An arcade light-gun shooter that serves as the second entry in the Panic Museum series. The game stars two special agents investigating the disappearance of a town of 100 people as they stumble into an evil plot involving killer clowns, American folk tale figures, and a sentient runaway roller coaster.
Reviews View More
I played through this light-gun arcade game at a bar called The Cidercade in Dallas Texas. It was the highlight of my visit, as I hadn't ever seen the machine and was instantly pulled in by visual and design similarities to Midway's Carnevil.
The game was fairly standard, with a series of selectable levels each culminating in a final showdown against a titanic boss as nearly all light-gun titles do. But what stood out was the humor and simplicity in both allowing the game to be unapologetically weird, and in using extremely rough translation. The game, despite being released in 2010, manages to feel like the House of the Dead titles of the 90s, with campy dialogue and stiff acting creating a fun B-movie atmosphere throughout the game.
The game does feature a hostage system similar to House of the Dead, with 100 captives appearing to save. Saving them all and capturing the final boss earns you the good ending, while saving less and allowing the boss to escape earns a fairly fun bad end.
Overall I highly recommend the cabinet for fans of light-gun titles but otherwise it's best reserved for exactly the environment in which I found it. Tucked between sips of whatever you're drinking to brighten up its less elegant aspects.
The game was fairly standard, with a series of selectable levels each culminating in a final showdown against a titanic boss as nearly all light-gun titles do. But what stood out was the humor and simplicity in both allowing the game to be unapologetically weird, and in using extremely rough translation. The game, despite being released in 2010, manages to feel like the House of the Dead titles of the 90s, with campy dialogue and stiff acting creating a fun B-movie atmosphere throughout the game.
The game does feature a hostage system similar to House of the Dead, with 100 captives appearing to save. Saving them all and capturing the final boss earns you the good ending, while saving less and allowing the boss to escape earns a fairly fun bad end.
Overall I highly recommend the cabinet for fans of light-gun titles but otherwise it's best reserved for exactly the environment in which I found it. Tucked between sips of whatever you're drinking to brighten up its less elegant aspects.