I played the new Rambo arcade game

[burpingcat]

Once again, walking in to the Sega-owned Gameworks arcade presents another opportunity to play a new Sega arcade game that will largely go unnoticed if it's never ported to a console (and even then...). This time, it was a game based on Rambo.

There have probably been Rambo arcade games in the past, but this is a new Rambo lightgun game. The game uses Rambo 1-3 as source material for the stages, and each level is a key scene from one of the movies. It goes as far as to use actual live-action scenes from the movies as cutscenes, which then go to in-game renderings. It makes the game extremely cheesy and entertaining. It's like a throwback to the Mad Dog McCree days of lightgun games, but in tolerable bursts of HD video.

A video of some guy (not me) enjoying the cheese.

The game was pretty awesome. The meshing of the 3D graphics with the movie clips would fail if the game was poor, but the game is pretty good and the graphics are better than Sega's recent lightgun games (HOTD4, Ghost Squad). The game also has a "RAGE" bar that you build up and unleash to get a temporary power-up, like a boost in firing rate. Because when Rambo gets angry, it makes the bullets come out of the gun faster.

I remember not thinking much of this game when I first saw a preview, but now I think they pulled off a modern movie-license arcade game quite well. They did well to stick with an old series of movies as opposed to some new crap. I mean, if there was ever a premise for shooting hundreds of enemies dead, it's Rambo. It's entertaining, and I'm not even a big Rambo fan.

If you ever happen to see an arcade, and you happen to see this game in it, play it.

[Vegetto]

Oh man, so awesome.

[zechin]

good ol light gun games, Time Crisis what a let down you have become.

[Kiryu1985]

Maybe some day it will get Mamed...

[loempiavreter]

Ugh... Forgettable game with bland gameplay. Another brainless chump like Let's Go Jungle.

The meshing of the 3D graphics with the movie clips would fail if the game was poor, but the game is pretty good and the graphics are better than Sega's recent lightgun games (HOTD4, Ghost Squad).

You do realize that HOTD4 was released in 2005 and Ghost Squad in 2004 (Ghost Squad Evolution from 2007 is just Ghost Squad running on a Lindbergh with some extra's and tiny graphical update but it hardly looks any different from when it ran on Chihiro board).

I don't know what you call pretty good.. The first stage's backdrop is pretty bland...

good ol light gun games, Time Crisis what a let down you have become.

Not counting the spin off's:

Time Crisis = Good
Time Crisis 2 = Bad
Time Crisis 3 = Good
Time Crisis 4 = Bad

Time Crisis 6 = Go...?

If you ever happen to see an arcade, and you happen to see this game in it, play it.

Better check if the arcade doesn't hold better ones like:
- Virtua Cop 3
- Ghost Squad (Evolution)
- The House of The Dead 1,2,4
- Hell Night/Evil Night
- Time Crisis 1,3
- Crisis Zone
- Cooper's 9

Some other lightgun fans also recommend Wartan Troopers, not so fan of the mech setting but I can't deny it has some tight gameplay.

[Xero]

I thought Time Crisis 4 was alright, I got the PS3 version. I want that Rambo game though... *drools*

[burpingcat]

Originally Posted by loempiavreter

Ugh... Forgettable game with bland gameplay. Another brainless chump like Let's Go Jungle.

I wasn't really aware that most light gun games were supposed to be cerebral games. Let's Go Jungle is awesome, IMO. Pretty much any new light gun shooter that isn't a HOTD or a Time Crisis will catch my attention. I think the deluxe cabinet for it is more fun, though (and it's also more fun with a second player). Yet another good sega arcade game I played this year.

You do realize that HOTD4 was released in 2005 and Ghost Squad in 2004

I probably saw/played the newer 2007 version of Ghost Squad. I only brought those two up because they are the most recent Sega shooters I see in arcades.

I don't know what you call pretty good.. The first stage's backdrop is pretty bland...

The backdrop is mostly obscured by enemy vehicles everywhere. It's a desert level, I really wasn't expecting much from it. I think I wasn't expecting much from the entire game.


I do agree that Time Crisis 3 was pretty cool from what I remember playing, but Time Crisis 1 is still the best one to me. Crisis Zone is also fantastic.

Surprisingly, this arcade doesn't have Virtua Cop 3. I've played it, though. I didn't care for the slow-mo and the "futuristic" theme.

HOTD 1 and 2 are the most tired games ever. The HOTD series in general just needs to rest.

[loempiavreter]

Originally Posted by burpingcat

I wasn't really aware that most light gun games were supposed to be cerebral games. Let's Go Jungle is awesome, IMO. Pretty much any new light gun shooter that isn't a HOTD or a Time Crisis will catch my attention. I think the deluxe cabinet for it is more fun, though (and it's also more fun with a second player). Yet another good sega arcade game I played this year.

Let's Go Jungle is a coin masher in it's most true form.
It doesn't help that it gives you unlimited ammo with no need for reloading and god awful QTE sections. Given the Jeep part was quite cool, but afterwards it became braindead and gimmickery very quick.

Originally Posted by burpingcat

The backdrop is mostly obscured by enemy vehicles everywhere. It's a desert level, I really wasn't expecting much from it. I think I wasn't expecting much from the entire game.

I've seen better looking designed desert stages. And Rambo had quite possibly one of the worst enemy placements I've seen in a Lightgun Shooter for quite a while.

Originally Posted by burpingcat

I do agree that Time Crisis 3 was pretty cool from what I remember playing, but Time Crisis 1 is still the best one to me. Crisis Zone is also fantastic.

Oh I fully agree with that, the first Time Crisis is the best for sure. The score system is nonexistant but it's ferocious, the timer and 6 bullets a clip, which makes you want to have every shot precise and well planned out (although the bullet collision is a bit forgiving), just like if there was a score system.

Originally Posted by burpingcat

Surprisingly, this arcade doesn't have Virtua Cop 3. I've played it, though. I didn't care for the slow-mo and the "futuristic" theme.

Virtua Cop 3 is the best Lightgun Shooter of the post-HOTD2 period in my opinion. One of the best stage designs and flow, good enemy placement, very well implemented bullet time system, and great boss fights.

The setting a bit to Metal Gear this time even fighting a mech thing at one point... But I love Metal Gear's setting.

Like I said with Wartran Troopers, I don't like the Mechwarrior-like setting... but I can't deny it's a damn good Lightgun Shooter (and it's 4-players with great sub-machinegun lightguns).

Originally Posted by burpingcat

HOTD 1 and 2 are the most tired games ever. The HOTD series in general just needs to rest.

Well there's room left for one last go for the official series since the Tarot cards are on the last couple of cards.

It's a great series though... with the series quality being pretty consistant.