Virtua Cop 2

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Virtua Cop 2
System(s): Arcade, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, PC
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega AM2
Genre: 3D Action

Virtua Cop 2 is a light gun arcade game, released in 1995 and developed internally at Sega by their AM2 studio. It was ported to home systems on the Sega Saturn in 1996. It was released in PC in 1997 and Sega Dreamcast in 2000. It was later bundled with Virtua Cop in Virtua Cop: Elite Edition for PlayStation 2 in 2002.

This game was known as Virtua Squad 2 for the North American PC release. It was succeeded by Virtua Cop 3.

Gameplay

The game features three levels through which the player's movement is automated on a predetermined path. It is the player's job to shoot the criminals that appear before time runs out and they shoot back. Along the way there will be various objects in the background that can be broken if shot, some of which will reveal power-ups afterwards. At the end of each level there is a boss battle, as well as one extra final boss battle after all three levels have been finished.

Plot

Detective Janet Marshall is the new face on the force at the VCPD Special Investigations Unit. Her specialty is subject profiling - the analysis of every detail at a crime scene used to determine patterns of criminal behavior - and she has gained a considerable reputation by putting more than a few nasty criminals behind bars. But last year she lost her partner and mentor, Nick Anderson, while on a case.

During the events of the Virtua Cop, the original Virtua Cops, Michael "Rage" Hardy and James "Smarty" Cools, shut down the EVL Inc. criminal empire. Three of the head King and gang leader Boss Kong are all in the maximum security federal pen, and the final member of the EVL gang of four, international terrorist Joe Fang, is believed to have been killed in a helicopter crash, though his body was never found. After the downfall of EVL Inc. a comprehensive investigation of their black market and gun-running activities was launched in the Virtua City bank.

The GamesMaster Challenge

In 1997, former Games World Videator and future videogames journalist Martin Mathers appeared on the British videogames television show GamesMaster and participated in a challenge to complete a stage on two separate Virtua Cop 2 cabinets at the same time. Mathers performed admirably, but ultimately failed the challenge after shooting a bystander and losing a life. After the camera captured him venting his frustrations (although inaudible, he can clearly be seen to be mouthing expletives), he cut a post-challenge promo stating that he had, in fact, taken pity on the bystander and performed a mercy killing, due to the apparent likeness to British pop flop Peter Andre. This challenge can be seen on the GamesMaster DVD given away on the tenth anniversary issue of GamesMaster magazine in 2003

Game characters

Michael Hardy (Rage)

Two years later, this cop has grown up with his partner, James Cools, and a newcomer cop, Janet Marshall. He could do better than anyone else, including his part-time job and his duty training. He is known to be a quick draw when things get underfire. Rage is an all-around character in the game.

James Cools (Smarty)

Like his partner, Michael, who worked the same side for the good as well as he does, this doesn't stop him from beating by some bad guys. Although Rage is quicker on the draw in a gunfight, Smarty is known to be the top shot in the police force.

Janet Marshall (Janet)

A newly-installed special VCPD detective in the Virtua Cop special investigations squad (although the only female cop in the squad), Janet fights for her deceased partner.

Note: Sega Saturn Magazine (published in the UK) put up a friendly competition to give Janet Marshall a tag name. The name chosen was Janet "Hubcaps" Marshall.

Production Credits

Production Credits (Arcade Team)

Producer: Yu Suzuki
Director: Wataru Kawashima
Main Programmer: Shunsuke Sekikawa
Main Designer: Akihito Hiroyoshi
Programmers: Goho Ogura, Tadanobu Numata, Tetsu Yoshimitsu
Designers: Akira Morimoto, Issei Tokuda, Yoshiyuki Iwai, Masataka Aochi, Jeffery B. Buchanan
Music Composer: Hideaki Miyamoto
Program Support: Kazutoshi Tozawa, Masao Matsumoto
Design Support: Shuichi Sahara, Takafumi Kagaya
Cabinet Designer: Msahiro Yoshino
Electrical Designer: Ken Adachi
Mechanical Designer: Makoto Saito, AM R&D Dept.4
Speical Thanks: Satoshi Mifune, Masaki Yamashita, Hiroyuki Nakagomi
Created By: Sega AM2
Presented By: Sega

Production Credits (Saturn Team)

Producer: Yu Suzuki
Main Programmer/Director: Masayuki Sumi
Chief Designers: Hideki Miyake, Masakazu Takizawa
Programmers: Goho Ogura, Hiroki Okajima, Hiroyuki Tsuzuki, Junichiro Matsura, Takayuki Muramatsu
Designer: Nobuhisa Tajiri, Yoshiyuki Iwai
Program Support: Takayuki Yamaguchi, Takeshi Iwasaki, Takeshi Matsuda, Ryoya Yui, Saori Nisikawa, Norimasa Yoshizawa
Music Composer: Hideaki Miyamoto
Sound Effects Support: Hidenori Syouji
Publicity: Jun Kasahara, AM2 Publicity Section
Special Thanks: Five G Music Technology
Created By: Sega AM2
Presented By: Sega

Production Credits(PC Team)

Producer: Toshinori Asai
Director: Junetsu Kakuta
Supervisor: Yu Suzuki
Assistant Producer: Shun Arai
Main Programmer: Kazuhisa Hasuoka
Program Director: Kenichi Yoko
Network System Programmer: Yoshihiko Toyoshima
Sound System Programmer: Takashi Atsu
Graphic Designers: Hisato Fukumoto, Yumi Morikawa
Sound Composer: Maki Morrow
Technical Advisors: Naohiro Warama, Osamu Ogata, Kei Takashima
Testers: Takahiko Kobayashi, Youichiro Inoue, Kazuyuki Hagiwara, Noriko Hori
Special Thanks: AM R&D Dept. 2, Virtua Cop Arcade Team, Virtua Cop Saturn Team, AM2 Sound Section, AM2 Publicity Section, PC Divison, Technical Divison Design Team 2
Created By: Sega AM2
Presented By: Sega