It Really Is Dynamite BOOOM!!!!! (Dynamite Cop (DC))

Member Name: tonyhawley

Product:	Dynamite Cop (DC)
Date:	22/11/01 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Arcade Action at Home , Fun Two-Player Mode , Tons of Moves & Weapons

Disadvantages: Repetitve Fighting , Been There, Done That Gameplay , A Little on the Easy Side

Arcade visitors sure like those punching games and for them, Dynamite Cop won't disappoint. Those of us who like a little meat with our potato's might get a little bored with this ported over coin-op. Yes it looks better and there are tiny enhancements over the arcade version, but console owners have come to expect a lot more from home versions. Dynamite Cop is fun, no doubt, but it's over too quickly and it's too easy to complete. Super-fans of the arcade version and those who want some mindless, albeit over-the-top violence for an evening or two, need only apply

If you've played it in the arcade or Die Hard Arcade on Sega's ill-fated Saturn, you'll know exactly what to expect this time out: Walk, punch, jump, kick, pick up weapon, bash, special move, flip, eat some health, punch and so on and so forth. Hey, I'm not knocking that style of gameplay; games like Final Fight, Double Dragon and Renegade deserve their place in gaming history. Without those games, what we are playing today, might have been very different. However, I did say, "gaming history", which is to imply that the games were fine, in the past. Unfortunately, Dynamite Cop does little to expand the genre, unless you think that beating someone to a pulp with a side of roast beef is evolution.

The team at Sega did a good job of porting the game over, and for my money, the game actually looks better than the arcade version. However, let it be said that at my age, I'm not exactly hanging out at the arcades anymore; they always check my ID and tell me I'm too old to enter. You can play as one of three characters; Capt. Bruno "Monkey Boy" Delinger, Navy Seal Jean Ivy and ex-NFL great turned Navy Seal, Corp. Eddie Brown. All of them share the same moves, which there happens to be a lot of; almost 40 different attacks, not including the environmental weapons available. All of the environments are interactive, meaning that if you don&
#39;t have a weapon, then pick up a chair or table and smash someone over the head with it. All is fair in love and war, and if that means blinding some bad-ass with hairspray while also depleting our precious ozone layer, then go for it! Aside from the actual gameplay becoming monotonous, the plethora of attacks and weapons might keep your interest level peaked throughout. At certain intervals you'll be faced with a "Visual Scene" which warns you with "Caution". You'll have to follow the on-screen commands which will tell you to Jump, Punch or Kick at a certain time. Comply correctly and you'll succeed; fail and you may have to face a gang full of enemies that you otherwise could have avoided, if you would have just followed instructions, dummy!

DC's two-player mode works well, but whittles the length of the game down ever more, because you'll be able to breeze through the game in half the time with a partner. Again, that's not to say it isn't fun. DC is a blast on all counts, it just isn't one of those games that keeps on giving, if you know what I mean. There are some added extra's will entice you to keep playing a little longer, but they are more cosmetic than anything else. More on that in a sec.

On the sound front, everything is cool. DC features over the top voice acting, typical Sega tunes and great sound effects. You'll love all of the varying smashes, crashes and pows that accompany the wide range of attacks and off the wall weapons. The voice acting is pretty crappy, but it's better than that high-school drama production quality they used in The House of the Dead 2. Shudder...

As for extras, DC gives you instructions on how to download the Dynamite Cop "Detonator Pak" from the downloads area of the Sega Network. This will enable a new character, new weapons and more illustrations that you can view. I didn't have a chance to do this and see how worthwhi
le it is, but I imagine it will entice fans of DC to check it out. There is also a not-so-secret classic Sega arcade game hidden within Dynamite Cop. Before you get all excited and think it's Hang-On or Space Harrier, just hold on. It's called "Tranquilizer Gun" and it's from 1980. Now, I know my arcade games but I've never seen this one before. Perhaps it was only released in Japan. Anyway, it's not going to set your excitement level on fire, but it is a little bonus, albeit a completely under-whelming one. You'd think with the power of the Dreamcast they'd be able to squeeze in a Sonic game or one of the aforementioned arcade titles as an extra. Maybe next time...

All in all, Dynamite Cop is a fun beat-em-up with a ton of moves and quirky weapons, but it just feels so 1990. The arcade-going crowd is going to dig this one a helluva lot more than most, primarily because it'll be a kick to play the game at home. Unfortunately, due to an extreme lack of length, DC is only going to satisfy for a fortnight (I always wanted to use the word "fortnight" and now I did). Recommended to play, because it is fun, but I'd be wary of a purchase, due to the very short-term play value.

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