Developer: AM2 Publisher: Sega Released: December 1995 Genre: Action
I’ve always appreciated light gun games from afar. At home the peripherals were usually not supported that well to make it worth the purchase. In the arcade they usually cost twice as much to play and when you are poor tough decisions have to be made. But that does not mean I did not dabble with them if someone else took the plunge. Lethal Enforcers was fun for despite how limited it was. And Battle Clash nearly justified the Super Scope 6. But Virtua Cop is the game that truly made me appreciate the genre. The Saturn version is a near flawless conversion of a great yet limited game.
Virtua Cop was the first rail shooter to use 3d polygons. Up until that point the genre relied on scaling sprites, digitized graphics, or full motion video. Virtua Cop is the natural evolution of the genre in the same way that racing and fighting games also benefited from the move to the third dimension. While prior light gun games were fun they were also predictable in that once you had gone through it once you have seen it all. You can argue that Virtua Cop is pretty much the same and it is true. But its sweeping camera angles and seemingly random enemy placement made the game more dynamic and lively. Despite the hefty price of admission the game was worth it.
Sega created their own light gun for the Saturn called the Stunner to replicate the arcade’s controls. With a Stunner you are basically playing the arcade game at home. For those that do not own a light gun Sega offers a number of other control schemes that support the standard controller and the rarely seen Sega mouse. The game is surprisingly still playable with the controller all things considered. The cursor moves relatively quickly and you can speed it up by holding a button. Reloading requires a double tap and is also fast. It is not ideal and will require memorization of enemy placement but it entirely possible to play through it this way. You will have to put in some work to do so but if you love Virtua Cop that adds to its longevity.
Virtua Cop is innovative within the rail shooter genre for its use of polygonal graphics rather than digitized sprites. While the 3d models do not exhibit the same level of detail they more than make up for it in terms of animation. The 3d graphics enable a level of precision not possible before thanks to defined hit zones. This enables the game to be dynamic in a number of different ways. Enemies have different reactions depending on where they are shot and Sega has packed the game full of unique ones. Shoot their arms and they can’t attack while a head or chest shot equals instant death. In a sadistic way that is part of the fun, seeing how many different ways you can kill each thug. It is satisfying in a way that the cardboard cutouts of the past could not manage. Sega clearly knew what they were doing.
The camera work is also part of what makes Virtua Cop great. As each scene progresses the camera pans to highlight parts of the environment or points of interest. While this is going on enemies stream in from all corners and pop up out of clever hiding spots. It is in this way that the game remains exciting from moment to moment. Many of the spawn points are predictable but there are just as many that come out of left field. Not everything in the environment is destructible but the few pieces that are yield power-ups like a machine gun, assault rifle, or magnum. While it is possible to memorize every enemy and item that will only come after hours or even days of practice.
The one area Virtua Cop suffers like most Sega arcade ports is in content. The three missions are medium length at best and pack a lot of variety. Most will have to play each a few times to before you can complete the game in a single sitting. But once is over there isn’t much left. The only addition is a multiplayer shooting gallery that does not add much to the game. This is one area that Namco consistently beat Sega; they routinely packed their arcade conversions with extra content to make them feel content complete. Whether Virtua Cop is worth a purchase depends on how much you loved it in the arcade.
In Closing
Virtua Cop Is a great port of the arcade classic and a good game in general. While short light gun fans know what to expect and it is fun while it lasts. The only problem is playing it: light guns do not work with modern HD displays meaning you need a CRT to get the best experience. I like the genre and all but the game plus gun and an old school TV is a lot to ask for an authentic experience.
