Undercover Cops (1992)

by Nish
written by Nish 7 minutes read

Summary

Undercover Cops (1992)

Undercover Cops is an arcade-style beat ’em up video game developed and published by Irem, originally for the arcades in 1992. It is Irem’s first attempt in the modern beat ’em up genre that was founded by Data East’s Kung-Fu Master. Players control “city sweepers”, a police agent-like group who fight crime by taking down thugs in New York City in the year 2043.

The game was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1994, and to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1995. The SNES version was released in North America and Europe, while the Mega Drive/Genesis version was only released in Europe.

Undercover Cops is a side-scrolling beat ’em up game in which players control one of three city sweepers:

  • Hart: A well-rounded character with no major strengths or weaknesses.
  • Gin: A female character who is faster and more agile than Hart, but weaker.
  • Bear: A large and powerful character who is slower than Hart and Gin, but can take more damage.

The city sweepers must fight their way through seven stages, each of which is filled with enemies such as thugs, punks, and gang members. The city sweepers can use their fists, feet, and weapons to defeat their enemies. They can also pick up objects from the environment and use them as weapons.

In addition to the standard enemies, each stage also features a boss character. The bosses are more powerful than the standard enemies, and they require the city sweepers to use all of their skills to defeat them.

Undercover Cops was a critical and commercial success. It was praised for its graphics, gameplay, and music. The game was also praised for its innovative use of digitized sprites, which gave the characters a more realistic appearance than was typical of beat ’em up games at the time.

Undercover Cops is still considered to be one of the best beat ’em up games ever made. It is a challenging and rewarding game that offers hours of fun.

Gameplay

Undercover Cops is a side-scrolling beat ’em up game in which players control one of three city sweepers. The city sweepers must fight their way through seven stages, each of which is filled with enemies. The city sweepers can use their fists, feet, and weapons to defeat their enemies. They can also pick up objects from the environment and use them as weapons.

The game features a variety of enemies, including thugs, punks, and gang members. Each enemy type has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. The city sweepers must learn how to defeat each type of enemy in order to progress through the game.

In addition to the standard enemies, each stage also features a boss character. The bosses are more powerful than the standard enemies, and they require the city sweepers to use all of their skills to defeat them.

The city sweepers can perform a variety of attacks, including punches, kicks, and throws. They can also use weapons, such as guns, knives, and baseball bats. The city sweepers can also pick up objects from the environment and use them as weapons.

The game features a variety of stages, each with its own unique setting. The stages include a city street, a subway station, a construction site, and a factory.

Graphics

Undercover Cops was one of the first beat ’em up games to use digitized sprites. This gave the characters a more realistic appearance than was typical of beat ’em up games at the time. The backgrounds are also well-drawn and detailed.

Music

The music in Undercover Cops is composed by Masato Ishizaki. The music is fast-paced and energetic, and it helps to create a sense of excitement and urgency.

Reception

Undercover Cops was a critical and commercial success. It was praised for its graphics, gameplay, and music. The game was also praised for its innovative use of digitized sprites.

Undercover Cops is still considered to be one of the best beat ’em up games ever made. It is a challenging and rewarding game that offers hours of fun.

Legacy

Undercover Cops has had a lasting impact on the beat ’em up genre. The game’s innovative use of digitized sprites set a new standard for the genre, and its fast-paced and energetic gameplay has been imitated by many other games.

Undercover Cops has also been ported to a number of different platforms, including the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, and the PlayStation Portable (PSP). The game has also been released on a number of compilation discs, including the Irem Arcade Classics collection for the PlayStation 2 and the Irem Arcade Hits collection for the Xbox.

Undercover Cops is still enjoyed by gamers today. It is a challenging and rewarding game that offers hours of fun. The game’s graphics, gameplay, and music are still top-notch, and it is a must-play for fans of the beat ’em up genre.

Review Score

8.5/10

Art

Cover Art

Screenshots

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Nish is a software engineer by day and avid gamer who loves to play video games after he puts his two boys to bed. His insights delve into the mechanics, and storytelling of the games he plays with the aim to share his passion with the audience. He loves to travel back to his native India and travel the country on his restored Royal Enfield Bullet 350, a relic from a simpler time, like some of the games he plays.

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