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By Al Giovetti, 03/10/97
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Publisher: Sega Entertainment
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Website: www.sega.com
Requirements:Windows 95, Pentium(R) processor, 60MHz or faster, 8MB, 2X CD ROM, 8 MB hard disk space, 16-bit sound card, SVGA,256 colors, Windows(R) 95 compatible game pad or keyboard


Virtua Squad

History

Sega has been making wholesale conversions of their coin-op and console games to the PC in order to leverage its assets in an attempt to shore up the failing sales of Sega Genesis cartridges and machines. Virtua Squad, known as Virtua Cop on the Saturn and in the arcades, is one of the barage conversions.

Company Line

Virtua Squad: An urban killing zone overrun by criminals packin' heavy heat and holding hostages. The law and weapons are on your side. . . The odds will never be. Unsurpassed fast-twitch response, dynamic 3-D scenarios, and rapid-fire gameplay will electrify you in an unyielding onslaught of polygon thugs. Win a trip to Japan and meet the famous AM2 development group!

First person view with constantly changing perspectives and zooming camera angles. Adjustable resolution and texture mapping for maximum performance. Download a playable demo and sound effects!

Game Play

The game is a rail shooter and is converted from the arcade where you had a futuristic laser style gun which allowed you to target body parts. Most players enjoyed working their way up the body of the enemy until they got to the head, sick but fun.

The PC version has no gun and there is the rub. Many players are complaining because of the lack of the gun, even the cheaper ones that were introduced just about two years ago, with the funky controls, such as the joystick on the gun accessory for aiming. Many feel that the mouse control of the cross hairs just does not measure up to the original experience.

Plot

Graphics

The game supports low and high resolution. The high-resolution smooth mode plays in slow motion even on the best machines while the low resolution mode just does not compete with the now over two year old graphics of the arcade version. This is a common problem with the Sega ports to PC.

Animation

Voice Actors

Music Score

Sound Effects

Utilities

Multi-player Features

Supports 2 player network play and 2 player cooperative mode .

Cheats, Hints, Walkthrough

Putting the game on high res smooth will not cause your mouse to move slowly making the game ultra easy for new players.

Journalists

"This is the first immersive shooting gallery on the PC. It's the first one that genuinely matters." --Computer Gaming World
"Sega's latest coin-op conversion provides plenty of fast thrills for trigger-happy gamers..."--PC Gamer

References

Jason D'Aprile, Computer Games, issue 77, April, 1997, pg. 74, 60%.
Sega Entertainment's Virtua Squad Web Site

PC Game Center

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