Dynamite Cop

I’d like to meet the guys who made Dynamite Cop. I don’t want to meet the developers to congratulate them or anything like that; the game isn’t very good. I just want to ask them what they’re smoking—I want some.

Dynamite Cop is a 3D action game—of sorts. You control a character who is presumably some sort of police officer or law enforcement agent and go around beating up thugs. It’s kind of reminiscent of the Double Dragon or Final Fight games, except for the fact that those were much, much better.

The game also seems to be inspired a little by Jackie Chan movies, as you can pick up all sorts of items to use against your enemies, be it a loaf of French bread, a chair, or a cattle prod.

Dynamite Cop’s biggest problem is that it’s simply incoherent—the game doesn’t make sense. The control is incredibly awkward, and, at times, unresponsive. The worst part is the "decision points" that come between the different stages that require you to press a specific button at a specific point to advance successfully. All around, this game seems to be all about poor design.

Despite all of these flaws, Dynamite Cop still has a certain quality to it. It’s almost like a horrific accident on the side of the road—you don’t want to look, but at the same time there’s an incredible urge to stare. If you’ve got 50 cents to burn, give it a try. Then run in fear from this horrible game.

Hydro Thunder

Well, Hydro Thunder is one of the more interesting games in the Games Room. In a nutshell, it’s powerboat racing, San Francisco Rush style.

Since it is one of the newer machines, Thunder looks and sounds great. It offers a choice of almost a dozen tracks, all of which have their own distinct features. More tracks are opened up by players finishing races in first place, although when I checked last none had been opened.

Hydro Thunder’s biggest distinction is its control scheme, which can be either a blessing or a curse. It features a steering wheel, which is pretty standard, but in place of the pedals is a batmobile-style throttle. The controls can be a little difficult to get used to, but they are a pretty cool deviation from the norm.

One nice thing about Thunder is that the cabinet is large enough that a taller person can sit at it, unlike Daytona USA. Unfortunately, though, the Games Room only has one unit, so you won’t be able to race against a friend.

Hydro Thunder is one of the better games available in the Games Room. My only complaint is that it would seem that the time increments given out at checkpoints are set a little too low—it’s extremely difficult to finish a race with the settings as they currently are; the game is over before you know it.

Gauntlet Legends: Dark Legacy

Gauntlet Legends: Dark Legacy is one of the best games in the Games Room. It’s pretty much an updated version of the original Gauntlet Legends, with new levels and character classes.

As far as gameplay goes, players make their way through several levels, along with up to three friends, until they reach a final, gigantic boss for the region. Players receive experience and can gain levels as they play, and characters can be saved on the machine, so you can continue to grow your character at a later time.

Visually, Gauntlet Legends is another great looking game. Each area of the game has its own distinct look and feel, which really adds to the atmosphere. Also, the sound is superb. One of the best features of this game is the announcer. His voice is clear and distinct; it is quite helpful throughout the entire game.

Overall, Gauntlet Legends is right at the top of the pack. It clearly wins the "bang for the buck" award, with almost five minutes of playtime possible on two quarters. Before you go dumping vast amounts of quarters into the game though, check out the console versions. The PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast versions are all excellent, and they may be a good alternative to the arcade version. Either way, Gauntlet is worth your time.

Ms. Pacman/Galaga

Ms. Pacman and Galaga both are arcade classics. Basically, the machine in the Games Room offers both games, just as they were in their original incarnations. Personally, I think that it’s really cool to have these older games available to play. Unfortunately, one round of either game is 50 cents, which seems rather expensive for these two. Although I love both of these games, they’re just not worth the cost.

Mega Touch Maxx

This machine is probably the most interesting one that the Games Room has. Simplicity rules here. As the name implies, control is via a touchscreen. There are a variety of small games here. Most are simple, such as a trivia game, a photo hunt, or a tetris clone. The best part about Mega Touch Maxx is that it only costs a quarter, compared to fifty cents for everything else in the Games Room. There’s a lot of variety in this machine—it’s definitely worth checking out.

All in all, there’s both good and bad in the Games Room. I should point out that there are also two pinball games available, though neither really stood out. If you’re in the mood for an arcade game, Daytona USA and Gauntlet Legends are by far the best offered. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is a good choice if you’re looking for a fighting game, as is Virtual On. Just stay away from Dynamite Cop and Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom. They’re not worth your money. By the way, I’m still waiting for my check from NBC.