Wikipedia

Virtua Cop

Virtua Cop[a]is a 1994light gun shootervideo gamedeveloped and published bySegaforarcades.It was developed for theSega Model 2system, and was ported to theSega Saturnin 1995 andWindowsasVirtua Squadin 1996. The Saturn version included support for both the Virtua Gun and Saturn mouse, as well as a new "Training Mode" which consists of a randomly generatedshooting gallery.[9]

Virtua Cop
Japanese arcade flyer for Virtua Cop
Developer(s)Sega AM2
Publisher(s)Sega
Producer(s)Yu Suzuki
Programmer(s)Katsunori Itai
Artist(s)Akihito Hiroyoshi
Composer(s)Kentaro Koyama
Platform(s)Arcade,Saturn,Windows,PlayStation 2
Release
September 1994
  • Arcade
    Saturn
    • NA:November 15, 1995
    • JP:November 24, 1995[4]
    • EU:December 8, 1995[5]
    Windows
    • NA:November 11, 1996[6]
    • EU:1997
    • JP:October 25, 1996
    PlayStation 2
Genre(s)Light gun shooter
Mode(s)Single-player,multiplayer
Arcade systemSega Model 2

Virtua Copwas notable for its use ofreal-time3Dpolygon graphicswithtexture mapping,with Sega advertising it as "the world's first texture mapped, polygonaction game".[10][11]Emphasizing the real-time nature of the game, enemies would react differently depending on where they were shot.[12][13]It was one of the first games to allow the player to shoot through glass. Its name is derived from its 3Dgraphicalstyle, which was previously used inVirtua RacingandVirtua Fighter,and laterVirtua Striker.

Despite some initial skepticism over its introduction of 3D polygons in a genre that previously used realisticdigitizedsprites(most notablyLethal Enforcers),Virtua Copwent on to become a commercial success and received critical acclaim for enhancing the genre with its 3D graphics, camera system, realistic animations, and ability to target specific body parts with realistic consequences. It was influential on latershooter games,with 3D polygons being adopted by subsequent light gun shooters such asTime Crisis(1995) andThe House of the Dead(1996) instead of the digitized sprites previously used in the genre, as well as inspiring thefirst-person shooterGoldenEye 007(1997).

Virtua Copwas followed byVirtua Cop 2andVirtua Cop 3.The game was later bundled withVirtua Cop 2in Japan and Europe on thePlayStation 2asVirtua Cop: Elite Edition(Virtua Cop Rebirthin Japan) on August 25 and November 29, 2002 respectively. It included gallery extras and implementation ofNamco's G-Con 2 lightgun support. In 2004, a port was developed for thehandheldNokia N-Gage,but was cancelled by the quality control team before its release. Very few beta units of the N-Gage version were manufactured.[14]

Gameplay

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Players assume the role of police officers - either Michael Hardy, or his partner, James Cools. Played in afirst-person perspective,players must use alight gun(or a joypad in the Sega Saturn version) to shoot criminals and advance through the game. Players begin the game with a reloadable chamber of six bullets and a set number of lives. Taking enemy fire causes the player to lose a life; power-ups can be shot to grant the player a special weapon or even an extra life.[13]There are also civilians that the player must not harm during the stage. If the player hits a civilian, the player loses a life. The special weapon will be lost if the player takes damage, but not if he shoots a civilian. Players can score extra points for "justice shots" (disarming an enemy without killing them, done by shooting their hand) and "bullseyes" (shooting the center of thetarget circle).[9]

Story

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A detective in the player's department uncovers an illegal gunrunning operation and traces it back to a powerful crime syndicate named E.V.I.L. Inc. He compiles a large amount of evidence and is ready to take them down, but he is discovered and assassinated. Some of the evidence manages to make its way back to headquarters and a special task force is put on the case. The policemen Michael "Rage" Hardy and James "Smarty" Cools must face that organization led by Joe Fang and his followers Kong, the King, and the Boss.

Development

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Katsunori Itai and Akihito Hiroyoshi served as the lead developers onVirtua Cop,with Yu Suzuki serving as supervisor. The game's targeting reticles and zooming camera were inspired by a commercial forPokkaKilimanjaro coffee. Kenneth Ibrahim, who voiced the navigator inSega Rally Championship,voiced the civilians.[15]

A division ofSega AM2began work on the Saturn version in April 1995. Along with the Saturn version ofVirtua Fighter 2,it was one of the first games to make use of the Sega Graphics Library operating system.[12]Saturn port director Takashi Isono said: "We are trying to keep to the quality of the arcade. If three of us agree for improvement, then we try to modify the graphics".[9]The Saturn version features afull-motion videosequence of Michael and James driving on the dockyard before confronting Kong; designer Kazufumi Ohashi originally animated Kongflipping the bird,which Isono rejected, moving Ohashi to work on the training mode instead.[15]

In June, the team displayed a playable demo of the Saturn version's first level at the Tokyo Toy Show. They subsequently began work on the third level, since it was the most difficult to convert due to the large polygon areas of the office building walls and ceiling.[12]

In other games

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Reception

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Arcade

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In Japan,Game Machinelisted it on their November 1, 1994 issue as being the second most-successful upright/cockpitarcade cabinetof the month.[31]In North America,RePlayreportedVirtua Copto be the fifth most-popular arcade game in April 1995.[32]It went on to become the highest-grossing dedicatedarcade game of 1995in Japan,[33]and one of America's top ten best-selling arcade video games of 1995.[34]

The arcade game received generally positive reviews from critics. Tim Davis ofElectronic Gaming Monthlygave it a positive review, praising the polygon graphics, the zooming camera "that takes you all over" the place, the "automatic target sighting which pinpoints" enemies, and the weapon power-ups.[3]Computer and Video Gamesalso gave it a positive review, calling it "a classy title" and praising the 3D graphics, "excellent" animation, weapon power-ups, and the gameplay in both single-player and multiplayer modes.[16]Games Worldmagazine called it an "excellent fun" game, comparing it favorably with the shootersOperation Wolf(1987) andLethal Enforcers(1992) as well as the filmReservoir Dogs(1992), whileDave Perrysaid theVirtua Fighterlike 3D targets made it a "more challenging and satisfying" shooter.[27]

There was initially some skepticism over its introduction of 3D polygons in a genre that previously used realisticdigitizedsprites,[25][30]most notablyKonami'sLethal Enforcers.[27][24]Next Generationinitially gaveVirtua Copa mixed review in 1994, stating that Sega were "recklessly applying new technology to games that don't need it" but that "if players were given a chance to freely explore their mapped-out environments, this game would be a winner, but as it is,Virtua Copis just an old game with a new gimmick ".[24]Next Generationlater revised their views, praising its use of 3D technology to introduce the ability to target specific body parts with realistic consequences, which "totally eliminates the hit or miss polarity of other light-gun games and adds a whole new level of detail to the genre".[25]

In 1996,Next Generationlisted theVirtua Copseries (which then consisted of justVirtua Copand the arcade version ofVirtua Cop 2) at number 82 on their "Top 100 Games of All Time", praising the skill and realism invoked by the enemies' differing reactions to being shot in different places.[35]

Saturn

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Upon release of the Saturn version, the game sold over 300,000 copies in its first week of release in Japan.[36]Its Japanese sales reached 455,396 units by the end of 1995,[37]and 482,362 units in total.[38]In the United States, it sold more than 500,000 bundled copies by December 1996,[39]bringing total sales to more than 982,362 copies sold in Japan and the United States.

The Saturn version received positive reviews from critics.Next Generationgave it a positive review, applauding the impeccable accuracy of the port, but opted not to give it the full five stars they awarded to the Saturn's other two arcade ports of that month (Virtua Fighter 2andSega Rally Championship), as they found that the game, while sufficiently long for an arcade game, was too short for a home console release.[25]Game Informer's Reiner, Andy, and Paul gave the Saturn version scores of 8.5, 8.25 and 7.5 out of 10, praising the game as one of the best in its genre but noting that it lacked longevity for a console release.[20]

Rad Automatic ofSega Saturn Magazinesaid of the Saturn version: "It's got more depth than you'd imagine but is still mindless enough to be frenetically playable." He praised the effectiveness of the joypad control with its two cursor movement speeds, the authentic arcade feel when playing with two Virtua Guns, and the realism compared to other light gun games: "You don't see thousands of enemies popping up from behind exactly the same barrel... In fact, you won't see enemies popping up from barrels at all that much, as your foes arrive on screen in far more interesting ways".[29]

All four reviewers ofElectronic Gaming Monthlypraised it as a flawless conversion of the arcade game, though half of them also remarked that they felt the game itself is too short and lacks lasting appeal.[19]Scary Larry ofGamePropraised the realistic and stylish graphics and the Virtua Gun action. Similarly to EGM's reviewers, he remarked that the game is a near-perfect arcade port but too short and completely lacking in replay value, though he nonetheless gave it an overall recommendation.[21]Maximuminstead argued that the game is compelling enough to be played over and over again despite the lack of replay value. They also described the Saturn conversion as nearly identical to the arcade original, and remarked that the mindlessness and simplicity of the game make it particularly enjoyable.[28]

Game Playersgave the Saturn version ofVirtua Copthe award for "Best Shooter" of 1995, calling it "beyond entertaining — it's therapeutic."[30]In 1996, GamesMaster rated the Saturn version 4th on their "The GamesMaster Saturn Top 10."[40]

PC

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Time Soete ofGameSpotsaid the PC version is jerkier than the Saturn version and less intense without the use of a light gun, but that the mouse control is surprisingly smooth and that it retains enough of the fun of the arcade and Saturn versions to appeal to newcomers to the game.[22]Next Generationvoiced similar criticisms: "It's noticeably slower on the majority of PCs than in the arcade or on Saturn, running at speed only on the most high-end Pentiums. Worse, played without a light gun using only the mouse, the game loses a major part of its appeal..." They concluded that the game felt out of place on PC.[26]

Legacy

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Virtua Copwas a major influence on bothlight gun shootersas well asfirst-person shooters.When it was released in 1994, the game broke new ground by introducing the use of3Dpolygonsto the shooter genre.[41]Some of the popularlight gunrail shootersinfluenced byVirtua Copinclude theTime Crisisseries,The House of the Deadseries, variousResident Evilspin-offs, andDead Space: Extraction.

Virtua Copwas also the primary influence on the seminal first-person shooterGoldenEye 007,which was originally envisioned as anon-railslight gun shooterakin toVirtua Copbefore it ended up as an off-rails first-person shooter. According to creatorMartin Hollis:"We ended up with innovative gameplay, in part because we hadVirtua Copfeatures in a FPS: A gun that only holds 7 bullets and a reload button, lots of position-dependent hit animations, innocents you shouldn’t kill, and anaiming mode.When you press R inGoldenEye,the game basically switches to aVirtua Copmode. Perhaps more importantly following the lead fromVirtua Cop,the game was filled with action. There was lots to do, with very few pauses ".[42]

Sequels

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Main articles:Virtua Cop 2andVirtua Cop 3

Notes

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  1. ^Japanese:バーチャコップ,Hepburn:Bācha Koppu

References

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  1. ^"News: Connected"(PDF).Computer & Video Games.No. 156 (November 1994).EMAP.October 15, 1994. pp. 6–7 (7).
  2. ^"Video Game Flyers: Virtua Cop, Sega (Japan)".The Arcade Flyer Archive.Sega.RetrievedApril 24,2021.
  3. ^abcDavis, Tim (November 1994)."Arcade: Virtua Cop"(PDF).EGM².No. 5. pp.162–5.
  4. ^"Virtua Cop Short Stories".Maximum: The Video Game Magazine.No. 2.Emap International Limited.November 1995. p. 117.
  5. ^abArchived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:Dave, Perry(December 7, 1995)."Episode #106".GamesMaster.Series 5. Episode 12. United Kingdom. 13 minutes in.Channel 4.RetrievedApril 24,2021.
  6. ^"Sega Entertainment's" Virtua Squad "delivers gaming justice on the PC;" Virtua Squad ": a PC gamer's equal opportunity right to arcade-action includes two-player network gameplay".Business Wire.November 11, 1996. Archived fromthe originalon December 5, 2015.RetrievedAugust 11,2021– viaThe Free Dictionary.
  7. ^Bramwell, Tom (November 29, 2002)."What's New?".Eurogamer.RetrievedJuly 8,2024.
  8. ^"Virtua Cop Re-birthheads to PlayStation 2 ".GameSpot.May 31, 2002. Archived fromthe originalon August 25, 2004.RetrievedJuly 8,2024.
  9. ^abcHickman, Sam (December 1995)."Call the Cops!".Sega Saturn Magazine.No. 2.Emap International Limited.pp.34–39.
  10. ^"Virtua Cop: The World's First Texture Mapped, Polygon Action Game With New" Model 2 "3-D Computer Graphics!".The Arcade Flyer Archive.Sega Enterprises.1994.RetrievedApril 24,2021.
  11. ^"Apprehended! Virtua Cop: Another Big One from Sega".RePlay.Vol. 20, no. 3. December 1994. p. 19.
  12. ^abcGuise, Tom (November 1995)."Cop a Load of This!".Sega Saturn Magazine.No. 1.Emap International Limited.pp.42–45.
  13. ^ab"Next Wave: Virtua Cop"(PDF).Electronic Gaming Monthly.No. 78. Sendai Publishing. January 1996. pp.102–3.
  14. ^Nork, Christian (July 26, 2004)."Virtua Cop".n-page.de(in German).Archivedfrom the original on August 27, 2018.RetrievedApril 7,2019.
  15. ^abVirtua Cop Documentary | Reviewing Every U.S. Saturn Game | Episode 31 of 246.YouTube.PandaMonium Reviews Every U.S. Saturn Game. August 13, 2022.RetrievedApril 21,2023.
  16. ^ab"Cop This: Virtua Cop"(PDF).Computer and Video Games.No. 163 (June 1995). May 1995. p. 90.
  17. ^Guise, Tom; Lomas, Ed (December 10, 1995)."CVG Review: Virtua Cop".Computer and Video Games.No. 170 (January 1996). pp.30–3.
  18. ^"Testscreen: Virtua Cop"(PDF).Edge.No. 29. February 1996. pp.78–79.
  19. ^ab"Review Crew: Virtua Cop"(PDF).Electronic Gaming Monthly.No. 78. Sendai Publishing. January 1996. p. 40.
  20. ^abReiner, Andrew; et al. (January 1996)."Rendered and Ready to Wear".Game Informer.Archived fromthe originalon November 20, 1997.RetrievedJuly 16,2014.
  21. ^abScary Larry (February 1996)."ProReview: Virtua Cop".GamePro.No. 79.IDG.p. 56.
  22. ^abSoete, Tim (December 4, 1996)."Virtua Squad Review".GameSpot.RetrievedJuly 9,2014.
  23. ^Gus; Marcus (February 1996)."Virtua Cop".Mean Machines Sega.No. 40. pp.58–60.RetrievedAugust 6,2021.
  24. ^abc"Finals".Next Generation.No. 1 (January 1995).Imagine Media.December 8, 1994. p. 105.
  25. ^abcd"Stunning".Next Generation.Vol. 2, no. 14. Imagine Media. February 1996. p. 162.
  26. ^ab"Virtua Squad".Next Generation.No. 26.Imagine Media.February 1997. p. 134.
  27. ^abcPerry, Dave;Walkland, Nick; Roberts, Nick; Price, Adrian (November 1994)."Reviews: Virtua Cop".Games World.No. 7 (January 1995).Paragon Publishing.p. 21.
  28. ^ab"Maximum Reviews: Virtua Cop".Maximum: The Video Game Magazine.No. 3.Emap International Limited.January 1996. p. 143.
  29. ^abAutomatic, Rad (December 1995)."Review: Virtua Cop".Sega Saturn Magazine.No. 2.Emap International Limited.pp.70–71.
  30. ^abc"Game Players - Awards - Best Shooter".Game Players.No. 79. Signal Research. Christmas 1995. pp. 15–41 (36).
  31. ^"Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット hình TVゲーム cơ (Upright/Cockpit Videos)".Game Machine(in Japanese). No. 483.Amusement Press, Inc.November 1, 1994. p. 25.
  32. ^"Player's Choice - Top Games Now in Operation, Based on Earnings-Opinion Poll of Operators: Best Location Videos".RePlay.Vol. 20, no. 7. RePlay Publishing, Inc. April 1995. p. 6.
  33. ^""Virtua Fighter 2" and "Virtua Cop" Top Videos "(PDF).Game Machine(in Japanese). No. 511.Amusement Press, Inc.February 1, 1996. p. 22.
  34. ^"Coin Machine: Six Receive ACME Awards For Product Excellence".Cash Box.Cash Box Pub. Co. April 6, 1996. p. 26.
  35. ^"Top 100 Games of All Time".Next Generation.No. 21.Imagine Media.September 1996. p. 43.
  36. ^Hickman, Sam (December 15, 1995)."Virtua Sell Out!".Sega Saturn Magazine.No. 3 (January 1996).Emap International Limited.p. 7.
  37. ^"1995 Top 100".Game Data Library.Famitsu.RetrievedSeptember 17,2021.
  38. ^"Game Search".Game Data Library.Famitsu.RetrievedOctober 13,2021.
  39. ^"Press release: Sega tops holiday, yearly sales projections".Sega of America.January 13, 1997.RetrievedOctober 14,2021.
  40. ^"The GamesMaster Saturn Top 10"(PDF).GamesMaster(44): 76. July 1996.
  41. ^Virtua CopArchived2012-02-20 at theWayback Machine,IGN,July 7, 2004, Accessed Feb 27, 2009
  42. ^Martin Hollis (September 2, 2004)."The Making of GoldenEye 007".Zoonami. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011.RetrievedDecember 22,2011.
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