I guess by now you all already noticed that I'm totally addicted to the Sega Ages 2500 games (BTW, notice how "ages" is "sega" spelled backwards...), specially when it comes to Saturn ports or better, remakes. This is the case with Dynamite Deka, known as Die Hard Arcade outside Japan due to the similarities between the game and the movie. Here's an awesome review I found on the internets:
"Wow. This is how you enhance an old game. Unlike the Panzer Dragoon port, which only looks marginally better, the PS2 version of Dynamite Deka looks almost completely different. Revamped character models, completely new textures, lighting effects - although it looks much darker than the original, it's almost as good as its sequel on the Dreamcast (known simply as Dynamite Cop in Western territories.) You can play the game with the Saturn graphics if you want too. Furthermore, there's a ton of additional modes, including an Easy Mode (double life bars for your characters and weakened enemies), One Hit Kill mode, Arrest mode, and Deadline mode (you have unlimited health but are under a strict time limit.) Altered Beast mode turns the main characters into two monsters - a Wolf Man and Bird Woman - from the classic Sega arcade game. You only have one credit in this mode, and while your life is constantly draining, enemies constantly drop little life power-ups. There's a ton of different variations in these modes, including slightly different weapons (the spray can becomes an air horn, for example.)
Easy mode allows the characters to dress up as Ax Battler and Tyris Flare from another classic Sega game, Golden Axe. The third stage boss, the huge football player dude, has been changed into Death Adder. This whole fight includes a ton of Golden Axe references - the giant fish in the aquarium has been changed into one of the monsters, and all of the furniture has been changed into statues of different Golden Axe characters. The music has even been changed into the classic first level theme. The other modes allow you to dress up in other different costumes, including characters from the young girl-oriented Sega arcade game Oshare Majou (One Shot Kill Mode) and the manga/anime Sukeban Deka (Deadline Mode). There are even small references to other Sega games like Wing War, Alien Storm and Alien Front Online. In addition to all of this, there's an art gallery and a quick Japanese commercial.
The Saturn version had included an emulation of Deep Scan, an incredibly ancient Sega game where you drop depth charges on submarines in order to earn more credits for the main game. This has been replaced with Periscope, a 3D recreation of an even older Sega coin operated game from 1968, predating most video games. You need to shoot missiles (denoted as blinking light bulbs) at battleships (which were little plastic models in the original version ) It's a fascinating look at Sega's history - I'd almost buy a whole Sega Ages package filled with recreations like this."Here's some comparison screenshots for those that never played the Saturn version:
Looks good, doesn't it? =)
