The game is playable with both the Wiimote alone and the Wii Zapper or whatever gun peripheral you may own. The calibration feature finally proves that the Wiimote CAN be used for line-of-sight aiming, although it's more accurate with a gun attachment, as you tend to rotate your wrist, holding the Wiimote by itself, slightly offsetting your aim. This makes the "no cursor" mode (where you play without any on-screen sight to aid you) feel like a complete light gun experience, where you can only rely on your eyes and your aim.
The difficulty revolves completely around getting a high score, as you essentially cannot die (losing all your health brings up a continue screen, and pressing + starts you right back where you were with full life).

Extras - 2/5
Again, this is essentially a straight port of the arcade version, so extras are few and far between. There are some training target-practice games, a 4-player party mode with unlockable ninja/bikini modes (different enemy models and shuriken/water guns for weapons), and an online leaderboard system where you can submit your high score. The latter is, of course, reminiscent of the same feature the arcade offered, minus the card and codes.

Replayability - 3/5
Ghost Squad is fun to play, doubly so with friends and party mode. Unfortunately, with only the 3 missions from the arcade game, you quickly learn where the enemies come from and where the power-ups are, even on the higher difficulty levels and extra paths. Playing with different weapons can drastically alter how you have to play, but at the same time, it does get a bit boring going through the same three levels, even if you have to use different strategies to get through them. Again, Sega had a chance to give the Wii some new, exclusive level content, but again, they didn't take advantage.

All this being said, Ghost Squad won't be a full-price title in the US (it will retail for $29.99, according to GameStop), so the low level selection is offset by the lower price.

Overall - 8/10
Ghost Squad's problems all stem from what it DIDN'T do rather than what it did wrong. There was a great deal of potential for this to be the premier on-rails shooter for Wii, but instead it's little more than a straight arcade port. The problem is, with no quarters needed, the sense of urgency and need to aim well is diminished, because dying doesn't mean you're out another dollar. The party mode is fun, and the single-player game gets a boost from the variety of paths and weapons. When all is said and done, you will have fun with Ghost Squad, but it will leave you wanting more.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/26/07

Game Release: Ghost Squad (JP, 10/25/07)