Time Crisis Series - the best lightgun game series

Namco brought the Time Crisis to the arcades and then exclusively for the Playstation. It is the first lightgun game to bring out innovation for which is known as 'the pedal'. Basically, the arcade machine has a pedal on the floor, the Sony games have buttons on the side of the lightguns that you can buy with the game or seperately. What this does is when you press down on the pedal with your foot, or the button on the side of the gun you can shoot the enemies, bullets limited, and when the bullets have ran out or if a enemy is going to shoot you then you will need to duck out of the way. By doing this you take your foot off the pedal or your finger off the guns side button and you will automatically hide behind a wall or a table etc. This will also reload your weapon so you can go back out shooting again. Loads of games have copied this, Ninja Assault, End Game and also other companies like Konami have tried bringing innovation to the lightgun games themselves like Police 911 (Police 24/7) with the new sensory movement system.

The original was a classic in every respective and alot of hype came from it. The reviews were far from giving it bad marks and everyone was talking about it. The graphics were really good for its time but obviously after having the consoles we have now we can look back and complain it hurts our eyes. The storyline was reasonable for a lightgun game as well. Basically you, Richard Miller, infilatrate a enemies castle to rescure a girl Rachel, the mayors daughter their holding captive for ransom. This is the first shoot 'em up to hold a story.

The sequel came in the arcades about a year before it came for the Playstation 2, which had updated and improved graphics. The original was immediately forgotten and this was hailed as the best shoot 'em up ever. Even though these was starting to be known for its short side, Namco decided to add mini games and challenges to the PS2 version. They also brought out another innovation which is a pure classic; you can either play solo or with another player by ilink. When you go to the arcades you will find the machine to have two screens, two guns and two pedals. Basically your character, depending which one your playing will go through different routes showing his perspective of the environments around you guys. This will add to replay vlaue, a genius idea. The storyline is something more advanced as you gotta stop a powerful guy from launching a nuclear satilite, by doing so you will engage in shoot outs on speed boats, fast moving trains, and villages. The music has been updated to a rock-style version which has the best music I have ever heard in the Time Crisis series. This is the best in my opinion.

Crisis Zone was a side project for Namco, back to a one player game in the arcades it came with a submachine game which you can just hold your finger on the trigger and let her rip. The other innovative idea is your bullets interact with the enviornments making everything destructable. You can shoot through glass, balls, surf boards in sport shops and cds, posters, videos, tv screens in a music store in the shopping mall level. You will get the choice out of three levels, which order you do them is entirely up to you. The at the end is the final boss. I havent played it for the PS2 just of yet but screenshots look awesome showing the graphics are updated like TC2.

Time Crisis 3 was a huge letdown. The graphics seemed to have improved but they way they use it doesnt come across visually nice at all. The music is basically the same with some new tracks that doesnt beat the first two. Also Mad Dog is back which is really becoming tiresome of shooting at him yet again. The environments are not creative, there are the occasional few good missions like when the train is dangling from a bridge and when you shoot the enemies they fall off and go down the cannyon as you hear their screams fade. They have a weapon selection system which the way it works is clever and simple as you can choose from the pistol, machine guns, shotgun and grenade launcher. However the guns apart from the pistol are limited and the only way you can get more bullets for them is by shooting the yellow color coded enemies that was onced used for extra points and time in the other two are now to get more bullets. The storyline is quite pathetic which I dont feel like explaining. There is however another story for the PS2 version that shows the whole game through Alicia's eyes which adds more depth and funner missions. Also she has a sniper which you can use on some missions, but for the rest you just use a pistol

 

 

 

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time crisis series is just brilliant! this is probably the first shoot em up game with a gun that i really enjoyed. i only played time crisis one and two. i havent played time crisis three yet, but it looks really good as you can change and collect weapons as you go along.

i love it when i only take 1 shot to shoot each person. it even counts how much you shoot in a row. i also love it when bosses come up and you shoot like mad to kill it. ducking them bullets coming towards you can be scary when you only have one life left!

once i almost completed time crisis 2 in the arcades. it gives you about 8 continues for only 1 pound! i only used up about two pounds. only thing that stopped me was the real time. i was at the service station on a trip and the coach was about to leave. damn! i could of comleted that. up to the last boss "wilddog" think it was in the car park or something he was behind pillars when i was trying to shoot him.

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I personally loved the Time Crisis series (even though I've never played TC3). The first game brought about an hour of entertainment, but I must admit, it was just an okay game. Now, when TC2 came along, wow, that's when I was hooked. While the graphics and gameplay were relatively the same, the part that really hooked me was partner playing. I remember older games had two people playing on the same screen, which was cumbersome as we had to share our physical space. With Time Crisis 2, we each had our own screens (and full machines) which let us basically work in full unison. I particularly enjoyed where the characters would split off, basically having our own storyline, then reconnect later on in the stage. I remember playing through an entire game once, with that satisfaction of leaving the game completed. However, now when I see the game at the arcades, I don't feel the same way about it. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

Now thinking about it, whenever I would play with a partner, most of the time it was with some random person that joined in after I started. Talk about a great way to make a new bud.

 

 

 

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Time crisis is a good game, although I must say that there is a more realistic game, where you stand in front of the screen, its a "move and your character moves" game, so you have to duck from bullets, hide and shoot as well... This game is not for those with low stamina... I always come out of the arcade sweaty and wet when I play that game...

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Time Crisis Series
From this game.. i dunno how much money iv spend on arcades playing this game. The funny thing about this game when you play it at arcades. The game yes is addicting but when you hold the gun and shoot, its even more addicting because the gun goes back every time you shoot. Makes it seem like your literally in the game. Plus there is a Panel at the bottem to go up and down to hide. Which makes it even MORE better .
I would have to say iv wasted about 20$ and up playing this game total at arcades. I would buy it, but i dunno where you can buy a gun like that, that actually goes back when you shoot.

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