Die Hard Arcade/Dynamite Deka (SAT, 1997)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-6.5 Control-6.5 Challenge-8*
Level Design-6 Frustration-8* Fun-6* Originality-6
Overall Score-6*
*1-player
+
2-player co-op (can turn off friendly fire)
Hilariously stupid QTE events
Comical (caricatures, get punched/punch people in the crotch, etc.)
Some fun weapons (firearms (rocket launcher, cannon, pistol), spray can and lighter, pepper)
Some good bosses
Somewhat destructible environment
Can pick up and throw furniture
Crouch attack (down or up + kick/punch - can interfere with trying to align with an enemy before attack)
Decent variety
Upgradeable lifebar
Can arrest enemies (defeats them sooner) - Judge Dredd SNES/MD
Spin attack special (A+B+C, costs some life)
Combos (not explained by the game - three different throws (p/k+back or j, k + back), arrest, punch/kick combo (forward+p, p, p, k), kick/punch combo (forward+k, k, p), back attack w/ weapon (back+kick), 'shoryuken' (down/up and p+j)
+/-
No life refill between stages
Dithered shadows
Limited continues
Time limit on items/weapons
Need to double tap to run (somewhat clunky too)
No quick dodge move?
Enemies can block but you can't?
Weapon types don't always make sense considering where you're fighting (pepper, broom)
Need to play a boring mini-game (Deep Scan) to earn more credits?
-
Loading screen on bootup
Clunky and dated controls (the game only uses the A/B/C buttons, see SoR and picking up items/weapons - pistols are stowed away for later use when picking a new weapon up though, the limitation of not being able to attack vertically is more annoying here than in 2D beat 'em ups, delay before or after several moves)
No difficulty options (unlockable hard more via a code)
Uneven presentation (ugly game over and "briefing" screens, so-so pixel art)
Cheap and simplistic QTE (press A/B/C or a direction within a very limited time window - somewhat randomized), QTEs are pausable (removing the challenge)
Characters automatically throw an empty weapon at the enemy (throws off your timing)
If you beat all enemies in a segment you won't be able to pick up power ups afterwards
Uneven difficulty (sometimes retarded AI - see robot spiders, QTE events, some bosses)
Pretty short
Very limited jumps vertically/on the z-plane (they're also more height than length focused similar to Contra)
No strafing or being able to face one direction while moving around
Cutscenes usually feel unnecessary and don't quite fit with what you see when the game switches to gameplay
Sometimes unsatisfying sfx/graphics when landing hits on enemies
Can't carry weapons to the next segment
Only two different playable characters (can't choose which to play as in single player, no differences?)
Can't switch to the concealed pistol from another weapon?
Fairly easy to pick up the wrong thing when several items lie next to each other
Notes:
-More moves (Arcade): http://www.gamefaqs.com/saturn/197121-die-hard-arcade/faqs/1254
-Repeated periods of intense lag in SSF (all versions I've tried)
Level Design-6 Frustration-8* Fun-6* Originality-6
Overall Score-6*
*1-player
+
2-player co-op (can turn off friendly fire)
Hilariously stupid QTE events
Comical (caricatures, get punched/punch people in the crotch, etc.)
Some fun weapons (firearms (rocket launcher, cannon, pistol), spray can and lighter, pepper)
Some good bosses
Somewhat destructible environment
Can pick up and throw furniture
Crouch attack (down or up + kick/punch - can interfere with trying to align with an enemy before attack)
Decent variety
Upgradeable lifebar
Can arrest enemies (defeats them sooner) - Judge Dredd SNES/MD
Spin attack special (A+B+C, costs some life)
Combos (not explained by the game - three different throws (p/k+back or j, k + back), arrest, punch/kick combo (forward+p, p, p, k), kick/punch combo (forward+k, k, p), back attack w/ weapon (back+kick), 'shoryuken' (down/up and p+j)
+/-
No life refill between stages
Dithered shadows
Limited continues
Time limit on items/weapons
Need to double tap to run (somewhat clunky too)
No quick dodge move?
Enemies can block but you can't?
Weapon types don't always make sense considering where you're fighting (pepper, broom)
Need to play a boring mini-game (Deep Scan) to earn more credits?
-
Loading screen on bootup
Clunky and dated controls (the game only uses the A/B/C buttons, see SoR and picking up items/weapons - pistols are stowed away for later use when picking a new weapon up though, the limitation of not being able to attack vertically is more annoying here than in 2D beat 'em ups, delay before or after several moves)
No difficulty options (unlockable hard more via a code)
Uneven presentation (ugly game over and "briefing" screens, so-so pixel art)
Cheap and simplistic QTE (press A/B/C or a direction within a very limited time window - somewhat randomized), QTEs are pausable (removing the challenge)
Characters automatically throw an empty weapon at the enemy (throws off your timing)
If you beat all enemies in a segment you won't be able to pick up power ups afterwards
Uneven difficulty (sometimes retarded AI - see robot spiders, QTE events, some bosses)
Pretty short
Very limited jumps vertically/on the z-plane (they're also more height than length focused similar to Contra)
No strafing or being able to face one direction while moving around
Cutscenes usually feel unnecessary and don't quite fit with what you see when the game switches to gameplay
Sometimes unsatisfying sfx/graphics when landing hits on enemies
Can't carry weapons to the next segment
Only two different playable characters (can't choose which to play as in single player, no differences?)
Can't switch to the concealed pistol from another weapon?
Fairly easy to pick up the wrong thing when several items lie next to each other
Notes:
-More moves (Arcade): http://www.gamefaqs.com/saturn/197121-die-hard-arcade/faqs/1254
-Repeated periods of intense lag in SSF (all versions I've tried)