Mad Dog
2: The Lost Gold is the latest title by American Laser Games to be revamped for
the PC. This new and improved version features MPEG-1 video quality and has
been optimized for Windows, and also features support for Act-Labs USB Light Gun
(see our review here:
https://www.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r20992.htm). However, the game is still
the same game you played in the arcades a good ten years ago. Those accustomed
to the new breed of shooter games (like House of the Dead III or Time Crisis
II), will no doubt become bored or frustrated with the slow pace and finicky
shooting of Mad Dog 2. However, old-school fans will no doubt get a nostalgic
kick out of this game, albeit a short one.
The
original Mad Dog 2 came out in the arcades about ten years ago. The title was
an event-based shooter, undoubtedly inspired by (and built on the same
technology as) classic event-based action games from the early 80’s like
Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace. Event-based games used laserdiscs to display
full-motion video instead of in-game graphics. Players would then be confronted
with certain situations within the video, and they would have to press a button
at the precise time in order to escape, fight or dodge whatever was thrown their
way. Hence, event-based games were little more than interactive movies. When
the original Mad Dog hit the arcades, it offered a new level of interactivity to
full-motion video arcade games. Now you would have to shoot on-screen enemies
at a precise time instead of just pushing a button. That tradition continued
with several other laserdisc shooting titles, like Who Shot Johnny Rock? and Mad
Dog II.
Mad Dog
2’s storyline is pretty cheesy. It’s set in the Wild West, and you must embark
on a quest to stop Mad Dog Mcree, a bandit, from getting some lost treasure by
getting to it first. Since the game is all live-action, it has a ton of acting
in it, most of which is very low budget and cheesy. When you shoot enemies,
they die in very over-the-top, hammy fashion. Plus, the script is full of tacky
jokes and one-liners. However, all of this adds to the game’s charm.
The
gameplay has been left largely untouched from the way it was ten years ago. You
can either use the mouse or the Act Labs USB Light Gun to target and shoot the
onscreen enemies. The pace of the game moves pretty slowly, and you’ll only
have to contend with one enemy at a time. This proves to be a bit of a problem
for the game, because once you memorize where each enemy is going to come from,
then the game really poses no challenge. While it does change up a little bit
at certain parts, but the patterns are essentially the same. Also, since the
game itself is so short (it can be completed in about an half an hour), the
replay value is really left hurting.
The
game doesn’t really have graphics to speak of, per se. It does have full-motion
video. The video quality is MPEG-1 and looks pretty good (a marked improvement
from previous versions on the PC). However, it still isn’t as good as it could
be, considering that MPEG-1 is pretty dated by today’s standards. They look
okay in the windowed modes, but in full screen mode, they have a bit of a
pixilated look, which is a bit of a pain when enemies are shooting at you from
far away.
The
sound is pretty simple, but does its purpose. The videos have subtle music
running in the background and it sounds pretty decent. However, the sound and
voice effects themselves sound a bit muffled and tinny.
Mad Dog
II is a niche title, and only those who really enjoyed the game when it was in
the arcades or one of the previous incarnations on the PC will get a kick out of
this version. In other words, if you’re unfamiliar with Mad Dog II, chances are
you won’t want to play it now.
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Gameplay: 5.9
The gameplay in
Mad Dog 2 has been left untouched from the original, which serves as a blessing
and a curse. The pace moves very slow compared to newer shooter titles, and
your enemies have pretty predictable attack patterns that (given that the game
is so short) can easily be memorized after a while.
Graphics: 6.5
The video in the
game is MPEG-1 quality, and is a marked improvement over previous versions of
the game. However, it still doesn’t compare to modern video quality, and the
videos do look a bit pixilated and that makes it pretty hard to see enemies that
are far away. Also, there are certain things that are a little buggy, like the
static pieces of images that get stuck behind your bullet HUD.
Sound:
6.5
The music is nice
and appropriate for the game’s atmosphere, but the sound effects are a bit muted
and hard to hear.
Difficulty: Easy
The slow pace of the game and the very predictable enemy attack patterns
dissolve the game’s challenge level.
Concept:
6.0
The concept behind an event-based shooter is a worthy way to expand the
interactivity of the genre. However, the gameplay is still pretty simplistic
and slow, and the overall quality of the game’s presentation is lacking.
Overall: 6.0
Mad Dog 2 makes
subtle improvements over previous versions of the game with improved video
quality and light gun support, but still offers the same niche gameplay as the
original, meaning it’s certainly not for everyone. If you were a fan of the
game ten years ago, then you might get a nostalgic kick out of this adaptation.
Otherwise, you might want to try something else.
