Game review: Operation Night Strikers (Switch)
As a kid who grew up in the '90s, I was exposed to a lot of light-gun shooting games both in the arcades and at home. I have very fond memories of playing Virtua Cop 2 at my local United Video store with my Mum back in the day. In 2001, my family finally got to play a light-gun game at home with the release of Time Crisis 2 for the PS2.
Sadly, though, the light-gun game genre died thanks to the rise of OLED and LCD TV screens. Light-gun games only worked on CRT TVs, so modern TV displays aren't compatible with the hardware. Even the arcades don't have many shooting games anymore, as they're full of scam carnival games for kids now…
Seeing that there is a gap in the market, Taito has published a new game compilation called Operation Night Strikers. This collection includes four shooting games that were popular back in the '80s. Operation Night Strikers includes Operation Wolf, Operation Thunderbolt, Night Striker, and Space Gun.
Three of these games are light-gun shooters, while Night Striker is a Space Harrier/Star Fox clone. While the game does not come with a light gun accessory, there are still three ways you can play it on PC and Switch hardware.
For Switch players, you can play Operation Night Strikers using the left analogue stick to control the crosshair for the light-gun games. This is the default setting and is arguably the easiest way to play the game.
If you want to mimic the days of light-gun shooters, you can also use the setting to aim the crosshair using the Joy-Con's gyroscope controls instead. By moving your hand and arms around, this setting somewhat allows you to use the Joy-Con like a plastic gun. Most of the time, the gimmick works, but it's not as accurate as the light-gun shooting accessories of the past.
Lastly, PC owners can play the game by aiming the cursor using a mouse. I haven't tested this out since I played the Switch version, but I'm sure this is a fun way to play the game. Sadly, the Switch 2 mouse controls are not compatible because this game is made for the Switch 1.
As for the games themselves, they are 2D shooters that kids from the '80s and '90s will enjoy a lot. Operation Wolf and its sequel, Operation Thunderbolt, are military shooters, and you have to have quick reflexes to kill all of the targets on the screen. There is no cover system, so you have to make sure to shoot the bad guys before they shoot you.
The only thing I don't like about the Operation games is that there is a chance that you can run out of ammo. If you don't shoot at the ammo crates fast enough, you can run out of bullets, and it's game over. The two games are also much faster-paced compared to the likes of Time Crisis and Virtua Cop from the '90s.
I actually preferred playing Space Gun because it is a light-gun shooter that reminds me of the Alien movies. You are a person who needs to save people stuck on a spaceship full of evil aliens. When you shoot at the aliens, their blood and guts cover the whole screen!
You cannot run out of ammo using Space Gun's default weapon, but you can use more powerful weapons like a flamethrower. The game also has some cool-looking boss battles sprinkled in, too. Saving hostages is also a big part of the game, and you get a higher score the more people you rescue.
Night Striker is okay, but it's my least favourite game in the collection because it's not a light-gun shooter. Instead, you drive a futuristic flying car, shooting at lots of enemy invaders. I do like the fact that this game has replay value, though, because you can choose different levels to play through during the campaign.
Overall, Operation Night Strikers is a fun compilation featuring four enjoyable shooting games from the '90s. The only thing that would have made this game better is if it came with a proper light-gun accessory. While the Joy-Cons are fine, they're not as accurate as the video game guns from the past.
Verdict: 8.0/10