Arcade Games Come of Age

Blowing dollar upon dollar at the local arcade was one of my favorite childhood activities. Some video games were fun and worth the 25 cents. Others caused me to irritatingly ask, “Game Over? I didn’t even do anything!” My earliest recollections were 4-player beat ‘em ups like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “The Simpsons”, which gave way to a host of other clones. Other early games were “Street Fighter II” (1 on 1 fighting) and “Mortal Kombat” (1 on 1 fighting with filmed characters and gory death sequences that gave Bob Dole a coronary). A third genre was the first-person “gun games” that fitted the player with a stationary plastic machine gun and the ability to kill hundreds of enemies within a few seconds. This began with “Operation Wolf” and “Terminator 2”. “Lethal Enforcers” changed everything when the player now had a plastic six-shooter that was only connected to the console via a thick chain. This added even more since you could now pretend to shoot your baby sister (I know I did!) Then, came “Time Crisis”, which allowed your on-screen hero to take cover whenever the player stepped on a pedal, located in front of the machine.

Recently, I visited a local arcade to and played “Police 911”, the latest from Konami. At first glance, it appears to be just another “gun game”, with some metal bars to the side and above the player. However, after taking a closer look, I noticed that these bars actually served a purpose – they tracked the player’s movements. After pumping in four quarters (!), the game fired up at my “Bad Guy” killing spree began.

Right away, I wanted to see how well this whole ordeal worked. So, I ducked and moved my body to the left side, hoping to take cover from the oncoming assailants. Sure enough, my in-game compatriot did the same. I then shifted to the right and raised my body in an effort to attack. My persona followed suit and I immediately took aim and fired at the attackers, which, in this game, are members of the "Gokudo-kai” or Japanese Mafia.

I played through the opening levels and was amazed at how well the tracking system worked. Granted, I had to have my feet planted and couldn’t jump, but the rest of my movements were followed almost to a “T”. The actual game didn’t have much variety from “dodge-incoming-bullets” and “kill-all-opposition”, but the added physical aspect made the experience much more enjoyable. The game’s graphics and sound were good, but nothing as innovative as the gameplay.

I seriously recommend giving this one a try the next time you pay a visit to the local arcade. “Police 911” truly provides the player with an increased level of interactivity. It also brings arcade-goers one-step closer to the ultimate goal of a true Virtual Reality experience.