As an old saying goes lightning can strike twice, as along with it so can thunder. This is another edition in the "Under the Radar Video". This of course is a sequel to the first game which I like, however I personally like this sequel along with the third a lot more, which is why both those games are favorites in the run and gun genre. It's kind of fitting for this sequel to come out in 1990 as that decade was almost you can say the silver age for the sequel, as 1990 year alone just had an explosion of sequels for both movies and video games.
I never got to play this game in the arcade, I mainly played it on my "Genesis" console which to me is one of the best arcade ports in my book as it's not too different except that there are boss battles at the end of the levels and a developing story with cut scenes and text, which is part of why I kind of like the console version more.
But anyway, down to business; this sequel isn't too different from its predecessor as it still has its espionage themed action and even the gameplay itself is the same, as you have the same type of weapons, the revolver and machine gun, though in latter levels there is a new weapon or two. But what gives this game power to its caliber is in its improvements which make it a smother and even fairer game than before.
One of the things I like is the variety in level locations as we see a little globe-trotting, which makes sense as that's one of the best things about the spy genre; but also helps in making it feel like the levels aren't blending. Like in the first level it's a Miami location which is cool as one of my favorite TV show's is "Miami Vice" and you can say that level was a slight homage to it. Another is in Egypt with the sphinx and other ancient ruins which is also cool as I always had a fascination with those. The character spites are more refined than before, I really like how there is even more variety in the robotic enemies as each have varied strengths and abilities depending on their uniform color and outfit. And the good news is they keep the enemies robotic and on the ground which makes it feel fair, where in the first game that were cheaply hard and felt out of place mainly those damn giant bats.
I even like how their formatted where it's not just the straight shot from point A to B, you still have that but, in this game, you sometimes must go up, down, or even backward to get to B. This also helps in making the levels not feel like their blending or cookie cutter, from this it means that the stages have varied surprises and challenge in enemy placement, you never really know what you'll encounter as you progress to the next section.
Just like with the first game, unlike most run and guns this is a game you take your time with as you are walking, so you can say this game is a walk and gun. However, you must be careful not to take too much time as you're fighting for survival and progression, you also want to beat the clock as time ticks away, so don't waste a second.
The difficulty in the game is a little on the medium hard side as like all games of that nature, once again the principle of not getting it right the first time, as you may find yourself making more errors before getting it right. So, for rookies to run and have guns you might not want to start with this one, or if you have a copy at least put it on easy mode first. For veterans like me, I'm fine with it as practice and perseverance is the key like in all run and gun games, and it's a sweet relief and rewarding because you know it's your own skill that got you though.
And of course, two other things about the game are for one thing you have a two-player function which is cool as it means two people can share in the fun, but also means you'll be able to back each other up when things get harry which they do. There is also the music, which is great, I really like the tracks in this game as there is more variety than in the first which consisted only of a few; but most importantly each of the tracks are memorable and just sing out spy thriller action.
You can't miss this second shot classic.
Rating: 3 and a half stars.
I never got to play this game in the arcade, I mainly played it on my "Genesis" console which to me is one of the best arcade ports in my book as it's not too different except that there are boss battles at the end of the levels and a developing story with cut scenes and text, which is part of why I kind of like the console version more.
But anyway, down to business; this sequel isn't too different from its predecessor as it still has its espionage themed action and even the gameplay itself is the same, as you have the same type of weapons, the revolver and machine gun, though in latter levels there is a new weapon or two. But what gives this game power to its caliber is in its improvements which make it a smother and even fairer game than before.
One of the things I like is the variety in level locations as we see a little globe-trotting, which makes sense as that's one of the best things about the spy genre; but also helps in making it feel like the levels aren't blending. Like in the first level it's a Miami location which is cool as one of my favorite TV show's is "Miami Vice" and you can say that level was a slight homage to it. Another is in Egypt with the sphinx and other ancient ruins which is also cool as I always had a fascination with those. The character spites are more refined than before, I really like how there is even more variety in the robotic enemies as each have varied strengths and abilities depending on their uniform color and outfit. And the good news is they keep the enemies robotic and on the ground which makes it feel fair, where in the first game that were cheaply hard and felt out of place mainly those damn giant bats.
I even like how their formatted where it's not just the straight shot from point A to B, you still have that but, in this game, you sometimes must go up, down, or even backward to get to B. This also helps in making the levels not feel like their blending or cookie cutter, from this it means that the stages have varied surprises and challenge in enemy placement, you never really know what you'll encounter as you progress to the next section.
Just like with the first game, unlike most run and guns this is a game you take your time with as you are walking, so you can say this game is a walk and gun. However, you must be careful not to take too much time as you're fighting for survival and progression, you also want to beat the clock as time ticks away, so don't waste a second.
The difficulty in the game is a little on the medium hard side as like all games of that nature, once again the principle of not getting it right the first time, as you may find yourself making more errors before getting it right. So, for rookies to run and have guns you might not want to start with this one, or if you have a copy at least put it on easy mode first. For veterans like me, I'm fine with it as practice and perseverance is the key like in all run and gun games, and it's a sweet relief and rewarding because you know it's your own skill that got you though.
And of course, two other things about the game are for one thing you have a two-player function which is cool as it means two people can share in the fun, but also means you'll be able to back each other up when things get harry which they do. There is also the music, which is great, I really like the tracks in this game as there is more variety than in the first which consisted only of a few; but most importantly each of the tracks are memorable and just sing out spy thriller action.
You can't miss this second shot classic.
Rating: 3 and a half stars.
