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| Developer |
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| Publisher |
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| Platform |
Arcade, |
| Arcade System |
Namco System 23 |
| Controllers |
DualShock, |
| Designer(s) |
Takashi Sano |
| Composer(s) |
Kazuhiro Nakamura, Junichi Nakatsuru, Yuji Masubuchi |
Arcade Version
Time Crisis II (タイムクライシス2, Taimu Kuraishisu 2) is a light gun arcade game and the second installment in the series, introducing co-operative multiplayer to the franchise. It was first released in arcades in April 1998, with an enhanced port released on the PlayStation 2 in October 2001, bundled with the GunCon 2 controller.
Gameplay
Time Crisis II was released utilizing Namco's System 23 arcade board in 1998, and was ported to PlayStation 2 (with enhanced graphics and polygon textures) in 2001. The game utilizes the foot pedal system, just like its predecessor, where players can shoot or hide from enemy fire. One modification to the hide and attack system was the "crisis flash" system which alerts the players whether or not the enemy's attack would cause a direct hit, a feature not present in its predecessor, Time Crisis. When a player presses down on the pedal, he or she comes out of hiding, allowing them to shoot the enemies. Releasing the pedal puts the player behind cover, allowing him to avoid critical bullets and reload their weapon, though they are unable to shoot whilst hiding. Certain sections of the game give players a machine gun with unlimited ammo.
If the player is hit by a critical bullet or an obstacle, he/she loses a life, and the game stops when the player loses all their lives. Players also lose a life if the time limit (at 40 seconds per sequence), which is replenished after each sequence is cleared (or if the player is hit), drops to zero (unlike the first game where running out of time resulted in a game over). Players can continue from the point their current position, as opposed to the PlayStation version of Time Crisis, which required players to restart from the beginning of a sequence.
This was the first Time Crisis game to introduce two-player cooperation by allowing two people to play simultaneously, allowing each player to cover the other (in single player, the computer controls the other character). The arcade version used connecting cabinets, allowing players to allow another player to join them, or to exclusively play alone. The PlayStation 2 version features split-screen or System Link functionality, which requires two televisions, console and copies of the game and an i-Link cable to use. 1,000 points is deducted per shot for shooting the other player, though neither player will lose lives as a result. The same system is utilized once again in Time Crisis 3 and Time Crisis 4 (increased to 5,000 points being deducted per shot).
Since the game ranks the player based on score instead of time, the scoring is as follows:
– Any foot soldier when shot in the head is worth 800 points for first hit and progression for subsequent hits on similar areas are as follows: 100, 180, 260, 340, 420, 500, 580 and 660. Any hits after the eighth follow up hit is worth 1000 points. Consecutive kills on other foot soldiers for second to eighth hits are worth 880, 960, 1040, 1120, 1200, 1280 and 1360 points. Any kills after the eighth hit is worth 2,000 points.
– Any foot soldier when shot in the torso is worth 400 points for first hit and progression for subsequent hits on similar areas are as follows: 100, 140, 180, 240, 280, 320, 360 and 400. Any hits after the eighth follow up hit is worth 500 points. Consecutive kills on other foot soldiers for second to eighth hits are worth 440, 480, 520, 560, 600, 640 and 680 points. Any kills after the eighth hit is worth 1,000 points.
– Any foot soldier when shot in the limbs is worth 200 points for first hit and progression for subsequent hits on similar areas are as follows: 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200, 220 and 240. Any hits after the eighth follow up hit is worth 300 points. Consecutive kills on other foot soldiers for second to eighth hits are worth 220, 240, 260, 280, 300, 320 and 340 points. Any kills after the eighth hit is worth 500 points.
Each head shot kills a soldier in 40/60 seconds, each torso shot kills a soldier in 90/60 seconds and each limb shot kills a soldier in 110/60 seconds. In addition, each enemy soldier can be shot up to three times. However, the amount of time the player has for each follow-up shot to maintain overall combo is 50/60 seconds (40/60 seconds for the same enemy soldier if a headshot is performed). E.g. If a total of 5 shots are made in the order of head, torso, head, head (follow-up) and limb before combo is broken, the total amount of points earned is 2,820 (800 + 440 + 960 + 340 + 280) points.
This game also has a no-miss combo system which starts with a 500 point bonus for the first 10 no-miss hits (includes shooting background objects), increasing by 500 points for the next 10 no-miss hits up to a maximum of 5,000 point bonus for every 10 no-miss hits. E.g. Getting 110 no-miss hits gives 32,500 (500 + 1,000 + 1,500 + 2,000 + 2,500 + 3,000 + 3,500 + 4,000 + 4,500 + 5,000 + 5,000) point bonus. The no-miss combo system is independent of the follow-up shot combo system and does not reset even as the game goes on. With the change from time to points, the game awards the player 1,200 points for every second saved and is calculated by the difference between the amount of time spent and the maximum amount of time the player has to complete the area.
Maximum Amount Of Time Player Has To Complete Area For Time Bonus
| Area | Solo Play (in seconds) | Link Play (in seconds) |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 Area 1 | 100 | 110 |
| Stage 1 Area 2 | 140 | 135 |
| Stage 1 Area 3 | 100 | 110 |
| Stage 2 Area 1 | 115 | 125 |
| Stage 2 Area 2 | 135 | 140 |
| Stage 2 Area 3 | 75 | 95 |
| Stage 3 Area 1 | 120 | 125 |
| Stage 3 Area 2 | 70 | 70 |
| Stage 3 Area 3 | 130 | 130 |
Story
October 31, 1998: It's been two years since Richard Miller rescued Rachel MacPherson from the grip of Sherudo Garo and Wild Dog. Now a time for a crisis arises… again.
Neodyne Industries Ltd., the current leading communication corporation, had declared accomplishment of the "Starline Network," which consists of 64 low orbit communication satellites.
However, three weeks after that, International Intelligence organization V.S.S.E. intercepted internal communication of NDI, revealing that the latest communication satellites were actually military satellites.
V.S.S.E. immediately sends agent Christy Ryan into NDI undercover to retrieve relevant information. Just when information was in hand, she was discovered by NDI staff, and she is now in the need for help, and the need to escape.
V.S.S.E. now indicated Keith Martin and Robert Baxter to save Christy and uncover the intelligence.
At all costs…
Plot
| “ | The "Starline Network" is a mere front for a plan to launch a nuclear satellite into space. VSSE has dispatched two agents to prevent the launch! | „ |
| ~ Opening narration |
Neodyne Industries, LTD, has successfully completed a network of 64 satellites called the "Starline Network". The Starline Network is supposedly a communications system which the NDI claims will unite the world. So far, they're about to launch the new satellite. Nevertheless, the covert agency V.S.S.E. discovers that the Starline Network is actually a mere front for a plan to launch a nuclear satellite into space - which is the new satellite. Christy Ryan, the agent responsible for uncovering the corporation's hidden agenda, attempts to escape NDI captivity and report the details of the plot to V.S.S.E. HQ, but is captured by Jakov Kinisky and his bodyguards. V.S.S.E. sends agents Keith Martin and Robert Baxter to shut down the Starline Network and rescue Ryan.
The first stage begins with Christy calling the V.S.S.E from her secret apartment above a town square, shortly before Jakov bursts in and kidnaps her. Jakov thinks that the plans weren't revealed, only for his smug demeanor to be pulled down several pegs when Keith and Robert come in the secret apartment. Jakov leaves, and Keith and Robert give chase, fighting through Jakov's henchmen through a town square, which takes them to a canal through the town. Jakov finally battles them, but is eventually killed when his armed cruiser crashes and explodes.
In the second stage, the agents discover that NDI plans to transport the satellite via train from files left on Jakov's computer in his briefcase. The agents arrive at a train depot, but are too late to stop the satellite from leaving due to the fact that Diaz's men heavily guarded the area. Soon, they fight another of Diaz's henchman, Buff Bryant, battling with him on the train. After that, he retreats, only to come back in a helicopter. Buff fights hard, but is no match for the two V.S.S.E. agents, who wound him. As he is wounded, he accidentally causes his helicopter to crash into the bridge due to his Gatling gun misfiring and hitting the engine. This takes out the bridge, and almost kills Keith and Robert, who barely escape. They then use a helicopter to head to NDI Headquarters.
The third stage begins inside the NDI headquarters, which happen to be situated on an offshore base, CEO Ernesto Diaz and the mercenary Wild Dog begin preparing the nuclear satellite for launch from a sea-based site when the V.S.S.E. agents arrive. The agents encounter fierce resistance, but are able to defeat Wild Dog (who detonates himself later) and rescue Christy, who escapes by raft. The agents face off one last time against Diaz and a decoy satellite, ending when the agents successfully kill Diaz. The debris from the decoy falls on the real satellite, causing it to explode on launch.
Versions
Arcade
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 port of the game featured enhanced graphics and additional cutscenes. It was packaged with the G-Con 2 lightgun peripheral, although it was also compatible with the G-Con 45 console. When completed enough times, the player could unlock alternative weapons, such as a machine gun or shotgun, and had the option of wielding two lightguns at a time (with combinations of both G-Con 2 and G-Con 45 possible). There is also a Crisis Mission mode, in which the players have to complete and perform various tasks, including a simulated gun fight against Richard Miller, the lead protagonist of the first Time Crisis game. Extras also included a clay pigeon shooting mode (including a port of Namco's Shoot Away II light gun clay shooting arcade game), and a virtual port of the mechanical arcade game, Quick & Crash.
Reception
The game was met with positive reviews upon release, as GameRankings gave it a score of 79.68% for the PlayStation 2 version, while Metacritic gave it a score of 81 out of 100.
On release, Famitsu magazine scored the PlayStation 2 and Gun Con 2 bundle a 32 out of 40.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 79.68% |
| Metacritic | 81/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Allgame | 4.5/5 STARS (ARC) 3.5/5 STARS (PS2) |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7.5/10 |
| Eurogamer | 7/10 |
| Famitsu | 32/40 |
| Game Informer | 8.25/10 |
| GamePro | 4.5/5 STARS |
| Game Revolution | B |
| GameSpot | 7.2/10 |
| GameSpy | 80% |
| GameZone | 8/10 |
| IGN | 8.7/10 |
| Official PlayStation Magazine (US) | 4/5 STARS |
| Maxim | 8/10 |
Gallery
Attract Modes
Time Crisis 2 Arcade Intro NOT MAME!!!! VERY RARE!
Time Crisis 2 Intro (Arcade Version)
Time Crisis 2 Intro (PS2 version)
External Links
- Official Arcade Website (Japanese)
- Official PS2 Website (Japanese)
- It is announced on January 2016 that warranty support for this game on arcade cabinets has ended. Link: End of warranty support (Japanese)