I thought that the days of the cartoony arcade shooters were over. I packed away my much-loved PS1 version of Time Crisis just behind the old light-gun, with a tear in my eye and sadness in my hearts. And since then, I haven't given much thought to the genre, preferring to stick to newer, more advanced shooters like Call of Duty and Gears of War. However, I was booted back into the nineties with the latest take on the classic shooter - Ghost Squad on Wii.

This reminds me of what made arcade shooters so fantastic all those years ago - it is pure, brilliant, unrealistic fun. It feels just like those old arcade games which you used to play at the seaside, with the Wiimote making an amazing substitute for the light-guns of yore. And so it should, because Ghost Squad was released as a standalone arcade game before ever gracing TV screens.


The game centres around a group of US marines (called ghosts), sent on a mission to quell a group of rowdy terrorists up to no good. The missions take place in various areas, with branching choices creating a varied storyline that can be altered depending on those choices. A bad decision can even put the whole mission in jeopardy, which gives choosing a real sense of urgency and a feeling of 'I'd better do this right'.

Ghost Squad's real strong point, however, is the intuitive use of the Wiimote technology. As with the arcade version, the method is pretty much point and shoot. This system is simple and works well; it stays original and fluid, and lack of complicated controls allows the player to focus on the game more than their hands. There are some true bits of flair, as well, such as cutting the wires on a bomb using the Wiimote and the B button. It gets even better when you use the Wii Zapper add-on, making the shooting so good.


The only down side is the length - very short at only three missions. True, there are multiple choice scenarios, but the game lacks that feeling that you get from a proper, thirty mission campaign mode.

Ghost Squad is a brilliant reintroduction to the arcade shooter genre for many gamers who forgot about it altogether. The gameplay is fast and fun, the storyline is interesting and the multiple-choice scenarios are a real positive. For a quick burst of gunplay, you can't go wrong, but if you want a realistic anti-terrorist shooting experience, stick with Call of Duty.

7/10

Linford

Labels: Ghost Squad, Review

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