Die Hard Arcade
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''Die Hard Arcade'', known as in Japan, is an arcade
beat 'em up The beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, ...
video game released by
Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
. It was the first beat 'em up to use
texture-mapped Texture mapping is a method for mapping a texture on a computer-generated graphic. Texture here can be high frequency detail, surface texture, or color. History The original technique was pioneered by Edwin Catmull in 1974. Texture mapping ...
3D polygon graphics, and used a sophisticated move set by contemporary beat 'em up standards, often being likened to a
fighting game A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...
in this respect. It also features
quick time event In video games, a quick time event (QTE) is a method of context-sensitive gameplay in which the player performs actions on the control device shortly after the appearance of an on-screen instruction/prompt. It allows for limited control of the ...
s, the ability to combine items to make more powerful weapons, and in two-player mode the ability to perform combined special moves and combos. The game was published in cooperation with
Fox Interactive Fox Interactive was an American video game publisher based in Los Angeles, California. The company published games based on 20th Century Fox properties, yet also published several original titles, such as '' Croc: Legend of the Gobbos''. History ...
and was a licensed product based on the ''
Die Hard ''Die Hard'' is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan, with a screenplay by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. Based on the 1979 novel '' Nothing Lasts Forever'', by Roderick Thorp, it stars Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Ale ...
'' movie franchise. Because Sega did not hold the Japanese video game rights for ''Die Hard'', in Japan the game was stripped of the ''Die Hard'' license and published as an original property. Similarly to hit
action films Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include lif ...
of the time, ''Die Hard Arcade'' is dominated by over-the-top, largely gore-free violence which is played for comedic effect. Released in 1996 for arcades, the game was ported to the
Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the succ ...
in 1997 and the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
(Japan only) in the Sega Ages line in 2006. A sequel, '' Dynamite Cop'', was released for arcades and Dreamcast in 1998 without the ''Die Hard'' license.


Gameplay

''Die Hard Arcade'' is a beat 'em up for one or two players, who play as either John McClane or Kris Thompsen (Bruno Delinger and Cindy Holiday in the Japanese version). Players fight their way through waves of enemies, using their fists, feet, and a variety of weapons that can be collected from enemies or the environment, from household items such as brooms and pepper shakers to high-damage missile launchers and anti-tank guns. Items can be combined to make more powerful weapons, such as combining a spray and a lighter to make a flamethrower. Most weapons are automatically lost at the end of each action scene, but hand guns can be retained so long as they have ammunition remaining. The typical level structure is a number of minions the player must defeat in many rooms, followed by a boss.
Quick Time Event In video games, a quick time event (QTE) is a method of context-sensitive gameplay in which the player performs actions on the control device shortly after the appearance of an on-screen instruction/prompt. It allows for limited control of the ...
s are interspersed between many of the scenes. Failing a Quick Time Event results in either a loss of health, as is usual for QTEs, or an additional action scene which the players otherwise would not have to complete. Cut scenes are interspersed into the action. In two-player cooperative mode, both players can work together with combined special moves and combos. The Saturn version also includes a port of Sega's 1979 arcade game ''
Deep Scan ''Deep Scan'' is a color arcade video game released in 1979 by Sega. The player controls a battleship which can be moved left and right on the surface of the ocean. Most of the screen is a side view of the water with enemy submarines patrolling ...
'', which can be used to gain extra credits. Unlike most arcade ports, no additional credits are provided for ''Deep Scan''; losing a single life results in a game over.


Plot

In the English version, John McClane and Kris Thompsen (Bruno Delinger and Cindy Holiday) try to save the President's daughter, Caroline Powell, from terrorists. There are a number of bosses in the game, including a
biker Biker or bikie may refer to: * A cyclist, a bicycle rider or participant in cycling sports * A motorcyclist, any motorcycle rider or passenger, or participant in motorcycle sports ** A motorcycle club member, defined more narrowly than all motor ...
called Hog, a
Mexican wrestler Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...
named Jocko, the twin team of Mr. Oishi (a
sumo wrestler A , or, more colloquially, , is a professional sumo wrestler. follow and live by the centuries-old rules of the sumo profession, with most coming from Japan, the only country where sumo is practiced professionally. Participation in official ...
) and Mr. Tubbs (an army general), a nameless muscle-bound fire chief armed with tiny grenades, and two pairs of laser-shooting Spiderbots. The final boss, of which all the others are henchmen, is known as Wolf "White Fang" Hongo. At the end of the game, if both players are still alive, the two players will fight each other on the rooftop of the skyscraper to gain the sole appreciation of the President's daughter (similar to the ending of '' Double Dragon'').


Development

''Die Hard Arcade'' originated as a means for Sega to use existing resources: Sega had produced an excess inventory of
ST-V Sega is a video game developer, publisher, and hardware development company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with multiple offices around the world. The company's involvement in the arcade game industry began as a Japan-based distributor of coin-o ...
arcade boards, and had acquired the ''Die Hard'' license but as yet had no ''Die Hard'' games in development. The game was created by AM1 and the US-based Sega Technical Institute (STI), with all work on the game taking place at STI's facilities. AM1 provided the engineering, design, and art, while STI provided art, design and animation. ''Die Hard Arcade'' was the final game developed by STI before the studio was dissolved. Previews reveal that up until shortly before the game's arcade release, the gameplay was strictly two dimensional, with characters only able to move along a single plane. The game was developed simultaneously for the ST-V Titan arcade system and
Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the succ ...
, but the home version was released later. The Japanese version of ''Die Hard Arcade'', ''Dynamite Deka'', was followed by a sequel titled ''Dynamite Deka 2'' for the arcade and Dreamcast. The sequel was released internationally as '' Dynamite Cop''. In 2007, a remake of the second game was released in arcades (on NAOMI) under the name ''Dynamite Deka EX'' in Japan and ''Asian Dynamite'' in Europe and the USA. Bruno, from the original Japanese version, later appeared as a solo unit in the 2012 crossover role-playing game, '' Project X Zone'', recolored to match his ''Dynamite Cop'' appearance in the Western releases. Because the character is based on John McClane, Bruno's likeness is modeled after Bruce Willis.


Reception

''Die Hard Arcade'' achieved a certain degree of success upon release. In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Die Hard Arcade'' on their August 15, 1996 issue as being the second most-successful arcade game of the month. ''
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'' magazine gave the arcade game a positive review, comparing it favorably with the ''
Streets of Rage ''Streets of Rage'' is a series of side-scrolling beat 'em up video games, centering on the efforts of several ex-police vigilantes trying to rid a fictional, large American city from a crime syndicate that has corrupted its local government. ...
'' series and comparing the moves and combos to the fighting game ''
Virtua Fighter 2 is a 1994 fighting game, fighting video game developed by Sega. It is the sequel to 1993's ''Virtua Fighter (video game), Virtua Fighter'' and the second game in the ''Virtua Fighter'' series. It was created by Sega's Yu Suzuki-headed Sega AM2, ...
'' (1994). Reviewing the arcade version, a ''
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'' critic said ''Die Hard Arcade'' "breathes life into a dead-end genre", as the fighting moves are effective and far more abundant than in previous beat 'em ups, even discounting the acquirable weapons. He also found the graphics "lively", but criticized that it is often difficult to line up attacks with opponents, and the action is sometimes glitchy or sluggish. It was Sega's most successful US-produced arcade game up to that time. Reviews for the Saturn port applauded its flawless conversion of the arcade version, variety of moves and combos, and selection of satisfying-to-use weapons, while criticizing the low longevity stemming from its short length, low difficulty, and limited replay value. Most critics asserted that even mildly-skilled players would beat the game within an hour, even without using the extra credits that can be earned by playing ''Deep Scan''. Glenn Rubenstein of ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' disputed this, saying that most players would need credits from ''Deep Scan'' to have a reasonable chance of beating the game. Paul Glancey of '' Sega Saturn Magazine'' was particularly enthusiastic about the weapons, commenting that "there's not much to beat the thrill of smacking a terrorist right in his low brow with an antique grandfather clock". However, he stated that the game overall was "a fun fighting game that's especially suited for novice players, but it's too short lived for more experienced beat 'em up fans". Sushi-X of ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The m ...
'' was also less than impressed, concluding: "Take away the humor, decent graphics and simple control, and you've got a bust". His three co-reviewers were more positive, with Crispin Boyer in particular calling the game "the slickest rip-off of '' Final Fight'' I've ever seen". ''
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''s The Rookie made little of ''Die Hard Arcade''s low longevity, deeming the game a welcome offering to enthusiasts of back-to-basics beat 'em up gameplay. A ''Next Generation'' critic noted the longevity as a major issue but likewise gave a firmly positive assessment: "''Die Hard Arcade'' is designed for pure and simple action, and it delivers". Rubenstein similarly described it as "simple, violent, and easy. Basically, it's a blast".
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ranked it number 25 on the list of the best Sega Saturn games, claiming that the "wide array of firearms and melee weapons helped amp up the arcade-style action".


References


External links


''Dynamite Deka EX'' official website
*
''Dia Hard Arcade''
at
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