Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters (Sega CD) review "Saddle up your horses! There's a shootout at the saloon! Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters is the sequel for the very successful Lethal Enforcers game that is still in many video arcades across the nation. This isn't your typical light-gun shooter either. This time around, the game takes place in the Ol' West. You play the role of the local sheriff, and your job is to dispose of the vermin lurking about town. Good luck partner, because these critters aren't giving up without a..."

Saddle up your horses! There's a shootout at the saloon! Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters is the sequel for the very successful Lethal Enforcers game that is still in many video arcades across the nation. This isn't your typical light-gun shooter either. This time around, the game takes place in the Ol' West. You play the role of the local sheriff, and your job is to dispose of the vermin lurking about town. Good luck partner, because these critters aren't giving up without a fight!

Gameplay
The gameplay in Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters is pretty simple. Use your light-gun (or controller) to shoot all of the criminals that pop up on the screen. But don't shoot everyone, because if you "accidentally" gun down an innocent victim, your gonna be punished for it. Well, before I explain that, I guess I should explain how the other basics work. You begin the game with five stars. These stars act as your health meter. Every time you get shot and every time you shoot an innocent bystander, one of your stars is taken away. Once you're out of stars, you're forced to use one of your continues. But when you're out of continues, it's game over, kid!

You're also given a limit to how many shots you can fire without reloading your gun. Your pistol can hold five bullets, but once you fire them all off, it's time to reload. This is pretty easy to do, since all you have to do is shoot off the screen to instantly receive a fully loaded pistol. Now it's time to unload!

At the end of every stage is a boss, and it's a tough boss. Most of these ultimate gun fighters carry some heavy ammunition. For example, the first boss is shooting cannonballs at you from three different cannons. You're job is to kill the heavily armored critter while shooting the cannonballs that are heading right at you! This guy is tough, but he's nothing compared to the other bosses you'll be squaring off against later in the game. Some may find this extreme amount of difficulty as a turn-off, but it isn't impossible. Just consider this the time to prove yourself as the true sheriff in town!

In between each stage, you'll be given a status report on how you did in the previous stage. There really isn't any reason for this, because the way I see it, you should be happy with just beating the stage! After this, you're given a little bonus stage. These stages include things like shooting bottles or an old-fashioned showdown with some really bad hombres. These little extras are pretty fun, even if they are a little short.

Overall, the gameplay is pretty fun and frantic. It may be a difficult at times, even on the "Easy" difficulty setting. But hey, the gameplay is still a wild and enjoyable ride. Now, it's time to strap on yer shootin' irons, greenhorn!
Rating: 9/10

Graphics
The visuals in the game look pretty decent. All of the animations are pretty smooth and fluid. The characters themselves are a little blurry, but you'll hardly be able to tell with all of the action happening on screen at the same time. At any point in the game, there can be up to four different crooks aiming for you. This is pretty good, considering the technology of that time.

The backgrounds are just as good-looking. They are very detailed and are full of color. There are also many items that you are able to interact with in the background. For example, if you shoot a barrel that is on screen, water will flow from the bullet hole for a few seconds. Unfortunately, the backgrounds also have the same flaw as the character models. Many details in the background are blurry and rough around the edges. This is only a small problem though.

Also, considering that this game was released for the Sega CD, it was disappointing to see that the developer, Konami, didn't include any computer-generated videos. In case you didn't know, the Sega CD was one of the first consoles in the U.S. to allow videos and film within a video game. It would have been a nice touch if Konami had included some flashy CG footage, but for some reason, they didn't.
Rating: 7/10

Sound
The audio department of Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters is just excellent. All of the musical tracks have a great Western feel to them. But don't worry, this isn't country music. It's a much more livelier and faster-paced style of music. Plus, you can just pop the game into a CD player if you ever want to listen to the music on the road.

The sound effects are especially good. About every other bad guy that pops out on the screen screams a line at you. "You won't take me alive, sheriff!" and, "You can't hit the broad side of a barn!" are my favorites. Unfortunately, many of these lines get repeated over and over, sometimes even consecutively. And after a while, they can't down right annoying. It's a shame.

All of the other sound effects sound realistic enough. Plus, they never become as repetitive as the one-liners you hear. Explosions, gunshots, breaking glass, and the occasional screams all sound great. So overall, the music is great, the sound effects are also brilliant, and the statements that some of the enemies yell at you sound good, but get annoying and repetitive. Not bad.
Rating: 8/10

Replay Value
There is a bit of replay value to Lethal Enforcers II. Trying to beat the game on the "Very Hard" difficulty setting can provide quite a challenge. (Good luck on that one.) I have to admit though, once you beat the game once, playing through it again just isn't fun. Yeah, shooting a bunch of crooked outlaws can be good for relieving stress, but it just isn't the same as when you first play the game. A lot of the fun, excitement, and challenge is taken away after completing the game the first time. At least it was fun while it lasted though.
Rating: 3/10

Overall
Well, considering all of the pros and cons of the game, Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters is a fun, albeit short, game. The gameplay is very entertaining, the graphics are decent enough, and the audio is excellent. But on the down side, after beating the game the first time, too much of the fun is gone from the game. While it lasts though, this game is one heck of a ride.

Community review by cdbavg400 (November 15, 2004) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.