Am I dreaming?
http://gonintendo.com/?p=17689#more-17689
Europe Ltd. and SEGA of America, Inc. today announced that the arcade hit Ghost Squad, is being developed for the Nintendo Wii™. Developed by the SEGA AM2 arcade division, Ghost Squad will use the Wii Remote™ as a multi-purpose tool to allow players easy control of the on-screen targeting of enemies, defusing bombs, and rescuing hostages. The daring Ghost Squad battle to bring peace to the world begins early 2008.
Set in a world overrun with terrorism where the U.N. has been forced into creating the Global Humanitarian-Operation and Special Tactics Squad aka “Ghost Squad.” This team of elite soldiers comprise of the best of the best from both domestic and foreign military and special operations forces. Players signing up for the Ghost Squad will gain first hand experience of missions involving tremendous stealth, executing extreme prejudice upon terrorist subjects, and leaving a target area with no trace of being there.
“Ghost Squad was a great success at the arcades because it provided players with instantly exciting gameplay, coupled alongside well thought out pace,” said Gary Knight, European Marketing Director, SEGA Europe Ltd. “The Wii version has mirrored this entirely and is a brilliant way to bring all the arcade excitement into gamers homes. Ghost Squad utilises the Wii Remote perfectly as a light gun, resulting in the game being a total blast.”
Within a squad of four operatives, players will have to traverse three different mission locations, each comprising of multiple levels, with the possibility of unlocking over 25 high-powered weapons as they progress. Each level has a series of alternate routes, providing players with varying challenges as enemies ambush from unexpected and surprising hideouts. Weapon selection is varied across a wide range of weapon types from machine guns, submachine guns, pistols, sniper rifles, shotguns, and even crossbows.
Ghost Squad features four different modes of play including Arcade mode, Multiplayer mode, Training mode, and Special mode. Players can also track their personal performances against other players via the Wii’s online functionality.
Ghost Squad will be available across Europe in early 2008. For more information on Ghost Squad and other SEGA titles please visit www.sega-europe.com
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Ghost Squad™
Platform: Wii
Genre: Gun Shooter
Developer: AM2
Release Date: Holiday 2007
ESRB: RP
The smash arcade title with light gun combat comes to the WiiTM
The Ghost Squad is a Special Forces unit established in strict secrecy by the U.N. to combat terrorism and carry out special highly-classified missions without leaving a trace. As an elite member of the Ghost Squad, players will complete dangerous missions such as eliminating terrorist groups, releasing hostages, deactivating bombs, and even rescuing the US President when terrorists hijack Air Force One! Using the Wii Remote™, players will utilize revolutionary selectable weapons including a high powered rifle, sub machine and shot gun, or even engage in hand-to-hand combat.
KEY FEATURES:
* 4 gameplay modes – Includes the full arcade version of Ghost Squad, a Multiplayer mode for 1-4 players and more
* 3 dangerous missions to complete - with multiple levels that increase in difficulty as the player progresses. Players will also unlock a variety of alternate routes, different player choice scenarios, and secret weapons and costumes. Time of day for certain missions can also be effected
* Alone or with up to three squad mates, players will rescue hostages, apprehend suspects and deactivate bombs as you eliminate terrorist threats around the world
* 25 different tactical weapons to unlock and use during operations
* Special assistance devices such as night vision, thermo vision and a flashlight will ensure that the operation is a success
* One of the first light gun games to make the leap from the arcades to the Wii – using only the Wii Remote
Ah, thats fantastic - 4 player!
I was caning this in the arcade last weekend, such a great game
4 players, simulataneous alternate routes - that has to be it, right?
One of the first light gun games to make the leap from the arcades to the Wii – using only the Wii Remote
Best news of the week. I absolutely love this game. Looks like they've pulled out the stops with this one too adding additional players and modes. This can't come out soon enough. Sega need to release a gun shell for the Wii remote for authenticity.
Also check out the extract from the press release above. I think it's safe to assume we'll be seeing more lightgun goodness from Sega coming to Wii. A Virtua Cop compendium or at the very least VC3 has to be in the works surely? If they can port Ghost Squad from Chihiro to Wii then VC3 can't be far behind.
Oh happy days.
Chihiro ports... awww shucks... least that paves the way for non-xbox versions of chihiro stuff (apart from OutRun2SP on Sony)... well whatever...
I think it'll be our duty to buy all the copies of Ghost Squad so we get ALL light gun games from Sega... and chihiro ports of OutRun2 and so on...
I'm silly excited about this... silly giddy pathetically excited.
Since its a Sega Europe PR thing, what's do we reckon our Fat Bulbous Slappers from Sheffield are involved?
4 players, simulataneous alternate routes - that has to be it, right?
Well that would be aces naturally. As far as I can tell in the arcade you have two two man teams Alpha team and Bravo team. The first mission has an Alpha and Bravo route that's selectable from the off, so it could work as a split screen jobbie if the Wii is up to it. Graphically I'm sure the Wii can pump out a near perfect port, but I can see things suffering under split screen. Gameplay wise though it would be one in the eye for time crisis and they could probably just about do it with a widescreen tele as the arcade version is 4:3. 4 players working as 2 teams of 2 could be something very special as the teams often overlap with differing objectives so you'd be able to see your buddies outflanking the enemy and engaging with crossfire. I'm going to get this obviously, but if they can do it split screen then I will be in heaven.
Mind you it does say AM2 developed... mmmm, that's too good to be true. They usually keep the porters under wraps for a while don't they?
Depending on teh actual developer, the 4 player can be, 4 cursors... or 4 routes... on 4 Wii... the local WiFi angle on the Wii hasn't really been played with, considering how simple it must be to do a local WiFi thing, and its portability (minus Sensor Bar faffage), the potential is heouwge... Mario Strikers was demoed using it... dunno if that's still the case. Or if that was just an emulation of t'interweb usage.
Since its a Sega Europe PR thing, what's do we reckon our Fat Bulbous Slappers from Sheffield are involved?
Possibly, I'm excited either way.
Mind you it does say AM2 developed... mmmm, that's too good to be true. They usually keep the porters under wraps for a while don't they?
I think you're missing the 'full-stop'. I read that as saying the arcade version is AM2 developed, not the Wii version.
linky to really terrible Gamespot article on Wii Ghost Squad
AHAHHAHAHAHHHAHA. I mean come ON. This has to be one of the worst bits of writing ever. I know it's only been cobbled together for a near instantaneous deadline, but even so this is laughably bad.
Red Steel like Ghost Squad YOU MORON! Red Steel is an FPS Ghost Squad is an on rails lightgun game.
Anyone played that great lightgun game Virtua Fighter? Anyone? PLEASE this person must be on minimum wage.
And then there's the normal slew of retarded comments. UTTER GARBAGE.
(Please forgive my over-use of caps in this post).
Complete fucking idiots these people, seriously. There's little difference between the "journalist's" writing and the moronic comments these days.
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I think you're missing the 'full-stop'. I read that as saying the arcade version is AM2 developed, not the Wii version.
That's what I am failing to get at, its intentionally wierd about whats going on... maybe its being devved by SCEE?
I have a bad feeling about this.
If they make a new lightgun peripheral then it'll all be ok, but I just don't think the Wii remote is up to the task of handling an arcade lightgun game. It'll be more like using a mouse than a lightgun, which isn't really the same thing.
I have to disagree with you there. I'm expecting them to release a gun shell with this game, which will hook up to the port on the remote and give you a trigger and a secondary button just like a conventional lightgun. Then it's a simple case of calibrating the remote in the game. The arcade uses exactly the same tech as the Wii. The only difference is it has more IR emitters positioned around the periphery of the screen.
I have faith.
We'll see. I just don't think the Wii remote is fast enough for that type of game and can imagine it just feeling like I'm dragging a cursor across the screen.
Must admit though, that I've only played Ghost Squad once so I'm not entirely familiar with excatly how it works.
that`s insane in the membrane!
Trauma Center demonstrates the speed and accuracy of the Wii Remote. There appears to be a sensitivity setting somewhere that can be used by devs. The Wii menu uses a kind of geriatric config to hide the shakes.
As for not playing Ghost Squad... for shame... for shame... it must've plundered me for at least 100 notes to date.
As for not playing Ghost Squad... for shame... for shame... it must've plundered me for at least 100 notes to date.
Hmm. I'll have to have a look round the arcades at Bournemouth. Perhaps there's a cabinet hidden inbetween the countless DDR machines and Need For Speed cabs.
You really need a card to make the most of it or find one of the new Evolution cabs that have all the toys unlocked from the get go. The way in which it opens up harder difficulties and different routes the more you play makes repeat play really enjoyable.
Even without a card it's still a very good lightgun game. Pacing, enemy placement and the inclusion of mini-challenges (borrowed from Confidential Mission no doubt) push it up there with the best.
One final comment on the remote speed. If you go into the Wii Settings menu and play with the controller sensitivity you can see just how quick the pointer can be. As Jibber says I think there's a bit of intentional lag put on the pointer in most applications to smooth out any hiccups and make it easier for people to control the pointer on screen.
There is also a noticable .25 second lag on the guns in the arcade version itself.
Although... I don't think its possible to calibrate the remote as a light gun, the sensor bar isn't enough. For it to work you'd have to hold the remote at exactly the same place, and rotate it I think.
However... Duck Hunt in Wii Play is great, I'm expecting it to work a little differently, but feel the same.
calibration is an interesting issue... in theory you know the distance between the sensor bar leds and then could triangulate from there... or you could get the user to stick the Wii Remote against the sensor bar and walk backwards to get that distance... wierdly.
Then you've got the square size thing... I think its doable.. but the level of accuracy would be such that calibration would probabaly be pointless anyway.
I've played Ghost Squad on a borked setup... it has the reticules on the screen... other than the shoulder stock mount and the two hand grips, it basically is Wii Menu stuff... your brain compensates naturally for most of it... you just can't use the pin sight on the actual gun...
How many of us played Duck Hunt NES with the sights right to your eye anyways? I tried it a few times... but really it ended ip being a nuanced thing with hand eye coordination...
Unlockables I want to see are...:
Virtua Cop Series
Confidential Mission
House of the Dead Series
OutRun2
It wouldnt surprise me if there is a way to get the remote to function like a light gun. One thing that always bugged me is the change in setups on the Sega cabs;
On Virtua Cop 1 and 2 there was no sensor array around the monitor itself, nothing - all it has was the board with a lens inside the gun itself. I never once has any issues with calibration using this setup.
The later games (everything after House of the Dead 1 if I remember right) - had small sensor boards in series all around the monitor. Even the really big machines like the Jurassic Park Lost World ride had them and calibration was a constant nightmare.
I dont think I ever got them working correctly, despite ordering loads of replacement boards (sensor and gun) on a regular I could never work out why the setup was changed from what we had before.
On a random - you know that the L-R triggers on the Wii Classic Controller are properly analogue? Been inside mine for Starfox tweaking, as a controller is has more input functions than the GC pad!
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Papercut will vouch for my continual Classic Controller fondling... that was the first thing I unpacked... I think, even before the Wii...
Analogue, with the GC digital click I presume, at least that's what it feels like. The weird convex front aswell, and the beautiful d-pad... mmmmmm... its almost as if they were going to have it for GC games too... or something... where is that much rumoured Home Brew-esque channel for more Classic Controller Clutching?
How about we have Silent Scope, but instead of a small screen (although I could have that as an attachment) you could do it by audio... or smell ( as an attachment)...
They've definetly got plans for that Classic Controller, it's not some cheap little accessory for the VC - it's a full blown modern console controller. Like if the Wii didnt have a remote - the Classic would be it's controller, it's equally functional (if not more so) compared to any controller to date.
Agreed on the D-Pad - it's perfection, I proper cant wait for them to unleash the NeoGeoness on the VC.
I'm getting hold of Biohazard Wii Edition shortly - that should give a pretty good indication of how the remote would feel as a gun in a life or death situation! I was playing RE4 - but after seeing that fucking brilliant advert with the couple playing the game, I stopped playing in anticipation of the Wii version.
On a random - is anyone else here a fan of Snatcher? I've just started playing the Mega CD version again (via Gens Emulator) and it's sheer genius!
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Ah Snatcher is one of those game's I've always wanted to play, but never got around to. Also there's all sorts of conflicting stuff about which version is THE version. Some have censored bits and others let you use a lightgun for the shooty bits etc.
As for the lightguns there's a number of reasons why they had to change the hardware. I suppose the obvious one is a move away from CRT monitors on Lindberg. The old school guns basically flash the screen with a white frame when you press the trigger and then count the time between the start of the frame and when the detector in the gun sees the light from the electron beam scanning he screen - the lens on the front of the gun is designed to focus in on a tiny area of the screen. The time delay between the start of the frame and when the gun detects light therefore directly maps to where you're pointing.
The big downside with this is the fact the screen has to be flushed with white everytime you press the trigger. It's fine for pistol based games, but if you've ever played Crisis Zone on the PS2 you'll notice it's not too hot for games that use machine gun extensively as the screen is constantly flashing white.
The new style guns use IR just like the Wii, giving full flexibility over choice of display and eliminating the white flashing. Whether drifting guns is an acceptable price to pay for the benefits I don't know. It doesn't matter too much for Ghost Squad because you're essentially not sighting down the barrel of the gun and as Jib said earlier your brain compensates. An off calibrated gun would wreck a game like Virtua Cop though where pin point accuracy is essential if you're playing for justice shots.
The time delay between the start of the frame and when the gun detects light therefore directly maps to where you're pointing.
The big downside with this is the fact the screen has to be flushed with white everytime you press the trigger. It's fine for pistol based games, but if you've ever played Crisis Zone on the PS2 you'll notice it's not too hot for games that use machine gun extensively as the screen is constantly flashing white.
I didnt know or consider ANY of this - I forgot all about the white flash on Virtua Cop etc, nice one for that! XD
There's definetly a trade-off as far as accuracy and reliability are concerned. On the new Sega cabs if just one sensor is not working correctly both the X and Y positioning for that area gets fucked over - further to that the sight starts to warp outwards past that point (slight movement of the gun translates to larger movement onscreen the further out you aim).
They were a nightmare to setup and keep working - I especially felt bad for the Lost World machine we had because at one point of the game you had to fire a grappling hook at a helicopter to progress. You had no target sight on screen to get your bearings with and I never once saw anyone get past that point cos the guns were fucked.
PS- you MUST play Snatcher! It really hits home that all this amazing free-roaming 3D bollox we have now really doesnt matter one bit. It's as engrossing as any of the classic point and click games.
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Agreed on the Classic Controller. There are so many mysteries about it - that funny clip on the back plus the seemingly redundant analog buttons - I have to wonder what Nintendo has/had planned for it.
SNATCHER! Awesome game. I played it from start to finish years ago but, funnily enough, I could never get the lightguns to work. Still loved it though and am looking forward to playing the follow-up, Policenauts, once the fan translation is done.
Was that the Saturn version? Maybe I should just get A version and be done with it. I've got so much to play at the moment though so I know it's just going to languish if I did pick one up
Some pics of the Wii version:
http://www.the-magicbox.com/0705/game070515b.shtml
don't like the font.
Was that the Saturn version? Maybe I should just get A version and be done with it. I've got so much to play at the moment though so I know it's just going to languish if I did pick one up
You need to get the Mega CD version. It's the only one that was ever released in English and will work in an emulator if you don't have the console.
Ah thanks. I've got a MegaCD, but it's the Japanese console, I know there's a way of hacking out the region code on some games, but it might be easier to pick up another MegaCD tbh.
Changing the region code is meant to be quite easy though - rip iso, patch image, burn cd-r.
I looked into this a while back and concluded the hacking the region to PAL from a JPN original was easy, but I couldnt find a tool to go from a US or UK game to JPN. :?
This has meant I've got a small selection of English MegaCD stuff that I've never played.
Just use the Gens emulator and play it on your PC man!
I'll send you a copy of Snatcher if you want one, I'm playing it on my PC with the PS3 SixAxis for a controller.
I'm up to Act 2 so far, left it just before entering the hospital - it's such a class game! I cant wait for the Policenauts translation, I had no idea that was happening till Kaladron mentioned it.
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groovular,
Are you playing an English language version? if so I'll gladly take you up on the offer of a loaner
. I have a long business trip over August and something like Snatcher would really help to kill time in the evenings.
I've had the game sitting on my shelf for years. I didnt know what the deal was with emulation back then and forgot about it completely until I recently saw that the Mega CD emulation now is pretty much perfect!
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IGN have a hilarious interview with Yosuke Okunari, creative producer.
http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/794/794454p1.html
Isn't Virtua Cop 3 the continuation of the Virtua Cop series? Did that never appear in the states or what?
Anyways, this dude wants all light gun games on Wii, so, that's gotta be good.
You can run around as Virtua Cops too, woot!
Still no real info on 4 player, might be a competitative mode.
4:3 to keep arcadeness too, which makes perfect sense to me, implies they are keeping true to the original vision and so forth.
No earth shattering revelations there. His comments on the different styles of play, VC = precision shooting and GS = intense machine gunning, are interesting. Particularly his throw away comment that the higher level GS players might want to play with a more precision based arsenal.
The one area where VC wins over all other gun games is the 'justice shot'. Whoever came up with that idea is an absolute genius. Playing VC for score attack is fantastic fun, the whole game is designed to be played that way. In every encounter you have to make a decision whether to go for the justice shot or pop 3 caps into an enemy (iirc 3 is the most number of shots that register a score). Then there's the multiplyer gauge to consider too.
Love it.
I've sort of lost track of this one in all the excitement. What's the latest on this. I remember reading that 4-Player is in and there's a training mode, but what I really want is some online co-op that makes use of the multiple paths. The first level of the arcade is an example of how good this could be. As Bravo and Alpha teams have different routes through the level engaging enemies in a crossfire.
It would require a substantial amount of reworking to make linked co-op work as you'd have to compensate for time differences in the two teams. You'd have to programme in a number of contingency enemies that only appear when the other team is being slow. This in itself would create some interesting gameplay variations.
Also a little lag in the connection wouldn't hurt this sort of game too badly. You might end up firing a round into a guy that's already dead. I suppose.
Chihiro ports.... again.... lets hope they've got a mechanism.
Anyways....
I too, the champion of this thread, have lost track.
I saw something about turning all the enemies into bikini clad ladies and you shoot them with water pistols... but that's about it... atleast all I can remember.
Worth a dig I reckon, the official site might give up some merchendise.
You online plans are interesting... but I don't recall this existing in the arcade, side by side, your turning the game into a questy game instead of a arcade'em up.
You have to have the card innit.
If you complete the first level then you can replay the operation at night time. This gives you a choice of either going through the first building or flanking around the exterior. Two completely different paths. If you take the new route around the outside of the building you eventually pop in through the first floor windows and help out with the mop up situation inside. I'm not sure if the other levels are rigged like this, but this is the reason the game has an Alpha and a Bravo team to allow for split paths.
If every mission has this feature then really you've got a whole new set of levels that share the same environments.
I think that this mighty tome of visualality will answer the questions you seek:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/24832.html
or
http://www.sega-ghostsquad.com/wii/home.html
Click on movie for autheticity
And demonstrates that recreational drug use in media production is rampant in Japan.
Ghosto Scatto?
Lovely. The arcade game has loads of replayability anyway, but it looks like they've rammed some extra Sega goodness in there for good measure. Love the beach wear mode and the shooting gallery looks fun.
4 player looks like a little too much. Can't wait to see what other tweaks they've made. VC2 on the Saturn is pretty much a masterclass on how to do a home port of an arcade lightgun game. The level of customisation in that game is brilliant. iirc it even has a random mode which randomises the order the enemies appear, making it completely different each time.
Time Crisis 4 will be a joke compared with this game. Namco have completely lost the plot with that series. TC2 is probably the best in the series overall, but the original has not been beaten in terms of mechanics. The time limit actually meant something back then. It's a very tight Time Attack game that will be lost on most people as you have to really get under the games skin to work out what's going on. Really lovingly crafted that one, such a shame.
Slightly decent impression shocker from IGN:
http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/823/823506p1.html
page 2 at least.
Dual wield pft. What the hell is wrong with these people. They're obsessed by dual wield.
I'm sure I'll try a bit of dual and then quickly realise as I did with virtua cop (which I used to play in the arcade dual wield after I'd rinsed it over and over to make it more challenging) that it's a nightmare. Essentially you can't triangulate both guns simultaneously so you end up playing each hand alternately. Ghost Squad will be no different.
I didn't really understand his comments about holding the zapper flat. What was all that about?
Nevertheless it sounds like Sega are on the money with this one. Oh and LOL at comments that the Dreamcast could do Ghost Squad. What a joker. It's Chichiro and reproducing it on the DC would have resulted in a lot of compromises.
LOL, I thought this was gonna be like Ghostbusters or something
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When's 'Wii Carlton' coming out?
Have mine. It's sensationally good. Especially for a budget release. The remotes work fine as light guns. Even without the gun shells I can play happily without having the targeting sight turned on
It doesn't feel 100% arcade perfect, but I'd say it's 99% there. No widescreen so you have to get used to stretch-o-vision or play 4:3.
The meat and veg of it is the arcade mode, which plays like the card enabled version of the cab. It will take a long time to see everything the game has to offer and unlock all of the weapons.
The party mode with 4 players is a little bit too hectic. The poor terrorists (or bikini clad babes in paradise mode) don't stand a chance.
The water pistols in paradise mode are an interesting addition as the shot speed is slower and the water spurts are effected by gravity, so you have to lob enemies at range a little.
This bodes well for future Wii shooters in general. Here's hoping for VC3 and fingers and toes crossed, a port of Too Spicy.
http://vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=12380
60k copies! That's pretty pathetic especially considering the price point. TT_TT
Man I hope HOTD 2+3 shifts some copies otherwise all those great Sega shooters are going to stay arcade only
I naively thought that since every Wii owner already had the hardware to play that this would sell like hot cakes. Umbrella Chronicles looks like it's selling, so I guess the Ghost Squad brand just isn't enough to carry the game through in terms of sales.
Considering that Ghost Squad must have been a relatively cheap port (it's not even in widescreen) I'd imagine that Sega doesn't need huge sales to generate a profit.
Agreed, 60K is not too shabby I'd have thought.
I reckon I'll be buying every single lightgun game that comes out (as long as they're good). If they're all as cheap and fun as Ghost Squad you'd be silly not to really.
Now that I think about it, what games would everyone like to see? I'd be interested in the following.
Virtua Cop 1&2
Police 24/7 (with Balance Board functionality for real dodging)
Point Blank (the first and best)
Time Crisis (as above)
I'd quite like to see Let's Go Jungle too. I know it's relatively new but I played it a few weeks ago and it's quite good fun. The compatability test feel of the co-op play seems perfect for the Wii's audience too.