The site has become a bit Capcom heavy, so I am going to try upping the Konami output for the month with Konami Month.

Originally released in the arcades in 1992, with the home console conversions shortly after. I never saw this in an arcade, so my first experience was the Genesis version that was released around Christmas 1993, as well as a SNES port in mid 1994. I don’t particularly remember it, but I like my light gun games, so here we are.

Suffice to say, as I refused to spend the money required to buy Genesis/arcade versions of Lethal Enforcer, I’ll make do with the PS1 version.

Gameplay

LE is a light gun game, so you point your gun at a screen, and make pew pew noises. It should be simple, and it is easy to do well. Sadly LE doesn’t manage it.

I don’t have a Konami Hyperblaster Gun, and am using my trusty Logic Predator light gun, and this could be a reason for it, but my aim sucks serious balls in LE. Using the same gun on Area 51, or Die Hard Trilogy where i’ll be around the 80% accuracy mark. In LE, I can’t break the 40% barrier. I can aim better doing a no aim/2 gun run in Virtua Cop, so something is seriously up.

There is just something wrong with the game, or how it registers hits, I can put the gun on a tripod, and shoot the exact same spot, but the gun will register shots in roughly a 2 inch diameter around where I am aiming. This doesn’t happen on other PS1 games, with the same gun, on the same TV, so it has to be the game. It is “better” on Lethal Enforcers 2 too.

Vine video demonstrating shitty gun.

https://vine.co/v/5i1TAQIrxEv

Graphics

For a 1992 arcade game that was native to 16bit consoles, the game actually looks pretty good.

The animations are almost non-existant, as there are 3 frames of it. But for the time, these graphics were cutting edge.

The background images are still pre-rendered photographs, so everything looks as it should, and the enemies are digitised ala Mortal Kombat, so if this is a style that appeals, you may like it. I do find the lack of animation slightly curious and off putting though. It also makes me want to play the Point Blank series instead.

The Game

Similar to Virtua Cop, you choose what levels you want to do, and what order to do them. There are 5 levels, plus a training level, and they range from VERY HARD to FUCKING HARD. This will be be partly down to my inability to aim in this game, but it is also the reaction times needed to hit a target.

A lot of enemies will attack you after a split second of appearing, this is standard arcade bullshit, and I will always complain about it. But what is worse, is that enemies off-screen can shoot you. On levels such as the moving train, or moving car level, enemies will shoot you before the screen pans to them. It is fucking bullshit.

The final boss is simply insane, I literally lost 90 lives on it the first time I played, and around 60 the second time.

The game also just loops in standard “street” mods. You don’t complete it, beat all 5 stages, do it again. Just keep racking up points. If you want… I don’t. Arcade mode, which is a menu option, will play through in order of level, removing the level choice.

Story

There is no story.The instruction manual has a rather aggressive rant from the Chief of Police.

But that is it. No story.

According to Wikipedia you’re Don Marshall, but I can’t find anything to verify that.

Overall

I do consider myself to be quite good at Light Gun games sinceI play a tonne of them. But for whatever reason, I found LE to be totally unplayable at some points.

It isn’t a good game, the novel graphics from 1992 do not redeem it in any way, and as the core shooting mechanic is so broke I honestly can’t recommend it to anyone.

As it is, it is pretty shit, and as the game is 20 minutes long, unless you can grab a bargain on the PS1 version avoid the game.

Pros: The graphics are good for 1992

Cons: Doesn’t work. The shooting is utter shite. 3 frames of animation.

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