Yes, Die Hard Arcade Is a Christmas Game
As we get closer to the holiday season, it’s a good time to reconnect with things — lost loved ones, family, friends, what have you. It’s also a good time to enjoy older games that deserve a little more appreciation, especially for those of you on a holiday break with very little to do.
Enter Die Hard Arcade. Originally published for the arcade and Sega Saturn in 1996, it’s become the stuff of licensing legend. A fun little beat-em-up with a silly side, Die Hard Arcade definitely deserves a bit of celebration this holiday season.
So, Die Hard Arcade wasn’t originally made as a Die Hard game. It’s previously known as Dynamite Deka in Japan, though it still follows the same silly pretenses. It’s just, for the U.S. release, Sega opted to team up with Fox Interactive to make it a Die Hard title, which is fine.
In the game, John McClane (as he’s labeled here, in Japan he’s Bruno Delinger) and his sidekick Kris Thompsen (or Cindy Holliday) team up to save the President’s daughter, who’s being held hostage by goons under order from the vile Wolf “White Fang” Hongo.
Along the way, they’ll deal with a number of oddball goons, including Sumo wrestlers, an evil fire chief with a penchant for grenades (because obviously), a couple of laser “murderbots” with spider legs, and a biker that goes by the name of Hog. And you can dispatch of them using weapons, as well as objects like…a grandfather clock? Honestly, you can do a lot in this game.
There are also “bonus” stages that work as quick-time events, which can help you knock out an enemy quickly or avoid incoming elevators that can do harm to your character. These were expanded upon in the sequel, Dynamite Cop, which came out for the Dreamcast a few years later.
Honestly, Die Hard Arcade is a lot of fun. Its gameplay is done just about right, with the opportunity for combos, quick knockdowns and even being able to hit someone while they’re on the ground. There are also neat little level designs, including one stage where you try to take on the evil fire chief while a fire engine squirts pressured water at you from a distance. And the visuals and sound, while primitive by today’s standards, still hold up well.
The Saturn port is excellent, and even comes with a neat arcade-style mini game where you could bomb enemies from a sub. This was actually useful, as you could earn extra credits for use in the main game.
Dynamite Cop came out a bit later and, well, was even more ridiculous, taking place on a cruise ship and letting you fight…a squid? Whatever, it’s well worth tracking down.
But Die Hard Arcade is licensing magic. It’s got the theme of the movie nailed down even if that wasn’t its intention, its beat-em-up tactics are a great deal of fun (even if you inexplicably have to face off at the end, Double Dragon style — I thought McClane liked his friends), and its visuals are a nice throwback to a begotten era. It definitely fits the Christmas mold, and I heartily recommend tracking it down if you can.
Maybe enjoy it with a box of Twinkies? Heh.
Have a good weekend, everyone! And thanks to everyone for reading these.
