Mad Dog 2: The Lost Gold

Mad Dog 2: The Lost Gold is the latest title by American Laser Games to be revamped for the PC.  This new and improved version features MPEG-1 video quality and has been optimized for Windows, and also features support for Act-Labs USB Light Gun (see our review here: http://www.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r20992.htm).  However, the game is still the same game you played in the arcades a good ten years ago.  Those accustomed to the new breed of shooter games (like House of the Dead III or Time Crisis II), will no doubt become bored or frustrated with the slow pace and finicky shooting of Mad Dog 2.  However, old-school fans will no doubt get a nostalgic kick out of this game, albeit a short one.

The original Mad Dog 2 came out in the arcades about ten years ago.  The title was an event-based shooter, undoubtedly inspired by (and built on the same technology as) classic event-based action games from the early 80’s like Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace.  Event-based games used laserdiscs to display full-motion video instead of in-game graphics.  Players would then be confronted with certain situations within the video, and they would have to press a button at the precise time in order to escape, fight or dodge whatever was thrown their way.  Hence, event-based games were little more than interactive movies.  When the original Mad Dog hit the arcades, it offered a new level of interactivity to full-motion video arcade games.  Now you would have to shoot on-screen enemies at a precise time instead of just pushing a button.  That tradition continued with several other laserdisc shooting titles, like Who Shot Johnny Rock? and Mad Dog II.

Mad Dog 2’s storyline is pretty cheesy.  It’s set in the Wild West, and you must embark on a quest to stop Mad Dog Mcree, a bandit, from getting some lost treasure by getting to it first.  Since the game is all live-action, it has a ton of acting in it, most of which is very low budget and cheesy.  When you shoot enemies, they die in very over-the-top, hammy fashion.  Plus, the script is full of tacky jokes and one-liners.  However, all of this adds to the game’s charm.

The gameplay has been left largely untouched from the way it was ten years ago.  You can either use the mouse or the Act Labs USB Light Gun to target and shoot the onscreen enemies.  The pace of the game moves pretty slowly, and you’ll only have to contend with one enemy at a time.  This proves to be a bit of a problem for the game, because once you memorize where each enemy is going to come from, then the game really poses no challenge.  While it does change up a little bit at certain parts, but the patterns are essentially the same.  Also, since the game itself is so short (it can be completed in about an half an hour), the replay value is really left hurting.

The game doesn’t really have graphics to speak of, per se.  It does have full-motion video.  The video quality is MPEG-1 and looks pretty good (a marked improvement from previous versions on the PC).  However, it still isn’t as good as it could be, considering that MPEG-1 is pretty dated by today’s standards.  They look okay in the windowed modes, but in full screen mode, they have a bit of a pixilated look, which is a bit of a pain when enemies are shooting at you from far away.

The sound is pretty simple, but does its purpose.  The videos have subtle music running in the background and it sounds pretty decent.  However, the sound and voice effects themselves sound a bit muffled and tinny.

Mad Dog II is a niche title, and only those who really enjoyed the game when it was in the arcades or one of the previous incarnations on the PC will get a kick out of this version.  In other words, if you’re unfamiliar with Mad Dog II, chances are you won’t want to play it now.

Gameplay: 5.9
The gameplay in Mad Dog 2 has been left untouched from the original, which serves as a blessing and a curse.  The pace moves very slow compared to newer shooter titles, and your enemies have pretty predictable attack patterns that (given that the game is so short) can easily be memorized after a while.

Graphics: 6.5
The video in the game is MPEG-1 quality, and is a marked improvement over previous versions of the game.  However, it still doesn’t compare to modern video quality, and the videos do look a bit pixilated and that makes it pretty hard to see enemies that are far away.  Also, there are certain things that are a little buggy, like the static pieces of images that get stuck behind your bullet HUD.

 Sound: 6.5
The music is nice and appropriate for the game’s atmosphere, but the sound effects are a bit muted and hard to hear.

Difficulty: Easy 
The slow pace of the game and the very predictable enemy attack patterns dissolve the game’s challenge level.

Concept: 6.0                                                                                                                               
The concept behind an event-based shooter is a worthy way to expand the interactivity of the genre.  However, the gameplay is still pretty simplistic and slow, and the overall quality of the game’s presentation is lacking.

Overall: 6.0
Mad Dog 2 makes subtle improvements over previous versions of the game with improved video quality and light gun support, but still offers the same niche gameplay as the original, meaning it’s certainly not for everyone.  If you were a fan of the game ten years ago, then you might get a nostalgic kick out of this adaptation.  Otherwise, you might want to try something else.