Die Hard Arcade, known as in Japan, is a 1996 beat 'em up video game developed and published by Sega for arcades. It was the first game in its genre to use texture-mapped 3D polygon graphics, It also features quick time events, the ability to combine items to make more powerful weapons, and in two-player mode the ability to perform combined special moves and combos.

The game was published in cooperation with Fox Interactive and was a licensed product based on the Die Hard movie franchise. Because Sega did not hold the Japanese video game rights to the franchise, the game was stripped of the Die Hard license in Japan and published as an original property.

Similarly to hit action films of the time, Die Hard Arcade is dominated by over-the-top, largely gore-free violence which is played for comedic effect. Items can be combined to make more powerful weapons, such as combining a spray and a lighter to make a flamethrower.

In two-player cooperative mode, both players can work together with combined special moves and combos. The game was created by Sega AM1 and the US-based Sega Technical Institute (STI), with all work on the game taking place at STI's facilities. The game was developed simultaneously for the ST-V Titan arcade system and Sega Saturn, but the home version was released later.

The Japanese version of Die Hard Arcade, Dynamite Deka, was followed by a sequel titled Dynamite Deka 2 for the arcade and Dreamcast. The sequel was released internationally as Dynamite Cop. In 2007, a remake of the second game was released in arcades (on NAOMI) under the name Dynamite Deka EX in Japan and Asian Dynamite in Europe and the USA. Bruno, from the original Japanese version, later appeared as a solo unit in the 2012 crossover role-playing game, Project X Zone, recolored to match his Dynamite Cop appearance in the Western releases. Because the character is based on John McClane, Bruno's likeness is modeled after Bruce Willis.

In a 1998 interview, the game’s director Makoto Uchida noted that he is “personally a huge fan of Die Hard, and really wanted to make a Die Hard-esque game for a long time.”

Reception

Die Hard Arcade achieved a certain degree of success upon release. In Japan, Game Machine listed Die Hard Arcade on their August 15, 1996 issue as being the second most-successful arcade game of the month. Computer and Video Games magazine gave the arcade game a positive review, comparing it favorably with the Streets of Rage series and comparing the moves and combos to the fighting game Virtua Fighter 2 (1994). Reviewing the arcade version, a Next Generation critic said Die Hard Arcade "breathes life into a dead-end genre", as the fighting moves are effective and far more abundant than in previous beat 'em ups, even discounting the acquirable weapons. He also found the graphics "lively", but criticized that it is often difficult to line up attacks with opponents, and the action is sometimes glitchy or sluggish. It was Sega's most successful US-produced arcade game up to that time. A Next Generation critic noted the longevity as a major issue but likewise gave a firmly positive assessment: "Die Hard Arcade is designed for pure and simple action, and it delivers."

References

  • Dynamite Deka EX official website
  • Die Hard Arcade at MobyGames