celerystalker
03-22-2016, 10:24 PM
8710871187128713
Gangster Town for the Sega Master System is my very favorite 8-bit light gun game, and I don't say that lightly. I am a big enthusiast of the style, from the first time I played Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley to feeling outclassed by Safari Hunt to being mesmerized by Virtua Cop and laying waste to Gunblade NY, I've kept playing just about everything I can get my hands on. Whether it's Lucky & Wild or Death Crimson 2, I always give light guns a chance. Sega has long been the masters of the genre, rivaled really only by Namco overall, and Gangster Town was really a portent of what they would eventually become.
For starters, Gangster Town supports 2 player simultaneous play. So precious few games of the era afforded such a luxury on home consoles, and Gangster Town does so gracefully. The screen flashes are minimized, enemies come from all angles, and the bonus levels encourage competition between players searching for a key by shooting through bricks in layers of wall. Co-op really brings the arcade feel home, and the on-screen action supports it without demanding it. Great balance.
Secondly, there is a load of variety. Not just cool stage backgrounds with prohibition-era gangsters on the streets and in bars and the like, but also car chase scenes that spice things up with more action and tougher targets. You can definitely see the stepping stones that were leading to games like Virtua Cop and House of the Dead, even in small 8-bit sprites. The details are great as well, as much of the scenery is destructible, and you can even shoot down the ghosts of your fallen targets for big points!
As a gun game, Gangster Town just does more than most, and has a well-defined atmosphere to tie it all together. It's awesome, inexpensive, and a grear reason to own a second Light Phaser. The game rules.
Played it?
Gangster Town for the Sega Master System is my very favorite 8-bit light gun game, and I don't say that lightly. I am a big enthusiast of the style, from the first time I played Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley to feeling outclassed by Safari Hunt to being mesmerized by Virtua Cop and laying waste to Gunblade NY, I've kept playing just about everything I can get my hands on. Whether it's Lucky & Wild or Death Crimson 2, I always give light guns a chance. Sega has long been the masters of the genre, rivaled really only by Namco overall, and Gangster Town was really a portent of what they would eventually become.
For starters, Gangster Town supports 2 player simultaneous play. So precious few games of the era afforded such a luxury on home consoles, and Gangster Town does so gracefully. The screen flashes are minimized, enemies come from all angles, and the bonus levels encourage competition between players searching for a key by shooting through bricks in layers of wall. Co-op really brings the arcade feel home, and the on-screen action supports it without demanding it. Great balance.
Secondly, there is a load of variety. Not just cool stage backgrounds with prohibition-era gangsters on the streets and in bars and the like, but also car chase scenes that spice things up with more action and tougher targets. You can definitely see the stepping stones that were leading to games like Virtua Cop and House of the Dead, even in small 8-bit sprites. The details are great as well, as much of the scenery is destructible, and you can even shoot down the ghosts of your fallen targets for big points!
As a gun game, Gangster Town just does more than most, and has a well-defined atmosphere to tie it all together. It's awesome, inexpensive, and a grear reason to own a second Light Phaser. The game rules.
Played it?