Press release: 1996-12-02: Virtua Cop 2 for Sega Saturn

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: Sega.com (archived)

VIRTUA COP 2 FOR SEGA SATURN:

-- ARRESTING GAMEPLAY IN 3D INTERACTIVE ENVIRONMENTS --

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- December 2, 1996 -- Crime has reached epidemic proportions in Virtua City, with high-tech warfare up more than 100 percent from last year. Reports from the city's dark underworld indicate the mayor is the next target in the renegade force's attempt to take control of Virtua City.

Female recruit Janet Marshall has joined the "Virtua Cop 2" crew to battle the burgeoning cyber-street crime. Can the "Virtua Cop 2" squad handle the highway shootouts, the subway gunners, and the cruise ship jet-pack bomber brats? Only you can decide their fate. Based on the hit Sega arcade game, "Virtua Cop 2" is now available exclusively for the Sega Saturn' home gaming console.

The new game gives the feeling of actual motion in high-speed car chases and moving subway train shoot outs, and features a new level not included in the arcade version, called Saturn Way.

"Virtua Cop 2" is the fourth arcade-to-home game in Sega's 1996 holiday line-up. It follows "Virtua Fighter Kids," "Fighting Vipers" and "Virtual On"."

" "Virtua Cop 2" is the most realistic shooting game available on the market," said Anne Moellering, marketing manager, Sega of America. "This second chapter in the popular arcade shooter series takes advantage of the Sega Saturn's powerful multiple processors, delivering higher resolution textures, more camera movement and a faster frame rate than the original "Virtua Cop." "

In addition to improved graphics and frames per second, "Virtua Cop 2" includes many added features for the Sega Saturn including a new branching storyline in each level, which allows gamers to choose between separate paths with different adventures.

Other additions include an auto reload option; mirror mode, that reverses everything in the game making it much more challenging; and free-play mode, which provides unlimited "continues" to gamers who have successfully completed all three levels.

The environment in "Virtua Cop 2" also responds to gunfire throughout the game, allowing players to shoot anything in their path, including tires, lights, windows, and even watermelons in the cruise ship kitchen.

Gamers rotate between three Virtua Cops -- Michael Hardy, a.k.a. RAGE, James Cools, a.k.a. SMARTY, and Janet Marshall, or JANET (the rookie), to stop crime in Virtua City. Their weapons range from an automatic, rifle, machine gun, shot gun, and magnum.

Virtua Cops are recruited to save Virtua City in the following high-pressure missions:

	Stage 1: The Big Chase (Rage/Janet)
	You interrupt a jewelry heist in progress. Your challenge is to pursue the crooks in your squad car to the other side of town while competing in a blazing gun battle. While in the jewelry store, your lethal bullets can destroy more than the bad guys: bullets can also shatter glass and chandeliers in the store. Watch out for Bull at the end of this level. He likes to throw things -- really big things.

	Stage 2: Save The Mayor (Smarty/Janet)
	The bad guys have taken the mayor of Virtua City hostage aboard a hijacked luxury ocean liner docked at Pier 10. Your mission is to fight your way onto the ship and make a room-by-room search to rescue "His Honor" before EVL can cast a very decisive ballot against him. At the end of this stage, the Aero-Divers, a crack team of five terrorists equipped with jet-packs and rocket launchers, attack in 3D to try and get you off the Fiesta Deck. Don't let them get too close or you'll get the point as they brandish some very lethal knives.

	Stage 3: Railing Shootout (Smarty/Rage)
	Follow the remaining gang members underground, through the Subway Way in the Virtua City subway system. In this shoot-out to save the city, Smarty and Rage battle the gang both on foot and in a car next to the subway train. The trail leads to a cavernous warehouse where you battle to a climactic confrontation with the notorious Garse Bladley in his Cat Tank -- equipped with both rockets and "claws."

Die hard gamers who play through the game a secret number of times can activate a hidden mode that "enhances" the game with "extreme" graphics. "Virtua Cop 2" also provides gamers with a choice between "Virtua Cop 1" (VC1) or "Virtua Cop 2" (VC2) scoring. VC1 scoring emphasizes the sheer number of hits on the "bad guys" while VC2's scoring is based more on accuracy and speed in addition to the actual number of hits. Rated "T" for teens, "Virtua Cop 2" is available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $49.99 for the game and $69.99 for the game plus the Stunner' arcade gun. Sega of America is the arm of Tokyo, Japan-based Sega Enterprises Ltd. responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Sega videogame systems and videogames in the Americas. Sega Enterprises Ltd. is a nearly $3.6 billion company recognized as the industry leader in interactive digital entertainment media, and is the only company that offers interactive entertainment experiences both inside and outside the home. Sega of America's World Wide Web site is located at (http://www.sega.com).