KyotoJack's Blog

Dynamite Cop is a perfect example of how arcade games should be ported over to the home console.

Dynamite Cop is a beat em up developed by Sega AM1 originally for the Sega Model 2. However in 1999 the game was ported over to the Sega Dreamcast. The game isn't so deep with the story, however pirates have seized a cruise ship holding the presidents daughter hostage. You play as one of the three of a special forces team sent to raid and retake the ship.

Gameplay in Dynamite Cop really feels a lot like an average streets of rage only with 3d polygons and smoother animation, However there are many factors which make this game stand out on its own. During the game you will make your way through the cruise ship and stop to fight off any bad guys you encounter, As I said it feels a lot like streets of rage but fighting in the game is pretty slick on its own, the player can use a variety of combos to take down pirates as well as using many weapons from the environment such as, tables,chairs,poles,umbrellas,swords,guns and many more.While running between areas of the ship the player will be prompted to perform a QTE such as pressing a button, Success of the QTE result in moving on without hesitation however failing will result in consequences.

The game is actually quite fun to play, the fighting mechanics, the ridiculous weaponry and the cheesy dialogue are enough to make this a fun experience, but not for very long.

There are three difficulty's in Dynamite Cop, Mission 1 being the easiest with unlimited credits and Mission 2 being the hardest with a limited number of credits. The difficulty overall though is nothing short of a cake walk, expect to finish the game in under 20 minutes even on a first playthrough., or even shorter when playing with a friend. There is not a lot of replay value in Dynamite Cop as all three missions will only last you an average 1 hour of game time. However it is a great laugh to come back and play with friends as you fight over the presidents daughter.

The game controls are really what you would expect, the player controls the character with the analogue stick and uses three of the buttons to perform a kick, punch or to jump in the air. Also the triggers can be used to pull of counter attacks from the enemy's. The controls feel responsive to the most part however my only complaint is trying to pull off a flying kick which with the analouge control can become a nuisance.

Graphically the game looks a lot better on the Sega Dreamcast than it was in the arcades, The player is forced to fight in many different areas in the ship such as cabins, loading docks to the women's bathroom, all are graphically well implemented as well as the character models who all had their unique design. Animations in the game flow very smoothly and at the time were quite realistic. However the game has its fair share of bland textures such as the water effects which just looked a mess. The game also included FMV's which really bog the game down as the characters faces just look scary and bland.

Sound design in the game is actually very well done, all weapons have their distinct sound effects as well as the normal grunts when you hit or an enemy. The score does good to build up your mood of feeling like your in an action movie, however none of the score is entirely memorable but it does good to provide an atmosphere. As for voice acting, its horrible and lacks in providing any of the characters human.

Dynamite is one of those games which is awesome to play for the first 20 minutes, however its distinct lack of replayability leaves the game only worth a look if you have never played the original in the arcades.