Die Hard Arcade

From Sega Retro

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Die Hard Arcade Title.png

Die Hard Arcade
System(s): Sega Titan Video, Sega Saturn
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Sound driver:
Sega Saturn
SCSP/CD-DA (41 tracks)
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Saturn
JP
¥5,8005,800 GS-9122
Sega Saturn
JP
(Satakore)
¥2,8002,800 GS-9192
Sega Saturn
US
$49.9949.99 81057
Sega Saturn
EU
MK81057-50
Sega Saturn
BR
191536

Die Hard Arcade known as Dynamite Deka (ダイナマイト刑事) in Japan, is a 3D arcade beat-em up developed by Sega AM1 and Sega Technical Institute. It was published by Sega for the Sega Titan Video arcade platform in 1996 and for the Sega Saturn in the following year.

Dynamite Deka was designed to be a 3D beat-'em-up game inspired by the movie Die Hard (which in turn was inspired by a 1979 novel, Nothing Lasts Forever). In overseas markets, it was granted official use of the Die Hard license by Fox Interactive - a move which occurred very late in the game's development cycle (and hence does not feature in Japanese versions). It was the last title to credit Sega Technical Institute before the team was dissolved.

Gameplay

Die Hard Arcade has players save the president's daughter from a group of terrorists led by Wolf Hongo, who have taken over a skyscraper. It is a one or two player game, player one taking control of Bruno "Mister Dynamite" Delinger (Die Hard protagonist John McClane in the overseas versions), and player two controlling Cindy Holiday (renamed to Kris Thompsen in the overseas Saturn versions' instruction manual).

Similar in many respects to Virtua Fighter, Die Hard Arcade is a 3D beat-'em-up, although action mostly takes place on a 2D (or "2.5D") plane, similar to older Sega releases such as Golden Axe and Streets of Rage. Die Hard Arcade, however, puts a greater emphasis on the use of weapons and objects which can be found on the ground, and levels are interspred with quick time events, which if completed successfully, can save the player the trouble of having to fight more opponents.

History

Sequels and re-releases

When released on the Sega Saturn, the game came bundled with a version of Sega's 1979 arcade game Deep Scan. Each 200 points earned in Deep Scan gives the player credits in Die Hard Arcade.

Dynamite Deka was followed by Dynamite Deka 2 on the Dreamcast/Sega Model 2. This game was known as Dynamite Cop outside of Japan. The story would be continued in Dynamite Deka EX, also known as Asian Dynamite, and the game would be remade in the form of Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 26: Dynamite Deka.

Production credits

Arcade version

Hiro, Paul Sears, Youichi Ueda, Robert Morgan, David Leytze, Richard Hideshima, Tohru Nakabayashi, Kouji Ooto, Yuko L. Isoda, Kohji Tanuma, Sachiko Amano, Masayuki Ao, Naoko Takahashi, Susumi Hirai, Morikuni Kubo, Shinichiro Okumoto, Masamoto Morita

Sega AM R&D Dept. #1

Saturn version

Hiro, Paul Sears, Youichi Ueda, Robert Morgan, David Leytze, Richard Hideshima, Tohru Nakabayashi, Kouji Ooto, Yuko L. Isoda, Kouji Tanuma, Sachiko Amano, Masayuki Ao, Naoko Takahashi, Susumu Hirai, Morikuni Kubo, Shinichiro Okumoto, Stephen Hutchins, Masamoto Morita

Magazine articles

Main article: Die Hard Arcade/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Saturn print advert in GameFan (US) #0504: "Volume 5, Issue 4: April 1997" (1997-xx-xx)
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Print advert in Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) #1997-02: "1997-02 (1997-01-31)" (1997-01-17)
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Photo gallery

Physical scans

Sega Titan Video version

Sega Titan Video, US
DieHardArcade STV Cart.jpg
Cart
Sega Titan Video, JP
DynamiteDeka STV JP Cart.jpg
Cart

Saturn version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
74 №27, p84-88[3]
60 №184, p74/75[2]
60 №43, p78
70 №424, p32
89 Vol 5, №4, p24
84
70
88 №93, p86
77 №53, p42/43
80
90 №73, p64/65
80 №17, p62/63[4]
77 №1997-02, p220[5]
81 №, p11[6]
82 №96, p69
Sega Saturn
77
Based on
15 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
576 KByte (HU)
80
[7]
Ação Games (BR)
75
[8]
CD Consoles (FR)
80
[9]
Console Mania (IT) PAL
91
[10]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
50
[2]
Edge (UK) PAL
60
[11]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
74
[12]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
70
[13]
Freak (IL)
92
[14]
Fun Generation (DE) PAL
70
[15]
Gambler (PL)
83
[16]
GameFan (US)
81
[17]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
88
[18]
Gry Komputerowe (PL)
75
[19]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
70
[20]
Mega Fun (DE) PAL
80
[21]
Next Generation (US) NTSC-U
75
[22]
neXt Level (DE) PAL
80
[23]
Player One (FR)
90
[24]
Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
76
[25]
Saturn Fan (JP) NTSC-J
74
[26]
Secret Service (PL)
56
[27]
Sega Magazin (DE)
86
[28]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
88
[29]
Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL
80
[30]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
77
[31]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
81
[6]
Strana Igr (RU)
80
[32]
Super Power (FI)
83
[33]
Ultra Game Players (US) NTSC-U
82
[34]
Video Games (DE) PAL
75
[35]
Sega Saturn
77
Based on
31 reviews

Die Hard Arcade

Saturn, US
Diehardarcade sat us backcover.jpgDiehardarcade sat us frontcover.jpg
Cover
DieHardArcade Saturn US Disc.jpg
Disc
Dha sat us manual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, EU
Diehardarcade sat eu cover.jpg
Cover
Diehardarcade sat eu disc.jpg
Disc
DieHardArcadeSaturnEUManual.pdf
Manual
Saturn, EU (newer)

Saturn, JP
Diehardarcade sat jp backcover.jpgDiehardarcade sat jp frontcover.jpg
Cover
Diehardarcade sat jp spinecard.jpg
Spinecard
DieHardArcade Saturn JP Disc.jpg
Disc
Saturn, JP (Satakore)
Dynamite Deka Saturn JP Box Satakore.jpg
Cover
Saturn, BR
DieHardArcade Sat BR cover.jpg
Cover

References

  1. File:CVG UK 184.pdf, page 53
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 File:CVG UK 184.pdf, page 74 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 184.pdf_p74" defined multiple times with different content
  3. File:CDConsoles FR 27.pdf, page 56
  4. File:SSM_UK_17.pdf, page 62
  5. File:SSM_JP_19970131_1997-02.pdf, page 222
  6. 6.0 6.1 Saturn no Game wa Sekai Ichi~i~i~i!: Satamaga Dokusha Race Zen Kiroku, SoftBank Publishing, page 13 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SnGwSISDRZK Book JP.pdf_p13" defined multiple times with different content
  7. 576 KByte, "Szeptember 1997" (HU; 1997-xx-xx), page 16
  8. Ação Games, "Maio 1997" (BR; 1997-xx-xx), page 20
  9. CD Consoles, "Avril 1997" (FR; 1997-xx-xx), page 84
  10. Console Mania, "Marzo 1997" (IT; 1997-0x-xx), page 46
  11. Edge, "March 1997" (UK; 1997-02-28), page 78
  12. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "April 1997" (US; 1997-0x-xx), page 53
  13. Famitsu, "1997-01-31" (JP; 1997-01-17), page 1
  14. Freak, "4/97" (IL; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
  15. Fun Generation, "03/97" (DE; 1997-02-12), page 74
  16. Gambler, "6/1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
  17. GameFan, "Volume 5, Issue 4: April 1997" (US; 1997-xx-xx), page 26
  18. GamePro, "April 1997" (US; 1997-xx-xx), page 90
  19. Gry Komputerowe, "6/1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 1
  20. MAN!AC, "03/97" (DE; 1997-02-12), page 70
  21. Mega Fun, "03/97" (DE; 1997-02-05), page 88
  22. Next Generation, "April 1997" (US; 1997-03-11), page 126
  23. neXt Level, "März 1997" (DE; 1997-02-21), page 68
  24. Player One, "Mars 1997" (FR; 1997-xx-xx), page 64
  25. Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 2" (JP; 1997-01-17), page 185
  26. Saturn Fan, "1997 No. 5" (JP; 1997-02-28), page 98
  27. Secret Service, "Kwiecień 1997" (PL; 1997-xx-xx), page 64
  28. Sega Magazin, "März 1997" (DE; 1997-02-12), page 26
  29. Sega Power, "March 1997" (UK; 1997-02-12), page 38
  30. Sega Saturn Magazine, "March 1997" (UK; 1997-02-19), page 62
  31. Sega Saturn Magazine, "1997-02 (1997-01-31)" (JP; 1997-01-17), page 222
  32. Strana Igr, "May 1997" (RU; 1997-xx-xx), page 81
  33. Super Power, "4 1997" (FI; 1997-0x-xx), page 48
  34. Ultra Game Players, "April 1997" (US; 1997-03-25), page 69
  35. Video Games, "3/97" (DE; 1997-02-19), page 96



Games in the Dynamite Deka Series
Arcade
Die Hard Arcade (1996) | Dynamite Cop (1998) | Asian Dynamite (2007)
Sega Saturn
Die Hard Arcade (1997)
Sega Dreamcast
Dynamite Cop (1999)
Sony PlayStation 2
Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 26: Dynamite Deka (2006)
PlayStation 3 PlayStation Network
Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 26: Dynamite Deka (2012)
Dynamite Deka related media
Music
Dynamite Deka 2 Original Soundtrack (1998) | Dynamite Deka vs Wing War Original Soundtrack (2006) | Dynamite Deka EX Original Sound Track (2007)
Book
Dynamite Deka 4 Koma Ketteiban (1997) | Dynamite Deka 2 Official Guide (1998) | Dynamite Deka: Burning 2020 (2014)