Review: Ghost Squad for Wii

Review
Ghost Squad
Wii
Sega-AM2

Leave no traces behind!

Reviewed by: Conno

With the introduction of the Wii Zapper at E3 2007, developers soon started creating light-gun games that utilized the controller, but in more of an on-rails type fashion that would be familiar to arcade gamers. These games would include the 2004 arcade game Ghost Squad, which includes added modes and Wi-fi leaderboards.

The main premise of Ghost Squad is that an organization of terrorists are carrying out evil operations, and it's up the the Ghost Squad (hence the name of the game) to stop them. The Ghost Squad are basically a military force used on high-profile missions, and they can't leave any traces behind.

The main game, appropriately titled Arcade Mode, allows you to play 3 (yes, only 3) levels in any order. You'll be able to select your weapon and costume at the start before being able to shoot up enemies. Throughout these three levels are a number of various enemies to shoot. Some enemies will catch you by surprise by sliding in front of you and jumping from ceilings and trees.

You'll be on rails the entire time, so you only need to worry about blasting anything in your path. Along the way you'll also have to make decisions on which path to take, do other things like disarm bombs and "handcuff" hostages, and fight bosses. At the end of the 3 levels, whether you beat them or not, your score is added up and you gain experience, unlocking more guns and costumes to use the next time you play through. You'll also be asked if you would like to upload your score to Nintendo Wi-fi, where you'll be able to view other high scores online. Adding on to the replay value is the ability to play the levels at higher difficulty levels, totaling up to 48 difficulty levels. Another player can join at any time to help out, as long as you have an extra remote, making for a seemless experience.

Exclusive to the Wii version is Party Mode and Practice Mode. Practice basically puts you in shooting range situations, while Party Mode allows you to play through the same 3 levels from arcade mode with up to 4 players, the goal being whoever gets the most points wins. You'll eventually be able to unlock Paradise and Ninja Modes for Party Mode, but they basically just re-skin the game. Ninja Mode replaces your weapons with shurikens and remakes the characters and environments into more ninja-like scenery. Paradise mode replaces your weapons with water guns, and replaces terrorists with banana wielding bikini girls and more beach-like scenery. The novelty will wear thin pretty fast, as there's not too much to unlock here.

Visually, Ghost Squad isn't too impressive, as the game remains virtually unchanged since its release back in 2004, and even back then it didn't look too great. Textures are blurry and characters look wacky. This is definitely a Dreamcast effort. The main problem with the graphics is that while your costumes will show up in the in-game cutscenes, your weapons won't. The game also doesn't support true widescreen, making the game stretch when in that format. It's not like the visuals are too bad. Animations, while ridged, are definitely going to give you a few laughs, especially when a soldier starts beating up a terrorist.

You'll definitely get a kick out of the sound. While it isn't impressive by today's standards, the arcade tracks definitely put you into the game, and the voice acting is so incredibly cheesy and obvious that you'll get a few chuckles out it. Unfortunately, there wasn't much effort made to alter the voicing during Paradise Mode, as you'll be stuck with the same man's voice when the enemies leap down and yell, "DIE!!!"

Controls work for the most part. You'll be able to choose between the Wiimote and Nunchuck, the Wiimote, or the Zapper configuration. The latter doesn't work too well, especially in when not opting to use the on-screen reticule, it just doesn't feel that accurate. You'll get a much more simplistic layout with just the remote, as you only need about 2 buttons, the shooting button (b) and the action button (a). You can also simply shake the remote to reload. IR pointing is probably some of the best I've seen on the Wii, as you'll be shooting enemies with pin-point accuracy.

Closing Comments
Ghost Squad is a fun game, but that fun only lasts for a few hours. There are only 3 short levels in the game, and the unlockable costumes and weapons are the only reason to play again. Even at its $30 price point, this game still feels like a ripoff, especially when you could get Endless Ocean or Resident Evil 4 for the same price. If you like light-gun shooters and have friends over often, this game is a definite rent. Otherwise, you may want to skip this title in favour of the superior Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles.

Graphics: 6
Pretty much unchanged from the arcade game from 2004, and even then it wasn't that impressive.

Gameplay: 7
While it will get pretty repetitive, it feels satisfying to shoot terrorists, and this time you won't have to waste several quarters to play again after you've died.

Sound: 6.5
Cheesy, obvious, silly. Yep, this is an arcade game.

Controls: 8
Ignore the zapper and you'll be fine. It's easy to pick up and play with just the remote, and the IR is more accurate than most games.

Multiplayer: 7
A seemless co-op and a silly Party mode that'll keep you mildly amused for a short time.

Lasting Appeal: 5
While there are only 3 levels, the unlockables and other modes will last a few hours, but even that doesn't deter from how repetitive it is.

Reviewer's Score: 6.9/10
(what the reviewer feels the game deserves, not an average)