In this corner, we have Virtua Cop 2, the Saturn conversion of one of the most celebrated light gun games to ever grace the arcade. In the other corner it's Time Crisis, Namco's response that reinvented the formula by using a foot peddle and dodge mechanic. The result was a hotly contested feud that helped to define the 32-bit console wars. But what did the critics say 28 years ago? Was it this back-and-forth or was there a clear winner in this Saturn vs. PlayStation showdown? To answer those questions, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Computer & Video Games, Next Generation and more classic magazines that reviews both of these arcade ports. Today we're going to see where the critics landed and maybe even settle this light gun debate once and for all in this sharp-shooting new episode of Magazine Match-Up.


We're going to start with Electronic Gaming Monthly, who historically has never been a big fan of light gun games. In fact, you're going to notice an undercurrent against the genre from the magazines at the time, usually due to the high price point and limited amount of content. EGM did like Virtua Cop 2 better than the first game, giving it a very healthy average of 8.1 out of 10. “No surprises here. Virtua Cop 2, like the first game, is a solid port of an excellent arcade shooter – and yet another reason to buy a light gun for your Saturn. Virtua Cop 2 doesn't offer many improvements over the original; it's pretty much more of the same. But that's okay – both arcade games represent the best of the light gun genre.”

Ten issues later, EGM reviewed Time Crisis. Whereas the scores for Virtua Cop were all consistently in the 8 out of 10 range, the editors were split over Namco's shooter. With scores ranging from a 6.5 all the way up to a 9, there was a big disagreement, leading to an average score of 7.75 out of 10. Steve sums it up this way: “What can you say about a game like Time Crisis? It offers nothing fancy, but does produce some good thrills with its single-minded theme of shooting an army of bad guys that don't seem to mind fighting while their compatriots fall like flies. The game forces you to reload in an attempt to add technique, while a clock moves things along.”

Although the scores aren't that far apart, EGM clearly preferred Virtua Cop 2 to the original Time Crisis, giving Sega their first point of the match.

You saw similarly high scores over at Computer & Video Games, who pretty much matched EGM's score, giving Virtua Cop 2 a 4 out of 5. Tom gushed over the series, calling the first Virtua Cop one of his favorite games of all time. “As a high score challenge, it's one of the most addictive and nerve-racking games you can play. People who reckon it's a done-it-once-seen-it-all game, haven't got a clue. As a conversion, it isn't as spot-on as the first game. And I don't think the levels are structured in quite such a perfectly graded way as the original. The first game was faultless, this isn't such an all-time classic.” That said, he did wrap up saying that it's a “brilliant conversion” with “brilliant graphics, brilliant gameplay and brilliant extras.”

When we last left Tom, he was telling anybody that would listen that the only light gun game better than Virtua Cop 2 was Virtua Cop 1. Now, he's back, and he immediately addresses the elephant in the room. “Time Crisis even beat my longtime favorite game Virtua Cop in the arcades, and the PlayStation conversion near enough matches it. The system 22 graphics have been superbly reproduced and the razor-sharp gameplay remains undiminished. Plus, Namco have finally given the PlayStation the official light gun it deserves. I do have a few gripes – the small shot area makes the game hard to begin with, I wish the gun had kickback and the UK version is slightly slower. But these factors cannot stop this game being a high five.”

That's right, CVG gave Time Crisis a perfect 5 out of 5, besting Virtua Cop 2's still-impressive 4 out of 5. That ties us up again, one for Sega and one for Namco.

While we're still in the UK, we might as well head down the street and check in with Edge, who also liked these two games. This time around, let's start with Time Crisis, which they reviewed in their 48th issue. Giving the shooter an 8 out of 10, they concluded that, “essentially, Time Crisis is a video game symphony of destruction, building crescendos of violence onto each action-packed scenario. Each time you think you've seen the most breathtaking set piece, another tops it for sheer gun-toting thrills. Despite its simplicity and lack of depth, this game is at least equal to AM2's efforts. A definitive arcade experience.”

That last bit may have given away the big surprise. As it turns out, it didn't matter which game I started with, because this round is a tie. That's right, Edge gave Virtua Cop 2 the very same 8 out of 10. “Taken out of its arcade context, Virtua Cop 2 may disappoint those looking for a long-term challenge – or at least one that doesn't involve playing from the start again and again. Depth isn't defined by how many secrets a level hides, it's defined by the intrinsic nature of gameplay. This isn't a deep game, merely fast-paced fun. Enjoy it while it lasts.”

With both games earning the exact same score, neither Sega nor Namco take the lead this round. Adding a point to both games, we're currently locked at 2 -2. Let's see if Edge's sister magazine, Next Generation, can break this tie.

I'll say this about today's episode, no matter if it's Virtua Cop 2 or Time Crisis, the scores are surprisingly consistent. That's definitely true when it comes to Next Generation, who gave Sega's light gun game an impressive 4 out of 5. That's basically the same score we saw from Edge. “Not an enormous jump beyond the original, Virtua Cop 2 faithfully upholds the polygon-based, light gun shooter standards set in Virtua Cop, while upping the ante in a few key areas. Probably the most important improvement over the original is the impressive increase in the number of characters on screen and the added intensity of the scenes, like the car chase. Whether chasing down an armored car while picking off bad guys hanging out the window, or dodging bullets in a speeding subway train, this game is just short of being described as a roller coaster ride by some hack movie critic in the Midwest and even closer to being described as an ‘edge of your seat thriller' by this reviewer on the west coast.”

Now, when you read the subsequent review for Time Crisis, you'll come away thinking that Next Generation preferred Virtua Cop 2. But they didn't. They gave Namco's light gun game the same 4 out of 5 score. That said, they complained that the graphics aren't arcade-perfect and the lack of co-op multiplayer. “Also, there are no hostages or other good guys to avoid shooting, shaving off any pretense of strategy, and the barely interactive backgrounds could have been better. Along with the complete lack of weapon power-ups, these small shortcomings knock this title down a notch. However, when compared to other light gun shooters for home systems, Time Crisis is as good as it gets.”

Just like Edge, Next Generation gives us another tie. Not helpful. But don't worry, we still have a lot of magazines to get to in the second half of the show, and I guarantee one of them will break this 3 – 3 stalemate. See for yourself right after these messages.

Leave it to the eccentric critics over at Game Fan to break the tie. Like every other magazine we've looked at today, Game Fan liked both Time Crisis and Virtua Cop 2. That said, they definitely had a favorite, even if the two scores are surprisingly close together. Giving Time Crisis a strong 92%, they gushed that “once again, Namco have delivered an incredible arcade conversion, with accurate graphics, perfect gameplay and the amazing special mode. It's like getting Time Crisis 2 thrown in for free. The Guncon is as accurate as Namco claim, making for precision gameplay, while the ‘duck' feature adds a new dimension to the genre.”

92% is a great score for a light gun game. Can Virtua Cop 2 top it? Of course it can, coming in at an even more impressive 95%. “Sheer brilliance! By far the best 3D seen on the Saturn, all the arcade gameplay faithfully transferred onto the small screen, and that really cool gun to play with. A truly first-rate piece of software, and the best gun game available. Buy it now, and love it for weeks.”

And just like that, Sega is once again in the lead. But don't celebrate just yet, because we have three magazines left to go, so it's anybody's game.

If you were hoping for GamePro to tie things up for Time Crisis (or allow Virtua Cop to take an even bigger lead), then prepare to be disappointed, because here we have yet another tie. When it came to Virtua Cop 2, they gave it a 4.5 out of 5 and argued that “for light gun fans, Virtua Cop 2 is a solid buy. Otherwise, its short-lived but frenzied fun makes for a top Saturn rental.”

Just a few issues later, GamePro would end up giving Time Crisis the exact same score. “The game moves at such a fast and frantic pace that you'll soon forget how long you've been playing (although the pain in your shoulder will remind you). But like all gun games, once you've barreled through and memorized the levels, you're done.”

This isn't the help Namco was looking for, but it does go to show that there were a lot of magazines that saw Virtua Cop 2 and Time Crisis as equals. And even when a magazine preferred one over the other, the margins were super slim. With a score of 5 to 4, this is Sega's episode to lose.

And that brings us to the lighting round, where we very quickly go over the reviews written in another language. In the case of Mega Fun, that language is German, and they did not have a problem choosing a winner between the two. They went with Time Crisis, giving it a score of 81%, up six points from the 75% they gave Virtua Cop 2. And just like that, Namco once again ties things up with only one magazine left. We have a real game on our hands.

I can't believe it all comes down to the single most generically-titled magazine of all time – Video Games. Once again, this comes from Germany. They applauded Sega's Virtua Cop 2 conversion, giving it a 79%. However, the foot peddle wins the day, because they gave Time Crisis an even better 82%. Once again, only a few points separated the two games, making this the closest Magazine Match-Up we've seen yet.

Coming from behind, Time Crisis takes it at the last second. Of course, this was all thanks to the German critics, who universally preferred Namco's shooter over the one from Sega. But, like I said, this was a close race, with Time Crisis winning by only a single magazine. Incredible.

Now, I'm sure there are people in the audience that are still scratching their heads wondering why I went with Virtua Cop 2 over the first game, which Tom from CVG greatly preferred. I originally set out to make this episode using that first Virtua Cop game, but as you can tell from this chart, it was a blow-out. Not even close. Time Crisis takes it by a score of 7 to 3. Hyper was the only magazine to prefer Virtua Cop, and the two other points were from ties. With Virtua Cop 2 coming out only a few months before Time Crisis and it leading to a much more competitive match-up, I made the decision to go with the episode you just watched. And hey, now you know how both games stacked up. Win-win.