If there is one specific genre that arcades excel at, it’s the humble light-gun shooter. From feelin’ lucky in Lethal Enforcers, to saving the world with Aerosmith music and filling your hand in Mad Dog McCree, those arcade units were simply the best at gobbling tokens in exchange for bullets. And the best out of all them? Time Crisis, the king of light gun shooters. And it’s finally headed back to arcades.
Bandai Namco is bringing back the cult classic franchise for a fifth go, the company revealed at a Japanese event this week (via Impress Game Watch). Time Crisis 5 will throw a spanner into the usual formula of duck and shoot action however, by adding foot pedals for left and right movement. Which means that players can now flank enemies and turn the tables on them for once. Time Crisis 5 will also be housed in a massive cabinet when it arrives.
According to the report, the game will be rocking a pair of 55” monitors, while the standard gun controller will also allow for weapons to be cycled through. In addition to all that, if you happen to have a Bandai Namco Bana passport, you can save your progress in the game. Which is unheard of in Arcade games. Hell, I should know: The machines at my local arcade were modded to have players start on the hardest difficulty possible.
It’s been a while since Time Crisis was last seen. Time Crisis 4 was a 2006 arcade game, with Time Crisis: Razing Storm compiling that fourth entry with some spin-off action in order to help sell the PS Move lollipop. It was actually a damn good game, but it still couldn’t compare to the arcade experience.
And I have such fantastic memories of the first Time Crisis game. Juggling crackshots and ducking for cover while a crowd watched my ace aiming never got old, and I even saved up for a secondhand version on the PS One, which ate up even more of spare hours. Time Crisis 5 is out in March 2015. And once again, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal.
Last Updated: October 21, 2014
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 21, 2014 at 12:48
There was an arcade game using light guns that had you playing as a blue or red guy, ducking behind cover & shooting enemy soldiers. Can’t remember what it was called, but I loved it to bits.
R1ker
October 21, 2014 at 14:30
wasn’t it cable? but that was not a light gun game – you had to aim with the joystick while still moving the guys around and shooting.
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 21, 2014 at 14:40
I remember that, it’s not the one I’m thinking of though. This is what happens when I try to remember games I played TWO*cough*wenty*cough* years ago.
R1ker
October 21, 2014 at 15:12
True that – after this article i think i need to start mame up again when i get home.
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 12:51
I remember when OvG wasted a hell load of money on the superscope. LOL. What a noob.
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 12:57
it’s even funnier now that he mentioned it.
OVG
October 21, 2014 at 12:58
It had one game. Typical Nintendo. The more things change the more things stay the same.
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 13:02
My light gun experience only went as far as the NES. Duck hunt, Wild gun man, etc.
OVG
October 21, 2014 at 13:04
That was like Oculas Rift back in 1990 🙂
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 13:12
yeah, missile hunt and something with moles!
OVG
October 21, 2014 at 12:57
🙁
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 13:13
hey, it was awesome. The way the tech worked back there was so simple all you needed to do was point it in the vague direction of the TV and it worked!
OVG
October 21, 2014 at 12:54
I REMEMBER THIS. It was the dogs bollocks 🙂
Super Scope still kicked its butt.
The D
October 21, 2014 at 12:55
Silent Scope fo lyfe mofo.
Mossel
October 21, 2014 at 14:21
Silent Scope was awesome! I remember getting 110% accuracy on the one level! I killed everyone with one shot and killed the boss with one shot to the head! It was my trophy moment.
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 13:11
BWAHAHAHAHAH fucking thing
OVG
October 21, 2014 at 13:12
All those batteries man.
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 13:15
six D sized if I remember the AVGN episode correctly
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 13:17
I never owned one but if I did then I could always look in my moms closet for batteries…………. wait a minute……………….
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 13:17
Remember? I think you paid for the thing like 10 times over with those AA batteries.
Aries
October 21, 2014 at 12:54
That hard difficulty was the best when there was alot of people wanting to play, sorted the noobs out quite quick, and made them not want to come back for a second turn
Admiral Chief 0
October 21, 2014 at 12:57
Awesome!
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 12:59
Lady Chatterley’s Time Crisis sounds like a translation issue again
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 21, 2014 at 13:02
I’ve told Darryn he should stop reading those dodgy Chinese bootleg translations. Can you imagine how broken he’ll be if he finds out Batman is really all about researchers specialising in bats?
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 13:03
Superman would then be about their super soldiers they are creating to invade America.
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 13:01
One of my favourite games in the arcade will always be Gunbalde NY, the machine guns were huge and add massive vibrations to it and you had to hold on tight.
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/10/106898/2491804-arcade-game-machine-gun-blade-ny-sd.jpg
Dark Overlord Jaybles
October 21, 2014 at 13:02
Many fond memories of stiff shoulders after some time on this bad boy
The D
October 21, 2014 at 13:05
I have an erection just looking at that.
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 13:15
😀
http://img-9gag-lol.9cache.com/photo/abq0gvb_460sa_v1.gif
OVG
October 21, 2014 at 13:09
Now its all this. The Japanese are still king when it comes to Arcades.
The west went for the domestic route.
Even the poor Kinect will never be accepted in Japan considering it needs 5 meters to work. We all know the overcrowded cities in Japan live in shoe boxes. Yet Microsoft still try to release the Bone.
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 13:11
yeah, we went domestic because our houses aren’t the size of shoeboxes 😛
OVG
October 21, 2014 at 13:13
I want to visit Akihabara before I die. The Las Vegas of gaming.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihabara
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 13:17
I see a problem. You are an old miserable git and hate humans… Japan is a small place, with LOTS of humans…
OVG
October 21, 2014 at 13:18
AND MAID CAFES
Otaku is a Japanese term for people with obsessive interests.
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 13:20
And Kotaku is the name of a website that advertises everything other than games…
OVG
October 21, 2014 at 13:21
More like jpop. Fantasy land, thats why we game. Our cartoons that we grew up with like HE MAN look shit when compared to AKIRA.
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 13:24
That is true, but I also didn’t need to scrub myself down with rubbing alcohol and sanding paper after watching western cartoons HAHAHAHA. Remember that time when we got Uroksukidogi out and put it on with mom in the room?!
OVG
October 21, 2014 at 13:36
Japans Peter Pan culture bloomed long before the west.
The west had no idea that cartoon can be adult even in the 90s. Gaming and the stereotype that comes with it was frowned upon. We were outcasts by western culture.
Even the FCUKING South African government BANN HAMMERED D&D along with all comic books. The only comics we were allowed in shitty south africa was Astrix and Tintin.
Even Rock and Roll was also classed as Satanic. You could not find a MATALICA tape at CNA.
Meanwhile the Japanese has number one hits on Top of The pops that included Final Fantasy’s Eyes on Me.
JAPAN RULES.
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 13:18
I just added this to my bucket list!!!
OVG
October 21, 2014 at 13:20
The place looks cool.
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 13:15
Pffft David Kramer can do that in his sleep.
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 13:15
lol
Lardus-Resident Perve
October 21, 2014 at 14:13
This game, and some other battle tank thing were my best arcade experiences ever!